Brookline, Ma

If you are considering living in Boston but want a suburban feel, Brookline is the perfect option because getting from Brookline to Boston is fast and easy.

Brookline is surrounded by Boston’s six neighborhoods. The city of Newton is in the west. It is the most populous town in Massachusetts. Spanning over 7 miles, Brookline has a very high population density of 9,480 people per square mile. 

Brookline is the home for many academic and medical institution staff like Harvard medical school, Boston University, Longwood medical area hospitals. Brookline was said to have the most residents with doctoral degrees in the US in 2012. 

Another fun fact - Brookline is the birthplace of John F. Kennedy! The home where he was born still stands and is a free museum.

Brookline Neighborhoods

Brookline is made of several neighborhoods.  Coolidge Corner,  Brookline Village and  Washington square are the lively areas with lots of restaurants, shops, bookstores, T stops, where you can stroll and people watch, there is lots to do and it feels like you live in a city.

if you want more of a quiet enjoyment, you can choose to live in South Brookline, Fisher Hill, Pill Hill or Chestnut Hill neighborhoods

Fisher Hill has the  largest and most expensive homes, it’s a very  upscale neighborhood that has houses that were built in the early 1800s.  Fisher Hill is  close to the Chestnut Hill Ave and Reservoir stops on the MBTA green line.

Pill Hill is a neighborhood that got its name because it is very close to the Longwood Medical Area and has a high population of doctors and hospital staff. The majority of houses in the area were built between 1870 and 1930, the houses are  well maintained with historical accuracy.

Chestnut Hill is another upscale neighborhood that has parts of it in Newton, Brookline and Boston. 

Public Transportation

Brookline is served by the C, D and B  branches of the MBTA Green Line light rails,  with inbound service to downtown Boston and outbound service to Newton.  There are also many bus lines.

Education

Brookline Senior high school is ranked 34th in Ma and 802nd in National rankings by US NEWS High School Rankings. There are several colleges here, Pine Manor College, Hellenic College & Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Boston Graduation school of Psychoanalysis.

Great Restaurants/cafes: Something for everyone!

Barcelona Wine Bar has an extensive array of Spanish-centric small plates & wine in an intimate setting, it is open late-nights.

Bottega di Capri is a cozy neighborhood deli offering imported meats, home-made bread, homestyle Italian meals & espresso.

Washington Square Tavern has American dishes & many beers are found at this busy, no-reservations standby with wood-lined space.

Entertainment 

Puppet Showplace Theater in Brookline Village is home to New England's only dedicated puppet theater and center for puppetry arts. It is one of the four oldest puppet theaters in the United States. The not for profit Coolidge Corner Theatre’s art-house films are beloved by the locals.

Grocery Stores

There is a variety of grocery stores in Brookline -Stop & Shop, Star Market, Trader Joe’s  and much more. 

And to summarize everything, here are my Pros and Cons of living in Brookline.

1. Walkability - Brookline has such amazing public transportation that unless you are planning to go away for a ski vacation in Vermont, you probably will not need a car to go to work in Boston and do your shopping and run earrings in Brookline. It’s possible to go car free and walk or take the T or bus everywhere
2. There are a lot of green spaces and parks in Brookline, including the Emerald Necklace. The Emerald Necklace, part of which is in Brookline is designed by  Frederick Olmsted, the landscape architect, who also designed the famous Central Park in NYC. Another wonderful park in Brookline is the Larz Anderson Park, a 64 acre estate which also has the Larz Anderson auto museum and has car lawn events during weekends from May to October. 

3. You are in the backyard of Boston, just a few stops on the T will take you there. If you are driving Rt 9 is very convenient too.
4. Brookline has a good mix of young professionals and families living there and occasional students, since it is close to many Boston universities and colleges.
5. The town has bike lanes, the restaurants are varied and really good. Brookline is one of very few suburbs who kept their bookstores and it has a very large public library, so readers rejoice in Brookline! 6. There are many grocery store options and variety of farms or markets to choose from. The Chestnut Hill Mall is also very close for those last minute runs for the gift for Holidays.

Now, there are not many cons about living in Brookline besides the one that real estate prices are pretty up there, compared to other Boston suburbs. It is more affordable than downtown Boston, for sure, though.

There is no overnight parking and very limited night life. And, that’s it!

The Rate of Home Ownership 48.5%  and Brookline Total Median Sale Price for a Single Family is $2,367,500.00 and  $748.37 per Sq ft.I hope that was helpful, to watch the video I made about Brookline, please go to my Youtube channel - Boston Area Homes by Noune K and here is the link to that specific video click here