Community Profile

Brookline worth the price, residents say

By Teri Borseti, Globe Correspondent, 9/23/2000

Brookline at a glance Incorporated: 1705 Population: 54,718 Distance from Boston: 4 miles Tax rate: $14.83 residential, 24.82 commercial Form of government: Board of selectmen Schools: Eight elementary (K-8), one high school Houses of worship: Brookline has more than 30 houses of worship, in various denominations Nearest hospitals: Brookline, Boston Services: Cablevision, Boston Gas, Boston Edison, full-time fire and police departments

BROOKLINE - One of the most unusual things about Brookline is that you can be traveling down a rural street one minute, then go around a corner and catch a glimpse of the Boston skyline the next. [an error occurred while processing this directive]

The town is made up of so many different types of neighborhoods that almost anyone's taste can be satisfied, and though it has a reputation for being an "upper class" area that's home to many scientific and academic professionals, most sections manage to feel homey and comfortable.

Perhaps the heart of Brookline can be found in trendy Coolidge Corner, where one block alone is home to a Jewish deli, a sushi bar, Middle Eastern and Chinese restaurants, and a couple of coffee bars.

Side streets offer a variety of residences, from roomy, old Victorians to brick multifamily homes. Coolidge Corner is home to many students but manages to retain a certain stability, perhaps because of its elderly Jewish population.

Other sections of Brookline include Washington Square, Fisher Hill, The Point, Putterham Circle, Brookline Village, (birthplace of President John F. Kennedy) and an area that once was home to so many doctors it was nick-named "Pill Hill."

The most gentrified section is the Country Club area. The oldest country club in the nation, it has hosted the US Open and the Ryder Cup. The neighborhood surrounding it features a wide variety of mansions that range in architectural style from Victorian to Colonial, and include French chateaus, English Tudors and European-style villas.

During the early part of the century, successful businessmen from Boston often built summer homes in Brookline. Those that aren't still being used as single-family homes have been converted into luxurious, period-style condos.

Despite its wide variety of housing and neighborhoods, Brookline real estate prices are high. Its close proximity to Boston is one reason, and another is its reputation for quality schools.

Real estate broker Susanna Stiefel of Carlson GMAC Real Estate said: "Brookline is an extremely convenient location for people who work in Boston, particularly doctors who spend time on call and don't want to be far from where they work. They want a nice place to live with a good school system for their kids, so Brookline is perfect."

When Stiefel moved here from Manhattan 20 years ago, she said, she chose Brookline because the cultural diversity made her feel at home. Today Brookline is still a place where numerous languages can be heard on the street. At Brookline High School, flags representing the countries of its students grace the building. Stiefel said there are about 50 such flags.

Condos offer the most choice for Brookline home buyers, she said. Of the 35 single-family houses Stiefel had listed, 18 were priced at more than $1 million.

"Not only do condos come in all shapes, sizes and price ranges but they tend to suit people's lifestyles here. If you'd rather have a nice interior than a lot of land, condos are the way to go," she said.

Prospective buyers can spend anywhere from $200,000 to over $500,000 on a unit, depending on size and location. Because so many of them are in converted old houses, such amenities as detailed moldings, nine-foot ceilings and fireplaces can be found.

Condo living isn't limited to singles or professional couples in Brookline. Families who want to be close to Boston, but still have a sense of community and neighborhood, also enjoy the nice blend of urban/suburban lifestyle.

Paul Greenberg and Mark Mazur live with their wives and children in condos near Coolidge Corner. On a beautiful late summer day, the fathers and their elementary school-age kids are involved in an important checkers tournament at the park that's part of the Devotion School.

"This is a fabulous neighborhood to live in. A real neighborhood. We can walk everywhere, the kids can use the playground, and we can hop on public transportation and be in Boston, where all the museums and the aquarium are within minutes," Greenberg said.

Just down the street from the park, Ethel Weiss lives above the store she's owned for 61 years. Irving's Toy and Card Shop is part of the 3 1/2-story brick building she bought in 1942.

Weiss, who knows nearly everyone in the neighborhood, said "Things change a bit in the area from time to time, but Coolidge Corner is always wonderful. There are seniors, families, students and ethnic diversity. We have everything we need right here," she said.

Brookline, in a sense, is sort of a microcosm of the world. It offers a variety of cultures, religions, ages and economic backgrounds. There are plenty of urban things to do and places to shop, yet a pastoral setting such as the Brookline Reservoir is easily accessible.

Brookline is not an inexpensive place to live, but as Stiefel pointed out: "You pay a lot of money to live here because it's very conveniently located and it's an interesting place to live."