Initially inhabited by the Native American Mattahunt Tribe, the name Mattapan translates to "a good place to be" or "a good place to sit" due to the Neponset River that meanders through this Boston neighborhood.

Today Mattapan's population is largely African Americans and immigrants from the Caribbean, including the largest Haitian community in Massachusetts. The neighborhood is predominantly residential with its fair share of triple-deckers, so green space is still plentiful. A crown jewel of Frederick Law Olmstead's Emerald Necklace is the 72-acre Franklin Park Zoo, home to lions and tigers and bears (only kidding - no bears) is shared by Mattapan and the Dorchester neighborhood. Mattapan also boasts the 67-acre Boston Nature Center and Wild Life Sanctuary with over 150 species of bird, 40 butterfly species and more than 350 species of plants along with the Clark-Cooper Community Garden.

Experience Mattapan

Video courtesy of Hub Today, NBC10 Boston