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Charlestown Lead Section Edit
Charlestown is the oldest neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Originally called Mishawum by the Native Americans, it is located on a peninsula north of the Charles River, across from downtown Boston, and also adjoins the Mystic River and Boston Harbor. Charlestown was laid out in 1629 by engineer Thomas Graves, one of its early settlers. It was the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; it was a town in Middlesex County when the colony was partitioned on May 10, 1643. Charlestown became a city in 1848 and was annexed by Boston into Suffolk County on January 5, 1874.Most county functions have been assumed by Boston since the 1990s.

Charlestown is a hub of historical sites and landmarks that include the Freedom Trail, the Bunker Hill Monument and the Boston Navy Yard. While it has had a substantial Irish American population since the migration of Irish people during the Great Irish Famine of the 1840s, since the late 1980s the neighborhood has changed dramatically because of its proximity to downtown and its colonial architecture. However, it still maintains a strong Irish American population and identity. As the population is growing the dynamics of the city is changing as well as the demographics. Although it remains that there is a large Irish population, it is noted that many more ethnicities are now joining and changing the population. A large form of transportation used amongst the people of Charlestown as well as the whole of Boston is the Mbta. Also known as "the T". This form of transportation covers buses, trains, subway as well as taxi services.

Demographics
Charlestown has a fairly large population of 16,685. Once primarily known as an Irish American commuinty, the demographics of Charelstown have changed greatly. With the vast majority of the population ranging in age from twenty-five years of age to fourty-five years of age. The demographics of the town have shifted to show a higher Hispanic, Asian and African American population than recent years.

Community Resources
A program piloted in the city funded by the Carlyle Group in cooperation with the Charlestown Waterfront Coalition, Spaulding Rehab Hospital and Courageous Sailing Center is involving special needs youth in the community by serving sailing lessons located on Peir 4. There are many taxies, buses and subways that help the residents of Charlestown commute to their destinations, one aid is the MBTA. The community has access to transportation on land as well as transportation on the water. The water transportation is still currently in the works, however ferries and water taxis are expected to help ease residents comutes in the near future. Charlestown houses two amazing hospitals Massachusetts General Hospital as well as Spaulding Rehabilitation Center. Another available resource for the people of Charlestown, as well as most other towns in Massachusets is the YMCA. The YMCA not only is a gym for people of all ages but also serves after school programs as well as daycare for lower costs than most others.

Urban Policies
Charlestown follows Massachusetts law and has its own courthouse conviently located off of a MBTA subway and bus routes. Massachusetts has set zoning policies amongst all of the towns. Due to the long history of Charlestown there are many historic sites as well as historic buildings. These structures are covered under preservation laws that help to protect the buildings as well as to keep the history alive and prevelant. Small businesses, with lower incomes residing in Charlestown are able to work with the help of a company called ACCION which provides loans ranging from $500 to $50,000. These loans are to aid not only the business but education as well.

Housing
The median gross rent for Charlestown is $939. The tax rate for homeowners of Charlestown has dropped in 2015 from the previous rate of $12.58 per thousand dollars to $12.11 for every thousand dollars. However this drop has been accompanied with an average single family property tax rate increase. The increase grew from $3,417 to $3,525 due to a rising rate in the Charlestown real estate scene.

School Systems
Primary and secondary schools

Boston Public Schools operates public schools. Harvard/Kent Elementary School,[17] Clarence R. Edwards Middle School,[18] Warren-Prescott K-8 School,[19] and Charlestown High School are located in Charlestown.[20]

The Harvard/Kent school has extended their school day by 40 minutes. This was approved by the Charlestown school committee on February 12, 2015. The Harvard/Kent school is one of 60 in the Boston area that has adapted a 40 minute learning session to their curriculum in order to provide the roughly 23,000 children with learning enrichment opportunities.

The Holden School, a private school, was formerly located in Charlestown. COMPASS, Inc. and the Holden School merged on July 1, 2007, and the combined system operated at two sites, including the Charlestown site, beginning in September 2007. The COMPASS board of directors decided to close the Charlestown site, beginning on June 26, 2009.[21]

Colleges and universities Bunker Hill Community College's main campus is located in Charlestown.[10] MGH Institute of Health Professions, a graduate school founded by Massachusetts General Hospital, is in the Charlestown Navy Yard neighborhood

Public libraries

Boston Public Library operates the Charlestown Branch. The library first opened in the Warren Institution for Savings building on January 7, 1862. The library moved to a larger space in the new Charlestown City Hall in 1869. In 1913 the branch moved to the intersection of Monument Avenue and Monument Square, in proximity to the Bunker Hill Monument. The branch moved to its current location in 1970.[22]