Brookline baker Noel Mendez finds his sweet spot with cakes in jars - Brookline.News Mendez interprets the world through soft layers of sponge cake and carefully piped strings of buttercream.

You might have tried Noel Mendez's mouth-watering desserts at the Washington Square Tavern. Here's his story:

brookline.news/brookline-ba...

I can't overstate how important most town leaders feel this is for Brookline's financial future, as a potentially huge override vote looms.

Not surprising that it's getting bogged down in neighborhood opposition and intra-developer squabbles. But it's starting to edge into fiasco territory.

High-stakes Route 9 rezoning vote could be delayed again after rival developer's last-minute objection - Brookline.News After nearly two years of process, City Realty, the developer with a more advanced proposal, warned that any more delay would lead them to back out of existing agreements with the town and consider ne...

Breaking news: A new wrinkle involving a second developer's last-minute objection could derail Brookline's plans to have Town Meeting vote on zoning for a big Route 9 redevelopment in May.

After two years of process, growing momentum to delay and have more process.

brookline.news/high-stakes-...

Brookline Override Central 2026 - Brookline.News Coverage of the May 2026 override vote in Brookline, Mass

What questions do you have about the override vote in May?

Brookline.News is working on an FAQ / explainer about the likely tax override vote being lined up for the town election on May 5.

What would it be helpful to try to answer?

Here's our coverage so far:
brookline.news/collections/...

Town pumps the brakes on Chestnut Hill Ave redesign - Brookline.News The Transportation Board cited neighborhood opposition to bike lanes and uncertainty about the city of Boston's plans for Cleveland Circle.

The Transportation Board is pressing pause on a proposed redesign of Chestnut Hill Avenue, citing neighborhood opposition to bike lanes and uncertainty about the city of Boston's plans for nearby Cleveland Circle.

brookline.news/town-pumps-t...

The rise of relationship “launch” culture - Brookline.News What's the difference between a relationship "hard launch" and a "soft launch"? Student journalists at The Cypress dig in.

What makes a hard launch different from a soft launch?

Reporter Hayden Kane explains relationship launch culture in Brookline in this article republished from The Cypress, the student newspaper of Brookline High School

brookline.news/the-rise-of-...

Duck on hand, a Brookline puppeteer tackles life, death and politics - Brookline.News Susan Linn's show “WHAT THE DUCK?!?” is playing at the Puppet Showplace Theater on March 11 and 12.

Brookline's Susan Linn and her puppet Audrey Duck will perform at the Puppet Showplace Theater this week.

The offbeat show, from a former child psychologist who was featured on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, combines stand-up comedy with philosophical musings.

brookline.news/duck-on-hand...

New director Jill Mercurio aims to keep improving Brookline's libraries - Brookline.News "The borrowing statistics are off the charts," says Mercurio, who left Newton's public library earlier this year to lead Brookline's.

Brookline's new library director Jill Mercurio noticed the town's love for its libraries right away.

“People can’t wait to get in first thing in the morning, and the borrowing statistics are off the chart,” Mercurio said.

Read our interview:

brookline.news/new-director...

'Unrecognizable': School Committee, administrators detail three-year cuts if override fails - Brookline.News Without an override, the district would be forced to eliminate more than 210 positions and slash its music and world language programming.

Last week, school administrators detailed their three-year plan if an override fails. It would leave Brookline's school district "unrecognizable," according to School Committee chair Valerie Frias.

brookline.news/unrecognizab...

The deleveling debate is back at Brookline High School, this time with disagreement over a ninth-grade world history class.

brookline.news/bhs-deleveli...

Wegmans’ plan to close Chestnut Hill pharmacy sparks outcry - Brookline.News The pharmacy is set to close in April to make more room for groceries. Newton and Brookline residents say the closure will make it harder to get medications they need.

Wegmans is planning to close the pharmacy at its Chestnut Hill store, to the frustration of many Brookline and Newton residents who rely on it.

brookline.news/wegmans-plan...

Town plans to build temporary $1.3 million transfer station after structural failure at Newton Street site - Brookline.News The town found a hole in the "tipping floor" of the transfer station in August, and it has not been operational since then, according to Public Works Commissioner Erin Chute.

After a structural failure was found at the town's waste transfer station in August, leaving it unusable since, DPW is planning to build a $1.3 million temporary structure for processing trash.

brookline.news/town-plans-t...

Washington Square Tavern owner Gerry Finnegan dies at 55 - Brookline.News Finnegan founded the popular restaurant, which he owned with his wife Alma, in 1999 and turned it into a neighborhood favorite.

Gerry Finnegan, owner of the Washington Square Tavern, died last week at age 55.

Born in Ireland, he moved to the Boston area in his 20s and worked at Matt Murphy's before opening the Tavern in 1999 along with his wife Alma.

brookline.news/washington-s...

Teachers union proposes one-year contract to School Committee - Brookline.News The union said agreeing on a shorter-term contract soon would allow the union and school leaders to focus their attention on passing a tax override.

The Brookline Educators Union is proposing a one-year contract, after negotiations with the School Committee initially began on a three-year contract.

The union's goal is to find agreement quickly and then focus on campaigning for the passage of an override in May.

brookline.news/teachers-uni...

Town leaders debate override size as they weigh largest ask in state history - Brookline.News Town and school leaders have asked for a combined $24 million. If that number ends up on the ballot, it would be by far the largest municipal override request ever in Massachusetts.

Facing big financial headwinds, Brookline town leaders are wrestling with how to size an override for the May ballot.

The $24 million that town departments and schools have asked for would be the largest override bid in state history. Would voters say yes?

brookline.news/town-leaders...

A third of town's public EV chargers to be temporarily shut off as demand fails to materialize - Brookline.News 24 of the town's 62 public chargers will be "bagged" for a year because of under-utilization, a business decision made by charging company Greenspot.

24 electric vehicle chargers in two Brookline parking lots will be shut down for a year, and the parking spots opened up again for general parking.

The Greenspot chargers have been under-utilized and the company made a business decision to temporarily close them.

brookline.news/a-third-of-t...

Brookline’s ‘Age-Friendly Businesses’ campaign makes older residents’ needs a priority - Brookline.News At Michael’s Deli, a Coolidge Corner staple serving overstuffed bagels and hot knishes, owner Steven Peljovich treats his customers the way his parents taught him. “You always respect the people who c...

Michael's Deli and Feet of Clay Pottery are among the 100 or so local establishments that have been designated Age-Friendly Businesses by the Brookline Community Aging Network.

Here's what that means:

brookline.news/brooklines-a...

The MA legislature has been frosty to local home rule petitions asking for rent control in the past.

But Brookline's current bid, passed by Town Meeting in 2023, is getting a friendlier reception than many expected.

Timing with a statewide ballot question coming in November not coincidental

Brookline's rent control bid advances through state legislature - Brookline.News Brookline's petition to enact a cap on yearly rent increases is close to passing the state Senate.

Could rent control be coming back to Brookline? A petition from Town Meeting to enact a local cap on yearly rent increases is moving through the State House and has support from some key legislators.

brookline.news/brooklines-r...

How some of Brookline's best pastries get made: Behind the scenes at Lakon Paris Patisserie - Brookline.News Lakon Paris Patisserie often goes social-media viral for its decadent croissants and over-the-top lattes. The bakery was named the best croissant in Boston last year.

Craving a pastry on this Saturday morning?

Go behind the scenes with Lakon Paris Patisserie and learn about how some of Brookline's most decadent sweet treats get made.

brookline.news/how-some-of-...

We've published a bunch of letters to the editor this week, mainly focused on development and zoning. Read what your neighbors think about Brookline's future:

brookline.news/topics/opini...

Maimonides School weighs moving out of Brookline - Brookline.News The Maimonides School is considering moving out of its Brookline campus, according to an email sent to parents on Wednesday.  The Jewish private school, which teaches students in the Modern Orthodox d...

The Maimonides School, a Jewish private school with a campus right off Route 9, is considering a move out of Brookline.

If the relocation goes through, it would mean another large piece of real estate likely up for sale on a key corridor for development in town.

brookline.news/maimonides-s...

Hidden Brookline project aims to bring town's history of slavery out of the shadows - Brookline.News A new mini-documentary examines the presence of slavery in Brookline dating back to the Revolutionary War.

A new mini-documentary by the group Hidden Brookline examines the presence of slavery in Brookline dating back to the Revolutionary War.

brookline.news/hidden-brook...

Here's a map of the proposed new stations

Brookline plans to add 25 new Bluebikes stations - Brookline.News The addition will be a major expansion of Brookline's existing network of 14 stations, bringing bikeshare access to more parts of town.

Brookline is planning a major expansion of Bluebikes stations, aiming to add 25 stations to the town's existing 14 over the next four years.

There are currently only stations in North Brookline, and the plan would bring bikeshare access to a wider geographic area.

brookline.news/brookline-pl...

Political opposition mounts against plan to redevelop Route 9 office park - Brookline.News A key Select Board member and dozens of Town Meeting members have come out in opposition to a developer's plan to build three buildings in an empty office park in Chestnut Hill.

A key Select Board member and dozens of South Brookline Town Meeting members have come out against a developer's plan to build three buildings on an office park on Route 9 in Chestnut Hill.

The high-stakes project now faces an uphill battle at Town Meeting in May.

brookline.news/political-op...

How is Brookline handling this harsh winter? Snow far, snow good - Brookline.News Monday’s blizzard piled another 17 inches of snow on Brookline less than a month after a late January storm dropped nearly 2 feet. If the winter of 2025-26 feels particularly brutal, Brookline residen...

Our reporters hit the streets yesterday and found residents and business owners in surprisingly good spirits as they dug out from the winter's second big storm.

brookline.news/how-is-brook...

A plan for 18 small apartments in a vacant office building turned into four big luxury condos. Housing advocates aren't happy. - Brookline.News The four proposed condos at 1093 Beacon Street would each fill an entire floor and range from 1,800 to 2,600 square feet, with three bedrooms and four bathrooms each.

Turning unused offices into apartments is a growing trend in the Boston area. So why aren't local housing advocates happy with a plan at 1093 Beacon Street?

Because what was originally proposed as 18 small apartments is now set to be four huge luxury condos instead.

brookline.news/a-plan-for-1...

Brookline man sentenced to 15 years in prison for exploiting children on Snapchat - Brookline.News Scott Cunha, a 26-year-old Brookline resident, was sentenced to 15 years in prison last week on charges that he enticed children to send him sexual images over Snapchat.  Cunha, who formerly worked fo...

A 26-year-old Brookline resident was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison on Friday after he pleaded guilty to charges of sexually exploiting minors using the app Snapchat.

Scott Cunha had previously worked as a lifeguard and swim coach for the town.

brookline.news/brookline-ma...

'The only thing ordinary people can do': Brookliners head north to NH to protest region's first large-scale ICE facility - Brookline.News A group of about 10 Brookline residents were among more than a thousand protesters in Merrimack, N.H. this weekend challenging plans to build a large immigration detention center.

An hourlong drive, snow and a ruptured Achilles tendon were not enough to stop 81-year-old Brookline activist Suzette Abbott from making her voice heard in Merrimack, New Hampshire over the weekend.

brookline.news/the-only-thi...