The question caught my eye on Park Slope Parents this morning and it seems to have elicited quite a few responses from other PSPers.
The woman who asked has family in Boston and is considering a move to be closer to them. Trouble is: she’s hooked on the Slope. Items of importance: public
transportation, a sense of
community
and
kid-friendliness.
Answers came swiftly from the oh-so-resourceful list-serve. Cambridge was mentioned most often for its similarities to Park Slope. It’s even called "The People’s Republic of Cambridge."
(I always say Park Slope is a college town without a college.)
The Boston Children’s Museum and the Museum of Science were mentioned. Boca
Grande,
the
burrito
place
on
Mass.
Ave between
Harvard
and
Porter
Squares, was cited for its delicious lemon
chicken
burrito.
Newton, Somerville,
Jamaica
Plain,
Watertown,
Belmont, and Arlington were also mentioned.
I grew up in Bklyn. I lived in Park Slope for a few years and moved to Boston to be close to my partners’ family. I have searched far and wide for a little bit of what Park Slope has here in Boston. Jamaica Plain is it as far as I can tell. I live in JP now, but Bklyn will always have my heart!
Being a Bostonian – I would NEVER call Brookline a version of Park Slope.. yes, Brookline is a wonderful neighborhood however, Brookline has always been… well, Brookline.
Jamaica Plain is definitely the closer to Park Slope… it’s a changing neighborhood, close to the Arnold Arboretum – wonderful park – and the Jamaica Reservoir = jogging and people watching – and has been dramatically gentrified since I was in elementary school at the James Michael Curley School back in 1983. Believe me, if you are looking for a Park Slope in Boston – JP is where it’s at.