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Springfield is the second biggest metropolis in Massachusetts after Boston, and there are some real benefits to coming in second place when it comes to population centers. Small towns don't offer much to do, but big cities make it too easy to lose track of people, so a place like Springfield combines the best features of both. Speaking of things to do, here are a few ideas which both locals and visitors might like to try. 1. The Basketball Hall of Fame Every major sport in America has its own Hall of Fame, a place to honor the history of the sport and its greatest athletes and coaches, and for basketball the Hall happens to be in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame sits just off I-91 along the Connecticut River, just south of Memorial Bridge. The site includes the Hall of Fame itself, hundreds of interactive exhibits, several restaurants where you can get a bite to eat, a gift shop, and an auditorium where a new class of inductees joins the Hall every year. 2. The Springfield Museums and Sculpture Garden It's amazing that the one-stop-shop idea never caught on with regard to museums. The Smithsonian down in Washington certainly does well by it, and over the course of almost 100 years Springfield has gathered two art museums, one science museum, and one history museum in one place. You can even visit them all with just one ticket. And because all of that clearly isn't enough to fill one afternoon, you can also find the Springfield City Library nearby and the Dr. Seuss Memorial Sculpture Garden, a quirky yet beautiful site the city constructed to honor one of Springfield's most famous sons. 3. Symphony Hall Just north of the Hall of Fame are CityStage and Symphony Hall, a venue which happens to be on the Off-Broadway circuit. Aside from plays, Symphony Hall also plays host to dozens of concerts (both classical and otherwise), speakers, and children's entertainment. The Hall was renovated as recently as 2004, so it's still in great shape. Symphony Hall also happens to sit right across from Springfield City Hall, and the two buildings were constructed as a set, with a tall clock tower between them. Even if you don't stop by for an event, it's a place worth visiting for a lunch break. 4. Forest Park "Forest Park" may sound like an uninspired name, but it's surprisingly accurate: it is indeed both a forest and a park. Roughly two miles across, Forest Park offers a lovely view for hikers and bikers who simply want to wander around Fountain Lake and Porter Lake. It also hosts the Forest Park Zoo, baseball diamonds, tennis courts, football and soccer fields, and a playground. Lastly, if you stop by in December, you can see the Bright Lights, the Northeast's premier holiday lighting event. Springfield isn't the biggest city around, but that's a good thing. It still has plenty of unique places to visit, and residents are always in easy driving distance of some real Northeastern wilderness.   Image via Flickr by Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism under use of CC BY-ND 2.0

For someone looking through used car listings, Toyota's high resale value doesn't seem nearly as positive as the company makes it out to be. After all, unless you're on the hunt for a classic car, the only reason you're buying used is that you're on the lookout for a bargain, and bargains don't come as easily to Toyota dealerships as they do to other automakers. Fortunately, "harder" doesn't mean "impossible," and there are still plenty of inexpensive used Toyota vehicles which you can find for under $15,000 and which have the bonus of Toyota's well-known dependability. Here are some deals you can find on your local Toyota dealer's lot today. 2015 Toyota Corolla The Corolla is arguably the bestselling car of all time, potentially even bigger than the VW Beetle, and one reason it's done so well is that it provides a lot of features for not a lot of money. New Corolla compact sedans start at just a few thousand over 15k to begin with, so it's no surprise that used Corollas start entering that sweet spot straight away. The Corolla is small and efficient, getting 37 EPA-estimated miles per gallon on the highway, newer models come with Entune even on the low trim levels, and 2014 and later Toyota Corollas feature a full eight air bags. 2014 Toyota Yaris The Yaris is another inexpensive vehicle, so inexpensive that even some new models start at under $15,000. With a few years and a few thousand miles, even the five-door Yaris models have trouble staying valued at over $10,000. As a subcompact, the Yaris may be on the small side, but its hatchback design helps make up the difference, and its fuel efficiency has sat at 35-37 highway mpg for at least half a decade. Just about every used Yaris has a price tag of under $15,000, but if you look back a couple of years, you'll be able to get more optional features for even less. 2014 Toyota Camry Toyota's midsize sedan comes with a little more size and a lot more options. The newest generation began with the 2012 model year, but even before that the Camry was a remarkably efficient vehicle with a lot of features to offer: the highway mileage jumped from 33 to 35 in 2012, which is where it's remained ever since. It's also the first year in which the Camry came with a full ten air bags, including two for the front knees and two side air bags for the rear seats. It was this attention to detail that helped earn the Camry a five-star safety rating with the NHTSA. Toyota vehicles may retain their value for a long time, but many of them are bargains to begin with and only become better bargains with age. You may have to look back a few years if you want to find an Avalon or a Sequoia for under $15,000, but even if you don't buy a car from the latest generation, you can trust that your pre-owned Toyota vehicle will still run strong for many years to come. Image via Dealeron