Guide to the Boston suburb of Brighton, MA
The neighborhood of Brighton, MA was established in the late 17th century and first called "Little Cambridge". In 1807 the residents gained legal separation from Cambridge and named the town Brighton. In 1874 it was annexed to Boston and it remains a suburb today. In the early days Brighton was a scenic pastoral town of farm plots and stockyards, but as street car lines were extended in the 1800s, residential growth came with them.
Today Brighton is home to many graduate students and young professionals. Washington Street is lined with small businesses, and Brighton is also home to one of the finest hospitals in the northeast, Saint Elizabeth's. The Bryman Institute, Saint John's Seminary and part of Boston College are also located in Brighton, and nearby you can find some of the finest colleges in the country including Boston University, Harvard, and MIT.