It was mind-boggling. We had driven through Jamaica Plain, Boston so many times before, and I was always struck by the high concentration of dogs in the area: any canine-lover’s dream. With a terrific, upbeat energy and a recent boom in small businesses around bustling Centre Street, Jamaica Plain attracts everyone in the Boston area from young, first-time homebuyers to generations of growing families – and with them, their beloved four-legged friends. The neighborhood seems perfectly primed to become the well-trodden stomping grounds of every pup’s dream walk, especially on those summertime days when the sun’s rays warm the earth, and pups enjoy afternoon strolls with their paw-rents in the shady paths of the Arnold Arboretum. (With the first snow of the season having just fallen, I have to admit I’m reminiscing a bit about the warmth).
When Christian I first moved to Jamaica Plain in late August to live close to the city, we had recently welcomed a new addition to our family—our now 10-month old cockapoo puppy, Bumi. We raved about how we’d take him on walks every day in the Arboretum, and how there must be so many dog parks to cater to all the dogs who call Jamaica Plain home. As we settled into our daily walking route and got to know our neighbors (a beautiful cloud-like Samoyed, a boxer-mix especially fond of barking, a smiley blue staffy, and a sweet, mousy greyhound in a sweater), it became glaringly obvious that something was off balance. Though the volume of dogs was as we expected, we were shocked to learn that there are no dog parks in Jamaica Plain! According to BringFido, in order to let our active puppy properly burn off his seemingly endless stores of energy, we have to drive at least to the next neighborhood over, Brookline, to find an off-leash dog park or dog run.
Dog-owners in Jamaica Plain have raised a united voice in favor of constructing more dog-friendly spaces, which, as of last year, seemed to have drawn enough attention to convince the Department of Conservation and Recreation to establish a large dog park. Still, nearly a year to date, no progress has been reported in the planning process aside from site selection near the Green Street stop on the Orange Line.
Nonetheless, Jamaica Plain’s saving grace for dog lovers is the widespread walking trails of the Arnold Arboretum, although rules do require all dogs to remain on-leash. Finally, Bumi’s favorite store in the world, Polkadog Bakery on South Street, offers delicious goodies and toys for good pups to munch on after their long walks. For now at least, for off-leash fun, our best bet is taking a short trip to our neighboring towns to find a good dog park.