The Hills of Brookline: Corey Hill

This is a guest blog post from my colleague, Susanna Stiefel, 30 year resident of Brookline, MA.

Brookline is a town of many hills. One of the most prominent is Corey Hill that rears up between Coolidge Corner and Washington Square. If you go straight up steep Summit Avenue all the way to the top, you reach Corey Hill Park and wonderful vistas. On one side is a playground with play equipment and picnic tables. There is also a gentle slope for timid sledding. The view from the playground looks west for sunset views. On the other side is a steep grassy slope that leads down to Jordan Road. That's for the daredevil sledders who don't look before they leap. There are wide views looking northeast towards Cambridge. You can even see some of the white turrets of Harvard University buildings in the distance.It's a very popular spot for July Fourth picnics but be warned, you cannot see the fireworks from there. The top of Corey Hill is dotted with buildings that used to be nursing homes and sanitariums when it was thought that the fresh air on top of the hill was beneficial to the patients. One was converted into the luxury condominium "The Grand" at 227 Summit Avenue Brookline, MA. Just a few short steps from the top of Corey Hill is Summit Path which is a pedestrian short cut down to Beacon Street at Washington Square. Brookline has many such paths, often incorporating stairs, that go down the sides of the hills. Read more about Brookline's Paths at www.brooklinehistoricalsociety.org If you have any questions about Brookline, MA feel free to contact me at Susanna.Stiefel@Verizon.net.