Half Way Tree is a neighbourhood in the city of

Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley Inter ...

. It is the parish capital of

St. Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( grc-koi, Ἀνδρέᾱς, Andréās ; la, Andrēās ; , syc, ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ, ʾAnd’reʾwās), also called Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Simon Peter ...

. Half Way Tree is served by the Kingston 10 post office. In recent years, as a result of crime and violence in Downtown Kingston and Cross Roads, Half Way Tree has overtaken these areas as the central hub of the capital, Kingston and, perhaps, the busiest thoroughfare in the city. The area has become a popular location to do business in Kingston because of its central location and close proximity to Downtown Kingston, the New Kingston Business District as well as it being the transportation of hub of Kingston. The National Works Agency, for example, estimates that approximately 250,000 commute through the Half Way Tree area on a daily basis from Monday through Saturdays. In recent years, the area has become increasingly attractive as a residential neighbourhood to young professionals, again because of its proximity to where many of them work. The apartments and townhouses are located mainly on Surbiton Road, Winchester Road, Ruthven Road and Cecelio Avenue. As a result, Half Way Tree has become one of the most expensive areas in Kingston to purchase real estate: an acre of land can run as high as US$1.5 million. A number of prominent schools, including

St Andrew High School for Girls St Andrew High School (also known as St Andrew High School for Girls) is an all-girls high school in Saint Andrew, Jamaica. The school was founded on September 21, 1925. History 1925–1929 St Andrew High School was founded on September 21, 19 ...

and Holy Childhood High School, are located in the heart of Half Way Tree. A busy shopping district, Half Way Tree is also home to the most well-known plazas and malls—such as Twin Gates, Mall Plaza, Tropical Plaza, Kings Plaza, Lane Plaza, the Pavilion Mall—in Kingston and Jamaica as a whole. There are also a number of prominent churches in the area such as Holy Cross Church and Webster Memorial. Devonhouse

While the business and commercial areas are in the heart of Half Way Tree, the residential areas tend to be concentrated on the outer verges. Within a mile of the clock tower marking the position of the old Half Way Tree is Devon House, a National Heritage Site.Devon House: National Heritage Site

Notable people

May Farquharson May Farquharson OJ (26 March 1894 – 29 June 1992) was a Jamaican social worker, birth control advocate, philanthropist and reformer. She was a founder of the Jamaican Family Planning League and Mother’s Welfare Clinic, as well as the driving ...

, social worker, birth control advocate, philanthropist, and reformer *

Hugh Verity Hugh Verity, (6 April 1918 – 14 November 2001) was a Royal Air Force fighter pilot and later a "special duties" squadron pilot working with the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during World War II. He landed many times at clandestine airfiel ...

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

pilot who flew secret agents in and out of France during World War II, was born here

References

{{Settlements in Jamaica Neighbourhoods in Kingston, Jamaica Populated places in Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica