Boston Jamaica Plain

Affectionately known as "J.P.,” Jamaica Plain is one of the greenest neighborhoods in the city—surrounded on three sides by large tracts of forested and much-loved open space. With bucolic Arnold Arboretum, picturesque Jamaica Pond, expansive Franklin Park, and historic Forest Hills Cemetery, Jamaica Plain is an outdoor oasis. Still, don’t let all the natural beauty obscure J.P.’s abundance of architectural intrigue. The neighborhood hosts a number of spectacular “Painted Lady” Victorians on Sumner Hill. Stately mansions line Jamaica Pond and nearby streets. These days J.P. hosts wealthy “hip” suburbanites returning to the city, plus a large Hispanic and Caribbean population. They join longtime Irish Catholic residents, a lesbian/gay contingent, students, and many others. This walk gives you a sampling of what they perhaps love best about J.P.: quiet residential streets, spectacular mansions, a vibrant commercial district, and—most of all—Jamaica Pond, a major park and haven for the city-weary. Oh, and incidentally . . . if you’re like most visitors, you’re wondering, “How did Jamaica Plain get its name?” Tradition holds that a Native American chief named Katchemakin inhabited these lands before European settlers arrived; over the years his name became corrupted to Jamaica. The Plain part may simply refer to the abundance of flat, arable land that was once used for farming and grape growing. Today it’s used for recreation and rejuvenation, as you’ll discover on this walk through Boston’s green heart.