Hyde Park is the southernmost neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Situated 7.9 miles south of downtown Boston, it is home to a diverse range of people, housing types at’s with good reason that Hyde Park’s motto is “A Small Town in the City.” The southernmost neighborhood of Boston can feel worlds away from downtown, despite being just a couple stops away on the Commuter Rail. An epicenter of manufacturing in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Hyde Park filled up as Bostonians fled the city’s cramped neighborhoods in search of living space, fresh air, and natural beauty. Hyde Park has a suburban vibe with pockets of industrial areas, which are remnants of its history as a manufacturing hub. (Some things continue to be produced in town, however, like the beloved My Grandma’s Coffee Cake.) Today, you’ll still find plenty of warehouses, especially in the peaceful Readville neighborhood, where Capes and other small homes also dot its leafy streets.

With everything from the YMCA to a wing of the Hyde Park branch of the Boston Public Library bearing his name. Fairmount Hill, known largely as an Irish and Italian neighborhood, is filled with historic Colonial and Victorian homes. Lively Cleary Square, meanwhile, is a true mishmash, combining fast food joints, run-down storefronts, and beautiful historic structures like the Vertullo Building, likely the oldest and only surviving wooden commercial building in the district, and the Everett Square Theatre.

Despite the fact that the neighborhood is within city limits, outdoorsy types enjoy Hyde Park’s proximity to the Blue Hills and Stony Brook Reservation. Some residents aren’t crazy about the lack of shops or nice restaurants. While you won’t find a ton of fine dining, there is plenty of international food and a few local favorites like Ron’s Ice Cream, an ice cream and bowling alley combo, Tutto Italiano, and the Fairmount Grille.