Who knows Brookline's various businesses better than the people who frequent them?

Well, no one. Which means you are in the prime position to share your knowledge with your neighbors, helping them make decisions about everything from where to have their car repaired to which restaurant has the best kids' menu.

Brookline Patch invites you to share that knowledge with the Five-Star Rating System feature of Patch Places.

It's simple to rate and review businesses on JP Patch, and it's one way you can show support for your favorite local businesses while helping your neighbors make informed decisions about where to spend their time and money.

Here are the steps:

1. Log in to Brookline Patch (if you don't already have a Patch profile, just click "Join," at the center-right of the top of the homepage to set one up.)
2. Click "Places" on the menu bar and then search for the business you want to rate or review. If you hover your cursor over the "Places" link a preview box comes up.
3. Click the "Rate This Business" link at the top of the business' listing page.
4. Decide how many stars the business has earned and leave a comment justifying your rating. (Yes, "Best chicken fingers EVER!" is an acceptable justification.)
5. Click "Review It!"

There is no limit to how many businesses you can review, so jump in and start sharing your local expertise. The more reviews people provide, the more informed your neighbors' decisions will be. The more neighbors who vote, the more informed your decisions will be.

So next time the car breaks down or it's 4:45 p.m. on a Tuesday and your kids start to whine about what's for dinner, you can reply, "We're eating out!" and know exactly which nearby restaurant your trusted neighbors say has the best kids' deal.

If you own one of the businesses in our Places directory, or know the person who does, don't forget to see our page on claiming Patch listings.