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Jamaica Plain, a neighborhood of Boston, is located only 3 miles
from downtown along the Emerald Necklace, Boston’s extensive
park system. This oasis of greenery offers its residents an unparalleled
legacy and opportunities for a quality of life rare in most cities.
Because of Jamaica Plain’s diversity, richness and depth, it
is best described as an urban village with a strong sense of community
felt by its inhabitants. Its diversity is reflected in the people
who choose to live here — a myriad of backgrounds, lifestyles,
and cultures. Truly the melting pot of Boston, it is at once traditional
and progressive in a way that distinguishes it among Boston communities.
The theme of diversity is also very evident in the rich and varied
housing stock. As far back as the eighteenth century, Jamaica Plain
served as a summer retreat for Boston's wealthy merchants. Just
one of these eighteenth century summer estates — built for
British Royal Navy officer Joshua Loring — still stands. The
Loring-Greenough House is now maintained by the Tuesday Club and
is open for public tours and events. In 1834, the Boston & Providence
Railroad began service to Jamaica Plain, and soon the community
became an accessible and highly desirable suburb of Boston. Many
of the houses built in the first half of the nineteenth century
were designed with columns and gables in the Greek Revival style,
which was highly fashionable at the time. Later in the century,
numerous classic Victorian "Painted Ladies" sprang up,
many of which still stand today, giving Jamaica Plain its historic
and noble flavor. During the 1870's, Jamaica Plain became accessible
by streetcars and quickly developed into a "streetcar suburb"
with working families riding the old trolley from Boston to their
attractive two-families and classic three-deckers. The wealth and
variety of the housing stock today reflects the range of the people
who choose to make their home here. From first-time homebuyers to
the upwardly mobile seeking a mansion, the styles run the gamut
from the modest single family or "triple-decker" condo
to stately Colonial and Victorian residences. Preservation of these
treasures has been a trend for several decades, and the vast majority
of the homes have been restored. In recent years, the development
of many fine and modern townhouses and lofts have also contributed
to the area’s urban chic.
The community's richness is felt in the depth of commitment its
residents feel, clearly demonstrated by an unrivaled number of neighborhood
associations, merchants' groups, arts collectives, active political
organizations and many more special interest groups, all bound by
their commitment to the quality of life in Jamaica Plain. Jamaica
Plain is also home to one of the largest artistic communities in
the city of Boston. With close to 300 resident artists, the business
community has endeavored to support its artists with a “First
Thursday” event that brings residents and artists together
with art openings in the majority of the retail district shops.
This vibrant business district is enlivened by a multitude of fine
restaurants and specialty shops that are frequented by people who
live in Jamaica Plain and beyond. With many secular and sacred institutions,
the neighborhood boasts a recently renovated Municipal Building
with a community pool (Curtis Hall), two libraries, over a dozen
churches including a cloistered monastery (Monastery of the Poor
Clares) and three designated historic districts that include homes
on the National Register of Historic Places.
Residents take great pride in the fact that what first drew the
rich gentry to Jamaica Plain centuries ago is still a prominent
feature of the community — open space. Jamaica Pond, the Arnold
Arboretum, Franklin Park and the historic Forest Hills Cemetery
are just a partial list of over 1200 acres of accessible park land
that contribute substantially to the area’s immense natural
beauty. These afford residents ample opportunities for a variety
of recreational activities or simple communing with nature. Jamaica
Plain also boasts two bike paths into Boston, the Orange and Green
Line MBTA public transit service and a commuter rail into the city.
The access to green space is all the more impressive given that
Jamaica Plain is just minutes away from Boston's Back Bay, downtown
and the world-renowned Medical Area. Universities, museums, and
other rich cultural offerings are a quick drive, bike or subway
ride away.
Books:
Images of America: Jamaica Plain, by Anthony Mitchell Sammarco,
Arcadia Publishing, 1997.
Local Attachments: The Making of an Urban Neighborhood, 1850-1920,
Alexander von Hoffman, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994.
Boston Landmarks Commission Preservation Study, 1980’s
(description of notable JP homes; available in Jamaica Plain Public
Library; kept locked up, so ask at the desk)
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