"With its original gas-lit street lamps, brick sidewalks, and Federal-style row houses embellished with ornate iron work and decorative doors, Beacon Hill ranks as the most picturesque neighborhood in the city. The area has long housed some of the city’s most illustrious families with early residents including Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Robert Frost, and Sylvia Plath.The gilded-dome Massachusetts State House, designed by Charles Bulfinch and open for tours, sits at the top of Beacon Hill, which overlooks Boston Common, the oldest public park in the US. From the Boston Common Visitors Center, you can begin walking the Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile walking path that tells the story of Boston’s early history.At the bottom of the hill, Public Garden, the first botanical garden in the nation, is home to the famous Swan Boats, a fleet of century-old pontoon pleasure boats that visitors can take for a ride on the Lagoon for just a few dollars. Along the brick sidewalks of Charles Street, at the bottom of Beach Hill, are antique stores, art galleries, cafes, restaurants, and shops like Savenor’s Market, where chef Julia Child used to buy her meat." - MATADOR_NETWORK
