Although our office is in Jamaica Plain, we also serve all of Greater Boston and specialize in its many eclectic neighborhoods including Dorchester, West Roxbury and Roslindale. In fact, our team member Mike Wood lives in Roslindale and can tell you so many of the ins and outs of this historic town. In the meantime, we’ve picked out some of our favorite Roslindale facts to help you get to know the area a little bit better.
Roslindale Was Named for Its Pastoral Beauty
The name “Roslindale” actually refers to the hills and dales in the neighborhood that make the area look like something straight out of a Thomas Cole painting. Prior to the building of trolley tracks and Forest Hill Station, Roslindale’s commercial district was surrounded by peacefully sloping hills and framed by the Blue Hills in the distance.
Legend has it that a native of the UK suggested the name because the terrain reminded him of the village of Roslin, Scotland. Though these natural surroundings are now blending into Roslindale’s trendy and bustling “downtown” (Roslindale Village to newcomers, and Rozzie Square to locals), the town still boasts over 214 acres of green space.
There’s a Very Cool Art Scene
Jamaica Plain gets all the credit for being the mural center of Greater Boston, but Roslindale has a lot of cool street art as well. In the Village you can spot a piece inspired by the Red Sox and the great win of 2004 that reversed the curse of bad luck for our hometown team. Other murals celebrate “shopping local” and draw inspiration from ancient Asian scrolls.
Off the wall, Roslindale has a flourishing set of artist’s studios that host Open Studios a few times a year to bring the community into their workspaces. In the past, over 100 artists have participated in these weekends, proving that you don’t have to hit the MFA to find beautiful local artworks.
It’s Part of Boston
A lot of urbanites are trained to think of anything outside of the North and South Ends as “suburbia” but Roslindale is considered a neighborhood in Boston. And guess what, it’s very easy to get to all the other areas of the city!
The Forest Hills T station on the Orange Line is just down the street from Roslindale and the Roslindale Village Commuter Rail stop is smack dab in the middle of town. There’s also a huge network of busses connecting Roslindale to other areas of Boston. If you’re driving, it’s a quick 15-minute trip to Fenway Park from the Village—easy access everywhere!
It’s a Book-Loving Neighborhood
When the Roslindale branch of the Boston Public Library went under construction in late 2019, the community rallied to find an alternative literary source. As a result, Little Free Libraries have been popping up all over town for neighbors to swap books and explore new genres during the shutdown.
The Friends of Roslindale Branch Library monitor the 15 little libraries to make sure they’re always stocked and well taken care of, but it’s the residents themselves who keep the project going by dropping off and picking up books. The library may be inaccessible, but the community spirit of Roslindale’s book lovers is alive and well.
It Still Boasts Single-Family Homes
In Boston, it’s an extremely tricky venture to find a free standing single-family home for sale. As areas like JP and Dorchester become trendier, prices increase and availability shrinks. But in Roslindale, where urban and suburban truly find a balance, there are still single-family homes to be found that may need a TLC to update for 2020 tastes, but they won’t necessarily break the bank.
That’s right, you actually can live in a place that has a thriving restaurant scene, a sea of breweries, and avant-garde street art, while also owning your own home—maybe even, dare we say it, with a yard all its own?
Interested in learning about available properties in Roslindale? We’d love to take you on a tour. Shoot us an e-mail at nextdoor@unlimitedsir.com.
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