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.
Brookline is governed by a
representative (elected) town meeting, which is the legislative body of the town, and a five-person
Board of Selectmen which serves as the executive branch of the town. For more details about the roles and procedures within the government of Brookline, please see
the town government's own description.
First settled in the early
1600s as a part of
Boston, Massachusetts known as the hamlet of
Muddy River, Brookline was incorporated as an independent town in 1705. Its name is derived from the brooks that created the town lines with the former towns of
Allston and
Roxbury, which are both now parts of Boston. Its physical separation from the rest of Norfolk County comes from the fact that the former towns of
West Roxbury and
Hyde Park were both part of the county until they were absorbed by Boston. Throughout its history, Brookline resisted being absorbed by Boston, thus giving it its separation from the rest of Norfolk County proper. (See
The Brookline-Boston Annexation Issue of 1873.)
The Country Club, an exclusive sporting club in the town, was the first private club in the United States formed exclusively for outdoor activities. It is most famous as a
golf club; it was one of the five clubs that formed what is now the
United States Golf Association, and has hosted the
U.S. Open three times and the
Ryder Cup Matches once.
Brookline is also home to the
Hellenic College and
Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and parts of
Boston University .
Brookline is located at (42.330664, -71.13364).
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 17.7
km² (6.8
mi²). 17.6 km² (6.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.44%) is water.
As of the
2000 census, there were 57,107 people, 25,594 households, and 12,233 families residing in the town. The
population density was 3,247.3/km² (8,409.7/mi²). There were 26,413 housing units at an average density of 1,501.9/km² (3,889.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 81.08%
White, 2.74%
Black or
African American, 0.12%
Native American, 12.83%
Asian, 0.03%
Pacific Islander, 1.01% from
other races, and 2.18% from two or more races. 3.53% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 25,594 households out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% were
married couples living together, 7.1% have a female householder, and 52.2% were non-families as defined by the Census bureau. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the town the population was spread out with 16.6% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 37.3% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 82.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $66,711, and the median income for a family was $92,993. Males had a median income of $56,861 versus $43,436 for females. The
per capita income for the town was $44,327. About 4.5% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 5.3% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
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. 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. Many students attend Brookline High from surrounding, lower income neighborhoods in Boston, such as Mission Hill and Mattapan, via the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO) system. There are 8 elementary schools in the Brookline Public School system: Baker, Devotion, Driscoll, Heath, Lawrence, Pierce, Runkle, and Lincoln schools. As of October, 2005, there were 6,036 K-12 students enrolled in The Public Schools of Brookline. The system includes one early learning center, eight grades K-8 schools and one comprehensive high school. The student body is 66.1% White, 17.7% Asian, 9.9% Black, 5.9% Hispanic and 0.4% Other. Approximately 30% of students come from homes where English is not the first language.
Although predominantly residential, Brookline is open to new commercial development, and has amended its zoning to encourage new growth along its major thoroughfares.
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 starts at Washington St (Brookline Village) runs through Beacon Street (Coolidge Corner) and ends at Commonwealth Avenue, continuing into
Allston-Brighton. This neighborhood is home to at least 3 area synagogues and a number of Jewish-themed restaurants and stores.
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.
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. It's also worth noting that Brookline's liberalism and diversity are relatively new developments in the town's history. In the 19th century Brookline, which has been called "the richest town in America", was a sanctuary for the wealthy where Boston's elites built their summer homes. The legacy of privilege is still visible, with Brookline existing as a deliberately engineered exclave of Norfolk County surrounded on three sides by metropolitan Boston but never incorporated into the city, a measure designed to keep out the Irish and other ethnic immigrants.
"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.
*
Frederick Law Olmsted (
1822-
1903), influential American
landscape architect.
*
Francis Ouimet (
1893-
1967), Amazing amateur golf player who won the
US Open in
1913.
*
Eddie Lowery (
1903-
1984),
Caddy of Francis Ouimet during the 1913 U.S. Open held in Brookline. Went on to become a multi-millionaire.
*
John F. Kennedy (
1917-
1963),
President of the United States. Born in Brookline, but did not live there for long.
*
Mike Wallace (born
1918), the
60 Minutes icon, was born and attended school in Brookline.
*
Bobby Kennedy (
1925-
1968), brother of President John F. Kennedy,
Attorney General and
Senator.
*
Stanley Cavell (born
1926), professor of philosophy and winner of the
MacArthur "Genius Grant".
*
Marvin Minsky (born
1927), important contributor to
Artificial Intelligence, inventor, author, and professor.
*
Barbara Walters (born
1929), television commentator and
journalist.
*
Michael Dukakis (born
1933), former
Governor of Massachusetts and
1988 Democratic Presidential candidate.
*
Robert Kraft (born
1942),
New England Patriots owner.
*
Larry Lucchino (born
1945),
Boston Red Sox Co-Owner.
*
Jon Krakauer (born
1954), author of
Into the Wild and
Into Thin Air as well as columnist for Outside magazine. Born in Brookline, but raised in
Corvallis, Oregon.
*
Conan O'Brien (born
1963), host of
Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
*
John Hodgman (born
1971), author and contributor for
This American Life and
The Daily Show.
*
Theo Epstein (born
1973),
Boston Red Sox General Manager.
Beacon Street in Brookline is the setting of the
Beacon Street Girls, a series of
children's books for pre-teen girls.
*
Town of Brookline*
Hellenic College - Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology*
Brookline High School
