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Hope Botanical Gardens (just below University of Technology on western side of Hope Rd., 6 a.m.–6:30 p.m. daily, free admission, parking US$1.50) was founded in 1873 and is owned by the Ministry of Agriculture. The park is managed by an NGO, Nature Preservation Foundation. It's a great place to hang out in the shade of a bombacacea tree or picnic on the grass. A diverse collecton of flowering and non-flowering exotic and endemic plants isn't as well labeled as it could be.
Kingston's buzzing centerpiece has shops and restaurants in the courtyard of George Stibel's former home, built in 1881
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church (McDonald Lane) was founded in Jamaica in 1972. This is the original state church of Ethiopia to which Haile Selassie I belonged. The church has an awkward relationship with Rastafarians in Jamaica; many of them have been baptized as Ethiopian Orthodox, including Bob Marley's children. To this day, the construction remains incomplete with little more than a foundation in place.
Kingston's Hindu Temple (114B hagley Park Road Kingdton ) holds events for all the major Hindu holidays including Ganesh Puja and Diwali. Local Hindus attend in heavy numbers on Sunday mornings.
Cherry Gardens Great House was built by Scottish Planter Joseph Gordon, father of national hero George William Gordon, who was born to a quadroon slave in humble quarters next to the main house. George William Gordon went on to become a successful mulatto businessman who agitated for civil rights until he was executed for taking a stand. A drive up through Cherry Gardens gives a glimpse into Uptown, with concrete mansions covering the landscape. Cherry Gardens Great House is a breath of fresh air amongst monstrosities seemingly built with no regard for the surrounding environment.
King's House has been the home of the Governor General since the capital was moved from Spanish Town in 1872. Jamaica's official head of state is appointed by the Queen of England for six-year terms. King's House was formerly the residence of Jamaica's Anglican Bishop. The original building was destroyed in the 1907 earthquake and rebuilt in 1909. The grounds have nice gardens that can be toured. Jamaica House, just south of King's House on the same grounds, is now the location for the Prime Minister's offices and is closed to the public.
Hamlyn Orchids, run by Claude Hamilton, an accredited judge of the American Orchid Society, is the largest commercial grower in Kingston and the number one expert in Jamaica. He has a large nursery (8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. daily), which can be toured (free) by calling ahead to set up a visit.
At the corner of two figures stand resolute, cast in bronze, their bodies thick and steadfast. A strong black man faces a voluptuous woman, their heads proudly lifted to the sky as if at once acknowledging the rectitude of their long struggle for freedom and silently praying for guidance in a new era. The work, titled Redemption Song, was the winner of a blind competition commissioned to give the newly constructed Emancipation Park a meaningful headpiece. It was controversial for several reasons.
Half Way Tree is the capital of St. Andrew, the parish that envelops Kingston. The bustling commercial area seen today is a far cry from its rural days when it was a popular rest stop for travelers between Kingston and Spanish Town. Several historical sites are wedged between the acres and acres of the concrete, strip mall-covered jungle.
St. Andrew Parish Church (free) also referred to as Half Way Tree Church, is one of the oldest Anglican churches on the island. The present church has a foundation that dates from 1692, when the earthquake destroyed the previous structure (which had stood only for a decade). One of the first U.S. Consuls to Jamaica, Robert Monroe Harrison, brother of U.S. President Benjamin Harrison, is buried there, along with his wife. Philip Livingston, a Jamaica-based merchant and son of one of the founding fathers of the United States, was married in the church.
