(Jamaica) Plain and simple — what is the biggest issue in Jamaica Plain?
At the Wake Up the Earth Festival, Jamaica Plain News asked people to name what they think is the biggest issue in JP. And several topics continued to come up.
The resolution of a community-dividing dispute in a San Francisco neighborhood has lessons for JP, one sociologist told the crowd at the most recent JP Forum.
Why do people move to London? Why do they choose to leave? #londonischanging http://t.co/TQ1wE0lm3A @duartecg pic.twitter.com/6CAxdjqyeF
— OpenCity Projects (@OpnCty) March 3, 2015
An ocean separates Jamaica Plain and London, England, but both areas share an air of change. A project running in London has caught our attention and we’re replicating it in JP.
Damaris Pimentel, owner of Ultra Beauty Salon, colors Rose Moorachian’s hair. November 2014. Credit: Esther Ro
Running a small business is no easy task. Just ask longtime Jamaica Plain entrepreneurs Damaris Pimentel and Patria Valenzuela.
The two business pioneers face the challenge of thriving in the midst of a gentrifying neighborhood.
Santo Anibal Ramirez, owner of Anibal Color Studio, talking about closing his business due to the rise in rent. Credit: “Ain’t No One Can Afford This”
People pour their sweat and souls into things they believe are worth their time. Helen “Homefries” Matthews, a Jamaica Plain resident of 13 years, dedicates her time to “Ain’t No One Can Afford This,” a public video project that will share the stories of JP residents and business owners who have been or are being priced out.