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| The Charles River is great for canoeing, kayaking,
fishing, boating, sight-seeing and more. |
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Outdoors,
indoors, all year round, Newton and Needham have many exciting ways
to challenge you physically and mentally. Whatever your interests, you
are sure to find an activity that suits you. Read on to learn more about
what is waiting for you.
Recreational Areas
Charles
River
Think “outdoors,” and the recreational
opportunities along the Charles River are sure to come to mind. Activities
connected with the Charles River contribute more than $100 million to
the region’s economy each year.
On the water, you can enjoy canoeing and kayaking. If it’s fishing
you love, look no further; the Charles River is home to trout and white
bass. Tour boats offer the best in river sightseeing. Boat rentals,
moorings, and boat and yacht clubs provide related services. Crew and
sailing competitions for many colleges and universities also take place
here.
Charles River Canoe & Kayak in Newton maintains a year-round schedule
of outdoor recreational opportunities along the Charles River. Spring,
summer and fall feature canoeing and kayaking at Lake Cochituate State
Park. Cygnet Rowing offers sculling instruction and coaching, while
Weston Ski Track hosts cross-country skiing with lighted trails and
advanced trail grooming.
Along the banks of the Charles River, there is open space for bird watching
and hiking as well as cross-country skiing in winter. Fall brings the
color show of the red maples, decked out in their shades of crimson.
The commitment to the preservation of the Charles River’s natural
beauty and resources for future generations is strong.
The arts also have a home on the Charles River, with concerts and activities
at the Hatch Shell. The Cambridge River Festival is another popular
event.
Newton
Parks & Recreation Department
More than 1,000 acres of land in Newton are devoted to parks and recreation.
Featuring many age-appropriate sports as well as recreational and social
activities, the Department’s divisions include Arts in the Parks,
the Mayor’s Office for Cultural Affairs, the Newton Pride Committee,
Drop-In Playgroups, Tot Watch and Forestry. Residents take pride in
the well-kept facilities, quality programs and outstanding services.
Newton invites all residents to come outside and enjoy the many areas
devoted to recreation. Here are the numbers: 16 baseball fields and
24 Little League fields; 46 basketball courts, both indoor and outdoor;
one bocce court; three field hockey fields; six football fields; three
ice skating areas; 13 lacrosse fields; two life courses for exercise;
25 youth soccer fields and 19 regulation soccer fields; 16 softball
fields; five clay tennis courts and 62 hardtop tennis courts; four year-round
supervised playgrounds; and six wooded areas.
Facilities
Newton North Recreation Complex provides fun and fitness activities
for individuals and families. Located at Newton North High School, this
facility offers a supervised yet informal approach to exercise. Enjoy
swimming, walking, jogging, volleyball, basketball and lacrosse here.
Swim lessons, lifeguard training and water-safety instruction take place
at the pool. A Nautilus center and a simulated outdoor area are also
available.
Russell J. Halloran Sports and Recreation Complex features fields for
baseball and soccer. Emerson Community Center and Lower Falls Community
Center host many large group events and celebrations, as well as classes
and other activities. Harry Gath Memorial Pool is the home for the Newton
Swim Team as well as swim lessons and summer swimming, while Crystal
Lake is a popular site for water fun and education.
Special
Programs
Families enjoy events designed just for them, including Night Watch,
where parents can drop off the kids while they go out on Saturday nights;
Day Camp for children during school vacation days; and Family Movie
Nights at West Newton Cinema.
Those over 55 keep busy with ballroom and tap dancing, aerobics, water
aerobics, bocce, card games, cribbage, basketball, walking club, day
trips, tennis and yoga. Peer Pleasure is an intergenerational program
bringing together adults over 55 and children under 5 for fun activities.
The Newton Therapeutic Recreation Program plans well-rounded activities
for those with disabilities. This program was named Best Special Olympics
Program for Massachusetts in 2003. Camp Echo Bridge serves special-needs
children from preschool through high school as well as young adults.
Sports opportunities include golf, tennis, soccer, track, swimming,
horseback riding, hockey, bowling, ice-skating and a fishing derby.
There are also teen trips, adult socials and holiday parties. Students
from Newton Schools work with the children as part of their Community
Enrichment Program.
Needham
Parks & Recreation Department
Parents and children, the young and the young-at-heart, sports enthusiasts
and occasional exercisers — all these people can benefit from the
many recreational activities in Needham. Year round, day and evening,
you can be on the move if you want to be. Choose from the following
— and get going!
Summer means swimming, and Rosemary Pool is a beautiful place to enjoy
the sun and the water. Built into Rosemary Lake, the pool features a
concrete pathway for swimmers with disabilities, lap lanes for swimming
and water walking, and a diving area. Youth swimming lessons and adaptive
aquatics for swimmers with disabilities are available. Youth ages 11
and up can volunteer in the pool’s summer programs. Nearby Rosemary
Lake is a wonderful spot for sailing in summer and ice-skating in winter.
Youth sports choices include soccer, hockey, football, basketball, lacrosse
for boys and girls, cheerleading, girls’ softball, baseball for
all age groups, swim team, and track. Charles River ARC provides recreational
opportunities for special-needs children. There are also 12 playgrounds/tot
lots; 12 asphalt-based, public tennis courts for ages 8 and older; and
seven outdoor ice skating areas.
Children have many opportunities to learn and grow in Needham. Workshops
and classes are available in creative arts, ballet, nature exploration,
skiing, snowboarding, tennis, archery for parents and children, yoga,
sledding, and outdoor ice skating inwinter. Kids also look forward to
Kids Night Out — and their parents do, too!Adults can choose to
pursue their favorite activities or learn new ones. Tennis, archery,
golf and ice-skating lessons are just a few of the choices. There is
also a summer tennis league and badminton, basketball and volleyball
games. Golf enthusiasts enjoy special hours for Needham residents at
the Needham Golf Club.
Fitness is a priority in Needham, and the Healthy Strides walking program
is good for both new and experienced walkers. FIT Trail is a 4,000-foot
wooded course with 20 stations and 32 exercises at Ridge Hill Reservation.
This 350-acre conservation and outdoor-recreation area also has hiking
and riding trails.
Those over 50 keep just as busy as everyone else with cardiovascular
exercise, aerobics, toning and stretching, and strength-training workouts.
There is also a bridge club, a golf league and an indoor walking club.
Golf Courses
Golfers are always searching for that perfect course, that perfect day
and that perfect hole-in-one. Here are some of the choices in the area:
• Brae Burn Country Club, located in West Newton, has a nine-hole
and an 18-hole private course.
• Charles River Country Club was designed by Donald Ross in 1921.
It is an 18-hole, par 70 private course in Newton.
• Leo Martin Golf Course is an 18-hole course on the border of
Newton and Weston. Built in the mid-1950s, it is one of the best courses
in the area. There is also a walking track on the grounds.
• Newton Commonwealth Golf Course, owned by the City of Newton,
is an 18-hole, par 70 public course. Built in 1897 and redesigned by
Donald Ross in 1920, it is a short but challenging course.
• Woodland Golf Course in Auburndale is a private 18-hole, par
72 course. It was founded in 1896 and was designed by Donald Ross.
• Needham Golf Club is a private 18-hole, par 70 course. Designed
by golf architect Donald Ross and built in 1923, the course is open
to Needham residents for special public hours.
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Many people go through extensive training in
order to participate in the annual Boston Marathon, which is held
annually on Patriot's Day.
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Other
Recreational Facilities
Charles
River YMCA in Needham
Open seven days a week, the Charles River YMCA combines the latest in
equipment and facilities with a wide range of activities. The facility
features a pool, a fitness center, a youth gym, a sauna and a free-weights
room. Activities include aerobics for all ages, racquetball, swimming
and many other ways to stay fit.
Special-interest classes are available for all ages. School-aged children
look forward to summer camp each year. The YMCA also has a preschool
room, playgroups and babysitting for the younger group. And the Teen
Youth Center gives teens a place to call their own.
West
Suburban YMCA in Newton
With the completion of the 10,000-square-foot gym and track; the 6-lane,
25-yard pool; and the new strength center in 2003, the West Suburban
YMCA is an exciting place to visit. Other areas in the facility are
the Nautilus Center, with 2ST equipment; the cardiovascular center;
basketball and volleyball courts; outdoor tracks; and the racquetball
and squash court. Members and visitors are welcome seven days a week.
Aquatics activities are popular with all age groups. Swimming lessons
are available for age 6 months through adult. There is also recreational
swimming for children and adults, water polo for children ages 10 and
older, the Blue Waves Swim Team for ages 6 to 18, the scuba diving course
for ages 12 and older, and water fitness classes for adults. Family
swim times are always fun.
Sports programs for children and adults are held at the YMCA and around
the city year round. During the school year, there is also an after-school
care program. For the arts, there are the toddlers’ and preschoolers’
hands-on arts programs and the children’s theater program. Summer
brings day and resident camping experiences.
Senior
Centers
Serving nearly 3,000 senior adults each year, the Newton Senior Center
provides educational, recreational and health-maintenance programs.
Food, transportation and health services are also part of the package.
Needham’s Council on Aging provides programs through the Stephen
Palmer Senior Center. The Center’s support groups, intergenerational
activities, crisis intervention, lunch service and affordable transportation
make retirement years more enjoyable.
Flynn
Recreational Complex at Boston College
This facility is open to the public from May through Labor Day. It features
an indoor pool, tennis courts and a track.
Health
Clubs
There are more than 200 health and fitness clubs in the Newton-Needham
area. Serving these two communities are Boston Sports Club in West Newton,
HealthFit in Needham, and The WellBridge Center and Jazzercise in Newton.
Associations
and Clubs
Needham Soccer Club sponsors and organizes soccer activities for area
youth. There are two 10-week seasons, fall and spring, for boys and
girls age 8 to 18. Intramural and travel teams give everyone an opportunity
to play. As part of Boston Area Youth Soccer (BAYS) and the Massachusetts
Youth Soccer Association (MYSA), the Club hosts the annual Needham Invitational
Memorial Day Tournament over Memorial Day weekend for boys’ and
girls’ competition.
The New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA)/Greater Boston Chapter
welcomes all mountain bike enthusiasts to ride on the best recreational
trails in New England. NEMBA takes pride in its wide variety of rides
and the ways it offers bikers to help maintain trails.
Newton Camera Club is sponsored by the Newton Free Library and is open
to all photographers regardless of skill level. Presentations by professionals
and slide competitions among members are just two of the group’s
activities. Semi-monthly meetings, September through April, take place
at the Nonantum Branch.
Professional
Sports and Sports Events
You may recognize the names of these teams, but coming to the Greater
Boston area is the only way to experience their spirit and the support
of their fans. Attend one game, and you won’t want to miss any
others.
The Boston Red Sox last won the World Series in 1918 — but there
is always next year! Fenway Park in Boston is their home field. Look
for the Green Monster in left field. From Babe Ruth to Ted Williams
to Roger Clemens, the Sox have always thrilled fans with great baseball.
The Boston Celtics play some of the best basketball in the country at
the FleetCenter in Boston. Boasting 28 players in the Hall of Fame and
16 National Basketball Association Championships, the Green and White
have been on the sports scene since 1946.
The Boston Bruins team is one of the oldest franchises in the National
Hockey League. Enjoy their expertise on the ice at the FleetCenter.
The New England Patriots, the 2002 Super Bowl champions, play in Gillette
Stadium just south of Boston. The New England Revolution brings the
best in major league soccer to Gillette Stadium. Born in 1995, the team
has enjoyed a warm welcome and loyal support from many fans.
The Boston Marathon
Probably one of the most well-known competitions in sports is the Boston
Marathon. Held each year on Patriots’ Day (the Monday closest to
April 19), this is a classic challenge. Thousands of runners from all
over the world, both professional and amateur, compete in the 26-mile
race from Hopkinton to Copley Square in Boston. This is an event for
anyone who loves to run or who loves running. Thousands of spectators
line the route, helping to make it the great event that it is.
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