5 Questions with...
Connecting with Brookline Neighbors
Get to know the people who make Brookline such a vibrant community! 5 Questions With … is a new regular feature where we spotlight residents, workers, and visitors who live, work, or spend time in Brookline. Each installment is a quick, fun dive into someone’s story, their connections to our neighborhood, and what makes them tick—revealing the personalities, passions, and experiences that shape life in Brookline.
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5 QUESTIONS WITH …
Name: Gigi Vereb
Occupation: Cashier, caregiver
In “5 Questions With …”, we chat with our amazing neighborhood’s residents, workers, business owners, and visitors. In this installment, we have a conversation with Gigi Vereb, who we encountered outside The Kickstand Sandwich Shop at 936 Brookline Boulevard.
Brookline Together: What brings you to Brookline today?
Gigi Vereb: I’m a cashier here at The Kickstand. When I’m not here, I also take care of an elderly woman. I’ve worked for myself for many years in hospice care and general caregiving.
BT: Do you live in Brookline?
GV: Yes. I live on Shawhan Avenue.
BT: What do you like most about Brookline?
GV: The friendly people and all the family-run businesses that are still here. I grew up here, and it’s such a tight community. If you know someone in Brookline, you know everybody.
BT: Do you have any favorite places to go or things to do in Brookline?
GV: The Boulevard is a such a big part of my life. There’s so many places. I love the Moonlite Cafe, but I remember going there when it was still Joe’s Tavern. Louie DeFelice (the current owner) is the best. Him and (his wife) Toni. I also love Pitaland, and I was sad when Joe (Chahine, the family’s late patriarch and Pitaland founder) died. I’d see them when I’d walk my rotweiller, Gotti, on the Boulevard. I love the coffee shop, 802 Bean, and Red’s (Good News).
BT: If you had $1 million to give to Brookline, how would you spend it?
GV: Definitely help Meals on Wheels and Brookline’s elderly population. I’d also like to make a better park for the kids with a real playground. I would put down rubber under the swings and get a new swing set and some of the things we had when I was a kid.
Bob Varricchio
Occupation: Retired truck driver
We chatted with Mr. Varricchio, who was sitting with colleagues and fellow churchgoers Judy Concannon and Diane Paxton in front of Narrow Gate Ministries Church on Brookline Boulevard serving chili and cheese hot dogs to passers by on a recent Monday. The church, located at 900 Brookline Boulevard at the former Stebbrook Pharmacy, is run by Pastors Lou and Kim Sanfilippo and holds non-demoninational services, weekly Bible study, an intervention program, youth group activities, and the “In His Arms” program, a faith-based, 12-month residential program for women struggling with addiction and/or destructive life patterns.
What brings you to Brookline today?
“I’m working with my church and on Mondays we serve hot dogs to anyone who wants one. In the winter, we serve them inside, but in the summer we can sit out here and greet people, give them a hot dog, and pray. People will always ask about the church, so that’s a chance to talk to them about what we do. There’s no pressure about it. We talk and try to help.”
Do you live in Brookline?
“Yes. I live on Edgebrook Avenue. I’m originally from Allentown, Pa., and I’ve been here 35, 36 years or so. My wife is from Homewood but her family moved to Dunster Street in 1960. We first lived on Southcrest Drive.”
What do you like about Brookline?
“It’s a friendly neighborhood, and I love the convenience of the Boulevard. There are pizza shops and eateries, convenience stores, and I was just at A-Boss (Optical) for my prescription glasses. I don’t have to drive to get stuff. I really like that.”
Do you have any favorite places to go or things to do in Brookline?
“I have a buddy who died recently and we used to love to shoot pool at Breakers in Dormont on Tuesdays. That was one of my favorite things to do. But I like being here at the church. (Bob’s part of the church’s musical program.) I like to meet different people, especially when the church gets involved in outreach. And I enjoy the swimming pool at Moore Park.”
If you had $1 million to give to Brookline, how would you spend it?
"I’d spend it right here. I’d give it to this church (Narrows Gate) for services and to help expand. I’d love to be able to buy something like the little church on Pioneer Avenue (Freedom Fellowship Church of Pittsburgh at the corner of Dunster Street)."