Brighton Real Estate

Before it was a Boston neighborhood, Brighton was a farming town once known as Little Cambridge. It broke away from Cambridge in 1807 and was annexed to Boston in 1874. A cattle market that began in 1775 grew into stockyards and slaughterhouses, and the town also had a long run as a center for nurseries and market gardens. Today its hills hold Victorian houses, streetcar-era apartment blocks and a growing number of new buildings.

Brighton Center, where Washington, Market and Cambridge Streets come together, has the neighborhood's main shops and services, and Oak Square anchors the western end along Washington Street. To the south, Commonwealth Avenue and Beacon Street lead to Cleveland Circle and the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, a DCR park with a loop path around the water. Boston Landing, near the Turnpike, brought a commuter rail stop, New Balance's headquarters and the Warrior Ice Arena.

Near Cleveland Circle, the Aberdeen Architectural Conservation District covers a section of winding streets developed from the late 1880s. Exterior changes there go through a city commission, so check the district rules before planning work on a home in that area.