COMMUNITY SNAPSHOT
Brighton
May 1, 2005
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Believe it or not, Brighton, known today as a college student stomping ground, used to be Boston's hunting ground.
And that was as recent as the 1900s, said William P. Marchione, a lifelong Brighton resident who is also a driving force at the Brighton-Allston Historical Society. Hunting ceased when Commonwealth Avenue finished its snaking journey to Newton and Boston College, a development that firmly cemented the westernmost part of the city to its municipal heart.
The forerunner of what is now the MBTA's Green Line was launched here in 1888, accelerating the transformation of Brighton from a woodsy outpost to a residential zone of apartments, multi-family dwellings, and single-family homes. It is also home to St. Elizabeth's Medical Center and some Boston College buildings. The college is in the process of purchasing the 43-acre headquarters of the Boston Archdiocese on Lake Street.
Marchione said that during his childhood, Brighton was home to many Italian immigrants like his parents. Today, the neighborhood is teeming with Brazilian, Hispanic, and Asian families, he said. ''Brighton has increasingly become a kind of zone of emergence for immigrants," he said.
Since the 1970s, Marchione said, community groups have waxed and waned, but a handful are now thriving, giving residents a voice at City Hall and with developers, he said.
The economic centers of the neighborhood include Brighton Center, Oak Square, Cleveland Circle, and Harvard Avenue.
On a recent week, Realtor.com listed 14 single-family homes, ranging from $368,000 for a two-bedroom, one-bath, 1,112-square-foot home to $980,000 for a seven-bedroom, four-bath, 3,625-square-foot home.
''There are advantages to living in Brighton," Marchione said. ''It's very accessible to the great institutions of the city, and its cultural institutions in particular. . . . There are some drawbacks, but it's nice being close to downtown."
JOHN ELLEMENT
3 Allen Road One-family Colonial, built in 1950, 2,030 square feet, 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1½ baths, on 8,039-square-foot lot. $550,000
300 Allston St., Unit 311 Condominium, built in 1920, 811 square feet, 4 rooms, 1 bedroom, 1 bath. $345,900
14 Breck Ave. Two-family, built in 1915, 2,546 square feet, 10 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, on 5,327-square-foot lot. $640,000
1 Murdock Terrace One-family Colonial, built in 1890, 1,812 square feet, 10 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 1½ baths, on 3,794-square-foot lot. $625,000
43 South St. Three-family, built in 1920, 4,158 square feet, 15 rooms, 6 bedrooms, 3 baths, on 2,809-square-foot lot. $1,305,000
