At the southernmost point in Boston, Hyde Park offers a well-blended mix of city life as well as the open space more commonly associated with the suburbs. The neighborhood’s vibrancy can be seen in the many small shops and restaurants along Hyde Park Avenue, River Street and Fairmount Avenue that make up the Cleary and Logan Square business districts. During warmer months, many Boston residents retreat to Hyde Park to golf at the George Wright Golf Course, one of the city's two municipal golf courses. Of its 32,000 residents, 43% are White, almost 39% are Black and about 13% are Latino. The average income in this neighborhood is $19,352, and just over than 10% of Hyde Park’s residents live in poverty. With a strong history of community spirit, it’s not surprising that during the 1960s when the City of Boston revealed plans to build the Southwest Expressway through the neighborhood (which had the potential to displace many residents), the neighborhood threatened to secede from the rest of the city. In response to their unity, the highway was never built. Residents of Hyde Park treasure their neighborhood for its energetic sense of community and its “small town” feeling, which has aptly dubbed its motto as: “A Small Town in the City.”

Data presented in the Boston Public Health Commission's Health of Boston report routinely demonstrates that Boston's Black and Latino residents experience higher levels of chronic disease, mortality, and poorer health outcomes than White residents. These persistent health disparities are driven by the interaction of several factors including racism, living conditions, physical environment, socioeconomic status, food security, lifestyle, available health services, and existing health policies. The data provided offers a broad picture of the health experience of our city, identifies individuals and communities at greatest risk for certain conditions, and stimulates discussion among individuals within our communities. Understanding the city's diversity is essential to developing policies and strategies that address health equity in Boston.

Sources: Boston Public Health Commission 2010 HOB Report Heart of the City- MBTA Fairmount Line My Neighborhood: Boston Hyde Park Open Space Map