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Boston Globe

Meet the city that inspired Beverly Hills

Not to mention, Beverly Hills, Calif., was named after our fair city by real estate developer Burton Green in 1907. (Our Beverly was founded in 1626.) The Massachusetts Beverly has hills, too; one of the prettiest is Long Hill ( Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up And there's this: Beverly Harbor was a base for early American naval operations. Privateer Hannah, converted from a fishing schooner to a warship armed with guns and cannons, was the first ship commissioned by General George Washington during the Revolutionary War. In 1775, Captain Nicholas Broughton patrolled the coast in the Hannah , engaging with the British Royal Navy sloop HMS Nautilus. Advertisement Culture — we've got it Fast-forward 250 years: What is Beverly like today? This North Shore city, with a population of around 42,500, 'packs a punch for a town of its size,' says Erin Truex, executive director of Beverly Main Streets ( Why are we sharing this now? On June 14, Arts Fest Beverly ( The best-known spot in Beverly is probably the 103-year-old Cabot Theatre ( There's no Rodeo Drive, but Beverly, Mass., offers its own form of eye candy — art. This piece by artist Jennifer Toler at Porter Mill Studios is one (very cool) example. Diane Bair Musical theater fans may also be familiar with award-winning North Shore Music Theatre ( Advertisement The old warehouses along downtown's Rantoul Street have been renovated and transformed into housing and maker spaces like Porter Mill Studios ( Montserrat College of Art campus ( If you want to make art, not just admire it, Beverly offers some options, including Score & Slip ( Clay Dreaming ( One of Beverly's more unique businesses is The Castle, a board game cafe with 1,000 games. (Tip: If you're drinking, don't play Uno!) Diane Bair Wandering around Beverly's downtown, you'll get a whiff of 'college town vibe,' which makes sense: In addition to the art school, Beverly is home to Endicott College ( The Castle ( Gentile Brewing Company ( Advertisement Mission Boat House sits on an iconic spot in Beverly, with views of the Beverly-Salem Bridge. Diane Bair Local haunts (minus the witches) Those who remember the old McDonald's restaurant on the Beverly-Salem bridge will notice a spiffy waterfront restaurant in its place, Mission Boat House ( A&B Burgers ( Rosetti Restaurant ( Don't let the strip mall location fool you: The Italian and Italian-American food at Rosetti Restaurant Beverly is worth a visit (shown here: shrimp flatbread). This is the sister location to Rosetti Restaurant in Lynn. Diane Bair One of us lived in Beverly for several years, and after a nine-year absence, we were happy to see some old favorites still operating, including Soma ( Siam Delight ( For dessert, there's an outpost of Harbor Sweets ( Henry's Fine Foods ( Advertisement You haven't really seen Beverly until you've gone to Lynch Park , the city's unofficial backyard. There's a small beach, perfect for watching kite-surfers in the cove, and a wide green lawn with picnic tables and lawn-facing benches. There's a snack bar, open seasonally, a band shell, and paths that lead to the ocean. The park's famous tiered Rose Garden is modeled after Italian gardens, and a much-loved spot for wedding photos. Another irresistible photo op: the Falconer statue, a replica of the original in New York's Central Park, which was sculpted by George Blackall Simonds in 1872. Given all of this, we were happy to be back in the old haunt. Yes, it's a bit gussied-up with all of those reimagined warehouses, not to mention a Whole Foods Market. But it still has a friendly feel, good places to eat, and a burgeoning art scene. 'Everybody knows Salem, but Beverly is a sleeper,' says Mark Jaffe, who's on the board of the Cabot and has lived in Beverly for most of his life. 'And the history is incredible. I can't imagine living anyplace else.' Diane Bair and Pamela Wright can be reached at