K I N G S T O N ’ S
I
t’s a melting pot of everything Jamaican, Caribbean
even – capital city Kingston and its urban extension
St. Andrew. They’re the smallest parishes in an island
of a little over four thousand square miles in area but
arguably the most influential one at the historical, cultural
and industrial level - Kingston has earned the description
Heartbeat of Jamaica.
Unfortunately for many years the Kingston
Metropolitan region has had a shadow cast over it by its
residents and Jamaicans in the diaspora. Dubbed a crime
city, the metropolis has been affected by many vices so
much so that little attention has been placed on the many
glorious achievements of its inhabitants and its physical
and geographical attributes aplenty.
Whereas
the
island’s
overall
reputation
internationally has been punctuated with glowing
commendation for the rural area tourism offerings – Negril’s
7 Mile beaches, Montego Bay’s nightlife and casual
appeal, Portland’s pristine beauty, Ocho Rios’ fiesta of
foliage, the rustic backpacker’s getaway off-the-beatentrack South Coast, there is an ambiguity in what Kingston
offers as the heartbeat of Jamaica and the Caribbean.
This is the pulse of city Kingston. The capacity to
find oneself in the serenity of the Blue Mountains crisp
verdant landscape and within half-an-hour or less be in
the hustle and bustle of Jamaica’s central business districts
and shopping zones. On the way down the enveloping
mountain range - make a stop at gourmet eatery EITS
- Europe in the Summer or the popular Café Blue for
principal brand Blue Mountain coffee served in its original
climes. A quick right turn at the brow of the range and
up Skyline Drive is a great escape for authentic Jamaican
music on a Sunday ev