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Neighborhood Overview
Beacon Hill is a 19th-century downtown Boston residential neighborhood situated directly north of the Boston Common and the Boston Public Garden. Most people think of city living as anonymous and isolating. But this cozy enclave, filled with nearly 10,000 people, is more like a village than an anonymous city. It has a rich community life, with neighbors knowing neighbors and everyone meeting on the Hill's commercial streets and at its myriad activities.
Approximately one-half mile square, Beacon Hill is bounded by Beacon Street, Bowdoin Street, Cambridge Street, and Storrow Drive. It is known for its beautiful doors and door surrounds, brass door knockers, decorative iron work, brick sidewalks, perpetually-burning gas lights, flowering pear trees, window boxes and hidden gardens. Its architecture, mostly brick row houses, includes the Federal, Greek Revival and Victorian periods, as well as early 20th-century colonial revival homes and tenements. The architecture is protected by restrictive regulations that allow no changes to any visible part of a structure without the approval of an architectural commission.
Beacon Hill contains a South Slope, a North Slope and a Flat of the Hill. Charles Street is the neighborhood's main street and is filled with antique shops and neighborhood services. The Massachusetts State House is at the top of the Hill overlooking Boston Common.
The above is an excerpt from the Beacon Hill Times web site; please visit it for more information about Beacon Hill and its history.
Residential Overview
Beacon Hill residents favor pedestrian and public transit (MBTA) over other forms of getting around and to and from the neighborhood. However, we almost all need to use a car sometimes, and many residents choose to keep one on the street. Thanks to the hard work of committed BHCA Traffic & Parking Committee members, Beacon Hill has both resident permit parking as well as garage facilities at residents’ and visitors’ disposal. Please be sure to follow all street signage carefully to respect street cleaning and snow removal requirements.
The residential density and close confines of our neighborhood necessitate careful attention to trash disposal regulations and the curbside recycling programs offered by the City.
Beacon Hill is architecturally distinct, historically venerable, and socially vibrant for all ages, from families with children to elders still enjoying a downtown life. With parks and playgrounds surrounding our streets, dogs are a welcome part of the fabric, as long as city rules for their ownership and care are followed.
With a well-earned reputation for safety, Beacon Hill residents and visitors are still advised to remain alert to their surroundings, particularly after dark, and to report serious incidents to the Boston Police.
In short, living in Beacon Hill is an experience unlike any other and most residents find it a distinct pleasure and privilege.
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Neighborhood
