Beacon Hill

Take a step back in time

Beacon Hill is one of the neighborhoods that makes it easy for Bostonians to walk to work. Bounded by Beacon Street, Storrow Drive, Charles Street and Bowdoin Street, it lies just across the Common from the retail and financial districts, with the State House at one of it's corners. Private brick houses and small apartment buildings built from the 1820's through the latter part of the 19th Century still flank 'The Hill's' steep streets.
'The Hill' itself has brick sidewalks, gas light style street lamps and even a few cobblestone streets. The city's best preserved Federalist structures, many built around hidden courtyards, can be found here. Louisburg Square is an attraction as well as Acorn Street both still have remnants of the original cobblestone streets. The Beacon Hill Civic Association makes certain that the architecture, and thus the unique charm is maintained. The main shopping street for the Hill is Charles Street, which offers necessities such as drug, hardware, and grocery stores along with jewelry, gift and antique shops, art galleries, and some of the best florists in the city. Other sites worth investigating in the neighborhood are the Black Heritage Trail, The Nichols House Museum, and The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, located in the Charles Bulfinch Mansion across Cambridge Street.