kingston Travel Guide
Tags: Five-Bad-Rap-Cities / Bad Rap Cities / Jamaica Travel / Urban Travel / → All Tags
Five Cities With a Bad Rap: Kingston, Mon
Some locales can’t seem to shake their less-than-sparkling reputations despite efforts to lock away the skeletons of yesterday. We’ve decided to highlight five of these Bad Rap Cities that are making moves to shed their grimy and gritty images in hopes of becoming more tourist-friendly. Maybe, just maybe, after reading this series you'll be willing to take a chance on them. Enjoy.
Bad Rap City: Kingston, Jamaica
Why Go?
We’ve all seen the "Come to Jamaica” ads encouraging folks to experience the sparkling sea and sand with a side of reggae and jerk chicken. But those commercials never shout-out Kingston, the island’s capital. Mention the city that’s a half-million strong and you’re likely to hear a sharp intake of breath followed by mutterings of murder and mayhem. But don’t believe all the hype, says Kaci Hamilton, a travel writer and Kingstonian. “People are very hospitable here. You get invited to their homes for dinner, to go sailing or even play golf.”
She admits that crime and violence is endemic in certain areas of Kingston(stay clear of the West End), but many parts of the city are safe,surprisingly wealthy and quite beautiful, like tourist-friendly New Kingston.
Smart travelers should employ the same sense they use everywhere they go—keep eyes and ears open and stay clear of dodgy-looking places. For intrepid travelers with a sense of adventure, there’s much to discover here. Oh, and JetBlue begins service from JFK to Kingston on October 31st, with flights starting at $258 roundtrip!
