• 1. Where to Stay
• 2. Where to Eat
• 3. What to Do
• 4. Insider’s Tip
• 5. An Oddball Day

Artworks along Forest Hills Cemetery's Contemporary Sculpture Path.   (Photo: From left, Mitch Ryerson/courtesy of Justin Craig Roth; Leslie Wilcox/courtesy of Cecily Miller)

When you’ve had your fill of urban design, take the T to Jamaica Plain. Once a country resort for Boston blue bloods, the neighborhood now fosters an active artistic community. Start at the Contemporary Sculpture Path in the 250-acre Forest Hills Cemetery. After entering through a massive gate, you’ll come across Andrea Thompson’s Knock on Wood, a series of brass and iron knockers fastened to red cedar posts and placed alongside a group of tombstones.

Afterward, walk up the main drags of South and Centre Streets where dozens of brightly colored murals—like Rafael Rivera Garcia’s Gods of the Taino Peoples at the corner of Perkins and Centre—offer a peek at the diverse neighborhood’s history. Finish the day in classic American style: with a bit of shopping—Honeyspot (48 South St.; 617-524-2444) is a local favorite for vintage duds and housewares—followed by mac 'n' cheese and a homemade ice-cream sandwich from Zon’s.

Published on Aug 15, 2007 as a web exclusive.