For a second time, a trans pride flag at Brookline church is destroyed
A transgender pride flag on the front lawn of the United Parish church in Brookline was burned and destroyed on Saturday, according to church leaders. The church reported Saturday’s alleged crime to the Brookline Police Department, it said in a statement. BPD is investigating the incident as a hate crime, according to the department’s LGBTQ+ liaison Kristin Healy. The progressive Protestant church on Harvard Street in Coolidge Corner has been targeted before: A transgender pride flag that previously flew on its lawn was destroyed in August of last year. Police are still investigating that crime as well, and have not …
Report shines light on Brookline’s financially vulnerable
Roughly one in four Brookline residents is financially vulnerable, living in households with incomes well below the living wage for Norfolk County, according to a new report coming out next week from the Brookline Community Foundation. More than one-third of Brookline residents spend over 30% of their income on housing. These are among the most striking trends noted in the foundation’s new Understanding Brookline report, which updates its study of demographics and poverty from the 2010 U.S. Census. This time, using data from the 2020 census and other recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the foundation focuses on income …
Bartaco bringing street food, cocktails to Washington Square
Bartaco is coming to Brookline. The small national restaurant chain, owned by the same company as Barcelona Wine Bar, is planning to open a location at 1634 Beacon Street, in the heart of Washington Square. The address is the former site of the Fireplace Restaurant and the short-lived seafood restaurant Porto Maltese, which shut down in 2018 after less than a year of operation. There are currently 27 bartaco locations around the country, including one in Boston’s Seaport. “Inspired by a healthy, outdoor lifestyle, bartaco combines fresh, upscale street food with a coastal vibe in a relaxed environment,” the company …
Photos: Brookline High School Class of 2023 Commencement
Rain and clouds did not dampen the enthusiasm of Brookline’s 482 graduating seniors, who received their diplomas on Sunday, putting an end to four years of high school punctuated by a pandemic. “We conquered it, because of our resilience. If BHS taught us one useful thing, it was definitely how to be resilient,” said senior speaker Jacquovia Higgs. “Maybe after these past four years, you know exactly what path you’re going down, and maybe you have no idea. But it doesn’t matter, because you are so incredibly resilient, and that’s all you need to be.” Read more reflections from BHS …
Brookline Then and Now: Bicycles on Corey Hill
Boston was the Hub of bicycling in the United States in the 1880s, and one of the high points in metropolitan Boston—literally and figuratively—for local and visiting riders alike was Corey Hill in Brookline. “Wheelmen” strove to become the first to make it to the top of the hill and, after that barrier was broken in 1883, to set a new record time or simply challenge themselves to conquer the steep incline. The illustration on the right is from an 1886 engraving by Henry Sandham; the photo on the left, by Jean Stringham, is from the 100th birthday celebration of …
Town Meeting update: New zoning rules aim to slow demolitions
Brookline Town Meeting wrapped up its second week on Thursday, signing off on the town’s $375,221,343 budget and voting on a number of policy proposals. In addition to a heated debate on the creation of a Black and Brown Commission, the town’s legislative body took on issues related to zoning, green buildings, marijuana licenses and more. T-5 zoning Town Meeting approved a zoning change to two T-5 (two-family) zoning districts in North Brookline, which was designed to limit the number of demolitions in those neighborhoods. The new bylaw contained in Warrant Article 16 was a compromise solution to increasing requests …
Town Meeting punts on Black and Brown Commission
Brookline Town Meeting voted on Tuesday to refer a proposal to create a Black and Brown Commission to the town’s Select Board for more study, setting aside what had become a fraught issue among members of the town’s legislative body. Town Meeting members who spoke in opposition of the proposal acknowledged that Brookline has significant work to do to fight structural racism in town, but raised concerns over whether the commission was the right form to do so. The final vote in favor of referring the proposal to the Select Board was 165 yes, 61 no and 12 abstentions. The …
Playoff primer: Top-seeded boys tennis team seeks redemption
The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association has released postseason brackets for all its spring sports, and six Brookline High School teams have qualified. Brookline.News has your playoff primer for every team, plus updates on track and field, girls golf and ultimate. BOYS TENNIS Playoff opener: No. 1 Brookline (19-0) will host No. 32 Central Catholic (10-6) or No. 33 Bridgewater-Raynham (8-6) in the Round of 32 today at Waldstein Playground at 4 p.m. Recent playoff history: The Warriors have been one of the top Division 1 teams for the last several years. Their loss to Acton-Boxboro in the 2022 state championship …
Brookline’s condo market slows, but single-family prices stay high
Last spring, the housing market in Brookline was in hyperdrive. Bidding wars were common and buyers often waived inspection and finance contingencies, local brokers recall. Homes routinely sold for above asking price. This year’s Brookline market has cooled somewhat, particularly for condominiums, but low inventory and high mortgage rates mean buyers continue to face difficult conditions and the average price for single-family houses continues to rise. One fact has not changed: Brookline is still expensive and out of reach for many, with homes going for well above the Massachusetts six-month average of $720,150 for single-family houses and $669,139 for condominiums, …
In their own words: Brookline High School Class of 2023
When graduation ceremonies take place at Brookline High School this Sunday, 482 seniors will be receiving their diplomas. Among them are the 84% of BHS seniors going on to four-year colleges, and 3% taking a gap year. The class of 2023 faced extraordinary challenges. A worldwide pandemic disrupted their freshman year and kept them isolated at home and dependent on online learning until late in their sophomore year. Many graduating seniors say the experience had a profound effect on them, socially and academically, but BHS college counselor Lenny Libenzon says he doesn’t believe Covid ultimately affected graduation rates or college …
RE: Town Meeting punts on Black and Brown Commission
I am a Town Meeting member. I moved for referral of the Black and Brown Commission to the Select Board …
RE: Coming attraction: Inside the Coolidge Theatre’s construction project
Thank you for the May 23 update on the “Coolidge Corner’s Theatre Construction Project.” I am a long-time member of …
Message from the founders
Why We Need Non-profit, Local News It can be pretty hard to find out what’s going on in Brookline. That’s …
Message from the editor
Welcome to Brookline.News! It is my honor to serve as founding editor. As a (for now) one-person newsroom, it’s been …