Brookline is an urban neighborhood in South Pittsburgh, PA. It is primarily a residential community with a business district and restaurants. It is seen as a moderate income neighborhood where people own their homes.
The neighborhood is filled with three-bedroom and four-bedroom houses, smaller houses with one or two bedrooms, and small apartment buildings. Many of the houses were built more than eighty years ago. It holds enough vacant houses to hold prices down, making it an affordable location for young professionals and other first-time home buyers.
Residents have access to Brookline Memorial Park’s ball fields, batting cages, basketball courts, hockey rink, playground for children and picnic pavilion. The park was refurbished in 2021. Lighting was updated in the courts and parking lot improvements.
There’s always something going on down here during the spring and summer
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In August, the Brookline Breeze – a 5K walk and fitness run, a short non-competitive Mini Breeze and a Dog Walk – passes through the Brookline business district and ends with a downhill finish. Registered runners and walkers receive T-shirts and participate in a raffle. It is a signature event on the Citiparks calendar.
Moore Park offers a rec center, senior center, play area for children, Olympic-sized swimming pool (open in season), basketball court, baseball fields and tennis courts. Under legislation approved by City Council in early 2022, Moore Greenway will be added to Moore Park, expanding the park to 52 acres.
Children in Brookline attend Brookline PreK-8. Kindergarten through 5th grade attend classes in the main building. Grade 6 through 8 go to classrooms located behind the main building. The school day is broken into eight periods – one is for lunch and recess. Students can use a large grassy field, a basketball court and a kick ball court. Classrooms have computers for the students’ writing and math labs.
The Carnegie Library – Brookline lends books and provides a book return after hours. And provides computers and free WiFi. They have meeting rooms. Copying and wireless printing are provided for a fee. Accessible. Parking is available.
Brookline Boulevard is the neighborhood’s main street and business district. A parklet decorates the business district. The official name is Veterans Memorial Park, although people also call it the Cannon because of its World War One canon. A granite bench and plaques memorialize U.S. military veterans from Brookline. The Memorial Day parade starts at the parklet.
Public transit is provided by the 39-Brookline bus.
History
Brookline was said to look like Brookline, Massachusetts, when the neighborhood was part of West Liberty Borough. Farmers and coal miners lived there until the mines gave out.
The City of Pittsburgh annexed Brookline in the early 1900s.
Pittsburgh Railways ran streetcars from Brookline into downtown Pittsburgh. More people started living in South Pittsburgh as a predecessor to the suburban migration that followed World War Two. The Port Authority of Allegheny County abandoned the trolley service to Brookline in the 1960s.
By the time streetcar service was gone, the Liberty Tunnel was complete. People could drive to work underneath Mt Washington, which was originally called Coal Hill because of the coal that was mined there.
13,000 people live in Brookline. It is located west of Carrick.