Just as Jamaica Plain’s population is composed of a wide range of people and groups, the Boston neighborhood is divided into various sections for different purposes.
Subneighborhoods
Jamaica Plain is divided into 11 major sub-neighborhoods recognized on the Boston Redevelopment Authority zoning map and largely used by locals. Within each sub-neighborhood there are other, smaller neighborhoods. For example, the Brookside neighborhood is between Green, Boylston, Washington and Amory Streets. Parkside stretches roughly from Washington Street to Franklin Park. Many neighborhoods and neighborhood associations are named for their major streets. For a complete map, see the JP Neighborhoods Map.
ZIP codes
Most of Jamaica Plain has the ZIP code 02130 and is served by the post office at the corner of Centre and Myrtle Streets. The Egleston Square area of JP has the 02119 ZIP code, and a small part of Woodbourne lies in 02131.
Political divisions
There are three political wards in JP: Wards 10, 11 and 19. Very roughly speaking, Ward 10 is in the north, including parts of Hyde Square and the S. Huntington Avenue area. Ward 11 is mostly on the east of the Southwest Corridor—the Washington Street side of JP. Ward 19 is mostly on the west, or Centre Street, side. There are many exceptions to this, with little pieces crossing into other areas.
The District 6 Boston City Council seat, currently held by Matt O’Malley, covers most of JP. District 7 Councilor Tito Jackson represents the Egleston Square area, and District 8 Councilor Mike Ross represents part of Hyde Square.
The 2nd Suffolk District state Senate seat, currently held by Sonia Chang-Díaz, covers most of JP. State Sen. Mike Rush represents part of Woodbourne.
JP is covered by three state House districts: the 6th Suffolk (Rep. Russel Holmes), the 11th Suffolk (Rep. Liz Malia) and the 15th Suffolk (Rep. Jeffrey Sánchez).
JP is divided into “wards” and “precincts” for the purposes of determining polling places. JP is covered by parts of Wards 10, 11 and 19.
People who want to know the ward and precinct they live in, their voting place or who their elected representatives are should call the City of Boston Election Department (617-635-3767) or cityofboston.gov/myneighborhood.
The Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council is an elected, volunteer body representing the neighborhood on City of Boston issues. Elections are held biannually in odd-numbered years. Representatives are elected at large and from three districts of approximate equal populations: northern JP, central JP and a combined Moss Hill/Forest Hills/Pondside district.
Police and court
The Area E District 13 police station on Washington Street is called the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Station, but more commonly just “E-13.” Strange as it sounds, the West Roxbury Courthouse, which covers much of southwest Boston, is in Jamaica Plain on the Arborway in Forest Hills. It’s called West Roxbury Courthouse because its present location was once, as was most of JP, part of West Roxbury.