South Street, Jamaica Plain

January 12, 2008

Insurance Agency on South Street, Jamaica Plain, Boston

This cat is enjoying a mid-afternoon nap, shielding its eyes from the afternoon sun, in its favorite spot - the street-front window of an insurance company on South Street, in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood. A black-and-white framed photograph of this cat, staring eye-to-eye at a dog on the sidewalk outside, hangs next to the cat's sofa.

To me, this picture exudes everything that is JP - quaint, artsy, quirky, unknown to much of Boston's population. South Street runs through the center of the southern part of JP. The Green E Line ran down this narrow yet heavily trafficked street until the mid-1980s. The trolley tracks are still visible...a reminder that this neighborhood is a relic that hasn't succumbed to over-gentrification and modernization, or a sign that the hope of bringing back the Arborway Line is still alive?

The street, and nearby Centre Street, are a favorite area for artists, collectors, and fans of camp - the stores HoneySpot and Gadgets are worth a look for anyone desiring a gallery of reasonably-priced curiosities, from kitschy wrapping paper, vintage tin toys, nifty kitchen items, a T-train magnet, or an anatomical model to grace their coffee table.