ZIP Code 02464

Newton Upper Falls is one of the thirteen villages within the city of Newton in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The area is home to the Hemlock Gorge and Echo Bridge, a large aqueduct turned pedestrian walkway over the Charles River. It is said to be the only village that has retained its original name from when the area was founded in the 17th century. A 60-acre (24 ha) area, including much of the area between Route 9 and Elliot Street, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. The village is served partially by Eliot "T" station, part of the Green Line D branch of the MBTA, with rapid light rail service inbound into downtown Boston and outbound to Riverside. Major roads that serve the village are Route 128, and Route 9 (Boylston Street), which provides a direct, 6 mile commute into downtownBoston. By 1850 the village had 1300 inhabitants which was 25% of the entire population of Newton. In 1909, a Roman Catholic church called Mary Immaculate of Lourdes opened in Upper Falls. It has over 150 homes on the historic register despite its small area. A famous pothole is a geological anomaly where a boulder that was originally pushed down the cliff by a now extinct waterfall got caught and became round. The boulder spun around in its place carving a shaft over thousands of years. Since then half the shaft collapsed and now all that can be seen is half of a cylindrical shaft through the cliff.

Newton was settled in 1630 as part of "the newe towne", which was renamed Cambridge in 1638. Newton was incorporated as a separate town, known as Cambridge Village, on December 15, 1681, then renamed Newtown in 1691, and finally Newton in 1766. The city is bordered by Waltham and Watertown on the north, Needham and the West Roxbury neighborhood of Boston on the south, Wellesley and Weston on the west, and Brookline and Brighton on the east. Newton resembles a patchwork of thirteen villages, without a city center. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 88,923. Two of the 9/11 hijackers stayed in Newton the night before the attack. The hijackers of American Airlines Flight 11 spent their last night in Newton's Park Inn, an economy motel across the street from the Chestnut Hill Mall and within walking distance of The Atrium. The Boston Marathon is run through the city, entering from Wellesley on Route 16 (Washington Street) where runners encounter the first of the four infamous Newton Hills. There are two more hills before reaching Centre Street, and then the fourth and most noted, Heartbreak Hill, rises shortly after Centre Street. The Charles River flows along the north and west parts of Newton, and Route 128 passes through the west part of the city. The Massachusetts Turnpike goes through the more urbanized northern section of Newton before heading into Boston.

History

Newton is the primary city name, but also Newtonville are acceptable city names or spellings, Riverside on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is Newton, Massachusetts. Newton was settled in 1630 as part of "the newe towne", which was renamed Cambridge in 1638. The Native American people of Nonantum, a sub-tribe of the Massachusett led by a sachem named Waban, moved to Natick in 1651. Newton was incorporated as a separate town, known as Cambridge Village, on December 15, 1681, then renamed Newtown in 1691, and finally Newton in 1766. It became a city on January 5, 1874. Two of the 9/11 hijackers stayed in Newton the night before the attack.Each April on Patriots' Day, the Boston Marathon is run through the city, entering from Wellesley on Route 16 (Washington Street) and turning right onto Route 30 (Commonwealth Avenue) for the long haul into Boston. There are two more hills before reaching Centre Street, and then the fourth and most noted, Heartbreak Hill, rises shortly after Centre Street. Residents and visitors line the race route along Washington Street and Commonwealth Avenue to cheer the runners. It is also the home of the Stanley Motor Carriage Company, the maker of theStanley Steamer, which was built in 1902. The city is known as The Garden City and is located on the Massachusetts Turnpike, which runs through the center of the city. It was also the site of the Boston and Worcester Railroad, one of America's earliest railroads, which reached West Newton in 1834. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, a series of mills developed in Newton to take advantage of the water power available at Newton Upper Falls and Newton Lower Falls.

Geography

Newton is a suburban city approximately 7 mi (11 km) from downtown Boston, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The city is bordered by Waltham and Watertown on the north, Needham and the West Roxbury neighborhood of Boston on the south, Wellesley and Weston on the west, and Brookline and Brighton on the east. The Charles River flows along the north and west parts of Newton, and Route 128 passes through the west part of the city. Rather than having a single city center, Newton is a patchwork of thirteen villages, many boasting small downtown areas of their own. Although most of the villages have a post office, they have no legal definition and no firmly defined borders. This village-based system often causes some confusion with addresses and for first-time visitors. The record low temperature was 21 °F (29 °C) in February 1934; the record high temperature was 101 °F [38 °C] in August 1975. Newton has grown around a formation of seven hills: Nonantum Hill, Waban Hill, Chestnut Hill, Bald Pate, Oak Hill, Institution Hill and Mount Ida. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.2 square miles (47.1 km²), of which 18.0 sq mi (46.6 km²) is land and 0.2sq mi (0.5km²) (0,82%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 85,146 people, 32,648 households, and 20,499 families residing in the city. Newton, along with neighboring Brookline, is known for its considerable Jewish and Asian populations. The Jewish population as of 2002 was estimated as roughly 28,002. As of 2015, 21.9% of the residents of Newton were born outside of the United States. The median income for a household in theCity was $107,696, and the median income. for a family was $136,843. The per capita income for the city was $56,163. About 3.6% of families and 5.9%. of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 9.4%. of those age 65 or over. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.11. The city is located on the Massachusetts Turnpike, which runs through the town of Brookline. The Turnpikes were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The town was once known as the ‘Town of the Turnpines’ for its turnpikes. It is now known as ‘The Town of Newton’, after the town’s first post office, which was opened in 1838. The name ‘Newton’ is now used to refer to the city’. The population of the city has grown to more than 85,000.

Economy

Newton's largest employers include Boston College and Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Companies based in Newton include TechTarget, CyberArk and Upromise. Until July 2015, Newton was also home to the global headquarters of TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site, reaching nearly 280 million unique monthly visitors. Tripadvisor moved into a newly built headquarters in neighboring Needham. Data is from the 2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.

Arts and culture

Crystal Lake is a 33-acre (130,000 m2) natural lake located in Newton Centre. The Jackson Homestead is best known for its history as a stop on the Underground Railroad. The city has two symphony orchestras, the New Philharmonia Orchestra of Massachusetts and the Newton Symphony Orchestra. The Joanne Langione Dance Center, an American youth dance school was founded in 1976. Heartbreak Hill, notably challenging stretch of the Boston Marathon, on Commonwealth Avenue between Centre Street and Boston College is one of the city's most challenging stretches. The First Baptist Church in Newton was designed by John Henry Faxon in the Richardson style pioneered by architect Hobson Richardson. The John A. Fenno House is a historic house at 171 Lowell Avenue, built c.1854, and a rare local example of Gothic Revival styling. The City of Newton has designated several roads in the city as "scenic". Along with this designation come regulations aimed at curbing tree removal and trimming along the roads, as well as stemming the removal of historic stone walls. A scene from the 2008 remake of The Women was filmed at Chestnut Hill Reservoir, which is located within the Newton city limits but is directly contiguous to the Boston city limits. A notable 19th-century masonry arch bridge with views of the river and Hemlock Gorge Reservation is the Echo Bridge, which was built in the late 1800s by Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of Central Park in New York City.

Government

Newton has an elected strong mayor-council form of government. The mayor is Ruthanne Fuller, the first woman to be elected Mayor of Newton. Middlesex County was officially abolished on July 11, 1997. The sheriff and some other regional officials with specific duties are still elected locally to perform duties within the county region, but there is no county council or commission. communities are now granted the right to form their own regional compacts for sharing services. The City Council, Newton's legislative branch of municipal government, is made up of 24 members sixteen Councilors-at-large and eight Ward Councilors. Newton's school committee decides policies and budget for Newton Public Schools. It has nine voting members, consisting of the Mayor and eight at-large Ward representatives, who are elected. The makeup of the City Council is: 24 members, 16 Councilors at large, eight Ward councilors, and one at- large Ward representative. The councilors are elected every two years, and the mayor is elected every four years. The elected officials are:                                                 Ruthanne Fuller is the city's chief executive officer and appoints the Chief Administrative Officer. The city's mayor is a Democrat, as is the mayor of Newton, a Republican, and a Democrat of Watertown, a Democrat. The current mayor is Republican, John McWhorter, who was elected in 2010. The state legislature is controlled by Democrats, with Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey in the House of Representatives.

Education

Newton is home to Newton Public Schools and Newton Junior College. It is also home to Boston College, Lasell University, UMass Amherst, and Mount Ida College. Andover Newton Theological School relocated to New Haven, CT (1807-2017) and Newton College of the Sacred Heart (1946-1975) closed in 1975. The city also has a number of former colleges, including Aquinas College (1961-1999), Mount Alvernia College (1959 1973), Mount IdA College (1899-2018), and Newton University (1898-2018) Newton is also the location of the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology (MSPP) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which are located in Oak Hill and Chestnut Hill, respectively. Newton has a population of 1,816,000 (as of the 2010 census) and a population growth rate of 1.7% in the last decade. The population of Newton was 1,715,000 in the 2010 Census, up from 1,071,000 the year before. The town has a high school population of 2,077, down from 2,084,500 in the 1990 Census. The school district has a total of 12,000 students, or 1.8% of the city's population. It has one high school, Newton North High School, and two middle schools, Newton South High School and Newton North Middle School. Newton High School is located in Newton Centre, with two private high schools.

Infrastructure

Newton is well-served by three modes of mass transit run by the MBTA: light rail, commuter rail, and bus service. U.S. News & World Report ranks the hospital 13th best in the Boston metro area. The City of Newton Police Department has 139 sworn officers. The Newton Fire Department is fully paid and operates six engine companies, three ladder companies, and one rescue company from six stations. There are no major northsouth roads through Newton: every northsouth street in Newton terminates within Newton at one end or the other. The Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90), which basically follows the old Boston and Albany Railroad main line right-of-way, runs east and west through Newton. The northern villages of Newton are also served by frequent express buses that go to downtown Boston via the Massachusettsturnpike as well as Waltham. The city is home to the Newton Centre MBTA station, which has been lauded as an example of transit-oriented development. It is located at 2014 Washington Street in Newton. It has a population of 2,816. It also has a small unincorporated suburban village referred to as Chestnut Hill, which is located in the north of the city. The town has a reputation for good public schools and safe and quiet neighborhoods, making it a very desirable community for those who commute to Boston or work in Newton's businesses and industries. There is no public library in the city, but it does have a branch of the Boston Public Library.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts = 43.5. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 43. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Newton = 3.5 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 1,630 individuals with a median age of 41.1 age the population dropped by -0.64% in Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 4,987.83 residents per square mile of area (1,925.84/km²). There are average 2.48 people per household in the 31,245 households with an average household income of $104,930 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 5.60% of the available work force and has dropped -4.07% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 26.26%. The number of physicians in Newton per 100,000 population = 389.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Newton = 45.3 inches and the annual snowfall = 48.1 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 120. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 204. 84 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 18.9 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 50, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts which are owned by the occupant = 66.59%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 69 years with median home cost = $607,960 and home appreciation of -1.71%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $11.70 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $7,718 per student. There are 13.5 students for each teacher in the school, 911 students for each Librarian and 412 students for each Counselor. 3.90% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 29.13% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 38.95% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).