A garden of rebirth

At the new writing center down the street, interesting paraphernalia, including baby giant centipedes, lure patrons and volunteers through the doors. And not far away sits the peace garden.

Like the neighborhood it serves, the garden was once blighted, but is now thriving. And that highlights the story of Egleston Square.

"I think it symbolizes change," said Bill Minkle, who heads Ecumenical Social Action Committee, the community group that conceived the peace garden. "For example, you take this blighted area and you transform it by creating a garden . . . and then it starts to take shape and grow. It's a slow process. And that symbolizes what's happening in Egleston itself."

The seven-year evolution of the garden highlights the slow transformation of Egleston Square, a bustling intersection in Jamaica Plain that stretches from Amory, Green, and Washington streets and onto Columbus Avenue.

Crime is down, and new faces are emerging.

In recent years, more white professionals have been taking root in the square known for its mostly African-American and Latin culture.

New businesses have popped up, six in the past few months.

Even the trendy brewery complex on Amory Street - which has a host of small businesses, including the new site for the popular Bella Luna Restaurant and the Milky Way Lounge - is reconnecting with the square.

The complex's owner, the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation, is teaming with the Egleston Square Main Streets program to hold business workshops, community cookouts, and meetings between police and merchants.

"I think we have brought a sense of pride here," said Betsy Cowan, who heads Egleston Main Streets.

"It's a unique neighborhood because it brings together different people of different cultures."

Egleston Square is indeed a convergence of different worlds.

The heart of the neighborhood lies in its Latin quarter from School and Washington streets, where bachata and meringue music boom from storefronts and whiffs of Spanish food linger in the air.

Nearer to Green Street, the patrons are mostly white. In their jackets and backpacks, they stop into the Canto 6 bakery for croissants with European butter and cups of "joe on the go."

Up near the intersection of Washington and Columbus, in the mostly African-American section, is Lawson's Barbershop, a three-decade-old stop for black men who want a quick shave, a shoeshine, and a touch-up on their fade.

Along the way, there are Koreans learning from their patrons to speak Spanish, African women in colorful head wraps, and a Vietnamese nail-shop owner whose customers can catch professional dancers on a TV monitor, strutting to a salsa rhythm.

Longtime residents like what they see.

"For the past decade or so, a new set of people has been moving into the area," said Maria Contreras, a community activist. "Now I see all sorts of different faces. The thing with this community is that it's so mixed. It's like a melting pot."

But the square is still struggling to get over a bad reputation. There was a time when crime made its living here. Even now, some businesses keep their doors locked during store hours for fear of getting robbed.

Yet crime is decreasing, many residents say, and life in the neighborhood is improving.

Canto 6 has increased its staff from five to 13 in the three years it's been in the square.

Alex Emmott, the bakery's 25-year-old co-owner, was not sure about opening up there at first. But she and her business partner took a chance.

"We were actually pretty skeptical about the area," said Emmott, who also lives in the square.

"I think there's really a lot of potential around here, and I think the success of the business around here proves that."

On Washington Street recently, Courtney Walker was giving Joseph Leahy, a Kansan attending Emerson College in the fall, a tour of the area.

Leahy wants to move there.

"That's actually what attracted me to this area," he said. "Of all the neighborhoods that I've been looking at, this one for some reason kind of stood out, as far as for the price and being a student. But also being eclectic. . . . and it's kind of funky."

Those who grew up in Egleston Square say they've long known what the newcomers are discovering.

"I think there has been a lot of changes around here," said Vicky Arroyo, 18, as she got her hair trimmed at Latina Beauty Salon. "What makes it nice, though, are all the things that have remained the same."

Meghan Irons can be reached at mirons@globe.com.