Surfing The Channel

When thinking of cultural “melting pots” of the United States, many cities may come to mind, cities such as Manhattan, or San Francisco, or Los Angeles.  However, there is one city that may get overlooked, and that is the city of Boston.  This is the a city that is rich with history not only within itself, but one that is also of the most significance in regards to the history of the entire country.  There are many neighborhoods in the city today, each with their own characteristics and their own personality, and one that is known throughout the city as the cultural “melting pot”, is Beacon Hill.

It is not only the mix of the people from all over the world, but in Boston, hotel buildings, and apartments, and mansions, and eclectic boutique shops, and elegant restaurants are surrounded by artists, musicians, and poets…made from and made up of the vast number of immigrants who have been calling this neighborhood home since the 1600′s.

During the 17th Century this was home to many of the first European immigrants and settlers, and the Puritans, many of whom built the beacon at the top of the hill for which the neighborhood is named, which would signal an attack by the enemy troops.  Addresses in this location became quite desirable.  By the early 1800′s however, the surrounding neighborhoods became filled with “undesirables”.

But as time continued on, various cultures began to make Beacon Hill their home, from the African Americans in the years following the Civil War, to a wave of Jewish immigrants during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  This became a focal point for the civil rights movement, and a leader in the history of among many elements of society, the fight for equal rights.

Walking through this neighborhood, it is evident that history exists, in the array of architectural style.  The Boston Athenaeum is located here, and contains a vast library of books from the personal libraries of Henry Knox and George Washington, paintings, sculptures, and other artifacts that illustrate the years of history that stand behind this area of Boston.

A walk down Charles Street will open up a view into the history of tomorrow…the people, the activity, and shops of today.  Surrounded with charm and heavy with the weight of historical importance, this is a neighborhood of Boston that one should really explore by simply walking the streets and talking with the people who have lived there for generation after generation.

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