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Established in 1807, the Boston Anthenaeum is one of the oldest and most respected libraries in the country. Also housed here is an extensive art gallery. Their collection is over half a million volumes. The Boston Athenaeum is located in Beacon Hill close to the Massachusetts State House. One interesting item in the collection is a book bound in human skin, a copy of The Highwayman written by burglar James Allen, that was bound in his own skin per his request in 1837. Its newly renovated Children's Library serves children through age 13. A Preschool Room entices little readers with board books, easy readers, an aquarium, and more. The Young Reader Room has classics, non-fiction, and popular fiction. It also offers magazines, audio books, and computer stations for research. The Preschool Room has weekly story hours for members. Children's Library Hours: Mon 9am-8pm; Tue-Fri 9am-5:30pm; Sat 9am-4pm (Sept-May)

Hill House, Inc., founded in 1966, is an independent, non-profit community center that serves all Boston downtown neighborhoods, mainly centering on the community of Beacon Hill. The Hill House has multitude of acitivies to offer including a wide variety of intramural sports for children of all ages. However, the Hill House also serves the adult community through a variety of fun continuing education classes that you can sign up for. This is a fantastic resource for urban family and community building and is an asset to any new family to the area. A lesser known fact is the Hill House now occupies the spot where the MTV cast of the Real World Boston lived. This used to be an old firehouse. Hill House also has summer day camps, soccer camps, and baseball camps, for children ages four to 12. Registration for Hill House programs and Summer Camp is available online.

The NABB is a great way for the residents of Back Bay to stay in touch with current local events and information. You should become familiar with their website if you're new to the neighborhood and try to get involved so you can meet your neighbors and give back to the community in whatever way you like. There is a small fee to join, but is a great way to meet the people you live near. They host parties, events, and 5Ks. The people are young and old, with various backgrounds- but all social beings!

Formerly Twentieth Century Bowling Lanes, an establishment dating back before the 1950s. In more recent years, 20th Century became more known for its ice cream than its bowling. It's been upgraded and modernized a couple of times, and recently they have started to repaint the bowling lane area with some brighter, newer colors, but the lanes are still the same. They do not have a game room or pool tables, but they *DO* have bumper bowling for children. To understand the perfection of Ron’s brownie-nut ice cream, imagine dunking a brownie into a glass of ice-cold milk and then taking a bite. This place alone is worth the trip to Hyde Park.

Look up “dive bar” in the dictionary and you’ll find a picture of The Tam. Because of its central proximity in the Theatre District, the “Classic Neighborhood American Bar” attracts a bizarre assortment of booze-soaked regulars, theatergoers, Combat Zone veterans and Emerson students looking to snag one of the joint’s reasonably priced pints. Beers are as low as $1.25 for a Busch draft. Great place for a random conversation with a stranger while drinking a beer at 8 am. Hours: Mon.-Wed. 8 am-1 am, Thu.-Sat. 8 am-2 am, Sun. Noon-1 am

Beautifully manicured parks now welcome visitors to the Hub in this visionary urban enclave crafted within Boston's concrete jungle. After the Big Dig project moved once-elevated roadways underground, community and political leaders seized the newfound space and crafted what is called the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. Designers set out to balance natural beauty and landscaped grace with the vitality of functional art. Parks are open 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Highlights include a fountain in the Wharf District Parks near the Aquarium T Station and Milk Street with holes arranged in a series of eccentric circles that spew chlorinated water as well Chinatown Park with a skillfully crafted Zen garden. The Greenway spans from Chinatown Park to Dewey Square Parks to the Wharf District Parks to the North End Parks. Click HERE to take an online tour of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. Why not honor your mother by making her a permanent part of Boston history? Organizers at the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Mothers' Walk are offering 6" x 6" pavers as a way to honor your mom. The $500 gift allows you to immortalize your mother's name, an official certificate that cites her as an honoree as well as an invite to the Greenway inaugural event in the fall of 2008. Follow this link to purchase a paver. Follow The Greenway on Facebook.

Originally on Province Street in Downtown Crossing with origins dating back to the 1940s, The Littlest Bar has reopened in a new--and slightly larger--location on Broad Street in the Financial District. Proprietor Paddy Grace closed the infamous original locale two years ago after issues with a high-rise condo development in Downtown Crossing. The new spot, covered with old-school memorabilia including photos and a letter from former Boston mayor Ray Flynn, also shares a kitchen with The Times Irish Pub & Restaurant. Small-size order of fish and chips, anyone?

Many bars in the Financial District resign themselves to being a bumping after work watering hole Mon.-Fri. with dead weekends. Revolution Rock Bar is not. With nightly events, live music, a great menu, and even family events, Rock Revolution is awake and rocking (pardon the pun) while the rest of the Financial District sleeps.

The Boston Jaycees, or also called the Boston Junior, is a network of individuals between the ages of 21-40 with an interest in networking, socializing, and community service. They are a subsidiary of the Massachusetts Junior Chamber of Commerce and the United States Jaycees. Although socially driven in many ways, the Jaycee's are very involved in charity raising and various non profits. Perfect group for someone looking to get more involved in their city, trying to give back, and looking to meet some new and interesting people along the way.