Hyde Square in Jamaica Plain is such a spot. Billboards, shop signs, and conversations are in both Spanish and English. There aren't any Starbucks or McDonald's or Pizza Huts. In fact there aren't even any bank machines nearby.
Grooming is by appointment.
My ideal evening in Hyde Square is to get a Cuban sandwich at either the Miami Restaurant or El Oriental De Cuba and wash it down with a pint at the Brendan Behan Pub . But the real change has been the appeal of the area to new businesses. When the Brendan Behan opened up 11 years ago people told owner Gerry Brennan that he was crazy to open up an Irish pub in this section of town. Now it seems businesses can't wait to get in. And on March 31, under a blue moon, the owners of Bella Luna plan to open the Milky Way Lounge and Lanes below the restaurant.