Jamaicaway

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The Jamaicaway is a four-lane, undivided parkway in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts near the border of Brookline.

The Jamaicaway was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted as part of Emerald Necklace of green spaces extending from Boston Common on Beacon Hill to Franklin Park in Roxbury. The Jamaicaway connects the Riverway in the north with the Arborway in the south.

Designed with carriages in mind during an era when Jamaica Plain was a sparsely inhabited streetcar suburb, the Jamaicaway is now a well-traveled route for motor vehicles. Adding to the volume of traffic is the Jamaicaway's proximity to the Longwood Medical and Academic Area and to main roads leading to Forest Hills, West Roxbury and the densely populated suburbs of Norfolk County. The winding nature of the road, and its heavy use by commuters leads to many vehicle collisions.

Curley house on the Jamaicaway

Many of the houses which line the Jamaicaway are large and of architectural interest. The oldest houses were created by elite Bostonians for year-round or seasonal use. The person most mentioned in association with the Jamaicaway today is probably James Michael Curley, the Irish American Mayor of Boston whose former house was long easy to spot, even after Curley's death, by the shamrock design incised in its shutters.^[1]

References

1. ↑ O'Connor, Thomas H. Bibles, Brahmins, and Bosses: A Short History of Boston. Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston, 1984.

Sources

• Restoring Boston’s "Emerald Isles"
• Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site
• The Emerald Necklace Conservancy
• "2 Killed in Early Morning Jamaicaway Crash" - October 19, 2014 - Boston Globe

Emerald Necklace
Arborway Arnold Arboretum The Fens Boston Common Boston Public Garden Commonwealth Avenue Dorchesterway Fenway Franklin Park Jamaica Pond Jamaicaway Olmsted Park Park Drive Riverway
Frederick Law Olmsted Boston, Massachusetts Jamaica Plain Roxbury Brookline Dorchester

Streets and squares in Boston
Streets	Arborway Atlantic Avenue Beacon Street Bennington Street Blue Hills Parkway Bowdoin Street Boylston Street Brattle Street Brookline Avenue Charles Street Columbus Avenue Commonwealth Avenue Congress Street Court Street Day Boulevard Dorchester Avenue Federal Street Fenway Franklin Street Gallivan Boulevard Hanover Street Huntington Avenue Jamaicaway Massachusetts Avenue Melnea Cass Boulevard Memorial Drive Milk Street Morrissey Boulevard Morton Street Neptune Road New Chardon Street Newbury Street North Street Park Street Park Drive Riverway School Street Soldiers Field Road State Street Stony Brook Reservation Parkways Storrow Drive Summer Street Tremont Street Truman Parkway Union Street Veterans of Foreign Wars Parkway Washington Street West Roxbury Parkway Winter Street Yawkey Way
Squares, circles, crossings and corners	Adams Square Andrew Square Blackstone Square Brigham Circle Central Square Chester Square City Square Cleveland Circle Codman Square Copley Square Day Square Dewey Square Dock Square Downtown Crossing Dudley Square Egleston Square Fields Corner Franklin Square Haymarket Square Hyde Square Jackson Square Kenmore Square Louisburg Square Maverick Square Packard's Corner Park Square Peabody Square Post Office Square Roxbury Crossing Scollay Square Sullivan Square Teele Square Thompson Square Union Square Uphams Corner
Italics denote streets and squares that no longer exist. See also Neighborhoods in Boston Transportation in Boston