Brookline Blvd by Andrew Weier

Situated just a few miles outside of downtown in Pittsburgh's South Hills, is Brookline.

It is the second largest neighborhood in Pittsburgh, and wasn't even a part of the city until the trolley car expansion in 1905 connected Brookline to downtown.

Brookline Blvd is the city's main street -- a mix of commercial and retail space, residential homes, and vacant store fronts representing economic trials this city has been through several times.

The interesting thing about Brookline Blvd is the large amount of diversity present in it's remaining shops.

While there are modern conveniences like the CVS near the intersection with West Liberty Ave, there are also decades-old businesses like "Party Cake Shop".

The building that Party Cake Shop occupies was built in 1910, and has operated as a string of different bakeries until Party Cake Shop opened in 1961. As you can tell by the store facade, not much has changed since then, and the bakery remains a favorite throughout the South Hills.

There are also a couple of ethnic foods grocery stores such as "Pitaland", specializing in Mediterranean foods, and "Las Palmas", selling Mexican foods.

Brookline has a diverse population, which in part is due to immigrants from the Hill District or the Northside moving there in the late 1950's and early 1960's, when urban development throughout Pittsburgh forced many people to vacate their homes.

A branch of the Carnegie Library opened in Brookline in 1930, but moved to its current location on Brookline Blvd in 1990.

The Brookline Fire Department Engine House has been operational since it was built in 1915 for $7,500. It was renovated in 2001, in order to better accommodate modern fire-fighting equipment.

Parts of Brookline Blvd are a bit rough around the edges--many vacant buildings and store fronts line the six-block stretch. Some have broken windows, or bits of graffiti.

The main street still possesses a kind of antiqued charm, a glimmer of potential that fueled the renovation plan scheduled to begin in 2011.

While it might not be terribly interesting to look at, Brookline Blvd is home to many overlooked gems, and is the perfect stretch for a food walk as mentioned in a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article on April 22nd, 2010, here:

www.post-gazette.com/pg/10112/1052251-34.stm?cmpid=newspanel1 
The blvd also hosts gallery crawls with local art featured in a few of its coffee houses, and an annual 5k run.

Brookline Blvd is one of many forgotten main streets throughout Pittsburgh--and just like the rest of the city-- is slowly being reborn.