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.

Although a Boston suburb today, Brookline remains a part of Norfolk County, rather than Suffolk County, which encompasses Boston and much of its metro area. As a result, Brookline is physically separated from the rest of Norfolk County. The story is that the nearby towns of West Roxbury and Hyde Park were both part of the county until they were absorbed by Boston. Throughout its history, Brookliners have resisted being absorbed by Boston - which surrounds Brookline like a horseshoe - thus giving the community its separation from the rest of Norfolk County proper.

The residents of Brookline in the early eighteenth century were mostly farmers cultivating lands inherited from their fathers or acquired through marriage. By 1775, Brookline, with the rest of Massachusetts, was ready for greater independence from king and country across the water. Three companies of Brookline volunteers mustered on the Town Green at the intersection of Walnut and Warren Streets and headed west, meeting the retreating British at North Cambridge and participating in their rout.

As transportation routes were developed, making Brookline readily accessible to Boston, the population grew rapidly. In 1806, the Boston-Worcester Turnpike (now Route 9) replaced the old Sherburne Road (Walnut and Heath Street) as the Town's major highway and the main road west from Boston. Mill Dam Road was opened in 1821, extending Beacon Street into Brookline. This consummated Brookline's transition to the desirable commuter suburb that it is today.

Brookline is the birthplace of President John F. Kennedy and his brother, Robert (Bobby). Many other prominent Americans were also born or resided in Brookline including Frederick Law Olmsted, influential American landscape architect, television commentators and journalists Mike Wallace and Barbara Walters, Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots football team and late-night comic Conan O'Brien.

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 kept its town meeting form of government since its 1705 incorporation.

For more information on activities in and around Brookline, Massachusetts, visit:

Massachusetts Vacations - Boston and Cambridge Region
Greater Boston Convention & Visitor Bureau

Brookline Homes and Real Estate

Brookline real estate includes a wide variety of homes for sale, condos for sale, estates, water access properties, active adult communities, hobby farms and executive properties. Regardless of your present home or property concerns - whether you are buying or selling a home, condo, land or other property –David Laven has the expertise to guide you through the process painlessly and profitably.

Sellers who have been in the area for a while know our reputation for knowledgeable advice, enthusiastic service, creative marketing and professional networking. We mine every source for interested buyers so you can feel at ease that your home will attract value and that it will remain in good hands.

For buyers new to the area, David Laven will provide the specialized services you deserve: a strong work ethic, personal real estate expertise to help define your needs, help with selecting and securing standard financing for your purchase, special technology, constant communication throughout the transaction, and more. David Laven has gained a proud reputation for providing superior benefits to our home buying clients as we help them complete their search, from existing homes for sale, properties for sale, lots, vacant land, new construction, 55-plus and retirement communities, investment properties, waterfront, golf and recreational properties, all the way to luxury villas, estates and executive homes.

So when you're ready to buy or sell real estate in or around Brookline, Massachusetts, please let David Laven help you purchase the home or property of your dreams. Contact David Laven today!

Other nearby communities have similar real estate characteristics as Brookline and may also be of interest to you in your home search. Please feel free to ask your friends about David Laven and the homes for sale, estates, historic homes and properties, waterside/riverside properties and other real estate listings for nearby communities, like Quincy, Boston, North End Boston, South End Boston, Back Bay Boston, South Boston, Downtown Boston, Beacon Hill, Milton, Randolph, Braintree, Belmont, Cambridge, Wellesley, Weymouth, Hingham, Charlestown, Somerville, Suffolk County, Norfolk County, Chestnut Hill, West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain and Dedham.

Learn more about Brookline, Massachusetts Real Estate…