Rarely will you find a village of Newton with so much pizzazz and swagger. Auburndale, less formally known as “The Dale,” breeds champions. The next time you see a Williams kid, give them a high five or just a nice, “You rock!” The select few strong and determined Dale natives who end up going to South deserve to be appreciated. You see, kids from the Dale have to sacrifice a lot to go to South, and by a lot I mean an extra 20 minutes in the morning. In addition, kids from the Dale often have to deal with stress when attempting to find rides home and ridicule for living closer to Wellesley Center than Newton Center. Many weak Dale natives who aren’t able to handle the commitment or the stress opt out of going to South with the easy option: Newton North. North, between five and 10 minutes from the Dale, is where the uncommitted, undedicated Dale natives go. Darwinism occurs, thus leaving the strongest individuals to excel at South.
So, I strongly urge you to give the Dale a chance; stop by (it’s worth the 20 minute car ride) and see where the magic happens. Cruise along Woodland Road and hit up some Lasell kids (Danny), or if that’s not your idea of fun you can always grab breakfast or lunch at the Knotty Pine. Ask any local, and they will tell you: The Dale has lots to offer, way more than what you might think. So, I’d like to cordially invite you to take a trip to the Dale and explore some new terrain! And, to help make your visit the best it can be, I have chosen to elaborate on several visitor-friendly hot spots around town:
Suicide Hill: It’s 9:00 p.m. on a Tuesday night, and you’ve been refreshing the Newton Public Schools website every five minutes. Your heart almost stops when you hear a ringing noise, and you race to the phone, praying that it will be the superintendent (Super Nintendo, that is, if you’re part of the Hyun family). You let out a sigh of relief, for your prayers have been answered as you receive the news of a snow day. You start to think about what you could do but can’t think of anything exciting enough. But have no fear, the Dale is near … ish! I invite you to grab a sled, a pair of snow pants and courage and head over to the Woodland Golf Course, home of the infamous “Suicide Hill.” Suicide Hill, comparable to the Boston Tea Party at Canobie Lake, is a sledding hill for the elite, top-of-the-line sledders and is complete with a near vertical drop-off into a pit of doom (aka. snow filled sand trap). No worries if you’re not a pro at sledding; Woodland Golf course has excellent terrain for all sledding levels and is just a short walk from the Riverside T stop.
Riverside T Stop: Riverside Station is an exciting, beautiful, bustling hub of transportation activity! Trains, buses, shuttles … you name it, Riverside has it! If you’re ever on your way back from Boston on the green line, I urge you to take a risk and stay on the train until you reach its final destination: Riverside. Not only will you be able to explore the Dale, but you will also be able to finally see where the trains all end up (it’s actually pretty cool). If you want to take an even bigger risk, you can hop on a Fung Wah bus to New York City and hit up the Big Apple real quick, see some shows, walk around, hang out. But why would you want to do that and miss out on chilling in the Dale? Neighboring the Riverside T stop are office buildings, Hobo Hill and the newest addition to the Dale, the Hotel Indigo. If none of those sound too fun, you can head out to Grove Street, take a left, walk for about three minutes and reach Lasell Village.
Lasell Village/Lasell: Back in the late ’90s, Tom DeWitt, the president of Lasell College, decided to develop a meadow into a retirement home, Lasell Village. If you’re in the mood for a stroll through the woods, Lasell Village is for you! Paths around Lasell Village are good for getting in touch with nature, and if you’re lucky, you can even become friends with some of the residents! If you’re SUPER lucky, you might even bump into my grandma (three generations … that’s dedication to the Dale right there). If fishing is your thing, you can probably manage to catch a guppy or something in the little pond behind the Village. If you’re more of a party animal, you’ll want to make the voyage to the Dale to see Lasell College at night. With a little determination and a smile, you can be sure to make new friends on campus, and maybe you can get invited to a rockin’ party. Be careful though; don’t get into any trouble!
The Knotty Pine/Tom’s: Ever find yourself hungry and craving food from somewhere new and exciting? Head to the Dale! Don’t be scared away by the interior design of the Knotty Pine; It’s way better than it looks. Both tasty and cheap, the Knotty Pine, located in Auburndale Square, is an old favorite of many Dale natives and has delicious pancakes and sandwiches that can brighten anyone’s day. For a more Italian approach, there is always Tom’s Pizza, also located right in the square. Tom’s is an important landmark in the Dale and has a variety of foods including pizza, subs AND fried haddock. Yum. The Dale is also the home to the World Headquarters (!) of Finagle-a-Bagel (77 Rowe Street). Not only are these headquarters a delicious place to get some bagels, but it also doubles as a museum. If you’ve ever wondered how bagels are made, when Finagle was opened or any other important information about bagels, you should probably check it out!
So, my fellow South students who live in the Dale, hopefully I have opened your eyes to some super awesome new hang out spots. If you don’t, I hope I’ve convinced you to make the voyage to this side of town. I promise you won’t be disappointed! Give the Dale a chance!
