The following are all the things, people and places nominated for the “Best of JP 2007” by 411 Gazette readers who filled out ballots in two issues of the paper and at JamaicaPlainGazette.com. Thousands of votes were cast and tallied.* Many nominees that are not listed as winners 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 drew a long list of different nominees. Nominees are listed in alphabetical order below names of winners.
*Due to an entry error, #22, best auto service/gas station, was omitted from the online ballot.

Best Place to:

Enjoy the outdoors
Winner: Arnold Arboretum

Alchemist (outdoor seating)
Daisy Field
Forest Hills Cemetery
Franklin Park
Franklin Park Zoo
Jamaica Pond
James’s Gate (outdoor seating)
Olmsted Park

Work
Winner: Home

Arnold Arboretum
Blissful Monkey
Boston EMS District
Boston Pilates
Brookside Community Health Center
Curtis Hall
Eliot School
Emack and Bolio’s
English High School
Faulkner Hospital
Forest Hills Cemetery
Fresh Hair
J.P. Licks
Jamaica Pond
JP Art Market
June Bug Café
Mass Public Health Association
Milky Way
Mount Pleasant Home
MSPCC
Petal & Leaf
Ray Dunete Landscape Architecture
Red Sun Press
Sam Adams Brewery
Skelly Insurance
Ula Café
VA Hospital
West Roxbury District Court

Enjoy live entertainment
Winner: Milky Way Lounge & Lanes

“Centre Street”
Alchemist
First Thursday
Footlight Club
Forest Hills Cemetery (Forsyth Chapel)
Franklin Park
Jeanie Johnston
June Bug Café
Loring-Greenough House
Midway Café
Spontaneous Celebrations
Sweet Finnish
Tacos El Charro
Wake Up the Earth Festival

See art
Winner: Jamaica Plain Open Studios

Art House
Axiom
Boomerangs
Fire Opal
First Thursday
Forest Hills Cemetery
Green Street Gallery
JP Art Market
JP Licks
River of Life Church
Sam Adams Brewery
Sweet Finnish

Consumer Favorites:

Friendliest business
Winner: Centre Street Café

Yumont Hardware
Alchemist
ASAP Lock and Key
Bikes Not Bombs
Blanchard’s
Blue Frog Bakery
Boing!
Bon Savor
Brady & Fallon Funeral Home
Captain Nemo’s
Citizens Bank
City Feed and Supply
Classic Cleaners
Cobwebs
CVS (unspecified location)
Dunkin’ Donuts (unspecified location)
El Oriental de Cuba
Emack and Bolio’s
Eva B’s
Eye Q
Fiore’s
Fire Opal
Fresh Copy
Fresh Hair
Gadgets
Galway House
Green Street Supermarket
Hatched
Hi-Lo
J.P. Licks
Java Jo’s
JP House of Pizza
JP Rental and Sales
JP Seafood
June Bug Café
Miami Restaurant
Milky Way
New Leaf Florist
On Centre
Petal & Leaf
Petal and Leaf
Post office
Prudential
Purple Cactus
Ruggerio’s
Same Old Place
Serene Vibes
Sweet Christopher’s
Sweet Finnish
Tacos El Charro
Tedeschi’s, Monument Square
Ula Café
West Cork Auto
Wonder Spice
Yelis Coffee Shop
Zon’s

Breakfast
Winner: Sorella’s

Bon Savor
Canto
Centre Street Café
City Feed and Supply
Doyle’s
Dunkin’ Donuts (unspecified location)
El Oriental de Cuba
Forest Hills Deli
J.P. Licks
Java Jo’s
McDonald’s
Same Old Place

Lunch
Winner: Purple Cactus

Alchemist
Alex Chimis
Bella Luna
Blue Frog Bakery
Bon Savor
Bukhara
Canto 6
Centre Street Café
Cha Fahn
City Feed and Supply
Dogwood Café
Doyle’s
El Oriental de Cuba
Galway House
Ideal Pizza Cafe
James’s Gate
JP House of Pizza
JP Seafood Café
June Bug Café
La Pupuseria
Miami Restaurant
Same Old Place
Sorella’s
Sweet Finnish
Ula Café
Wonder Spice
Zesto’s

Dinner
Winner: Ten Tables

Alchemist
Ban Chiang House
Bella Luna
Bon Savor
Bukhara
Café D
Centre Street Café
Cha Fahn
Costello’s
Dogwood Café
Doyle’s
El Oriental de Cuba
Galway House
James’s Gate
JP Seafood Café
Pupusa Guanaca
Purple Cactus
Tacos El Charro
Wonder Spice
Zon’s

Latin American food
Winner: El Oriental de Cuba

Acapulco
Alex Chimis
El Embajador
La Pupusa Guanaca
Latino Restaurante
Mi Tierra
Miami Restaurant
Purple Cactus
Tacos El Charro
Tropicana

Asian food
Winner: Wonder Spice Café

Ban Chiang House
Bukhara
Cha Fahn
Charlie Chan’s
Food Wall
JP Seafood Café

Bakery
Winner: Fiore’s Italian Bakery

Blue Frog Bakery
Sweet Finnish
Sweet Christopher’s
Estrella Bakery
Canto 6

Pub/bar
Winner: Brendan Behan Pub

Alchemist
Costello’s
Dogwood Café
Doyle’s
Drinking Fountain
Foley’s Fireside Tavern
Galway House
James’s Gate
Jeannie Johnston
Midway Café
Milky Way
Old Stag
Zon’s

Pizza
Winner: Same Old Place

Bella Luna
Captain Nemo’s
Costello’s
Dogwood Café
Doyle’s
Ideal Pizza Cafe
JP House of Pizza
My Big Fat Greek Pizza
Planet Pizza
Zesto’s

Cup of coffee
Winner: J.P. Licks

7-Eleven
Blue Frog Bakery
City Feed and Supply
Dunkin’ Donuts (unspecified location)
El Oriental de Cuba
Emack and Bolio’s
Fiore’s
Java Jo’s
June Bug Café
McDonald’s
Miami Restaurant
Mike’s Donuts
Sorella’s
Sweet Christopher’s
Sweet Finnish
Ula Café
Velouria Espresso

Retail store
Winner: Boomerangs
Finalist: Gadgets

Ace Hardware
Blanchard’s
Boing!
Botanica San Miguel
Cobwebs
CVS (unspecified location)
CVS, 704 Centre
Expressions
Ferris Wheels Bike Shop
Fire Opa
Footlocker
George’s Shoes
Gumshoe
Harvest Co-op
Harvest Co-op
Hi-Lo
Honeyspot
Indigena
Jamaicaway Books
On Centre
Petal and Leaf
Rhythm & Muse
Serene Vibes
Yumont Hardware

Convenience store
Winner: 7-Eleven
Finalist: City Feed and Supply

CVS (unspecified location)
CVS, Centre/Moraine
Fernandez Spa
JP Convenience
JP Variety
Pimental
Ruggerio’s
Smoke Shop Dollar Store
Snack Shack
Su Ami
Tedeschi’s (unspecified location)
Tedeschi’s, former Store 24
Tedeschi’s, Monument Square
Yessina’s

Personal service
Winner: Fresh Hair

American Dry Cleaners
ASAP Lock and Key
Classic Cleaners
Fernandez Barber Shop
Hidden Hair Salon
Ideal Dry Cleaners
JP Laundromat
Living Touch Message
Miss Laura’s
Sal’s Barbershop
Ultra Beauty Salon
Xposure by Noel

Real estate service
Tie: JP Rentals and Sales,
Prudential Unlimited Realty

Boston Housing Court
Century 21
City Realty Group
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
Fowler Insurance
Gibson Sotheby’s/Ralph Smith
Hammond Real Estate
Jamaica Hill Realty
Jeanette Murphy
McCormack and Scanlan
Pondside Realty
Randall Engelman/Eric Gould

Bank or financial service
Winner: Wainwright Bank

Bank of America
Citizens Bank
Hyde Park Cooperative
People’s Federal
Roxbury Highland

Professional service
Winner: Southern Jamaica Plain Community Health Center

Art Johnson
Attorney Cookie Avrin
Breathe Message Therapy
Center Ground
Dimock Community Health Center
Dr. Reilly and Associates, Dentists
Dr. Spiro, dentist
Eye Q
Fowler Insurance
Frances Avrin
Gentle Dental
Ivy Insurance
Jose Espinoza
JP Animal Clinic
JP Chiropractic
Kokora’s Insurance
Laurie McKeown
Linda Olmstead
Mann & Rogers
Maya Insurance Company
Red Sun Press
Sawyer Insurance
Scanlon Physical Therapy
Urban Medical Group

Home service
Tie: ASAP Lock and Key,
Just Small Jobs,
The Power Company

AAA Appliances
Ace Hardware
Arborway Tree Care
Classic Cleaners
Deep River
Donelan Contracting
J.D. Bergin, carpenter
Jamaica Plumbing
Jamie Cohen, electrician
Jeff Kelly, carpenter
Jordan Plumber
JP Carpentry
Karma Carpentry
Kevin Craddock Woodworking
Kevin Rainey
KeySpan Energy
Kieran Maher
Ledbetter’s Electrical
Michael Tully
Mulkey’s Plumbing
Paul of All Trades
Peg Preble, electrician
Pipelines Plumbing
Rick Yoder
Stony Brook Painting

Auto shop/gas station
Winner: Arborway Auto

Castillo Auto Repair
Gibbs
JP Auto Body
JP Auto
Keegan
Morrison’s
Mr. V’s
Peter’s Auto Body
Wentworth Auto
West Cork Auto

Best Business in an Area

South Street
Winner: Harvest Cooperative Market

Arborway Auto
Clayroom of JP
Fernandez Spa
Ferris Wheels Bike Shop
Fiore’s
Fresh Copy
Fresh Hair1
Gumshoe
Herb’s TV
Honeyspot
Indigena
James’s Gate
JP House of Pizza
JP Variety
Miss Laura’s
Yesteryear

Centre Street
Winner: J.P. Licks

Acapulco
Alchemist
Ban Chiang House
Blissful Monkey
Boing!
Bon Savor
Bon Savor
Boomerangs0
Boston Pilates
Breathe Message Therapy
Bukhara
Centre Street Café
Cha Fahn
Classic Cleaners
Cobwebs
Costello’s
CVS (unspecified location)
Dolittle’s Pet Grooming
Dunkin’ Donuts (unspecified location)
Eva’s Boutique
Eye Q
Farmer’s Market (Stillman’s)
Fire Opal
Footlocker
Gadgets
Galway House
Gibbs
Jamaicaway Books
JP Gazette
JP Rental and Sales
JP Seafood Café
New Leaf Florist
New Leaf Florist
On Centre
Petal & Leaf
Post Office
Purple Cactus
Rhythm & Muse
Sal’s Barbershop
Sweet Finnish
Tedeschi’s, Monument Square
Triple A Appliances
Wonder Spice Café
X’Posure by Noel
Yumont Hardware
Zesto’s

Hyde/Jackson Square
Winner: Video Underground

A Joyous Noise Family Daycare
Alchemist
Alex Chimis
Alexandra’s Beauty Salon
Bella Luna
Brendan Behan
Café Tropical
Centre Boutique
El Oriental de Cuba
Fat Ram Pumpkin Tattoo
Hi-Lo
JP Laundry
June Bug Café
Miami Restaurant
Milky Way
Pimentel’s Market
Rhythm & Muse
Sorella’s
Stop & Shop
Tacos El Charro
Ultra Beauty Salon

Egleston Square
Winner: Star Fish Market

Dunkin’ Donuts
Egleston Laudromat
Egleston Nails
Egleston Pizza
Egleston Square Dollar Stop Plus
McDonald’s
Sovereign Bank
Stag Tavern
Walgreens
Haley’s Bakery and Café

Forest Hills
Winner: The Dogwood Café

Brady & Fallon Funeral Home
Dugout Café
East Ocean Chinese Restaurant
Forest Hills Cemetery
Grenier Print Shop
Griffin’s
Java Jo’s
JP Carwash
Pete’s Auto Body

Washington Street
Winner: Doyle’s Cafe

ACME Collision
BMS Paper
Brookside Community Health Center
Canto 6
Drinking Fountain
Hatoff’s Gas
JP Car Wash
Keegan’s
McCormack and Scanlan
Midway Café
Old Stag Tavern
Rossmore Laundromat
Ruggerio’s
Schell Printing

Other location
Winner: Ula Café

Alchemist
Bikes Not Bombs
Canto 6
City Feed and Supply
Dahn Yoga
Dolittle’s Pet Grooming
Fat Ram’s Pumpkin Tattoo
Forester’s Market
Green Street Supermarket
JP Licks
JP Seafood Café
Mike’s Fitness
Petal and Leaf
Snack Shack
T&C Jewelry
Taylor House B&B

The Rest of the Best

Community event
Winner: Wake Up the Earth Festival

First Thursday
Franklin Park Tuesday Performances
Gender Crash, Spontaneous Celebrations
JP Artists Ball
JP Open Studios
JP Spring Cleanup
JP World’s Fair
Lantern Festival
Lantern Parade
Neighbors Night Out, Egleston Sq. Peace Garden
Samuel Adams Brewery monthly open house

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

16 Dane St.
40 Pond St.
8 Bardwell St.
Adams Arboretum Condos
Beecher Community Garden
Boylston between Lamartine and Centre
Boylston Congregational Church
Brewer St. playground
Custer St. near Harvest Co-op
Forest Hills Cemetery
Green St. Playground area
JP Cohousing
Leland Street Garden
Minton Stable Gardens
Monument garden
MSPCA
Paul Gore St. Community Garden
Southwest Corridor Community Farm
Stony Brook Gardens
Williams Street Community Garden

Playground/tot lot
Winner: Johnson Playground on Green St.

Arcola Park
Brewer Street Tot Lot
Franklin Park, Walnut Park
Jefferson Playground
Mozart Park
Murphy Playground
Spaulding Street Tot Lot
Wachusett St. Playground

Tree
Tie: Beech at Elm and Greenough,
Copper Beech at 40 Green St./Warren Sq.,
“Storytelling Tree” at Arboretum

59 Rockview St.
Beech at Jamaica Pond along Parkman Drive
Beech tree, Arnold Arboretum, next to South St. entrance
Copper beech, 37 Burroughs St.
Copper beech, Forest Hills Cemetery
Dawn redwood, Arboretum (no location)
Elm tree, Elm and Greenough
Jamaica Pond, 23rd tree west of boathouse
Jamaica Pond, 24th tree from stop sign behind pond
Jamaica Pond, Brookline side, tree with carvings
Japanese red maple at Loring-Greenough House
Magnolia, St. Peter/Boylston
Maple, lawn of First Baptist Church
Maples at Curtis Hall
Metasequoia, Arboretum
Silk tree, Bussey Hill, Arboretum
Tree on island, Jamaica Pond
Tulip tree on Walk Hill between Wachusett and Bourne
Willow behind JP Cohousing off Amory St.

Mural
Winner: Videosmith Building
Finalist: Petal and Leaf

Agassiz School, Carolina St.
Amory/Columbus
Bella Luna
Blissful Monkey building facing J.P. Licks
Burroughs St. lot, candlelight parade around pond
Centre/Wyman
Costello’s, sports
Day Street across from MSPCA
Eliot St./Tedeschi’s
Eliot St
First Baptist Church
Hi-Lo
Jackson Square T Station
Perkins St. next to Zon’s
Purple Cactus
Zesto’s

Place of worship
Tie: Our Lady of Lourdes,
River of Life

Arnold Arboretum (sic)
Blissful Monkey
Central Congregational
Covenant Congregational
First Baptist Church
First Baptist
First Church in JP Unitarian Universalist
Forest Hills Cemetery
Nehar Shalom
Primera Iglesia Presbiteriana
St. John’s Episcopal
St. Thomas Aquinas

Children’s service/activity
Winner: A Joyous Noise Family Daycare

1 2 3 Children Together
Boing!
Carriage House Theater Troupe
Countdown to Kindergarten playgroups
Curtis Hall Baby Splash
Curtis Hall Swim Class (Spanish)
Eliot School
Estrellas Tropicales
Franklin Park summer activities
Home for Little Wanderers
JP Head Start
JP School of Dance
KidsArts!
Lantern Parade
MSPCC
Peace Drum Project
Regan League Youth Baseball
Spontaneous Celebrations
Urban Improv

Health service
Winner: Southern Jamaica Plain Community Health Center

Blissful Monkey
Breathe Massage Therapy
Brookside Community Health Center
Center Ground
Dimock Community Health Center
Dr. Ritchie Smith, dentist
Gentle Dental
Geoff Pritchard, Message Therapist
Martha Eliot Health Center
MSPCA/Angell
Urban Medical Group
VA Medical Center

Local school
Tie: Curley School K-8,
English High School

Agassiz School
COMPASS School
Eliot School
Hennigan School
Hernandez School
JFK School
Meridian School
Neighborhood School
Our Lady of Lourdes
Park School
Young Achievers

Neighborhood association/organization
Winner: Neighbors for Neighbors

Better Transit Without Trolleys
Brookside Neighborhood Association
Doyle’s Running Club
Franklin Park Coalition
Friends of the Connolly Branch Library
Historic Hyde Square
Jamaica Hills Association
Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council
JP Artists Association
JP Historical Society
JP Men’s Group
JP peace group (the local pastor’s group)
JP Trees
Neighborhood Pesticide Action Committee
Stonybrook Neighborhood Association
Sumner Hill Neighborhood Association
West Zone Parents Group

Non-profit service agency
Winner: Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation
Finalist: Spontaneous Celebrations

BalletRox
Bikes Not Bombs
Boomerangs (AIDS thing)
City Life/Vida Urbana
Common Stream
COMPASS School
Curtis Hall Community Center
Eliot School
Ethos
Grassroots International
Home for Little Wanderers
HOPE
Hyde Square Task Force
JP Centre/South Main Streets
Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly
Mass Alliance of HUD Tenants
Meals on Wheels
Mount Pleasant Home
MSPCA-Angell
Shattuck Shelter
Spontaneous Celebrations
Volunteers of America

Gay/lesbian hang-out
Winning: Midway Café

Alchemist
Brendan Behan
Harvest Co-Op
Hatoff’s Gas
J.P. Licks
Jamaica Pond
June Bug Café
Milky Way
St. Thomas Aquinas Church

Storefront
Winner: Boomerangs

Alchemist
Blissful Monkey
Boing!
Bon Savor
Botanica San Miguel
Cobwebs
Dolittle’s Pet Grooming
Emack and Bolio’s
Fire Opal
Gadgets
Galway House
Harvest Co-op
Indigena
J.P. Licks
Jamaicaway Books
Pimentel’s Market
Post office
Purple Cactus
Tacos El Charro
Xposure by Noel

Building
Winner: Post Office
Finalists: Curtis Hall,
Loring-Greenough House

43 Green St.
711 Centre St. (Café D etc.)
Blessed Sacrament Church
Boston Pilates building, 793 Centre St.
Bukhara building
Castle house, Jamaicaway
Curley House
Fire Station
Forest Hills Cemetery Gatehouse
Former police station building on Seaverns
J.P. Licks
Jamaica Pond Boathouse
Jamaica Pond Gazebo
Octagon-topped house, Sheridan St.
St. Thomas Aquinas Church
Taylor House B&B
The Brewery Complex

Government service
Winner: Post Office

City snow-plowing
City street-sweeping
City trash pick-up
Clean Streets program
Curtis Hall
Dept. of Homeland Security
Fire Department
JP Branch Library
MBTA
Police Department

Government official
Winner: Officer Mike Santry, auto investigator, District E-13 police

City Councilor John Tobin
City Councilor Maureen Feeney
City Councilor Sam Yoon
John Dalzell, BRA
Rik at JP Post Office
State Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez
State Rep. Liz Malia