Go to Beacon Hill for Holiday Spirit & Charm

Beacon Hill is the perfect place to send visitors, meet friends, do your holiday shopping and dining while saturating yourself with a big dose of holiday spirit.

(photo: © 2008, Infinity Portrait Design all rights reserved - see link below)

Last weekend a visitor from Virginia asked the Boston Chowhound community to recommend one neighborhood to explore on a free afternoon in Boston.

Great places to dine and snack, access to public transportation, and unique shops for holiday shopping were other parts of the request.

Here was my reply:

"Please consider Beacon Hill and the shops on Charles Street. I've been walking that street once a week for awhile now to get to a regular appointment, and I've really begun to notice how much Charles Street is what Newbury Street used to be.
It has great places to eat and lots of singular shops. Chains and food factories are not present in any number. It is charming.
I would recommend Lala Rokh for a lovely Persian meal. I'm sure others will chime in with their suggestions for dining in this area.
You would take the red line to the Charles/MGH station and begin strolling down Charles Street. Many of these shops close early so you may want to shop first, eat second. Make a stop at Savenor's Market at the beginning of the stroll for a great food shop. Maybe pick up a snack for the trip home.
I think Bostonians sometimes take Charles Street for granted. I know I did, but walking there all the time has opened my eyes a bit."

Others did chime in, agreeing with me and adding their own favorite spots. The link to that whole conversation is below. It's too bad our Virginia visitor was not staying one more day because Thursday is the most charming night of all on Beacon Hill.

(photo: © 2008, Infinity Portrait Design all rights reserved - see link below)

Thursday, December 11th is the Annual Beacon Hill Holiday Stroll from 5-9 PM

"For more than 10 years, the Beacon Hill Business Organization has sponsored a wonderful start to the holiday shopping season. From 6PM on we shut down Charles Street so that holiday shoppers and celebrants can stroll down the street and stop in to visit our shops and offices and enjoy the refreshments laid out for them. Children start earlier going to the Hill House fire house for free photos with Santa and when the last picture is taken, Santa lights the business district's Christmas Tree and officially kicks off our holiday season on Beacon Hill. Meanwhile visitors enjoy Victorian carolers strolling amongst the crowds and take free rides in a horse drawn buggy," says the Beacon Hill Business Association's website.

(photo: © 2008, Infinity Portrait Design all rights reserved - see link below)

A big "Thank you" for the photos of Charles Street shops shown with this article. They're courtesy of another Beacon Hill business– Infinity Portrait Design.

You can see more work from this talented group of photographers on the Beacon Hill Business Association site, on their own site (links for both in details below) or you can visit them in person at their Beacon Street Studio a few steps from Charles Street.

Details:
For the full discussion on Chowhound.com go here
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/578156

Infinity Portrait Design
59 Beacon Street, Beacon Hill, Boston MA

InfinityPortraitDesign.com

Lala Rokh
97 Mt. Vernon Street, Boston, Ma
www.lalarokh.com

Savenors Market

160 Charles Street, Boston, MA

www.savenorsmarket

Beacon Hill Business Association (be sure to take the tour on their site!)
www.beaconhillbusinessassociation.org