As soon as you step foot in this neighborhood, the diverse community that lives in it is very evident. People from all different kinds of backgrounds and races live here together. In fact, over 25% of the residents in Hyde Square are not born in the USA and both African American and Hispanic communities are highly represented here.
There are numerous schools and parks throughout the neighborhood, which attracts a number of young individuals and those with families. The proximity of Northeastern University and the affordable historic buildings and homes, make it a haven for students as well. As a result, people under 30 are the most common to find throughout this neighborhood.
The streets of the neighborhood as constantly busy with people shopping and walking, and the architecture is very traditional and most homes are Victorian or triple deckers. These same streets are lined with various different restaurants, bars and cafes to check out that will satisfy all different tastes. The whole of Jamaica Plain has a fairly active scene when it comes to nightlife, but Hype Square tends to be a bit more sedated and quiet in terms of the bar scene.
In all of Jamaica Plain, Hyde Square was the first area to be settled in by the English. In the early to mid-1600s, various different families began building homes here and it became a village. This continued and eventually people began to spread further and further, which led to Jamaica Plain being formed. It has largely been a residential neighborhood throughout its history, and this continues to this day.
While the cost of living in terms of things like groceries and gas are fairly similar in Hyde Square to the rest of Boston, the rent definitely is not. The rent throughout most Boston neighborhoods can often be well over $2000, but in Hyde Square, the average rent is just over $1000. Of course, there are places you will see that are much more expensive than that in Hyde Square, but there are plenty of affordable options if you know how to look for them.
Getting around in Hyde Square is no problem at all, no matter what mode of transportation you choose to do. While a large majority of people in this neighborhood either use public transit or drive, any method of transportation is possible.
Public transportation options are great in this neighborhood as both the bus and the subway have various different pick up and drop off stations in the neighborhood. While driving is usually a big no no in Boston, Hyde Square is a fairly easy to drive into and out of, and with low traffic, you can be in Downtown Boston in around 15 minutes.
The streets are constantly lined with people going about their business, which makes running errands on foot extremely simple. Also, with the traditional architecture that I mentioned being plentiful in this neighborhood, people don’t mind walking and enjoying the scenery. Even bikers have it easy here as a number of the streets in Hyde Square have dedicated bike lanes for use.
- Boston University School of Medicine
- Hellenic College
- Northeastern University
- As mentioned earlier, there are many parks present in Hyde Square. However, only one park has the distinction of being the largest, and that is Jefferson Playground. This park is perfect for children as it has a large play structure and numerous sports fields. There is ample green space to explore in this park (and neighborhood) as well.
- The Jamaica Pond, which is about 68 acres, is the largest body of fresh water in all of Boston. The pond is an extremely popular place to visit for those who like to fish, swim, boat and walk the path that surrounds the pond.
- While it is not directly inside this neighborhood, the legendary Samuel Adams Brewery is just outside of it. Visiting the brewery is constantly on all the “things to do” lists when it comes to Boston. It is definitely worth a trip whether you are visiting or living there.
- The Wake Up The Earth Festival is an annual festival in Hyde Square that has been taking place since 1979. The festival was started as a celebration of neighbors who joined together to try stop the Intersate 95 from passing through Jamaica Plain. The festival has numerous vendors, performers and attracts about 10,000 people every year.
- Like a lot of areas in Boston, Hyde Square has a very diverse restaurant and bar scene. No matter what kind of food or drink you are after (and at whatever price point), you will have plenty of options to choose from.
