My wife and I are starting to look for a condo, and one of the places we're looking is around JP. I've never done much riding down there though. What's a good route from JP to the MIT/Kendall area (specifically, First St near the Athaneaum building)? About how long of a ride is it? Thanks for any tips!

My wife and I are starting to look for a condo, and one of the places we're looking is around JP. I've never done much riding down there though. What's a good route from JP to the MIT/Kendall area (specifically, First St near the Athaneaum building)? About how long of a ride is it? Thanks for any tips!
You've got a few options depending on where in JP you're likely to live.

If you're on the western edge, around the Jamaicaway/Jamaica Pond then you could cut through Brookline via Perkins to Chestnut to Cypress to Aspinwall, then north and cross the river at the BU Bridge and then angle over to Kendall via Brookline to Erie to Albany to Broadway to Binney. Part of this was my old commute when I worked in the Davenport Building on First St. and Thorndike and lived near JP in Brookline Village, and it was alright for me. Generally urban commute with relative easy traffic on streets except for the intersections at the beginning and end of the BU bridge.

In general, when transiting between JP and Brookline, the biggest obstacle is crossing Rt. 9. Crossing at Cypress is generally easy but involves a little more climbing. Crossing at S. Huntington and trying to get to Washington or Brookline Ave. is the only suggested for more veteran riders. Trying to cross Rt. 9 over the Jamaicaway/Fenway is only suggested if you're really comfortable with auto traffic and have a relatively fast bike.

If you're on the eastern edge of JP near Lamartine, then you can take the Southwest Corridor bike path north to where it joins Northeastern and then deposits you a couple of blocks south of Mass. Ave. From here you can make a left on Mass Ave. cross the river at the Harvard / Mass Ave. bridge and then make a right on Vassar which naturally flows to Binney. This route has the advantage of being simpler to follow and the Southwest Corridor is a nice entrance and exit to JP (though commensurately slower as urban bike paths usually are) but then you have to deal with congested free-for-all that is Mass Ave for the rest of the way.

Excellent summary- thanks much!