I was born and raised in Newton in two different parts of town. First, I was born on the south side off of Parker St where we lived until I turned nine. I have great memories of life on the south side, learning to ride a bike on my street, a quick walk to school and playing in the neighborhood from sun-up to sun-down. The South side gets a lot of credit for being T accessible, having an extremely robust Newton Center with upscale shops and restaurants and a hub for community activities. When we moved to the North Side of Newton, we enjoyed the commuter rail, easy Pike access, a robust Newtonville community and Newton North High School with its vocational school, indoor pool and TV studio. Newton North was rebuilt in 2010 and at that time was the most expensive public high school in the country at $200 Million.

The city of Newton is located just 7 miles West of Boston and is comprised of 13 small villages each with its own neighborhood and unique feel. It has over 88,000 residents and covers over 18 square miles. Newton regularly is ranked on National lists as one of the best places to live in the country and is home to some of the most educated people in the US. There are over 12,000 students enrolled in the highly regarded schools including 15 elementary schools, 3 middle schools and 2 high schools, as well as 2 alternative high schools and an integrated preschool program. Often referred to as the Garden City, Newton has loads of green space, public parks and playgrounds. It also has Newton-Wellesley Hospital, many places of worship and Crystal Lake for swimming, fishing or boating.