Housing in Brookline, MA

Local Schools & Restaurants — Featured Listings

Brief Synopsis

Jim’s family relocated to Brookline in 2003 and is very familiar with Brookline and all of its surrounding area and towns – especially the village/neighborhood of Chestnut Hill where he resided. Its proximity to Boston has made it a commuter suburb; and yet, Brookline has managed to maintain its own identity with its mixture of urban and suburban living, upscale shops, village pubs, recreational parks, apartment buildings and large estates – many constructed pre-World War II, along with many older, Victorian-era, Colonial Revival-style and Georgian style homes. Brookline hosts a large number of Russian immigrants, a prominent Jewish culture, and many other academic and scientific professionals. It is little wonder then that Jim’s counts Jew and Gentile, including Russians (Извините, я не говорю по-русски), among his wonderful clients.

The community is recognized for having excellent schools, which is not surprising given the number of wealthy individuals who call Brookline home. Locals regard Brookline as a wealthier Boston suburb.

Where is Brookline?

Brookline is located in Norfolk County, on the eastern edge of Newton and just 3 miles west of downtown Boston; in fact, the town borders six of Boston’s neighborhoods – Allston, Brighton, Fenway–Kenmore, Jamaica Plain, Mission Hill, and West Roxbury – and shares a seventh, Chestnut Hill! The Mass Pike runs along Brookline’s northern tip while Route 9 virtually bisects it. The northern part of Brookline, roughly north of the D-line tracks, is urban in character, highly walkable, and transit rich. The population density of this part of town is nearly 20,000 inhabitants per square mile.

Brookline’s Neighborhoods

The town includes numerous distinct neighborhoods and areas, including one of the oldest, world-class country clubs in the United States. Additionally, many of these “enclaves” have distinct flavors. Many of the neighborhoods, squares, or notable areas of Brookline include:

• Aspinwall Hill
• Beaconsfield – MBTA
• Brookline Hills – MBTA
• *Brookline Village – “the old heart of the town” – MBTA
• Buttonwood Village
• *Chestnut Hill – the patrician borough of stately homes and Boston College – MBTA
• *Cleveland Circle – MBTA
• *Coolidge Corner – “the funky shopping district” – MBTA
• Corey Farm
• Corey Hill
• Cottage Farm
• Fisher Hill
• JFK Crossing
• Larz Anderson Park
• Longwood – “the leafy area near to the medical center” – MBTA
• Nobro (North Brookline)
• Pill Hill/High Street Hill
• The Point
• Putterham Circle
• The Runkle District
• Sobro (South Brookline)
• Saint Mary
• The Heights
• *Washington Square – MBTA

Its major retail centers, denoted by the preceding asterisks, are pedestrian-oriented shopping areas with a variety of stores, restaurants and malls.

Brookline Activities

Brookline is a great community with something to do for everyone. Thanks to Brookline’s Green Dog program, there are several parks where your dog is welcome. At the Larz Anderson Park, there is the Jack Kirrane skating rink and auto museum. History buffs can drop by to see JFK’s birthplace. Do yourself a favor and check out Coolidge Corner’s non-profit, independent movie theatre – it’s fabulous! The Farmers’ Market is a local favorite held in the Centre Street West parking lot in Coolidge Corner.

Education in Brookline

Brookline is known for its excellent public schools, which are supported in large part by property taxes. Fortunately, Brookline has offered a bit of a tax break for owner occupants who apply for the residential exemption. Several private primary and secondary schools, including the Beaver Country Day School, Brimmer and May School, Dexter Southfield School, Maimonides School, and The Park School are located in the town. Higher education includes Boston College, Hellenic College Holy Cross, Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis, and Adult and Community Education, This “Where Am I?” page gives you local information including which schools serve your prospective new home.

Other Info About Brookline

Local news in Brookline is delivered by The Brookline Tab, The Patch, Brookline Hub, and of course, The Boston Globe and The Boston Herald. If you are a Boston College student, you will be interested in The Heights.

Have a particular property in mind, see how much it is assessed for property tax purposes here – A zoning map is also provided for those interested in knowing what is allowed on or near your prospective home. You will probably want to check into Brookline’s town government, and see what additional information they have that might interest you. Since we do not live in a perfect world, you will want to check what kind of crime is being reported in the area where you choose to buy/live.

Free parking on the street is tight, but available. A residential sticker is required in some areas. Additionally, “no driver may park on any street in Brookline, or in any town-owned off-street parking facility, for a period longer than 1 hour between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. on any day of the week unless allowed by the Transportation Board.” You must secure private, off-street, overnight parking or rent from the town or another commercial facility. More details here.

Housing in Brookline

Housing has been running from $299,000 for a 1-bedroom condo to a $8,595,000 single family house on an acre. Rentals have run from $1,300 for a studio to $85,000 for a large, furnished estate home and varies depending upon size, location, and amenities. The following chart is a visual representation of the cyclical nature of real estate and compares the ups and downs of Brookline to those of Boston proper. The taller the column the better it is for buyers. The shorter the column the better it is for sellers. 

Area Schools

Great Schools provides ratings for most schools in the United States. Below, you can see what schools are near the address you are thinking of buying and then compare it to other neighboring schools.

The following table shows a month-to-month and year-to-year sales comparison which can help tell you the best time to buy or sell a home in Brookline.

Searching for Brookline Real Estate

Bookmark this page and check back anytime to see what is currently available in Brookline. Unlike other search sites which include properties already under contract, this site only shows properties that are truly available. Additionally, you can pick which type of housing – single-family, condo, or multi-family – you are interested in seeing at a glance.