DK Travel : Boston : Boston South

South of Fort Point Channel, Boston’s neighborhoods of Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, Dorchester, and South Boston are a mixture of densely residential streets and leafy parklands that form part of Frederick Law Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace (see Boston Common & Public Garden). The lively street scenes of Boston’s African-American, Latin American, and Irish-American communities make the city’s southerly neighborhoods a dynamic ethnic contrast to the more homogenized city core. Virtually ignored by tourists, Boston South is full of quirky shops, local bars, hot nightclubs, and great off-beat places to enjoy ethnic food. This area is a little harder to reach but it is worth the effort to experience a more edgy, diverse Boston that many call home.

Note: For the parks and cemetery take the “T” down to Green Street or Forest Hills (orange line) Note: Parks and cemeteries are generally open from dawn to dusk Note: Take the “T” to Dudley Square for Roxbury (silver line), or to Jackson Square for Jamaica Plain (orange line) Note: For the John F. Kennedy Library and the east of the area catch the “T” to JFK/U Mass (red line)

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Centre Street

Jamaica Plain is home to many artists, musicians, and writers as well as a substantial contingent of Boston’s gay and lesbian community. Centre Street is the area’s main artery and hub. There is a distinctly Latin American flavor at the Jackson Square end, where Caribbean music shops and Cuban, Dominican, and Mexican eateries abound. At the 600 block, Centre Street morphs into an urban counter-cultural village, with design boutiques, funky second-hand stores, and small cafés and restaurants.
Doyle’s Café

The apex of Irish-American political culture, Doyle’s has been serving beer since 1882, and corned beef and cabbage on Thursdays for as long as anyone can remember. Busy nightly.
Dudley Square

Roxbury’s Dudley Square is the heart of African-American Boston as well as the busiest hub in Boston’s public transport network. The Beaux-Arts station is modeled on the great train stations of Europe. Among the square’s many shops and galleries is the Hamill Gallery of African Art, as much a small museum as a gallery. A few blocks from the square, the modest Georgian-style Dillaway-Thomas House reveals Roxbury’s early history, including the period when it served as HQ for the Continental Army’s General John Thomas during the Siege of Boston.
El Miami Restaurant

The self-proclaimed “King of the Cuban sandwiches.” Check out the photos of the Latino pro baseball players who often eat here when in town.
Forest Hills Cemetery

More than 100,000 graves dot the rolling landscape in this Victorian-era “garden cemetery”, one of the first of its kind. Maps available at the entrance identify graves of notable figures, including poet e e cummings and playwright Eugene O’Neill. Striking memorials include the bas-relief Death Stays the Hand of the Artist by Daniel Chester French, near the main entrance.
Franklin Park

Frederick Law Olmsted considered Franklin Park the masterpiece of his Emerald Necklace (see Boston Common & Public Garden), but his vision of urban wilds has since been modified to more modern uses. The park boasts the second oldest municipal golf course in the US and the child-friendly Franklin Park Zoo (see Franklin Park Zoo), which contrasts contemporary ecological exhibits with charming zoo architecture, such as a 1912 Oriental bird house.
J. P. Seafood Café

Loyal customers come from afar for this restaurant’s Korean and Japanese specialties.
Jake’s Boss BBQ

Kenton “Jake” Jacobs is the acknowledged master of barbecue in Boston, and makes a mean Memphis dry rub. No alcohol.
Jamaica Pond

This 70-acre (28-ha) pond and its surrounding leafy park was landscaped by Frederick Law Olmsted to accentuate its natural glacial features and it offers an enchanting piece of countryside within the city. Locals take avidly to the 1.5-mile (2.4-km) bankside path or fish in the 90 ft- (28-m) deep glacial kettle pond (fishing is permitted with a Massachusetts license, call 617 626 1590). The boathouse rents small sail boats and rowboats for a minimal fee during the summer months.
Jimbo’s Fish Shanty

The waterfront deck makes Jimbo’s the perfect casual alternative to the more formal Jimmy’s Harborside (see Jimmy’s Harborside & Jimbo’s Fish Shanty) next door. Most of the fish comes from one pier away, so it couldn’t be fresher. Stick to the simpler preparations.

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Restaurant price categories

For a three course meal for one with half a bottle of wine (or equivalent meal), taxes, and extra charges.
- under $30
- $30–$45
- $45–$60
- $60–$75
- over $75