The following are the “Best of JP 2008” as chosen by 422 JP Gazette readers who filled out ballots in two issues of the paper and at JamaicaPlainGazette.com. More than 5,000 separate votes were cast and tallied. Many nominees received a significant number of votes. And some nominees got lots of votes scattered throughout the categories. In a tribute to the variety of choices in the neighborhood, many categories, especially “Friendliest Business,” drew a long list of different nominees. The winners were published in the Sept. 26, 2008 Jamaica Plain Gazette. Below are the winners and all the nominees in that category in alphabetical order.

Best Place to:

Enjoy the outdoors
Winner: Arnold Arboretum

Centre Street
Forest Hill Cemetery
Franklin Park
Franklin Park Zoo
J.P. Licks
Jamaica Pond
JP Boathouse
Peter’s Hill
Southwest Corridor Park
Wake Up the Earth Festival

Work
Winner: J.P. Licks
Finalist: Ula Café

Arnold Arboretum
Boomerangs
City Feed and Supply
City Realty Group
Eliot School
Ethos
Fat Ram’s Tattoo
Faulkner Hospital
Ferris Wheels
Ferris Wheels
Fiore’s Italian Bakery
Fresh Hair
Hebrew Rehab Center
Home for Little Wanderers
Horizons for Homeless Children
Hyde Square Task Force
Jamaica Hill Realty
JP Branch Library
Jumpstart
Milky Way Lounge & Lanes
Mount Pleasant Home
MSPCC
Post office
Red Sun Press
Sorella’s
Stonybrook Wine and Spirits
The Brewery complex
Ula Café
Urban Edge

Enjoy live entertainment
Winner: Milky Way Lounge & Lanes

Alchemist
Brendan Behan Pub
Costello’s
Dogwood Café
Footlight Club
Jamaica Pond
JP Bandstand
Loring-Greenough House
Midway Café
Taylor House
The Whitehaus
Wake Up the Earth Festival

See art
Winner: Jamaica Plain Open Studios

Arnold Arboretum
Arts Alive
Eliot School
Fire Opal
First Thursdays
Forest Hill Cemetery
Fresh Hair
Green Street Station
J.P. Licks
James’s Gate
JP Art Market
Mural on walls

Consumer Favorites

Friendliest business
Winner: Fresh Hair

Alchemist
American Dry Cleaners
Arborway Auto
Ask Mr. Fowler
Bella Luna
Blissful Monkey Yoga Studio
Blue Frog Bakery
Boing! JP’s Toy Shop
Boomerangs
Brendan Behan Pub
Canto 6
Centre Cleaners
Centre Street Café
City Feed and Supply
Cobwebs
Costello’s
Eye Q
Fernandez Spa
Ferris Wheels
Fiore’s Italian Bakery
Forest Hills Pizza
Gadgets
Harvest Co-op Market
Hatched
J.P. Licks
James’s Gate
Java Jo’s
JP Animal Clinic
JP House of Pizza
JP Rentals and Sales
J.P. Seafood Cafe
Keegan Automotive
Miss Laura’s
MSPCA
On Centre
Petal & Leaf
Purple Cactus
Red Sun Press
Rhythm and Muse
Sal’s Barbershop
Salmagundi
Same Old Place
Santo Domingo Market
Sorella’s
Stonybrook Wine and Spirits
Sweet Christopher’s
Ula Café
Vee Vee’s
Video Underground
Wainwright Bank
Wonder Spice Cafe
Yumont Hardware

Breakfast
Winner: Sorella’s

Alchemist
Blue Frog Bakery
Bon Savor
Canto 6
Centre Street Café
City Feed and Supply
Dogwood Café
Doyle’s Café
Dunkin’ Donuts
J.P. Licks
J.P. Seafood Cafe
Java Jo’s
June Bug Café
Same Old Place
Ula Café
Vee Vee

Lunch
Winner: City Feed and Supply

Alchemist
Ban Chiang House
Bella Luna
Blue Frog Bakery
Bukhara Indian Bistro
Canto 6
Centre Street Café
Dogwood Café
El Oriental de Cuba
Fiore’s Italian Bakery
Forest Hills Deli
Galway House
Ideal Café
J.P. Seafood Cafe
James’s Gate
JP House of Pizza
Purple Cactus
Real Deal
Same Old Place
Sorella’s
Ula Café
Wonder Spice Café
Zesto’s

Dinner
Winner: Ten Tables

Alchemist
Bella Luna
Bon Savor
Bukhara Indian Bistro
Centre Street Café
Costello’s
Dogwood Café
El Oriental de Cuba
Galway House
Ideal Café
J.P. Seafood Cafe
James’s Gate
Purple Cactus
Real Deal
Sorella’s
Ula Café
Vee Vee’s
Wonder Spice Café
Zon’s

Latin American food
Winner: El Oriental de Cuba

Acapulco
Alex’s Chimis
La Papusa Guanaca
Miami Restaurant
Purple Cactus
Tacos El Charro
Yucatan

Asian food
Winner: Wonder Spice Café

Ban Chiang
Bukhara Indian Bistro
Charlie Chan’s
Food Wall
J.P. Seafood Cafe
Spring Garden

Bakery
Winner: Fiore’s Italian Bakery

Blue Frog Bakery
Canto 6
City Feed and Supply
Sweet Christopher’s
Ula Café

Pub/bar
Winner: James’s Gate

Alchemist
Brendan Behan Pub
Costello’s
Dogwood Café
Doyle’s Café
Galway House
Griffin’s
J.J. Foley’s
Jeanie Johnston
Midway Café
Milkyway Lounge & Lanes
The Drinking Fountain
The Old Staf

Pizza
Same Old Place

Bella Luna
Captain Nemo
Dogwood Café
Fiore’s Italian Bakery
Forest Hills Pizza
Ideal Cafe
Joseph’s Pizza
JP House of Pizza
Milky Way Lounge & Lanes
My Big Fat Greek Pizza
Real Deal
Zesto’s

Cup of coffee
J.P. Licks

Blue Frog Bakery
Bon Savor
Café Ula
Café Veloria
Canto 6
Cenre Street Café
City Feed and Supply
Dunkin’ Donuts
El Oriental de Cuba
Fernandez Spa
Fiore’s Italian Bakery
Harvest Co-op Market
Java Jo’s
June Bug Café

Retail store
Gadgets
Finalist: Boomerangs

Boing! JP’s Toy Shop
City Feed and Supply
Cobwebs
CVS
Eva B’s
Eye Q
Ferris Wheels
Fire Opal
Gumshoe
Harvest Co-op Market
Hi Lo
Jamaicaway Books & Gifts
On Centre
Petal and Leaf
Salmagundi
Stonybrook Wine and Spirits
Yumont Hardware

Convenience store
City Feed and Supply

7-Eleven
CVS
Fernandez Spa
Hi Lo Market
Medina Market
Ruggiero’s Market
Tedeschi’s
The Smoke Shop
Yessenia’s Market

Personal service
Winner: Fresh Hair

American Dry Cleaners
Centre Cleaners
Classic Cleaners
Diggity Dogs
Ideal Cleaners
JP Animal Clinc
Julia’s
Mike’s Fitness
Miss Laura’s
Sal’s Barbershop
Spots Dry Cleaning
Ultra Beauty Salon
Xposure by Noél

Real estate service
JP Rentals and Sales

Arborview Realty
Arthouse
Ask Mr. Fowler
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
Jamaica Hill Realty
Jamaica Pond Realty
Jeanette Murphy
Jill Good
Joe Fallon
McCormack and Scanlan
Nick Balasalle
Prudential Unlimited
RE Teamwork
Will Brokhof

Bank or financial service
Wainwright Bank

Bank of America
Citizens Bank
Hyde Park Cooperative Bank
Mt. Washington Bank
Peoples Federal Savings

Professional service
Attorney Linda Olmstead

Ask Mr. Fowler Insurance
Attorney Laurie McKeown
Attorney Robert Warren
Barry Spiro
Bikes Not Bombs bike shop
Fenn & Associates
Ivy Insurance
Jameson and Thompson
JP Animal Clinic
Leo Costello Insurance
Sawyer Insurance
Tax Plus

Home service
Winner: JP Plumbing

Arborview Renovations
ASAP Lock and Key
Cloud 9
Dragonfly Movers
Duffy Roofing
George Kordan
Handy Tam
Harrison Refrigeration
Izzy’s Home Improvements
Jason Hutchinson
Jim Cox Painting
John Douglas
Jordan’s Plumbing
Karem Plumbing
Maid to Clean
Maple Hurst Builders
Mechanical Solutions
Mike Flanagan
Obin Electric
Olde Tudor Painting
Paint Brush Warrior
Peg Preble
Peter Power
Rick Mauran
Terry Powers
Tree Works
Trethewey Brothers
Walter Fallas

Auto shop/gas station
Arborway Auto

Gibbs
Hatoff’s
JP Gas
Keegan’s
Mike’s
Morrison’s
Muffler Mart
TJ’s
Wentworth
West Cork Auto

Best Business in an Area

South Street
Winner: Harvest Cooperative Market

Arborway Auto
Curtis Hall
Fernandez Spa
Fiore’s Italian Bakery
Fresh Hair
Gumshoe
Indigena
James’s Gate
Jeanie Johnston Pub
Miss Laura’s
Petal and Leaf
Yesteryear

Centre Street
Winner: Boomerangs

AAA Appliances
Alchemist
Arborview
Bank of America
Blanchards
Blissful Monkey
Boing! JP’s Toy Shop
Boston Pilates
Bukhara Indian Bistro
Centre Street Café
City Feed and Supply
Cobwebs
Costello’s
Dunkin’ Donuts
Eva B’s
Fire Opal
Gadgets
Galway House
Gibbs
Hatched
Hyde Park Cooperative Bank
Ideal Café
J.P. Licks
J.P. Seafood Café
Jamaicaway Books
JP Realty
JP Rentals and Sales
On Centre
Purple Cactus
Real Deal
Rhythm and Muse
Sal’s Barbershop
Salmagundi
Ten Tables
The Whitehaus
Vee Vee
West Cork Auto
Wonder Spice Café
Yumont Hardware
Zesto’s

Hyde/Jackson Square
Tie: Bella Luna/Milky Way
Video Underground

99 Cent Store
Alchemist
Brendan Behan Pub
Cappy’s
Captain Nemo’s
El Oriental de Cuba
Fat Ram’s Pumpkin Tattoo
Hi Lo Market
Ideal Café
June Bug Café
La Papusa Guanaca
Meat Land
Miami Restaurant
Revolution Biker
Sorella’s
Stop & Shop
Tacos El Charro
Tello’s
Ultra Beauty Salon
Velouria Café
Yelly’s

Egleston Square
Star Fish Market

Dollar Store
Dominican Café
Egleston Nails
Egleston Square Pizza
Joseph’s Style
La Peruviana
McDonald’s
Old Stag
Sovereign Bank

Forest Hills
Winner: The Dogwood Café

Big Fat Green Pizza
Forest Hills Pizza
Griffin’s
Java Jo’s
J.J. Foley’s
Roasted nuts stand at Forest Hills Station
The Fireside
Yang’s Martial Arts

Washington Street
Winner: Canto 6

BMS Paper
Doyle’s Café
Hatoff’s
Keegan’s Service Station
Rossmore Laundry
Roxbury Technologies
Ruggiero’s Market
Vimar

Other location
Ula Café

Allendale Farm
Boomerangs Warehouse sales
City Feed and Supply (Boylston St.)
Elite Bodyworks
Mike’s Fitness
Stony Brook Wine and Spirits
Tony Williams Dance Studio

The Rest of the Best

Community event
Lantern Parade

Bike Friday
Countdown to Kindergarten
Fish release at pond
JP World’s Fair
Lantern Festival
JP Open Studios
Regan League softball picnic
The Blessing of the Animals
Wake Up the Earth Festival
Whitehaus Family Hoots

Garden/yard landscaped area
Loring-Greenough House
Finalist: Taylor House Bed and Breakfast

15 Roanoke Ave.
31 Boylston St.
45 Parley Ave.
70 Tower St.
Beecher St.
Brookside Commmunity Garden
Burroughs St.
Christmas mansion on Jamaicaway
Eliot School
Forest Hills Community Garden
Granada Park
Harvest Coop side garden
Lamartine St. Community Garden
Leland St. Herb Garden
Minton Stable Garden
Monument Park
Myrtle St.
Nira Avenue Rock
St. Rose St. Community Garden
Stony Brook Victory Garden
Woodbourne Neighborhood

Playground/tot lot
Brewer Street

Agassiz Park
Boylston St.
Eliot St.
Johnson Playground
Lars Anderson
Mindon St.
Mozart Park
Southwest Corridor parks
Stony Brook
Wachusett St.

Tree
Copper Beech at Elm and Greenough

36 Burroughs St.
50 Sheridan St.
57 Rockview St.
Bonsais in the Arboretum
Chestnut at First Baptist Church of JP
Green St. in middle of Warren Square
Oak in Granada Park
Peach at Curley School
White trees at Pinebank

Mural
Hi Lo Market

Bella Luna
C&A Salvage Building
Costello’s back wall
Eliot St. & Centre St.
Jackson Sq. Station
McBride St.
Moraine St.
Mozart Park
Petal and Leaf (former location in Hyde Sq.)
Purple Cactus
Zesto’s

Place of worship
First Church of JP Unitarian Universalist

First Baptist Church of JP
Nehar Shalom Community Synagogue
Our Lady of Lourdes
River of Life
St. John’s Episcopal
St. Thomas Aquinas

Children’s service/activity
Lantern Parade

1-2-3 Spanish Together
Blissful Monkey music classes
Boing! JP’s Toy Shop
Countdown to Kindergarten
Courageous Sailing at Jamaica Pond
Curtis Hall music class
Davey the Clown
Earn a bike program at Bikes Not Bombs
Franklin Park Zoo
Home for Little Wanderers
JP Library activities
JP Moms Support Group
JP School of Dance (Tony Williams)
JP Youth Soccer
Kelly Rink
MSPCC
Regan Youth League
Spontaneous Celebrations

Health service
Southern Jamaica Plain Community Health Center
Finalist: Urban Medical

Atreva Health
Brookside Community Health
Dimock Community Health
Dr. O’Reilly (dentist)
Faulkner Hospital
Gentle Dental
JP Animal Clinic
Martha Eliot Health Center
Metropolitan Health Associates
Mike’s Fitness
Move Free Massage

Local school
Agassiz Elementary School

Curley
Eliot
English High
Hernandez
Hollow Reed
International High
Kennedy
Manning
Mosaic Preschool
Our Lady of Lourdes
Young Achievers

Neighborhood association/organization
JP Forum

Arborway Coalition
Brookside Neighborhood Association
Child St. Crime Watch
Franklin Park Coalition
Friends of Nira Rock
Heath St. Neighborhood Association
Historic Hyde Square
JP Artists Association
JP Historical Society
JP Moms Support Group
JP Neighborhood Council Zoning Committee
JP Walking Tours
Neighbors for Neighbors
Stoneybrook Neighborhood Association
Sumner Hill Association
Ward 19 Democratic Committee
Women’s Fightback Network

Non-profit service agency
Hyde Square Task Force
Finalist: Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation

Bikes Not Bombs
City Life/Vida Urbana
Community Servings
Curtis Hall Community Center
Earthworks
ESAC
Ethos
Home for Little Wanderers
Horizons for Homeless Children
Main Streets
Mass Energy
MSPCC
Spontaneous Celebrations
Sports4Kids
Urban Edge

Gay/lesbian hang-out
Midway Café

Bella Luna/Milkyway Lounge & Lanes
Costello’s
First Church Unitarian Universalist
J.P. Licks
Jamaica Pond
Mike’s Fitness
Spontaneous Celebrations
Sweet Christopher’s
Ula Café

Storefront
Boomerangs

Alchemist
Blue Frog Bakery
Boing! JP’s Toy Shop
City Feed and Supply
Cobwebs
Fat Ram’s Pumpkin Tattoo
Fire Opal
Gadgets
Greater Boston Bigfoot Research Center
Hyde Sq. Task Force
Indigena
J.P. Licks
Jamaicaway Books
On Centre
Petal and Leaf
Real Deal
Salmagundi
Stonybrook Wine and Spirits
Ten Tables

Building
The Brewery

Blessed Sacrament Church
Bukhara Indian Bistro
Central Congregational Church
City Feed and Supply
Curtis Hall
Eliot Hall (home of Footlight Club)
First Baptist Church of JP
First Church Unitarian Universalist
Forsyth Chapel at Forest Hills Cemetery
J.P. Licks
Jamaica Pond Boathouse
James Michael Curley House
Loring-Greenough House
Meat Land
Red Sun Press

Government service
Post office

Connolly Branch Library
Fire Department
JP Branch Library
Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services (MONS)
Snow removal
Trash removal

Government official
City Councilor John Tobin

Boston Redevelopment Authority senior architect John Dalzell
City Councilor Sam Yoon
Marie Turley, Boston Women’s Commission
Mayor Thomas Menino
MONS JP Coordinator Colleen Keller
Sonia Chang-Díaz (state Senate candidate)
State Rep. Jeffrey Sánchez
State Rep. Liz Malia
Suffolk County Clerk of Court Maura Hennigan
US Rep. Mike Capuano
US Senator Ted Kennedy