As soon as you step foot into this neighborhood, you will be immediately overcome with fond memories of your days in college. The neighborhood is friendly and vibrant and full of students walking and biking to and from their classes. In fact, around 42% of residents are in their 20s and 32% are aged 20-24. As a result, the neighborhood is full of students, young professionals, and young families.
The energy in this neighborhood is also quite youthful, despite it being a fairly old neighborhood in the city. So while the population is largely young, some of the architecture is very old. Of course there are newer homes, condos and building, but there are also a ton of old brick townhouses and freestanding family homes that have been around for centuries. As a result, you have your pick from a wide variety of different types of places to rent.
In addition to the universities nearby, there is quite a few different options when it comes to restaurants, bars, and shopping. While a lot of the options are geared towards the younger population, there is definitely something for everyone. There is also ample green space if you decide you want to step away from the energy and hustle and bustle of the neighborhood.
Prior to the American Revolution, the area where Mission Hill presently sits was land owned by wealthy Boston families. Most of the land was an orchard farm that was owned by the Parker family, until a barrel of cider fell and killed the owner. The orchard remained open for a bit longer, but soon enough, the land began to be sold and developed.
Development continued throughout the 19th century and throughout the 1900s, the neighborhood was home to many immigrants coming over from Ireland, Germany, Italy, and other countries. It was seen as a dangerous neighborhood in the 1970s, but ever since the 1990s, this fear has faded and the neighborhood is slowly diversifying and gentrifying, and has the reputation of one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in all of Boston.
The reason why the neighborhood likely attracts a lot of students is it’s relatively low cost of living compared to the rest of Boston. The median gross rent is far lower than compared to other neighborhoods in Boston, but there still remains more expensive places if you are looking for just that. However, the average income of the neighborhood is just over $33,000, so everyone enjoys the relatively cheap cost of living and rent compared to the rest of Boston. In fact, the affordable rent and cost of living is one of the reasons why this neighborhood is so desirable.
While driving a car is more viable in Mission Hill than a number of other neighborhoods, most residents here prefer other methods. In fact, over 65% of the population of this neighborhood walk, bike, or take some type of public transit to work. Walking and biking is very common (especially during the warmer months), as the neighborhood is very full of students living on a budget who might want to save as much money as they can. Also, the neighborhood is full of beautiful architecture that makes for some nice eye candy while walking to class or work. However, if public transit is more your style, don’t you worry, Mission Hill is great for that too. There are a few different bus routes that go throughout the neighborhood and both the Orange Line and the Green Line subway’s make stops there too.
- Boston College
- Boston University
- Northeastern University
- Harvard Medical School
- Massachusetts College of Pharmacy
- If you are looking for some beautiful outdoor space to check out in the neighborhood, look no further than Fitzgerald Park. This park features a ton of green space for relaxing or having a picnic, and also a number of different walking paths to see the scenery of the park and neighborhood.
- Mission Church is not only stunning in terms of its architecture, but it has also been opened for nearly 150 years. Even if you are not a religious person, it is worth it to go and check it out.
- Visit the Squealing Pig. This little establishment features some tasty treats like lobster rolls and has an extensive beer menu as well.
- The neighborhood has two main streets, which are Tremont Street and Huntington Avenue. Both of these streets are lined with shops and restaurants, so you should definitely make an effort to visit these streets on occasion if you decide to rent in this neighborhood.
- There are a number of different university campuses in and around the neighborhood, and you might as well pay those are visit as some of the smartest minds in the city reside there. There are always interesting things going on at these campuses regarding art, technology, medicine and more.
