Neighborhood series: Brookline

By Staff Writer Lauren Beader

Students who are looking for entertainment, food, a new study environment, or just a nice new place to go can take a short T-ride from Kemore to Brookline. The most popular and most entertaining parts of Brookline include Coolidge Corner and Brookline Village.

Coolidge Corner is an exciting, busy environment—a fun place to just walk around. Coolidge Corner has many restaurants, ice cream places, and shops to go in.

Brookline Village is a nice, quieter area to go. Capturing the “village” feeling in the city, students can walk around, find small cafés to do work in, or shop.

Some places to check out in Brookline are:

Temptations Café

1350 Beacon Street

Nearest T Stop: Coolidge Corner, St. Mary St.

Temptations Café is the perfect place to go for breakfast, lunch, or just a simple coffee break. This 10 year old family business is high quality and affordable.

Temptations serves a range coffees and teas, smoothies, a wide array of breakfast and lunch foods, frozen yogurt, and creative desserts. Some menu offerings include their Nutella and banana sandwich, mushroom and Brie Panini, tabouli and hummus wrap, and raspberry mango smoothie.

With the saying “We know fresh tastes better,” Temptations sells only locally made breads, coffee, tea, and pastries.

This bright and cheery café has many tables and free Wi-Fi which, combined with the quality food and drinks, makes it the perfect place to do schoolwork.

Cutty’s

284 Washington Street

Nearest T Stop: Brookline Village Station 

Open Mondays through Fridays for breakfast and lunch, Cutty’s is a great restaurant to go to for cheap, yet excellent food. Service is great and notably fast.

Known mainly for their “skillfully crafted sandwiches,” Cutty’s also offers fresh salads and seasonal soups. They sell homemade snacks and desserts, such as granola, potato chips, and cookies, as well.

Cutty’s is environmentally friendly, too. The menu consists of local and organic ingredients whenever possible and the packaging is always eco-friendly.

Coolidge Corner Theater

290 Harvard St.

Nearest T Stop: Coolidge Corner

Coolidge Corner Theater is always a fun option for students. This theater is one of the nation’s most famous independent non-profit movie theaters. Open since 1933, the Coolidge Corner Theater gives the traditional “movie theater” feel.

The theater offers a nice and often diverse selection of both popular movies and independent films.

The seats are comfortable and the popcorn is excellent. On top of that, they allow their audience to bring in food from other places, so students can even bring in their ice cream from the JP Licks across the street.

Zaftig’s Delicatessen

335 Harvard Street

Nearest T Stop: Coolidge Corner

Zaftig’s is no ordinary deli. This Jewish-style restaurant offers a wide array of items, from corned beef, to falafel, to chicken fingers, to sweet noodle Kugel, to banana stuffed French toast, building up a menu of over 200 diverse and delicious items.

The restaurant is great for family or friendly meals and the servers are reliant and friendly. Upon entering, one might notice the clever Jewish pun phrases on the employee’s tshirts, such as “Knish me, I’m Irish” and “Challah back,” which just add to the light-hearted atmosphere.