Brookline

Brookline was first settled in 1638 as a hamlet in Boston, known as Muddy River. In 1705, it was incorporated as the independent town of Brookline. It is the most populous municipality in Massachusetts to have a town (rather than city) form of government. The Town of Brighton was merged with Boston in 1874, and the Boston-Brookline border was redrawn to connect the new Back Bay neighborhood with Allston-Brighton. In 1843, deeds in Brookline forbade resale of property to "any negro or native of Ireland" Two branches of the upper Boston Post Road, established in the 1670s, passed through Brookline in the early 1830s. The Boston and Worcester Turnpike, now Massachusetts Route 9, was laid out in the middle of the 19th century. The portion of the Green Line west of Kenmore Square that would become the D.C. Green Line in the late 1950s is still in active use, paralleled by the Brookline Branch of the Massachusetts and Albany Railroad. Brookline Village was the original center of retail activity in 1847, and was extended into Newton in 1852. The current northern border follows Commonwealth Avenue, and on the northeast, St. Mary's Street. The town's namesake is a small river, Smelt Brook, which was once part of Cambridge until 1807, and abutting Boston, the Muddy river. When Frederick Law Olmsted designed the Emerald Necklace of parks and parkways for Boston in the 1890s, the river was integrated into the Riverway and Olmstead Park.

History

Once part of Algonquian territory, Brookline was first settled by European colonists in the early 17th century. The area was an outlying part of the colonial settlement of Boston and known as the hamlet of Muddy River. In 1705, it was incorporated as the independent town of Brookline. The northern and southern borders of the town were marked by two small rivers or brooks, which is the town's namesake. The Town of Brighton was merged with Boston in 1874, and the Boston-Brookline border was redrawn to connect the new Back Bay neighborhood with Allston-Brighton. The current northern border follows Commonwealth Avenue, and on the northeast, St. Mary's Street. The neighboring towns of West Roxbury and Hyde Park connected Brookline to the rest of Norfolk County until they were annexed by Boston in1874 and 1912, respectively, putting them in Suffolk County. Brookline has long been regarded as a pleasant and verdant environment. In the 1841 edition of the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening, Andrew Jackson Downing described the area this way: "These lanes are clothed with a profusion of trees and wild shrubbery, often almost to the carriage tracks, and curve and wind about, in a manner quite bewildering to the stranger who attempts to thread them alone" Brookline residents were among the first in the country to propose extending the vote to women. In 1843, deeds in Brookline forbade resale of property to "any negro or native of Ireland." Two branches of upper Boston Post Road, established in the 1670s, passed through Brookline in 1850.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Brookline has a total area of 6.8 sq mi (17.7 km²) The northern part of Brookline, roughly north of the D-line tracks, is urban in character, as highly walkable and transit rich. The population density of this northern part is nearly 20,000 inhabitants per square mile (8,000/km²), similar to the densest neighborhoods in nearby Cambridge, Somerville and Chelsea, Massachusetts. Brookline is non-contiguous with any other part of Norfolk County. It became an exclave of Norfolk in 1873, when the neighboring town of West Roxbury was annexed by Boston (and left Norfolk County to join Suffolk County). Brookline refused to be annexed by the city after the BostonBrookline annexation debate of 1873. The climate of the city is humid continental Dfa. It falls under the USDA 6b Plant Hardiness zone. There are many neighborhood associations, some of which overlap. The city is located on the Massachusetts Turnpike, which runs through the city. It has a population of 1.2 million. It is located in the Boston-Worcester Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes the towns of Cambridge, Dorchester, Cambridge, Hingham, Malden, and Malden. It also includes the town of AllstonBrighton, which had been the separate town of Brighton until annexation by Boston in 1872. The town is located near the Charles River, which is the source of the Boston River.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 58,732 people, 24,891 households, and 12,233 families residing in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 73.3% White, 3.4% Black or African American, 0.12% Native American, 15.6% Asian (6.7% Chinese), 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.01% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. The poverty rate of Brooklines residents rate rose form 9.3%. in 2000 to 13.1% in 2010. Brookline was reported as the town with the most doctoral degree holders (14.0%) in the United States in 2012. The town is home to Harvard Medical School and Boston University. It is located on the Massachusetts Turnpike, which runs through the city of Boston and into New York City. The turnpike is one of the busiest roads in the U.S. and connects the city to New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Boston, and other major cities. It was built in the 19th century as a center for the development of the Boston area. It has been the site of the World Trade Center and the World War II Memorial. The city is also home to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which opened in 1916. The Boston Marathon was the first major rail line to cross the Massachusetts River, which now carries the name "Boston" or "Massachusetts".

Arts and culture

The birthplace of John F. Kennedy stands in Brookline and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Three Poet Laureates of Brookline: Judith Steinbergh, Jan Schreiber, and, currently, Zvi Sesling. Along with Boston and Quincy, it has a large Irish American presence. Brookline Village is home to Puppet Showplace Theater, New England's only dedicated puppet theater and center for puppetry arts. The town is also home to part of Frederick Law Olmsted's Emerald Necklace of park systems, including Olmstead Park and Larz Anderson Park. It is one of only five surviving buildings from the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 that has been relocated to Brookline. 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. The Country Club, an exclusive sporting club in the town, was the first private club inThe town is a cultural hub for the Jewish community of Greater Boston. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Metropolis of Boston is headquartered in Brooklines Village. It includes a number of historically significant sites, including the S. Pierce Building, and the Coolidge Corner Theatre. It also contains the oldest automobile collection in the country, as well as Putterham School, a one-room schoolhouse from colonial times. It has been home to two Underground Railroad stops: 9 Toxteth Street and 182 Walnut Street.

Government

Brookline is governed by a representative (elected) town meeting, which is the legislative body of the town. The town also has a five-person Select Board that serves as the executive branch of the Town. The Select Board is made up of members from the Town Council, Town Board, and Town Board members. The Town of Brookline has a population of around 2,000 people. It is located in the central part of New York City's East Side. The city is located on the East River, which runs through the center of the city. The East River is the largest waterway in the town, with a water intake of over 1,000 miles (1,500 km) per day. It also has one of the highest water levels in the city, with an average of about 1,800 m/h (9,000 to 10,000  ft/h) per year. The waterway is also the only source of drinking water for the town's residents, with the majority of its water coming from the city's own water treatment system. It has also been the source of controversy in the past, as some residents have accused the town of over-spending on water treatment projects. It was also the site of a fire that claimed the life of a town resident in the early 1900s. The fire was blamed on a faulty water meter. The mayor of the time was a member of the Select Board, who has since been removed from office.

New and existing laws

In 2017, a Brookline Town Meeting voted to recognize Indigenous People's Day instead of Columbus Day. In 2021, Brookline became the first town in America to ban the sale of all tobacco products and electronic and vaping cigarettes to young people born after January 1, 2000. Vendors and small business owners have filed a lawsuit against the town, citing a loss of business and an inability to hire new employees in the near future. In 2019, Brookine banned the distribution of carry out plastic bags at grocery stores and other places of business. Flavored tobacco products have been banned also. The town has a history of passing laws that have had a negative impact on the economy. The town also has a long history of supporting the arts and culture. The city has a tradition of supporting artists and musicians, and has produced a number of award-winning works of art in the last few decades. It has also had a long-standing relationship with the city of Boston, which was founded in 17th century. It was the first city in the United States to have a city hall, which opened in 1836. It is now one of the largest cities in the state, with a population of more than 1.5 million people. In 2011, the town was the second-largest city in Massachusetts, after Boston. It also had the second largest economy in the U.S. behind New York City, with an annual GDP of $1.6 billion. It had the highest rate of growth in the past decade, followed by New Jersey.

Education

The town is served by the Public Schools of Brookline. The student body at Brookline High School includes students from more than 76 countries. As of December 2006, there were 6,089 K12 students enrolled in the Brookline public schools. Several institutes of higher education are located in Brookline: Boston University including Wheelock College, Boston College, and Northeastern University's Parsons Field. The Old Lincoln School is a surplus building used by the town to temporarily teach students in when another school building is being renovated. It was rented in 2009 as the venue for the play Sleep No More. There are eight elementary schools in theBrookline Public School system: Baker School, Coolidge Corner School, Driscoll, Heath, Lawrence, Lincoln, Pierce, and Runkle. The school system includes one early learning center, eight grades K8 schools, and one comprehensive high school. Approximately 30% of students came from homes where English is not the first language. The town's population is 57.4% White, 18.1% Asian, 6.4%. Black, 9.9% Hispanic, and 8.2% multi-race. The city is home to Boston University, which is part of the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO) system. It is also home to several private primary and secondary schools, including Beaver Country Day School, Ivy Street School, and Mount Alvernia Academy (Chestnut Hill) The town is also the site of the Boston Marathon bombings.

Infrastructure

Brookline is served by the C and D branches of the MBTA's Green Line trains. The town is protected full-time by the 158 paid, professional firefighters of the Brookline Fire Department (BFD) It currently operates out of five fire stations located throughout the town, under the command of a Deputy Chief per shift. The BFD also operates a fire apparatus fleet of four engines, two ladders, one quint, one cross-staffed rescue (special operations), two squads, one special operations unit, one haz-mat decon trailer, two maintenance units, as well as numerous other special, support, and reserve units. The current Chief of Department is John F. Sullivan. The Old Burying Ground, also known as Walnut Street Cemetery, 1717 1.54 acres (Walnut Street at Chestnut Street) Walnut Hills Cemetery 1875 45.26 acres (Grove Street and Allandale Road) Brookline is also home to several public libraries, including the Public Library of Brookline, 361 Washington St., Brookline, MA 02445. Brookline has a number of public parks, including a park at the corner of Washington St. and West Roxbury Pkwy., Chestnut Hill, MA 0 2467. The Brookline Public Library has a collection of more than 100,000 books, many of which are free to the public. The library also has a children's center, which is open to the general public.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Brookline, Norfolk County, Massachusetts = 26.9. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 35. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Brookline = 3.5 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 1,575 individuals with a median age of 38.4 age the population dropped by -5.00% in Brookline, Norfolk County, Massachusetts population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 9,292.8 residents per square mile of area (3,590.4/km²). There are average 2.18 people per household in the 24,284 households with an average household income of $86,391 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 5.30% of the available work force and has dropped -4.07% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 26.56%. The number of physicians in Brookline per 100,000 population = 414.4.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Brookline = 45.3 inches and the annual snowfall = 48.1 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 120. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 201. 84 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 18.9 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 50, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Brookline, Norfolk County, Massachusetts which are owned by the occupant = 42.80%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 10.6 years with median home cost = $467,480 and home appreciation of -3.54%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $11.91 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $10,687 per student. There are 11.2 students for each teacher in the school, 534 students for each Librarian and 278 students for each Counselor. 3.22% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 31.68% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 45.22% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).