Jamaica Plain...Safe? (Boston, Brookline, Orange: apartment, home, dorm)

[niv4lac]

My girlfriend is looking into going to school at Boston Architectural College, and due to a lack of dorm rooms, she would have to get an apartment. The lady at admissions recommended Jamaica Plains as a good place to get an apartment.

I have spent a lot of time in Boston, and i know the city pretty well, however i have never ventured into the roxbury/dorchester/JP areas, simply because i have always been told tat they are not particuarly safe. There is a great possibility that she may be walking home late at night, so i was wondering if JP would be a safe place for a pretty college girl to be living for a few years.

[xS☺B☺s]

Originally Posted by niv4lac

My girlfriend is looking into going to school at Boston Architectural College, and due to a lack of dorm rooms, she would have to get an apartment. The lady at admissions recommended Jamaica Plains as a good place to get an apartment.

I have spent a lot of time in Boston, and i know the city pretty well, however i have never ventured into the roxbury/dorchester/JP areas, simply because i have always been told tat they are not particuarly safe. There is a great possibility that she may be walking home late at night, so i was wondering if JP would be a safe place for a pretty college girl to be living for a few years.

I've never heard of Boston Architectural College - where is it? JP is safe, but it may not be so convenient depending where the school is. More info please ...

[RemiJP]

I believe BAC is located on Newbury, close the Convention Center. If that's the case, she would take the Orange Line to Back Bay and walk from there. Easy commute - about 15-20 minutes. Please try to read through previous posts about Jamaica Plain, you'll find lots of great info and learn that even though it has a bad reputation left over from the 70s-80s, a large section of it is very safe and home to many families with kids, retired people, and young professionals. In general the areas close to the Stony Brook or Green Street T stops (east of Washington Street) are safe. If you can visit, I recommend checking out the area on a weekend afternoon/evening. Take the T to the Stony Brook and walk to Ula Cafe for some coffee, tea or an awesome pastry. This is a great local hang-out and you'll get a feel for some of the types of folks who live nearby. From there, walk up to Centre Street and check out the shops (Boomerangs, Fire Opal, City Feed & Supply, and Harvest Co-op) and restaurants. For dinner I recommend Bukhara, Wonder Spice, the Alchemist, or Zon's, though are MANY great places to eat along Centre Street.

As a "pretty college girl" myself, I lived there for the last two years with no problems. While there are more grad students than undergrads, there are plenty of other young people living in Jamaica Plain. I adored my neighbors, loved all the community events like Wake Up the Earth Festival and had a fantastic time! I just moved away for grad school, but if I ever return, I would NEVER live in any other neighborhood. I love Jamaica Plain.

[niv4lac]

thanks so much for the replies guys! Very helpful

[maggiekate]

boston is a college town, roxbury is not safe, jp is ok you just need to be carefull at night, that does apply to any place. stick with the jp on the
monument-roslindale line.

[meltinjohn]

I would walk through JP at 3 am even. Id do it with a brownbag 40 too lol.

[findingmesomeday]

I attended college in Boston during the late 1970's. Think South End when it was still slummy! I had a friend who took evening classes at the BAC and lived next door to me in Brighton. She was fine. Just as anywhere, take proper precautions and encourage her to always walk with a buddy. Many schools (not sure about BAC but worth checking) have escort services. No, it's not what you think! When I was at BU, it was a great part time job for those big jocks. They would walk you from the library to your dorm, or to the T or bus stop and then wait until the train or bus came.

[niv4lac]

Originally Posted by findingmesomeday

I attended college in Boston during the late 1970's. Think South End when it was still slummy! I had a friend who took evening classes at the BAC and lived next door to me in Brighton. She was fine. Just as anywhere, take proper precautions and encourage her to always walk with a buddy. Many schools (not sure about BAC but worth checking) have escort services. No, it's not what you think! When I was at BU, it was a great part time job for those big jocks. They would walk you from the library to your dorm, or to the T or bus stop and then wait until the train or bus came.

hmm, she is kind of stubborn and im not sure if i could get her to walk with a buddy all the time, lol.

i would probably feel better if she lived in an area with a better reputation. What areas of the city are relatively safe with cheap rent?

[RemiJP]

Originally Posted by niv4lac

hmm, she is kind of stubborn and im not sure if i could get her to walk with a buddy all the time, lol.

i would probably feel better if she lived in an area with a better reputation. What areas of the city are relatively safe with cheap rent?

She will need to be careful no matter what area she chooses to live in. It's just part of city life! She won't need a buddy all the time, I'd say after 10pm it's important to at least have someone knowing when to expect you home, but it's ideal to have a buddy. If she lives close to a T station, she won't have to walk much, either. I frequently took cabs if it was late at night and had no one to walk with. It's worth the 10-15 bucks.

Other student neighborhoods are Allston and Brighton, with Allston being the cheapest. Though I personally didn't like the neighborhood, lots of parties, overall rowdiness on the weekends and Brighton seems kind of desolate compared to other neighborhoods, not as many bars, restaurants and shopping options. Brookline is probably the calmest, but potentially more expensive with a longer commute as well, depending on which station the apartment is closest too.

[niv4lac]

thanks alot!