Brookline, Massachusetts

Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. It borders Newton (part of Middlesex County) on the southwest and Boston (part of Suffolk County) in all other directions, so it is not actually contiguous with any other part of Norfolk County. As of the 2000 census, the population of the town is 57,107.

Culture

As close to Boston as Brookline is, it has managed to maintain its own identity. Brookline features a unique mixture of urban and suburban living, upscale shops and recreational parks, apartment buildings and large estates. It is the home of many academic and scientific professionals who work at the nearby medical centers in Boston. Brookline has staunchly refused to be absorbed by Boston, which surrounds it like a horseshoe. Brookline has kept its town meeting form of government since its 1705 incorporation. It has also kept an unusual overnight on-street parking ban that continues to baffle and irritate many residents. The name "Brookline" is derived from the brooks that form its boundaries. Among its many unusual resources, Brookline has its own working farm (with farm stand), the oldest country club in the nation, a town golf course, the home in which John F. Kennedy was born, a park on a hillside overlooking Boston with an open air skating rink and transportation museum, as well as numerous neighborhood parks and playgrounds scattered throughout the town. Its major retail centers, like Coolidge Corner and Brookline Village, are pedestrian-oriented shopping areas with a variety of shops. 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 said that the student body at Brookline High School includes students from more than 50 different countries. Although predominantly residential, Brookline is open to new commercial development, and has amended its zoning to encourage new growth along its major thoroughfares.

Related Topics:
Town meeting - 1705 - John F. Kennedy - Skating - Brookline High School

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Brookline is known in the Boston area for its large population of Russian immigrants and numerous synagogues. Jewish culture is very strong in Brookline, and is especially notable along the section of Harvard Street that runs between Beacon Street (Coolidge Corner) and Commonwealth Avenue. This neighborhood is home to at least 3 area synagogues and a number of Jewish-themed restaurants and stores.

Related Topics:
Russia - Jewish

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Brookline 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.

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While residents of Brookline tend toward liberal ideals, economic and cultural factors keep this section of the Boston metropolitan area less diverse than its neighbor across the Charles River, Cambridge.

Related Topics:
Liberal - Boston - Charles River - Cambridge

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"Fairsted", the 100 year old business headquarters and design office for renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and the Olmsted Brothers firm, has been carefully preserved as the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site, located on 7 acres (28,000 m²) of landscaped grounds at 99 Warren Street.

Related Topics:
Frederick Law Olmsted - Olmsted Brothers - Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site

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