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 a world class city neighborhood. 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 mile square, Beacon Hill is bounded by Beacon Street, Bowdoin Street, Cambridge Street and Sorrow 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.

Charles and Cambridge Streets are Beacon Hill's commercial streets. Charles Street is known for diverse antique shops, home decor stores, fashion boutiques, unique gift & import shops, small inns, and several fine restaurants. Cambridge Street offers good restaurants, a ladies dress shop, a travel agency, as well as two gas stations and a supermarket in Charles River Plaza. Cambridge Street is also the home of the venerable Massachusetts General Hospital.

Both streets offer many essential neighborhood services like lawyers, insurance agents, real estate brokers, veterinarians, and one of the few independent pharmacies - Gary Drug - left in America.

Mount Vernon, Revere, West Cedar, Myrtle and several other streets are home to scattered convenience stores, service firms like plumbers and laundries and small offices that contribute to neighborhood vitality.

The Massachusetts State House is at the top of the Hill overlooking Boston Common. Before the Revolution, Beacon Hill was pasture land with a few notable exceptions, including John Hancock's country estate, which was demolished to make room for the western addition to the Massachusetts State House.

The South Slope was developed in the 1790's by the Mt. Vernon Proprietors for Boston's richest families, who by the late 1800's were being called Brahmins. South Slope streets were spacious and carefully laid out.

The North Slope developed more organically, up and down alleys and into nooks and crannies. Its residents were former slaves, sailors, poets -- people who were, as one wag put it, morally emancipated. In the late 19th century, the North Slope became home to immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe and many of the homes were remade into tenements.

The Flat of the Hill originally was part of the Charles River. After it was filled, it became home to blacksmiths, shoemakers, stables and later, garages of the homes on the South Slope. Now almost all the buildings have been renovated into living quarters.

All one needs is within walking distance.

Interesting architecture

Beacon Hill is recognized as one of Boston's oldest and most desirable neighborhoods. Approximately one-half a square mile in size, many of its houses were built in the 50 years following the Revolution. The neighborhood is known for its elegant Greek Revival brick row houses with colorful doors, creative doorknockers, decorative iron work, brick sidewalks, narrow streets ó a few with cobblestones ó and gas lamps. The south slope was developed for Boston's richest families by Charles Bulfinch, a well-known architect of the time, and his partners. The north slope grew up on its own, up and down alleys and into nooks and crannies. Its residents were former slaves, sailors and poets. In the late 19th century, the north slope became home to immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe and many of the homes were remade into tenements. The flat of the hill was originally part of the Charles River, which was gradually filled in. Victorian and early 20th century architecture dominates here, but there are also old stables along some of its streets. Those have been renovated now into living quarters.

The Massachusetts State House sits at the top of Beacon Hill. It was designed by Charles Bulfinch in the late 18th century. Under its distinctive golden dome is a copper roof installed by Paul Revere's firm. Stop in and take a tour.

Across from the State House is the Boston Common. The Boston Common is the oldest public park in the nation, and the Boston Public Garden is the oldest American botanical park. Together they provide 75 acres of green space in the heart of downtown Boston.

The Common hosted encampments of British troops prior to the American Revolution, public hangings took place there until 1817, and it provided grazing for cattle until 1830. Now it is a wonderful place to explore, watch soccer and baseball games and people-watch. Children enjoy cooling off in the Frog Pond during the heat of summer and everyone has a chance to ice skate here in the winter. Visit the Boston Public Garden, across Charles Street from the Common, where you can watch children climb on the "Make Way for Ducklings" sculpture, take a ride on the Swan Boats, identify trees and birds and regard the many statues commemorating important events and people in Boston's history.

The Museum of African American History is a national historic site on Smith Court off Joy Street. It is the site of the African American Meeting House (the oldest black church edifice still standing). Stop in for a map of The Black Heritage Trail and explore the history of the 19th century free black community on foot.

The Nichols House Museum on Mt. Vernon Street offers a unique glimpse into 19th and early 20th-century Bostonian life in a Bulfinch-designed townhouse. The Otis House Museum on Cambridge Street exemplifies the elegant life led by Boston's governing class after the American Revolution.

Once you visit Beacon Hill, you'll see why many of us find shopping, eating, and living here to be the best attractions of all!