Brookline

Brookline is an independent town lying West of Boston, although it remains an integral part of the city, connected to Boston through the Green C line. Brookline has staunchly refused to be absorbed by Boston, choosing instead to maintain its own identity.

Brookline features a mixture of urban and suburban living, upscale shops and recreational parks, apartment buildings and large estates. Along with offering both a city atmosphere and a feeling of being in the country, there is a wide mix of people in Brookline. It is the home of many academic and scientific professionals who work at the nearby medical centers in Boston.

Among its many unique resources, Brookline has its own working farm (with farm stand), the oldest country club in the nation, a town golf course, a park on a hillside overlooking Boston with an open-air skating rink, and a transportation museum. There are also numerous neighborhood parks and playgrounds scattered throughout the town.

Its major retail centers, including Coolidge Corner, Brookline Village, Washington Square, Cleveland Circle and the Chestnut Hill Shopping Center, are pedestrian-oriented shopping areas with a variety of stores, restaurants, and malls. Although predominantly residential, Brookline is somewhat open to new commercial development, and has amended its zoning to encourage limited growth along its major thoroughfares.

Brookline is known in the Boston area for its large population of Russian and Israeli immigrants and numerous synagogues. It is also known for its excellent schools, which are supported in large part by property taxes—the town has one of the highest property tax burdens in the country.

Several institutes of higher education are located in Brookline, including Newbury College, the New England Institute of Art, parts of both Boston college and Boston University, Pine Manor College, and the Hellenic College.

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Learn more about the other Boston neighborhoods we serve:
Fenway/KenmoreLongwood Medical AreaBack BayBeacon HillNorth EndSouth End