Forest Hills

One of the many joys of buying a home in Jamaica Plain is that nearly every neighborhood is near some splendid green space and outstanding urban amenity. Along with so much of JP, this writer from Cervone Deegan & Associates has watched Forest Hills grow and change over the years. On this southeastern border of Jamaica Plain is Forest Hills Cemetery, one of two Boston area garden cemeteries, a movement that began in the 1800's and today creates a unique blend of vibrancy and serenity.  In this setting, the Forest Hills Trust holds a variety of activities on an annual basis: walking tours, exhibitions, special events, concerts and poetry readings listed in the Calendar of Events.  A Contemporary Sculpture Path dances whimsically around the utterly serene Lake Hibiscus, and a large share of historic works by Daniel Chester French and other well known sculptors are scattered throughout the grounds. Famous writers e.e. cummings and Anne Sexton, playwright Eugene O'Neil, and suffragette Lucy Stone are among the notables buried there. You'll be glad to know that walking with dogs and without, running, biking, rollerblading and picnicking are not frowned upon in this park. You might think with such abundant nature that civilization would be miles away. Instead, this location is also anchored by the Forest Hills MBTA station with its distinctive postmodern clock tower that welcomes the commuter rail, 16 bus routes and the beginning of the Orange Line into the city and beyond. And just in case the rolling beauty at Forest Hills is not enough, across the street just beyond the T station is 265 acres at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, another great Jamaica Plain treasure. 

If you want to read more about the Forest Hills Cemetery, the Boston Globe featured an article in praise of this verdant resource and the websites linked above offer more information about this historic spot.