Categories: TRAVEL

Best Neighborhoods in Boston, MA

Boston is famous for its collection of medical facilities, its cultural sites and even its sports teams. So perhaps it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Boston is also home to a variety of popular city neighborhoods. There are lots of ways to judge the best neighborhoods in Boston. You can judge by schools, shopping ops, transportation, safety, recreational centers and many other criteria. No matter what standard you use there are some neighborhoods in Boston that consistently rise to the top. Three of these neighborhoods are presented here as being among the best neighborhoods in Boston.

The South End: With a storied past and a confusing name, Boston’s South End stands out today as one of the best neighborhoods in Boston. It hasn’t always been that way. In fact the history of the South End tells us that this neighborhood was actually man made when fill was used to connect the old town of Boston to the mainland area of Roxbury. Throughout its history the South End has ridden an economic roller coaster that at times took it to the heights of wealth and prosperity and then just as quickly deposited it on the rocks of near disaster.

Today the South End is growing in popularity with an increased demand for housing especially in the magnificent Victorian style homes that typify the area. The South End has benefited from improved transportation, renewed and refurbished housing, additional diverse eateries and upscale shops and art galleries. The South End is home to the Boston Ballet, the B. U. Medical Center and the Boston Center for the Arts. The South End is not the richest neighborhood in Boston ( and it is a totally different neighborhood than South Boston ) but it is currently among the most up and coming places for people of all backgrounds to call home.

Beacon Hill: Looking for a neighborhood with quaint, narrow, tree lined streets with brick sidewalks and 19th century gas lights? You won’t find many that fit that description in the entire nation. In Boston, you’ll only find one such neighborhood and that’s Beacon Hill.

Before the American Revolutionary War the area that now comprises the Beacon Hill neighborhood was made up primarily of open pasture land. There were a few large estates, ironically one was owned by John Hancock who not only wrote his name large but enjoyed living large as well. From its beginnings, Beacon Hill had a reputation for being home to the wealthy.

Today Beacon Hill continues to be home to the socially and financially elite. The total population of Beacon Hill is about 10,000 people and in some ways it resembles a close knit, small town. Many people consider Beacon Hill one of the best neighborhoods in Boston because it is a very self sufficient community. Everything you need seems to be at your beck and call. Even though it is predominantly a residential area its residents can still find a supermarket, gas stations even a drug store within easy reach and usually within walking distance of their own front door.

Those fortunate enough to live in the Beacon Hill neighborhood also enjoy the luxury of nearness to the State House, Boston Common, and the Boston Public Garden. It appears in fact that the city of Boston is literally at their feet and within their grasp. There are many nice neighborhoods in Boston, but the most posh address and arguably the best neighborhood in Boston remains Beacon Hill.

Jamaica Plain: Located on the southern rim of the city of Boston, Jamaica Plain is a neighborhood that still commands loyalty and affection from residents who may have moved out decades ago. For current residents Jamaica Plain is much more diverse than the Jamaica Plain of the forties or fifties. There are more Hispanic residents, openly gay couples and young couples of many ethnic backgrounds. There are also a good number of well healed residents looking to gentrify the area and willing to spend the money necessary to accomplish this end.

Residents of Jamaica Plain, past and present, see their neighborhood as one of the best neighborhoods in Boston because even though it lies within the city limits of Boston it also maintains an extraordinary amount of green space that residents can enjoy. Even though Central St. in Jamaica Plain is full of business activity, nearby at Jamaica Pond residents can walk, bike or run along pathways that have offered recreation for decades. And if that’s not sufficient, the spacious fields and trees of the Arnold Arboretum also provides a change of scenery from the busy streets of downtown Boston.

There are in all 21 declared neighborhoods in the city of Boston. If you are looking for the very best neighborhoods in Boston you might want to begin with the South End, Beacon Hill and Jamaica Plain.