Jamaica Plain and Roslindale sit side by side in southwest Boston and share a lot of history. Both were part of the old town of West Roxbury, both grew along streetcar lines, and the Arnold Arboretum stretches across the line between them. For a buyer, the comparison is less about the tax rate, which is the same, than about how you would get to work, what the house looks like and how close the shops are.
Getting downtown is the biggest difference
Jamaica Plain
Jamaica Plain has four Orange Line stations along the Southwest Corridor: Jackson Square, Stony Brook, Green Street and Forest Hills. Trains run straight to Back Bay, Downtown Crossing and State.
- Jackson Square
- Stony Brook
- Green Street
- Forest Hills
Forest Hills also has Needham Line commuter rail, plus some Franklin/Foxboro Line trains, and the Green Line E branch ends at Heath Street on the Mission Hill side.
Roslindale
Roslindale has no subway station of its own. Its rail link is Roslindale Village station on the Needham Line, right at the square, with trains to Back Bay and South Station. The other option is the bus: the 30, 34, 35, 36 and 37, among others, run from Roslindale Square to Forest Hills, where you can transfer to the Orange Line.
Near the border
If you are looking near the JP and Roslindale border, Forest Hills is close to both, and walking time to that station often matters more than which neighborhood the house is in. Our guide to living near the Orange Line goes through the stations one by one.
What the houses look like
The building stock overlaps a lot.
Jamaica Plain
Jamaica Plain’s houses date largely from the 1870s through the 1920s. Near the Orange Line and the old brewery blocks, triple-deckers and two-families are packed closely, and many are now condominiums. Up on Sumner Hill, Pondside and Moss Hill, the lots get bigger and the houses turn to Victorian, Queen Anne and Colonial Revival single-families, some of them split into units.
Roslindale
Roslindale’s houses are a bit later, mostly the 1890s through the 1930s. Two-families and triple-deckers cluster near the square and along Washington and South Streets, while the hills toward Metropolitan Hill, Fallon Field and the West Roxbury line have Victorian, Colonial Revival and Craftsman single-families, often with driveways and yards.
In both neighborhoods
In both places, you will often be choosing between a single-family and a two-family that brings in rental income. For that decision, see buying a multi-family in Boston and mortgage options by property type. A house a century old should get a careful look at the roof, heating and foundation.
Historic review
Unlike the South End or Back Bay, neither neighborhood is a local historic district on the Boston Landmarks Commission’s list, so a new porch or replacement windows generally will not need district approval.
If a renovation or teardown is part of your plan, confirm the property’s status with the city before you buy.
Squares and parks
Jamaica Plain
Jamaica Plain’s shops run in a long line down Centre Street, from Hyde Square past JP Center to the Monument, with more on South Street.
For open space, JP has Jamaica Pond, the Arboretum’s main gate, Franklin Park on its eastern edge and the Southwest Corridor Park.
Roslindale
Roslindale’s center is a compact square built in the 1920s around Adams Park, where Washington Street, Belgrade Avenue and Corinth Street meet, with the restored 1911 Roslindale Substation and a seasonal farmers market.
Roslindale has the Arboretum’s southern section with Peters Hill, along with Fallon Field, Healy Field and the George Wright Golf Course.
Same city, same tax rate
Both are in Boston, so the property tax rate, schools and city services are the same. Owner-occupants in either neighborhood can apply for the Boston residential exemption.
Current pricing
Sales vary from one pocket to the next in both neighborhoods, so we’d rather show you real recent sales than give a general figure. Reach out or start a search, and see our Jamaica Plain and Roslindale guides for more.