Brighton

Once a thriving inner ring suburb, Brighton has transformed into a dynamic Boston neighborhood.  With Boston College positioned on Brighton's southwest corner and Harvard University less than a mile north, Brighton represents the epicenter of academia in the Boston area. Condominiums and multi-level homes dominate the architectural landscape of Brighton, which sits along the shores of the Charles River and straddles the Massachusetts Turnpike. The majority of Brighton businesses operate along Washington Street, a very busy thoroughfare that stretches through Brighton Square to Oak Square. Brighton residents access the "B" Branch of the area's public transit green line that includes 11 stops along Commonwealth Avenue, within Brighton's boundaries. Several local and express bus routes cross through Brighton. 

Government administrators run Brighton and Allston under one civic entity known as "Allston-Brighton." The 2010 census puts the duel municipalities at a population near 70,000, with most of the residents comprising recent college graduates from one of the Boston region's world-renowned private universities. Families just starting out and young professional that commute the short distance to downtown Boston form the backbone of the tax base that allows Brighton to flourish economically. Known as a tranquil community that promotes a bustling nightlife in the small neighborhood commercial district, Brighton offers a nice contrast to the more gentrified neighborhoods that promote Boston's rich lore. The median value of a home in Brighton runs about $485,000, which puts Brighton's average home value 30% higher than the national average. Much of the tremendous value derives from strong residential housing demand and little open space for further development.

Numerous public parks dot the fertile Brighton landscape, making the neighborhood one of the leading providers of green space for resident recreational activities, from boating to organized team sports. The Brighton Center Main Streets Program recruits small businesses to buttress the economy of the neighborhood by offering grants that provide incentives for remodeling storefront properties. Two are the areas primary hospitals-St. Elizabeth's and Franciscan Children's-offer world class healthcare services run by the best medical minds in the United States.

View open houses in Brighton.