Jamaica Plain

When Frederick Law Olmstead, the founder of American landscape architecture, designed Boston’s Emerald Necklace of Parks, he placed Jamaica Plain at its center. Filled with more than 1,000 acres of parkland, the neighborhood is considered one of the city’s greenest spaces and was referred to as the “Eden of America” when its parks were first developed during the 19th century. Today, the largely residential 4.4-square-mile community is valued for its colorfully restored Victorian homes, centuries-old country estates, and luxe penthouse-style condominiums.

Comprised of more than a dozen different sub-neighborhoods—Brookside, Egleston Square and Forest Hills included—Jamaica Plain (commonly referred to as “JP”) is celebrated for its diversity and rich culture. Inhabited by a mix of young families and business professionals, a range of local artists and activists both live and work here as well.

Centre Street is Jamaica Plain’s hub. Filled with a range of restaurants, shops, and services, the busy artery is always bustling with activity both day and night. Several new housing and commercial projects have caused a recent real estate boom in this area. The Arnold Arboretum, North America’s oldest public botanical collection, lures visitors and residents alike, as does Jamaica Plain’s abundant mix of biking and walking trails.

Formerly home to poet Sylvia Plath and New Kid on the Block’s Joey McIntyre, Jamaica Plain has long been considered progressive and economically diverse. Often referred to as one of Boston’s “hippest” neighborhoods, the area is proudly inhabited by a large LGBTQ+ population, and many restaurants and markets cater to the neighborhood’s growing Dominican and Cuban culture. Small business dominates this community, and big-box stores and chain restaurants are few and far between.

Dining in Jamaica Plain is notably diverse: on Centre Street, you can nosh on Ethiopian classics at the Blue Nile Restaurant and then grab a Guinness and listen to some live music across the street at the Brendan Behan Pub. New American tasting menus are served at Ten Tables and Centre Street, and there are daily tours and beer samplings hosted at the Samuel Adams Brewery in Egleston Square.  

Travelers (and even some Boston natives) come to Jamaica Plain in winter to sled at Sugar Bowl Hill or sail and row at the Jamaica Pond boathouse. The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University also brings in regular visitors to enjoy JP’s quiet beauty. Forest Hills Cemetery, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004, is a bucolic place to spend the afternoon. Here, guests can roam 275 acres of memorials and witness unique architecture or respectfully visit the graves of notable figures like e.e. Cummings, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, and suffragist Lucy Stone.  

Ten public schools serve more than 3,500 students in Jamaica Plain, offering one of the highest concentrations of top-ranked public schools in Massachusetts. High-performing schools include: