Town Overview

Right in the heart of Boston with its beautiful brownstones, brick sidewalks, and cobblestone streets, Beacon Hill is a highly coveted neighborhood, and its asking prices reflect that. However, there are plenty of rental options available here too, and at about the same rates as other Boston neighborhoods if you are able to commit at least 6 months in advance. Within walking distance of downtown Boston and the financial district as well as all four subway lines, Beacon Hill residents can get to work or any area of the city in a heartbeat. There are also plenty of options for a quick bite to eat thanks to its proximity to Massachusetts General Hospital. As you walk home with coffee in hand, you can peek in the windows of the many local antique shops. As is the case in many of Boston’s neighborhoods, having a car is completely optional. Parking can be hard to find during evening hours so some residents opt to buy or lease a spot. Even garage parking can be quite reasonable if you are doing a reverse commute and can be out during work hours. If you are working in the city and opt to leave your car in a street residential spot, you won’t have to move your car until the weekly street sweeping day.

Commuting

If you are commuting by car it is easy to hop on the highway since Storrow Drive borders this neighborhood, which will take you to I-93N/S in less than a mile. I-90 West is also less than a mile away. If you’re commuting within the city the quickest way is likely to be the subway and there are green, blue, and red line stops all within this neighborhood making it easy to get anywhere in the city. If you don’t have a car and want to get out of the city, both North and South Stations are just two stops away on the subway and will provide you with access to trains heading in all directions.

Schools

There are no public schools right in Beacon Hill but there are several private schools to choose from within Beacon Hill and nearby including the Torit Montessori School, Beacon Hill Nursery School, Commonwealth School, Park Street School, Park Street Kids Inc, and Advent School.

Buying Groceries

There’s no need to use a car to grocery shop with all the grocery store sprinkled through this neighborhood and just outside it. Everything from Whole Foods, DeLuca’s, Savenor’s, Lambert’s and Roche Bros. are available for picking up everyday staples or high-end meats and cheeses. During the summer months, Beacon Hill is about equidistant between the farmers’ markets in downtown Boston, Dewey Square, and Copley Square so you can pick your favorite or take advantage of all three.

Eating Out

There are endless choices in the neighborhoods surrounding Beacon Hill for all sorts of delicious food in all manner of settings, but if we are limiting ourselves to spots just within the small confines of this neighborhood, a few of your choices are:

• Tip Tap Room – A hip, modern gastropub with plenty of craft beer choices and an eclectic menu that often includes wild game
• The Paramount – A super popular, super casual spot for cafeteria-style breakfast and brunch or come later for a full-service experience for dinner
• 75 Chestnut – This local haunt provides inviting and quaint location for your comfort food fix

Recreation

There are a couple of playgrounds and small green spaces within Beacon Hill but they are far overshadowed by the 75 acres available to you in the Boston Common and Boston Public Gardens which border this neighborhood to the south and the 3-mile long Esplanade on the Charles River to the West. Beside plenty of open space, these parks offer ice skating, the famous swan boats, plenty of flowering beds to admire, playgrounds, and events throughout the year.

Things to Do

There are surprisingly number of cultural spots in this compact space, including the Vilna Shul, Boston’s Center for Jewish Culture; the Museum of African American History; the Black Heritage Trail; the Boston Athenæum library and art museum; the Church of the Advent; as well as a couple of historic-homes-turned-museums. Also, a favorite among Bostonians is the Hatch Shell, with its outdoor movies and events on the Charles River.

The Environment

Beacon Hill, as part of Boston, has a strong Environmental Department and is #1 for energy efficiency in the U.S. The Environment, Energy, and Open Space Commission focuses on the environment, energy systems, and open spaces. There are also several green initiatives, including the Adopt-A-Tree Program, Greenovate Boston, and the Mayor’s Carbon Cup, which all encourage participants to improve the environment.

Learn More

If you’d like to learn more about Beacon Hill, just let us know – we are happy to help!