Brookline is a jewel of a suburb.  Cheek to jowl with Boston - it has managed to maintain its own identity - a unique mixture of busy streets and rolling countryside, upscale shops and village pubs, gracious apartment buildings and large estates, and home for legions of 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.  A community of 6.6 square miles and almost 55,000 people.  Brookline has kept its town meeting form of government since 1705,when this "Muddy River" farmland of Boston became incorporated and named for the brooks that formed 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 magnificent park on a hillside overlooking Boston with a wonderful open air skating rink and marvelous transportation museum, and numerous neighborhood parks and playground scattered throughout the town.  Its major retail centers, like Coolidge Corner and Brookline Village, are bustling pedestrian-oriented shopping areas with a variety of shops - antique stores, coffee shops, bookstores, fresh fruit and vegetable markets, delicatessens and restaurants. Along with offering both a city atmosphere and a feeling of being in the country, there is a wonderful mix of people in Brookline: elderly, minorities, immigrants from many lands, young families and college students.  It is said that the student body at Brookline High School -- a nationally renowned institution -- includes students from more than 50 different countries.   Although predominantly residential, Brookline is anxious to attract new commercial development, and in just the last two years, the Town has amended its zoning to encourage new growth along its major thoroughfares. With its good schools (both public and private), good transportation (several branches of the MBTA Green Line traverse the Town), and good government, Brookline is a choice spot in which to reside or establish a  business.

Brookline Village

The Village is one of the major commercial centers with major civic services such as the town hall and the library as well as various retail shops and restaurants.

Olmsted Park

Despite its' urban character and proximity to Boston, Brookline has a diverse system of parks ranging from small neighborhood parks to large historic landscapes and natural areas.

Homes

Brookline is well known for its beautiful mansions like this European-inspired gem surrounded by   acres of protected parklands The country-like setting belies its close proximity to downtown Boston, with Back Bay only 1.5 miles away.

Green Line

Several branches of the Green Line connect Brookline to the Boston subway system and the airport.