Jamaica Plain

The Parkside neighborhood of Jamaica Plain (JP) runs the full length of the western edge of Franklin Park. (The northwest corner is actually Roxbury or Egleston Square, a community that straddles both JP and Roxbury.) Large old Victorian houses line Walnut Avenue and Sigourney Street, with a few apartment buildings and new townhouses scattered in between.

The MBTA Orange Line runs a few blocks west of the park and offers the best rail transit to park entrances, some of which are inviting pedestrian paths leading into the woods.

JP is a great place to find good food after a weekend hike in the park.

 

From the Glen Road Entrance at the northern edge of The Wilderness, you can walk into the neighborhood and down the hill to Canto 6, a wonderful bakery and coffee shop on the corner of Washington St. across from the police station. You'll see why it is named for Dante's section of Hell reserved for gluttons! Canto 6 was voted Best Bakery in Boston in 2007.

From the Williams Street Entrance at the southern edge of The Wilderness, walk across Forest Hills Street and stay straight to Washington Street where you'll find Doyle's on the corner. Known for pub fare and as a local hang-out for Boston's politicians, the walls are lined with photos, maps, and paintings of old and recent Boston, including JFK.

Walk a little further, past Washington Street, for about five blocks and you'll come to Centre Street, a long avenue filled with restaurants and shops in either direction. Formerly accessible by trolley, the traffic and congestion on Centre Street makes it a better place for pedestrians than cars.