From Wikitravel

Brookline [1] is a town in Massachusetts which is surrounded on three sides by Boston.

Contents 1 Districts 2 Understand 3 Get in 3.1 By plane 3.2 By train 3.3 By car 3.4 By bus 3.5 By boat 4 Get around 5 See 6 Do 7 Learn 8 Work 9 Buy 10 Eat 10.1 Budget 10.2 Mid-range 10.3 Splurge 11 Drink 12 Sleep 13 Contact 14 Stay safe 15 Get out

Districts

Coolidge Corner-A shopping area that keeps a small town feel, with much to do. Is the most happening area in Brookline. On C Line Coolidge Corner Stop.

Brookline Village-An area with many restaurants. On D Line Brookline Village Stop.

Washington Square-Does not attract out of towners mostly. On C Line Washington Square Stop.

Brookline Hills-Around the high school and across Route 9. Very residential. On the D Line Brookline Hills stop.

Cleveland Circle-Is actually in the boston neighborhood of Allston-Brighton, but is right on the border with Brookline. Has much to do, but is a lot more decrepit than Brookline Areas. The intersection is very confusing with Trolley Tracks and potholes everywhere. On C Line Cleveland Circle Stop. On D Line Reservoir Stop.

Putterham Circle/South Brookline-Is a lot less urban than other places and is farthest away. Has a few stores but not much to talk about. Does not have access to a train, but the Route 51 Bus can be taken to and from Cleveland Circle.

St. Mary's-Is overshadowed by nearby Kenmore Square and the Landmark Center in Boston. The area has a little bit to it. Is On C Line St. Mary's Stop, On D Line Fenway Stop.

Understand

Brookline is mostly surrounded by Boston, but has kept its individuality. The town has very high propery taxes, which have boosted the local schools. Brookline is a happening suburb, but also has many large estates in the south.

Get in

By plane

Brookline is surrounded by Boston on most sides and is served by the same transport termini, including Logan International Airport

By train

Brookline is served by 3 branches of the MBTA[2] (the T) Green Line light rail.

Take the C line from Boston, and get off at one of the main stops in Brookline. Coolidge Corner is a great place to get off the train.

The D line, also accessible from many places downtown, will bring you to Brookline Village, a quaint area with many restaurants, though it isn't as big of a draw for people who live outside the area.

The B line doesn't actually enter Brookline proper but its Commonwealth Ave. stops are all within blocks of Brookline.

The D line is much faster with less stops than the B and C lines. If given the choice between one or the other, take the D line.

It only cost money to take the Train towards Boston, or inbound. Outbound is free. The B and C lines cost $1.25 and $.60 for kids. The D Line cost $1.50 and $.75 for kids.

If you are disabled, do not take the train into Brookline. The Green Line is impossible for people in wheel chairs. The MBTA purchased low floor cars to help this, but those derailed and are out of use. The other rail lines in the MBTA, for the most part, have handicap access.

By car

Cars and Brookline, like most of Boston and its immediate suburbs, do not mix perfectly. One thing to be aware of is that there is generally no overnight parking on streets; those cars on streets after 2AM (11PM in some areas) will be ticketed...seriously!

By bus

The following Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority [3] bus routes are in Brookline:

Route 66-At Coolidge Corner and Brookline Village. Runs up and down Harvard Street and continues north to Allston in Boston and Havard Square in Cambridge.

Route 65-Is less frequent, goes through Brookline Village and Washington Square and continues north to Brighton Center in Boston.

Route 60-Goes Along Highway 9 (Boylston Street) and Cypress Street. Goes through Brookline Village. Continues west to Chestnut Hill Mall, and East to Kenmore Square.

Route 51-Goes from Cleveland Circle into South Brookline and continues Forest Hills MBTA station in Jamaica Pond in Boston.

Route 86-Goes from Cleveland Circle north into Brighton Center and Harvard Square.

Many buses that go to other cities including New York, stop at the Riverside MBTA Stop in Newton on the D Line. The train can be taken into Brookline.

By boat

Brookline has no bodies of water. Follow the boat section under Boston for directions.

Get around

The primary way to get around in Brookline is to walk. Most places of interest are close together, or if you need to go farther away, a short ride on the MBTA will do it. If you choose to drive, be aware—especially on Beacon Street, where the trolley runs down the middle of the street.

See

• Larz Anderson Auto Museum, 15 Newton Street, Phone: +1 617-522-6547, Fax: +1 617-524-0170, [4]. Tu-Su 10AM-5PM. $5/$3 students and seniors, under 6 free.
• John F. Kennedy National Historic Site, 83 Beals St., Phone: +1 617-566-7937, [5]. W-Su 10AM-4:30PM. The 1917 birthplace and boyhood home of the 35th President of the United States. A peek into how people lived in 1917.

Do

The Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard Street, Phone: +1 617-734-2501, recorded info:, +1 617-734-2500, [6] an old fashioned movie theatre which does not play marquee films.

Larz Anderson Park, 25 Newton St., Phone: +1 617-739-7518. This features an outdoor skating rink, and is the #1 sledding destination in the town. The park is a great place for kids.

Learn

Brookline is home to some of the best public schools around. Brookline High School has many famous alumni including Theo Epstein, the current General Manager of the Red Sox; Michael Dukakis, former Massachusetts Governor; Robert Kraft, current Patriots and Revolution owner; Conan O'Brien, TV host.

Work

Buy

• Booksmith
• Cinemasmith

Eat

Budget

• J.P. Licks, 311 Harvard St., Phone: +1 617-738-8252, [7]. Sure, there are a few JP Licks in the Boston Area, but this one is still worth visiting. Incredible ice cream, cool neon decorations, and coffee when it is warm.

• Rod-Dee Thai Cuisine, 1430 Beacon St., Phone: +1 617-738-4977. Amazing Thai food. Seriously. There is a lot of Thai food in Boston but this unassuming restaurant, busy most of the day, may be the best out there

• Clearflour Bakery, 178 Thorndike St., Phone: +1 617-739-0060, [8]. M-F 8AM-8PM, Sa,Su 9AM-7PM. Delicious, authentic baguettes and boules, batards and loaves made fresh daily.

• Anna's Taqueria, 1412 Beacon St #1, Phone: +1 617-739-7300. AND 446 Harvard St., Phone: +1 617-277-7111. for decent and cheap Mexican food in Boston.

• Boca Grande, 1294 Beacon St. at Pleasant Street, Phone: +1 617-739-3900. Preferred by many to Anna's for Mexican food.

• Pino's Pizza, 1920 Beacon St. #A in Cleveland Circle, Phone: +1 617-566-6468.

• Emack & Bolios. 1663 Beacon St., 617-731-6256, [9]. Su-Th 11AM- 11PM, F,Sa 11AM-11:30PM. Ice cream joint is a popular hang out.

• Brookline Family Restaurant, 305 Washington Street, Phone: +1 617-277-4466. Daily 7AM-11PM. Great Turkish food for cheap. Definitely try the donar kebab sandwich.

• Michael's Deli, 256 Harvard St. in Coolidge Corner, Phone: +1 617-738-3354. Go for the corned beef sandwich or the excellent egg and cheese bagels.

Mid-range

• Vinny T's, 1700 Beacon St, Phone: +1 617-277-3400, [10] for good Italian food.

• Pizza Republic, 1398 Beacon St. (Coolidge Corner), Phone: +1 617-879-0401, [11]. Excellent thin crust and grilled pizzas with interesting, non-traditional toppings in addition to the usual. Try the grilled marinated steak pizza and the chicken/potato/ricotta pizza. (Yes, potato makes a great pizza topping.)

Splurge

• Golden Temple, 1651 Beacon St. (Washington Sq.), Phone: +1 617-277-9722. Offers fancy Chinese food with valet parking, and easy access to the MBTA public transportation.

• Fugakyu, 1280 Beacon Street (Coolidge Corner), Phone: +1 617-734-1268. Some of the best sushi in town. It truly lives up to the meaning of its name, "house of exquisite excellence." Don't worry about bringing people who don't like sushi, as they have an extensive menu (many pages) of cooked food and appetizers including shabu-shabu, tempura, katsu, sukiyaki, teriyaki, along with plenty of vegetarian options. There are many private dining rooms for 4 to 20 people that can be requested at the door for smaller parties - reservations are only made for larger groups, along with a large number of open-floor tables.

• La Morra, 48 Boylston St. in Brookline Village, Phone: +1 617-739-0007, [12]. Northern Italian food.

• Taberna de Haro, 999 Beacon Street, Phone: +1 617-277-8272. Spanish Tapas at St. Mary's.

Drink

• The Publick House, 1648 Beacon St., Phone: +1 617-277-2880, [13] in Brookline Village has great food and a huge selection of artisanal beers on tap and in bottles. Get your hard to find European beers and domestic micro-brews here.

• Washington Square Tavern, 714 Washington St, Phone: +1 617-232-8989.

Sleep

• Courtyard by Marriot, 48 Webster St. Coolidge Corner, Phone: +1 617-734-1393, Fax: +1 617-734-1392, [14].

• Holiday Inn, 1200 Beacon St., Phone: +1 617-277-1200, [15].

• The Beech Tree Inn, PO Box 190, Phone: +1-800-544-9660, [16]. The Beech Tree Inn Bed and Breakfast offers 10 guest rooms in the outskirts of Boston. The inn is just a short tram ride from many of the cities events and activities.

Contact

Stay safe

Safety is not something to be concerned about in Brookline. The town is incredibly safe, with an impressive police presence.

Get out

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!