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Jamaica Plain Information
Jamaica Plain, more commonly known as "JP", is an historic neighborhood in
Boston, Massachusetts. It was originally part of Roxbury, Massachusetts, and
then part of the town of West Roxbury, Massachusetts when that was established
in 1848. West Roxbury (including Jamaica Plain) was annexed to Boston in 1874.
According to an official city estimate, it had a population of 38,196 in
October, 2003.
By the turn of the century, the neighborhood was experiencing rapid
gentrification during a citywide real estate boom, and had attracted a large
community of political activists, artists, and young families? while also
experiencing a loss in low- to moderate-income housing.
Modern JP is uniquely diverse, a melting pot of race, ethnicities, and family
types. The area has become home to blacks, latinos, and members of several Asian
populations, as well as several families of various European descent, and a
growing gay and lesbian presence. Hyde and Jackson Squares have significant
Spanish-speaking populations from Cuba and the Dominican Republic. JP is a
popular area among Boston lesbians, including older couples, and increasingly
attracts young gay men and women. This blend of multiple cultures is reflected
in local businesses, such as the many different eating and drinking
establishments which line Centre Street.
Although some see Jamaica Plain as relatively isolated from the rest of the
Boston metro area, the Green Line "E" Branch at Heath Street, the Orange Line,
and the #39 bus (one of only two buses whose fare is covered by the purchase of
a monthly subway pass) provide easy access to Back Bay, the South End, and
Downtown; as well as the Amtrak trains and most southbound commuter rails. Low
rents and a funky, populist feel have helped popularize the area with post-GenX
youth, artist, professionals, and students.
A hot real estate market has driven conversion of older buildings into
condominiums, particularly in historic areas such as Hyde Square, Pondside, and
Sumner Hill. Some believe this has sped up gentrification, to the dismay of
renters and long-time residents. A large number of formerly vacant sites are
being now being converted to residential use, among them the ABC Brewery, the
Gormley Funeral Home, the Eblena Brewery, 319 Centre Street, Jackson Square, JP
Cohousing, Blessed Sacrament, Our Lady of the Way, and 80 Bickford Street.
JP is served by the MBTA's bus and rail services. Major roads are Centre Street,
the Jamaicaway (formerly US 1), the Arborway (MA 203), Washington Street, and
Columbus Avenue (MA 28). Proposed restoration of the "E" Train extension to
Forest Hills (part of the promised environmental mitigation measures relating to
the Big Dig) has caused considerable tension in the area. Some residents and
commuters are eager to embrace what is seen as a reconnection with the rest of
the city, while many others cite the #39 Bus along the old route and the Orange
Line just a few blocks away as easy travel solutions. Opposition is mainly based
on this availability of transport, and fears that restoration of the trolley
service would eliminate on-street parking and create traffic snares in an area
already plagued by a shortage of the former and abundance of the latter.
Advocates on both sides of the issue, including the Arborway Committee and
Better Transit Without Trolleys, present compelling arguments for improved
service while the MBTA has not yet committed to a permanent transit solution.
Shared car service Zipcar has a number of cars stationed throughout the
neighborhood. Municipal parking lots are located off Centre Street at Burroughs
Street in JP Center, across from the Mary Curley School on Centre Street at
Spring Park Ave., and across from Blessed Sacrament Church in Hyde Square. There
are no meters in JP; on-street parking is free. Many streets near the MBTA
Orange Line stations are posted "resident permit only" during working hours (8
AM to 6 PM).