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If Jamaica Pond is the "jewel" in 18th-century landscape architect Frederick Olmsted's "Emerald Necklace," then Jamaica Plain is one of Boston's finest "treasure chests." If you seek a community that is convenient to the Hub yet blessed with the most elegant parklands the country has to offer, look no farther. If you like to roll out of bed into a classy, upscale cafe before you open your eyes, hear a jazz concert with your Sunday brunch in a Come stroll the Emerald Necklace or power walk, if you will, around Jamaica Plain, and you'll quickly see why JP became the summer playground of Boston's rich and famous. The Pond was built in 1795 as a fresh water reservoir for Boston. From the late 1700s to late 1800s the hills and plains of JP, adorned with cows and crops, were dotted with 15-to-20-plus-room Victorian "cottages" (the mansions of today). Today's Jamaica Plainer finds hours of escape and pleasure at the Pond as did the Boston Brahmins of old JP. In addition to the boating and trout fishing (the Pond is stocked annually with trout and even an occasional salmon to keep things interesting), the Pond is a magnet for exercise and health advocates. The restored Tudor-style boathouse and bandstand provide a beautiful setting for evening concerts and other community activities.
The 265-acre Arboretum is New England's most celestial botanical prize. Everyone's heart pounds at the "Arb," whether you come for a relaxing moment in the midst of breathtaking blossoms, a romantic interlude, or high-power cross-country skiing. The Necklace culminates at Franklin Park, where everyone discovers zoological treasures, kite and Carribean festivals, horseback riding and a popular golf course. Only a block from Olmsted's park is JP's "Commercial Necklace." Unlike most communities, JP is encircled by its commercial areas (Centre, South, and Washington streets), which have been revitalized, and are now powerful, healthy, and exciting assets with much new development such as the mall at JP plaza. Evening in JP might find you settling into one of our many award-winning eateries, catching a production at the Footlight Club, the country's oldest community theater, attending JP symphony, or visiting one of our many art galleries. |
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local bagel emporium, go trout fishing on an early spring morn before work, or go for a sailboat ride with the kids or a sweetheart, JP is just for you. If you like to browse and shop for antiques and small but fine objects d'art, then you'll want to seek out JP's commercial area. If you want to live where the atmosphere is changed by the neighbors who are actively involved in building a dynamic community, then JP is your "kind of town."
Moving from Pondside and following the Necklace south to Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum, we pass Moss, Jamaica, and Sumner hills. These neighborhoods present us with some of greater Boston's finest Victorian and Colonial treasure, valued between $50,000 and $1 million.