Brookline

As Boston's residential suburb of choice, Brookline has quite a lot to offer--which isn't surprising, given Brookline's Niche rating as one of the best suburbs in the U.S. Brookline is surrounded by six Boston neighborhoods: Brighton, Allston, Fenway/Kenmore, Mission Hill, Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury with Newton to its west. Brookline was first established as a town in 1705 and its history runs deep given its birthplace and hometown of President John F. Kennedy.

Garden-like parkways and an abundance of green spaces thrive in Brookline giving this unique neighborhood an urban feel that attracts residents and those seeking easy access to Boston. Apartments, multi/single family homes and condos can all be found on the quaint, tree-lined streets of Brookline with most residents having lived here their entire lives.

Coolidge Corner is the highlight of Brookline. The Coolidge Corner Theater, an art-deco-style cinema, is the most recognizable landmark on the corner--it features classic, blockbuster, and independent films of all genres. Home to many local favorites such as the Regal Beagle and Paris Creperie, and a wide variety of independently owned specialty shops catering to multi-ethnic cultures, can be found on the popular Harvard Street. Washington Square and Brookline Village feature charming toy stores, bookshops, and many ethnic restaurants.

A Brookline treasure, Larz Anderson Park offers a landscape of parks, playing fields, waterways, and gardens featuring an outdoor ice-skating rink flanked by stone walls and elegant architecture. Vintage car lovers flock to the Larz Anderson Auto Museum for a rare glimpse of a time long past.

Given its close proximity to the Longwood Medical area, a thriving medical community of academic, research, and cultural organizations, Brookline is an attractive location for those serving some of the finest hospitals and institutions in the world such as Boston’s Children’s Hospital, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Dana Faber Cancer Institute.

Culture and high-quality schools make Brookline one of the finest communities in Boston, but it comes with a price—some of the highest property values and prices dot this unique neighborhood.