The commercial area extends across the Charles River into Wellesley, where it is known as Wellesley Lower Falls, where a majority of the retail businesses are located.

The Charles River drops 18 feet over less than one-quarter mile at Lower Falls.

A series of three small dams with fish ladders are located along the drop.

The area is now a suburban neighborhood centered on the park at the old Hamilton elementary school (now Lower Falls Community Center), and bordered on the northwest by the Charles River and the Leo J. Martin public golf course.

[1] The historic heart of the Lower Falls village, St. Mary's Episcopal Church, and the adjacent residential area on Grove Street, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Newton Lower Falls Historic District.