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JFK Crossing

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JFK Crossing blends the qualities of an urban and suburban neighborhood. The street is lined with shops and restaurants and busy with a constant flow of people. Yet, JFK Crossing also maintains the comfort of a community with many residential homes.  The neighborhood has a flourishing Jewish population with several Jewish themed stores, markets and kosher restaurants.

Location: JFK Crossing is located on Harvard Street between Naples Street and Verndale Street.  JFK Crossing is very close to Coolidge Corner, just a short distance traveling northwest on Harvard Street from the Coolidge Corner center.

Description: JFK Crossing receives its name from our 35th president, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Kennedy grew up in Brookline and was born just around the corner at 83 Beals Street. Kennedy attended the Devotion School, one of the public elementary schools in Brookline. Today, the school and community honor their history and President Kennedy; each year the 3rd grade class at the Devotion School does a 4-week study on President Kennedy and commemorates him by writing poems and essays on what JFK Crossing means to them.

After the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963, his mother, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, returned to their home on Beals Street and restored the house to its original look at Kennedy’s birth in 1917. 83 Beals Street is now a National Historic Site and offers tours of the house and neighborhood, allowing people to stay connected with the history of our 35th President.

To commemorate former President Kennedy in your own home, visit iCanvasArt.

JFK Crossing mixes both an urban and suburban feel to the neighborhood. Harvard Street is busy with shops and restaurants, keeping the street full of activity and people. Most of the buildings in the JFK neighborhood are made of old brick and stone. Also incorporated in the neighborhood are a series of four hand-painted murals honoring the rich history surrounding JFK Crossing. The murals incorporate bright colors and immense detailing, each telling a different story with its imagery. The murals not only provide aesthetically appealing artwork, but they give JFK Crossing character. Also, there are many characteristics denoting the Jewish legacy at JFK Crossing, including several kosher restaurants, signs written in Hebrew, an Israel Book Shop, and a sign that reads “Kosher Kitchen Headquarters.”

Contrasting the business of Harvard Street, the side streets that run off of the main road provide quaint residential areas. Rows of thick trees run in front of the houses, creating a canopy of leaves over the houses and streets. The residential neighborhoods in JFK Crossing bring you to a calmer location and a peaceful suburban atmosphere.

How to get there: JFK Crossing is accessible from all forms of transportation. Although there is no T stop directly in the neighborhood, the Coolidge Corner Station stop on the Green Line “C” branch is only a ten minute walk from JFK Crossing.

Bus 66 (Harvard Square via Allston) also has stops located in the center of JFK Crossing.  Both stops Harvard Street at Coolidge Street and Harvard Street at Beals Street deposit you directly in JFK Crossing.

JFK Crossing can also be easily reached via car. Harvard Street stretches south to Washington Street and Northwest to Brighton Ave and Cambridge Street.

Parking: A great deal of meter parking is available in JFK Crossing located on both sides of Harvard Street.

Places to live: JFK Crossing offers mainly residential living with few apartment complexes. The side roads off of Harvard Street provide wonderful neighborhoods filled with single-family homes. The neighborhoods offer perfect residential areas setback from the commotion on Harvard Street.

Shopping and restaurants: JFK Crossing has a wide variety of choices for restaurants offering foods from around the world. The Cognac Bistro brings you to France providing a classic brasserie and fantastic food. You can have the option of either Chinese food at Taam China, or Japanese food and outstanding sushi at Genki Ya. The Daily Catch offers fresh seafood, Dok Bua serves delicious Thai foods, and the Pita Pit provides tasty and healthy wraps on their specialty Lebanese-style pitas. Wings Over Brookline satisfies the craving for American favorites of wings and ribs. JFK Crossing also has bakeries and coffee shops, including the local’s favorite Kupel’s Bakery as well as the national chain Starbucks.

JFK Crossing also provides a great deal of shops and services. The neighborhood includes many national chains such as True Value Hardware Store and Massage Envy. However, there are also many independently owned craft stores and shops, such as the Israel Book Store. There are also many nail and hair salons, dry cleaners, and of course, a multitude of banks. Also, The Butcherie is a unique store to JFK Crossing, providing an entirely kosher grocery store making shopping efficient for the Jewish community that keeps kosher.