Well known to locals but somewhat off the beaten path for visitors is Jamaica Pond which sits at the base of Jamaica Plain (J.P., familiarly), a neighborhood about 5 miles south of Boston that was one of the city's original "streetcar suburbs." The freshwater pond is part of what is known as the city's Emerald Necklace, a series of connecting parks designed in the late 1880s by Frederick Law Olmstead. During the summer, you can rent rowboats and sailboats at the boathouse, or, in any season, take the 1.5-mile walk around the perimeter. When you're done, head into Jamaica Plain to grab a cone at J.P. Licks, a local chain that makes its own ice cream and yogurt.

• 1. Jamaica Pond
  Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 42.3171611-71.1203423
• 2. J.P. Licks
  659 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 42.3130268-71.114118