Newton

Newton is a city in Massachusetts and a western suburb of Boston. Newton is nicknamed "The Garden City" and is one of Boston's oldest suburbs, settled in 1630.

Understand
Newton is made up of 13 "villages" or neighborhoods, including Auburndale, Chestnut Hill, Lower Falls, Newton Centre, Newton Corner, Newton Highlands, Newtonville, Nonantum, Oak Hill, Thompsonville, Upper Falls, Waban, and West Newton. While mainly a suburb of Boston, it is a sizable city in its own right, boasting a population of almost 90,000 (2018). Each village has its own historical and architectural character. Many of the villages grew up around railroad stations after the Boston & Worcester Railroad opened up through the north side of Newton in 1833. Another railroad line opened up across the south side of Newton in 1851 and is the "D" Branch of the MBTA's Green Line today. Walking tours of most villages are available through the website of the Newton City Planning Department.

Striking enclaves of Victorian houses and Gothic Revival churches can be seen in Auburndale, Chestnut Hill, Newton Centre, Newton Corner, Newton Highlands, and Newtonville, and West Newton Hill. Newton's grandest boulevard is Commonwealth Avenue, which winds through the entire city and is lined with historic mansions. "Comm Ave," as it is known to Bostonians, connects Boston to Weston and serves as the route of the Boston Marathon (Patriot's Day, third Monday of April). Heartbreak Hill begins just east of Newton City Hall. Divided down the middle by a landscaped mall that runs throughout the city, the street was designed by celebrated landscape architect Fredrick Law Olmstead, who also designed Central Park in New York City and the Emerald Necklace in Boston.

For trivia buffs: in 1886, Nabisco's Fig Newton cookie was named after the City of Newton.

By plane
Logan International Airport in Boston is the most convenient and has various ground transportation alternatives available.

By train or bus

 * Mass Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). Newton is connected to Boston and surrounding communities by light rail/streetcar, commuter rail, and buses. The Green Line "D" Branch (Riverside line) is a light rail line running into downtown Boston, about 30 minutes away. It runs frequently throughout the day. The commuter rail line, which originates at Boston's South Station, has stops at Newtonville, West Newton, and Auburndale villages and travels west to Framingham and Worcester. It operates frequently at the rush hours and less often the rest of the day. Express busses travel from Washington Street to the Massachusetts Turnpike and on to downtown Boston.

By car
Newton is on the Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90) and Interstate 95 (also called Route 128). Routes 9 and 16 also pass through the city. From Boston, you can also reach Newton via city streets: both Beacon Street and Commonwealth Avenue run directly to and throughout Newton, and provide a more scenic drive (particularly Beacon Street).

By car
Cars are generally the most convenient means of transportation, but sometimes impractical due to traffic.

By train or bus
Newton is well-served by the MBTA bus, light rail, and commuter rail lines. The D line of the T's Green Line provides the best access throughout Newton, with 7 stops located in the city. Otherwise, there are 3 commuter rail stops in the city, and several bus lines. Note that most bus service stops around 6PM, and some bus routes do not operate on the weekends.

By bike
Drivers are not considerate to bikers, so only an experienced biker could bike in Newton on the street. However, there are numerous parks and school yards to bike in.

The Charles River Bike Path is a mostly off-road path that runs from Newton and Waltham east through Watertown, Boston, and Cambridge along both banks of the Charles River. Cyclists of all levels can enjoy this scenic path. There is also a carriage road that is used as a bike path that runs along part of Comm Ave.

By taxi
Taxis are exorbitantly expensive in Newton and in Boston in general; try to avoid them if you can. If you have to call a taxi try Veterans Taxi, they are courteous, punctual, and clean.

Do

 * In the warmer months, rent a canoe or kayak at the Charles River Boathouse off Commonwealth Avenue at the Weston Bridge (Route 30).
 * In Newtonville, view annual Independence Day firework at Albemarle Field along the banks of Cheesecake Brook (corner of Albemarle Rd and Crafts St).
 * Go for a swim at scenic Crystal Lake in Newton Highlands, and enjoy the beautiful houses abutting the lake.
 * The Boston College Eagles, representing said university in NCAA Division I sports, have most of their playing facilities within the Newton city limits, though the baseball and softball teams play in Boston proper (specifically Brighton). The most notable of these are:
 * The Boston College Eagles, representing said university in NCAA Division I sports, have most of their playing facilities within the Newton city limits, though the baseball and softball teams play in Boston proper (specifically Brighton). The most notable of these are:
 * The Boston College Eagles, representing said university in NCAA Division I sports, have most of their playing facilities within the Newton city limits, though the baseball and softball teams play in Boston proper (specifically Brighton). The most notable of these are:

Connect
Greater Boston uses 10-digit dialing. This means you need to include the area code whenever you are making a call. The standard area code is 617, but some phone numbers, especially cell phones, use the 857 overlay.

Go next

 * Boston proper is a 10- to 20-minute train ride on the Green Line of the T, and only a 5-minute car ride on the Mass Pike (I-90).
 * Cape Cod is home to some of New England's best beaches, seafood, and sightseeing. The Sagamore and Bourne Bridges are about 1 hour by car from Newton.  The Cape is also accessible by bus.