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Beacon Hill Beacon Hill's narrow cobblestoned streets and brick sidewalks are the very essence of old Boston. This historic neighborhood is located directly behind the golddomed State House adjacent to the downtown section. It is bordered by Back Bay and the Charles River to the west, Charles River Park to the north, Government Center to the east and the Boston Common and the Public Garden to the South. Charles and Cambridge Streets are the major commerical strips in Beacon Hill with both Boston's open air market, Haymarket, and the downtown shopping district on Washington Street a short walk away. Beacon Hill is also a designated historical district, offering character and charm seldom matched elsewhere in the city. The majority of Beacon Hill's housing stock is in small three and four story apartment buildings containing ten or fewer units. Buildings with more than ten units are much less common in Beacon Hill than in other areas of the city. Beacon Hill contains some of the oldest housing stock in the city. Individual units in Beacon Hill tend to be smaller, offer less square feet of living space than those elsewhere in the city. The housing quality on Beacon Hill is generally good, though a few poor quality, supposedly "bargain" units may exist. The majority of Beacon Hill's rental housing includes heat and hot water in the rent. Beacon Hill is easily accessible to public transit. The Charles Street/MGH red line subway station is located in the northwest portion of Beacon Hill while the Park Street Station subway station, green and red lines are a short walk across the Common. Beacon Hill is also within easy walking distance of the Esplanade, Haymarket, Government Center, Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market and the downtown. MIT is a 15 to 30 minute walk or a short bike ride from Beacon Hill via the Longfellow or Harvard Bridges. In bad weather, the Charles Street red line to Kendall Square is one stop. On-street parking in Beacon Hill is extremely limited. Residential parking stickers are required and Boston's Traffic and Parking Department gives out approximately three parking stickers for every available street space. Off-street parking is negligible in the area. The winter months exacerbate Beacon Hill's parking difficulties. The neighborhood's steep hills, once covered with snow and/or ice, make parking safely extremely difficult. As with Back Bay, if you live in Beacon Hill you may decide to leave your car at home to avoid parking difficulties. Beacon Hill offers easy pedestrian or public transit access to almost anywhere in Boston. Next to the North End, Beacon Hill is generally considered the safest neighborhood in the vicinity of downtown. Beacon Hill's isolated residential character and tight knit community atmosphere along with its generally high level of service from the police all contribute to its general safety. Even though Beacon Hill is considered to be very safe, keep in mind common security and safety precautions. Avoid walking through the Public Garden or the Boston Common after dark as these are high crime areas once the sun goes down. Beacon Hill's major drawback is its high rents, which are exceeded only by those in the Back Bay. If you can afford to live on Beacon Hill, it provides a charming old Boston atmosphere within easy access of MIT and downtown Boston.
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