Newton, MA Road Trips

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.

1 Newton History Museum at the Jackson Homestead, 527 Washington St, ☏ +1 617 796-1450. Tu-Sa 11AM-5PM, Su 2-5PM. A Federal-style farmhouse built in 1809. The museum offers an intriguing introduction to Newton's history with exhibits of paintings, photographs, costumes, and historic objects. The house was a station on the Underground Railroad hiding escaped slaves. $5/$3. 2 Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill. See the original Neo-Gothic campus with buildings designed by Maginnis & Walsh. The McMullen Museum of Art shows changing art exhibits. Alumni Stadium and the Conte Forum showcase BC's football, basketball, and hockey teams. 3 Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St, ☏ +1 617 796-1360. Airy contemporary library with extensive collection, Newton History Room, and auditorium with constant concerts and lectures. 4 Newton Centre, Intersection of Centre Street and Beacon Street. The largest and most bustling of the city's village centers. Boasts a number of high-end clothing stores, salons and spas, restaurants of various cuisines, coffee shops, ice cream shops, and banks. Abuts Newton's largest public park. Only a short stroll from beautiful Crystal Lake. 5 Newton Highlands, Intersection of Walnut Street and Lincoln Street. Perhaps the most quaint of Newton's village centers. Mostly a daytime destination for locals, but has some of the best restaurants in the city, and one of the best independent coffee shops, Lincoln Street Cafe.

In the warmer months, rent a canoe or kayak at the Charles River Boathouse off Commonwealth Avenue at the Weston Bridge (Route 30). 1 West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington St, ☏ +1 617 964-6060. See a foreign or independent film at one of the region's top cinemas. 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. 2 Chestnut Hill Reservoir, Beacon St, Chestnut Hill.. Located between Boston College campus and Cleveland Circle. A beautiful reservoir with biking and walking trails surrounding it. Very popular during warm weather months. Like Commonwealth Avenue in Newton, the reservoir was also designed by renowned landscape architect Fredrick Law Olmstead. 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: 3 Alumni Stadium, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill (Boston College), ☏ +1 617 552-8000. Home of BC Eagles football, this stadium seats 44,500. Actually located within the city limits of Newton. (updated Apr 2024) 4 Conte Forum (Kelley Rink), 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill (Boston College), ☏ +1 617 552-8000.

1 O'Hara's, 1185 Walnut St, Newton Highlands, ☏ +1 617 965-6785. M-Sa 11AM-11:30PM, Su 10AM-9PM. Irish pub with full menu. 2 Blue Ribbon BBQ, 1375 Washington St, West Newton, ☏ +1 617 332-2583, fax: +1 617 527-7427. M-Sa 11AM-9PM, Su 11AM-8PM. Authentic barbecue with all the fixings. 3 Cabot's Ice Cream & Restaurant, 743 Washington St, Newtonville, ☏ +1 617 964-9200, [email protected]. Tu-Th Su 8:30AM-10PM, F Sa 8:30AM-11:30PM. Classic ice cream parlor with full menu and all-day breakfast. Largest selection of sundaes around. No credit cards accepted but there is an ATM in the front of the restaurant. 4 George Howell Coffee, 311 Walnut St, Newtonville, ☏ +1 617 332-6886, [email protected]. M-F 6:30AM-6PM, Sa Su 8AM-6PM. Independent cafe featuring crepes and specialty sandwiches. This is by far the best coffee in Newton. (updated Dec 2017) 5 Cafe St Petersburg, 57 Union St, Suite 1, Newton Centre (entrance to the restaurant is through an alley between Sovereign Bank and Peet's Coffee & Tea), ☏ +1 617-467-3555, +1 617-467-3133, fax: +1 617-467-3145, [email protected]. Tu-Th noon-10PM, F-Su noon-midnight. Lively Russian restaurant. 6 Johnny's Luncheonette, 30 Langley Rd, Newton Centre, ☏ +1 617 527-3223, fax: +1 617 527-4103. M-Sa 7AM-9PM, Su 8AM-9PM. Contemporary diner-style breakfasts and sandwiches. 7 Cafe Sol Azteca, 75 Union St, Newton Centre, ☏ +1 617 964-0920, [email protected]. M-Sa 5-9:30PM, Su 5-9PM. Full-scale Mexican restaurant with outdoor terrace.

1 Union Street, 107R Union St, Newton Centre.. An older, more local crowd. A popular after-work place, with a very pleasant terrace designed to feel like a roof deck. 2 Buff's Pub, 317 Washington St, Newton Corner. After work place. Good bar food. 3 The Biltmore, 1205 Chestnut St, Newton Corner. Lunch/After work place. Crowd is mostly aged 25-40. Updated tavern atmosphere, restaurant features craft cocktails and local seasonal produce. 4 Paddy's Pub (Paddy's), 95 Elm St W (just off Washington St), ☏ +1 617 965-6444. M-Sa 11AM-11:30PM, Su noon-9PM. A pub/restaurant. A good place to get a drink that is also kid friendly. 5 Brewer's Coalition, 344 Walnut St, Newtonville, ☏ +1 617 964-7600, [email protected]. M-Sa 11:30AM-1AM, Su 10AM-1AM. Great beer selection and nice atmosphere.

1 Hotel Indigo Boston Newton Riverside, 399 Grove St, ☏ +1 617 969-5300. Contemporary boutique hotel with free internet, outdoor pool, and on-site restaurant. 2 Boston Marriott Newton, 2345 Commonwealth Ave, ☏ +1 617 969-1000, fax: +1 617 527-6914. Indoor pool, onsite restaurant. 3 Sheraton Newton, 320 Washington St, ☏ +1 617 969-3010, fax: +1 617 630-2976. Built above the Massachusetts Turnpike at Exit 17. 4 Holiday Inn, 399 Grove St, ☏ +1 617 969-5300. 5 Best Western Terrace Inn, 1650 Commonwealth Ave, ☏ +1 617 566-6260. Free continental breakfast and free parking.

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

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