By Nia Harmon In Boston.com’s Perfect Day series, we’re talking to a local expert in each of Boston’s 23 neighborhoods about how they’d spend their perfect day. See what makes this city so special to your neighbors, and share your perfect day with us at [email protected] .
Formerly a part of Roxbury, Mission Hill became its own neighborhood when Roxbury was annexed to the city in 1868 . Originally called Parker Hill, the current residential neighborhood used to be a farming community that housed the estates of some of Boston’s most wealthy families. The name Mission Hill was picked up during the construction of the crown jewel of the neighborhood, Mission Church, during the 19th century.
Boston City Councilor At-Large, Henry Santana, has called Mission Hill home since the age of three. Originally from the Dominican Republic, Councilor Santana lived in the neighborhood until he left to attend college at Lasell University. “I really love this neighborhood.
It’s given me and my family as Dominican immigrants a place we really call home,” said Councilor Santana. “I feel very safe there. I feel very loved there.
And ultimately, it is because of all the people who have invested in me from that neighborhood [that] I really try to invest as much as possible back.” With roots still in the neighborhood, Councilor Santana frequently visits his family, friends, and community leaders that helped shape him into the person he has become today. “In this new capacity bei.
