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Just 7 miles west of Boston, the city of Newton, Massachusetts, may be best known as one of Bean Town’s most desirable suburbs. Newton has a number of attractions that showcase its own colorful history. The Newton History Museum occupies a site that was once an important station on the Underground Railroad, and the museum's costumed volunteers help visitors understand what life was like for slaves seeking freedom. The East Parish Burying Ground is a cemetery with headstones that date back to 1640.

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Many of Newton’s recreational areas like Nahanton and Norumbega Parks lie along the Charles River. Activities such as canoeing and kayaking are popular with residents and visitors alike during the warmer months. Nahanton Park also offers 57 acres of forests, parklands and playing fields. Norumbega Park is the last stop on the Charles River Bike Path that begins in Boston.

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On Money Magazine’s 2012 list of America’s Most Livable Small Cities, Newton, Massachusetts ranked fourth. Newton is, in actuality, a collection of 13 small villages, each with a discrete downtown area that’s fun to explore. One of these villages, Chestnut Hill, is the home of Boston College as well the Dupee Estate where Mary Baker Eddy, Christian Science’s founder, spent her final years.