 |
||
 |
    |
|
|
||
|
|
|||||||
|
Brookline Brookline is an attractive residential town just four miles from the heart of Boston. With an area of 6.63 square miles, it is the largest town in Massachusetts. Brookline is surrounded by Boston on all sides except its southwestern corner, which borders Newton. Brookline is bordered by Allston/Brighton on the northwest and the Back Bay and the Fenway on the north. Mission Hill, Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury make up its southern border. Brookline has retained its status as a town, though surrounded by areas which have merged into the City of Boston. It has a distinctive town atmosphere which is both peaceful and pleasant. Brookline has a superb school system, an outstanding park system and numerous recreational facilities. It allows no manufacturing uses within its borders, thereby ensuring its residential character. Coolidge Corner, located at the intersection of Beacon and Harvard Streets and on the Cleveland Circle green line, is Brookline's major commercial center. South Brookline is more suburban with single family homes predominant. Rental units are located mainly in Northern Brookline. Two and three family houses are the most common rental housing type. Apartment buildings also exist although Brookline has few large apartment buildings. High rises are not permitted in Brookline and no more than four unrelated individuals are permitted to live in a single housing unit. The condition and quality of Brookline's housing is high relative to the rest of the Boston/Cambridge market. Except for South Brookline, the town has excellent access to public transportation. Three subway lines and several bus routes service Brookline. The Boston College (B), Cleveland Circle (C) and Riverside (D) green lines run through Brookline providing easy access to Boston. Since the green lines run above ground in Brookline, they are more expensive to ride. If you live in Brookline, you should probably consider buying a T pass. Buses are available from Brookline to Central Square although they do not run as frequently as the subway. The best route from Brookline to MIT would be the green line to the Hynes Convention Center/ICA stop and a walk down Massachusetts Avenue across the Harvard Bridge (about a 10 minute walk). In bad weather you could either take the #1 Dudley bus from the Hynes Convention Center/ICA T stop to MIT or take the green line to Park Street and switch to the red line, taking it to Kendall Square. Parking is the greatest drawback to living in Brookline. No overnight street parking is allowed and many of the town's rental units do not provide off-street parking. You can rent parking in lots or garages for approximately $50.00-$150.00 per month. Be sure to check the parking situation in your rental unit if you decide to live in Brookline. As long as you live relatively near one of the subway lines, a car might not be necessary (unlike in the other suburban communities of Arlington, Watertown or Belmont). Brookline is considered to be one of the safest communities in the vicinity of Boston. Brookline's police and fire departments are well staffed and efficient, with response time in emergencies reputed to be under two minutes. Brookline's rents tend to be quite high. If you are willing to pay more for rent and commute a little farther to MIT, Brookline provides an extremely pleasant, "small town" alternative to living in the urban Boston/Cambridge area. If you are interested in living in Brookline, you can purchase an outstanding map of the town at the Brookline Engineering Department, the fourth floor of Town Hall, for a cost of $1.50. Brookline Town Hall is located a short walk from the Brookline Village T stop, on the Riverside green line.
|
