If you’ve walked past the Hope Central Church on Seaverns Avenue you may have done a double take recently—thinking a realistic art installation is real turkeys—which are also known to forage on the church’s lawn. The fake turkeys are part of a series of bird sculptures created by Jamaica Plain artist Lu Valena, which Valena has named the Bird Promenade—four bird-themed art installations in four different JP locations. The four installations are located at: Hope…
Jamaica Plain News
A city open mic concert series highlighting Berklee College of Music performers at the Mozart Playground will also be a chance for you to take the stage! You have to signup by emailing Steve Kruszkowski at steve.kruszkowski@boston.gov. If your name is selected, you will have the opportunity to share your musical talents. Please note: power will not be provided, so you’re either playing acoustically or using a battery-powered instrument, or you can sing to a…
A well-liked community reverend is planning on opening a Palestinian restaurant on Centre Street. “Bethlehem Cafe will be…serving fan favorites like falafel, hummus and shawarma, as well as Palestinian dishes such as maqluba and musakhan,” said Rev. Ashlee Wiest-Laird, a pastor for First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain. The restaurant at 376 Centre St. in Hyde Square is currently in the construction phase, so it’s got a while before it opens. And when it does,…
A city-led meeting on June 11 to discuss the White Stadium Transportation plan will be old school—that it will only be in-person and no virtual link to watch the meeting—but there will be opportunities to provided feedback directly to city staff. The city’s White Stadium project team will lead the meeting taking place rom 6-7:30 pm at the William Devine Golf Course Clubhouse in Franklin Park. This meeting is meant to be the next round…
Jamaica Plain will have two community pools at the same time for just a short time this month as one pool just reopened, but another is going to close for a year-long repair project. The Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) Hennigan Pool reopened on June 8. The Hennigan Pool had been closed since 2023, which frustrated residents, and led to a 2025 petition to reopen the pool. To start, the Hennigan Pool will…
Croft School co-founder Scott Given issued an apology for lying to the private school’s community about hiding $13 million in debt that is resulting in the Jamaica Plain school’s closure later this month. Given said he “distorted reality repeatedly” and that he accepts full responsibility for his actions. (Read the full letter below) Meanwhile, teachers and staff members at the Jamaica Plain campus filed a lawsuit on June 4 in Suffolk Superior Court against the…
Congressman Stephen Lynch has not committed to any proposed debates with challenger Patrick Roath. Roath, a Jamaica Plain resident, plans to attend an 8th Congressional District Candidates Night at the West End Neighborhood Center on June 11. Said Roath, “These are exactly the kinds of events our democracy depends on: neighbors coming together to hear directly from the candidates who want to represent them. I’ll be there. The question is whether Congressman Lynch will show…
The Friends of the JP Branch Library provided several updates recently including that a lot of books were sold during its May book sale, and an update regarding the Barbara Rhodes Children’s Endowment Fund. An incredible 10,000 books were sold during the sale. The book sales enables the Friends to support to the library by providing museum passes, programming funding, and more. The Barbara Rhodes Children’s Endowment Fund was founded in 2024 in remembrance of…
Ever wonder about playing Dungeons & Dragons, but not sure how to get started? Whether you’re a grandmaster or a beginner, the D&D & Drinks series at Sam Adams Brewery is the place for you on June 9. “I started DD&D in Minneapolis three years ago as a relationship therapist trying to make a dent in adult loneliness,” said Renee Devereux. “It’s grown to 2,500+ members across four cities, and Boston is the first stop…
There are a lot of beautiful gardens in Jamaica Plain, and this weekend you’ll have the opportunity to visit 12 neighborhood home gardens as part of a self-guided garden tour. Organized by the Loring Greenough House—each garden is unique and visitors are invited to wander through each property, talk with the homeowner, and enjoy some light snacks. The gardens will be open from noon to 3 pm. The tour begins at the Loring Greenough House…