Apartments for Rent in Jamaica Plain, MA (5,630 Rentals)

First settled in 1630, Jamaica Plain has a storied history. Claims about how the town got its name vary, depending on who you ask. The most colorful story has the town named after plain Jamaican rum. The community became part of Roxbury, which was built around it, and succeeded as part of West Roxbury in 1851. Later, when West Roxbury became part of Boston in 1874, Jamaica Plain gained the distinction of being part of the state capital. In the 19th century, Jamaica Plain was one of the first suburbs to have its own streetcar. One of the main thoroughfares, Dedham Road, the forerunner of Centre Street, dates back to 1663 and connects Boston and Providence. Nestled in a deeply wooded area, and surrounding a beautiful pond, Jamaica Plain became the site for several country estates for the Boston elite. However, the town remained relatively isolated, with the first public coach opening in 1773. Since the 1920s, the area has been known for its factories, producing twine, musical instruments, surveyors’ instruments, automobiles, and eyeglass cases, and there was even a milk bottling plant. Today, Harvard University, MIT, Hubspot and Fidelity Investments are among the diverse businesses or educational facilities with properties in Jamaica Plain.