Newton, Massachusetts will always be near and dear to me since I spent a handful of years after college living in various Newton neighborhoods. Even though we recently spent an afternoon in Newton, my family and I came back to Garden City for another afternoon in Newton!
This cool thing about Newton is that with thirteen distinct villages, there are so many variations of activities and places that can be explored. This visit was a quick trip to Nonantum and Waban.
Charles River
The Charles River forms three boundaries of Newton. It wraps around, forming the borders with Watertown (partially), Weston, Needham, and Wellesley. Living in Newton, the path alongside the Charles was a favorite of mine for running and walking. It also made me feel connected to my college years. Upriver I would do the same activities on the banks of the Charles in Boston.
Living in Nonantum, I would often enter the Charles River Greenway (the official name of the path) behind the American Legion on California Street. The greenway begins (or ends) at the intersection of Prospect Street in Waltham and finishes close to Boston Harbor.
Walking along the Charles in Newton east toward Watertown, I often would turn around at the Watertown Bridge. I would then head back east across the street and head west to Bridge Street. This created a curricular loop back toward my home. I recreated this walk partially this afternoon, as it was delightful as ever.
Starbucks
It’s kind of strange to see Starbucks as a destination for a backyard road trip but this branch holds special meaning. First of all, it is as quaint as can be. The Waban neighborhood of Newton is as close to perfection as a neighborhood can be. Stately mansions, many made of brick, line the streets in this neighborhood. In the center of the village is a small commercial district. The heart of it is the train station.
Today’s train station is simply a platform for the D branch of the MBTA’s Green Line. This rail line, known as the Highland Branch, was once part of the Boston and Albany Railroad. During these years, the station here was designed by Henry Hobson Richardson. Unfortunately for architecture and history buffs, this was demolished to make way for the current parking lot.
Although the station is gone, the Starbucks that is close to the train platform is housed in a superb building with large arched windows. At this Starbucks, I would enjoy a latte either to go for a walk around Newton or to sip inside the coffee shop. My kids, with cake pops in hand, seemed to like it as much as I did during my most recent visit.
Trips to Newton are great because not many of these activities are tourist-worthy, I could even call them mundane: walking and coffee! To me though, it’s a perfect way to spend another afternoon in Newton.
