Boston Herald: Just Plain great

Magazine ranks J.P. in top ’hoods

It doesn’t have the posh boutiques of Back Bay, the gaslights of Beacon Hill or the lattes of the South End, but the funky southwestern corner of the Hub affectionately known as J.P. has taken the prize as one of America’s Best Neighborhoods.

“In a city built on history, Jamaica Plain holds tradition dear but refuse to conform,” said the June issue of Men’s Journal, which terms the ’hood “Boston’s Cool Outlier.”

The kudos came as small surprise to local business owners and pols. “One of the most remarkable aspects of J.P. is its diversity,” said Rhythm & Muse music/bookstore owner David Doyle, 45, who counts the lush 250 manicured acres of Arnold Arboretum and pastoral, swan-filled Jamaica Pond among his favorite parts of the neighborhood. “I think the community still likes to think of itself as very supportive of artists and the arts, and that distinguishes it from other neighborhoods in Boston.”

Saluting J.P. as one of the city’s best-kept secrets, the magazine notes a diverse population of immigrants, yuppies, young families and artists who live amid gritty triple-deckers as well as majestic Victorians: “Jamaica Plain is a weird place, but it’s a good weird: an eclectic, humming neighborhood.”

The community’s city councilor, John M. Tobin Jr., agrees. “Everybody gets along, there’s no tension,” he said. “You could go into the Bella Luna restaurant and have a guy with a blue mohawk sitting next to a couple who just got back from church.”

The magazine also cites the neighborhood’s history of fending off chain stores, which has allowed quirky local restaurants and other businesses to thrive.

“I have always said that you can judge a city by its neighborhoods and I am proud that J.P. is such an integral part of Boston’s strong neighborhood network,” said Mayor Thomas M. Menino. “J.P.’s cultural diversity, unique social atmosphere, energetic nightlife and strong sense of togetherness symbolize what Boston stands for: community.”

The other top Northeast neighborhoods cited were Five Sisters in Burlington, Vt., and Cobble Hill in Brooklyn, N.Y.