Arlington's Great Meadows

For many years there was a nursing home at the end of Emerson Gardens Road, and its parking lot was a major access point for AGM. The nursing home (marked on the old maps as the Golden Living Center) closed in 2018 and the land was sold for development.  As a consequence, that entrance was closed for about three years.  The new project now completed is called Lexington Meadows.

That entrance to AGM was opened again in the Spring of 2022, but the parking lot next to AGM is now gone.  Instead, there are some public parking spots available at the intersection of Emerson Gardens and Bryant Road, and a gravel path of about 1/8 of a mile from there to the entrance to AGM. 

The following map shows the parking locations just east of the intersection and the path winding next to the Emerson Garden Condos until it reaches AGM.  The photo shows the handicap parking spot and the start of the gravel path leading to AGM. — David White

From Google Maps 11/28/22

Arlington’s Great Meadows is a 183-acre parcel of land owned by Arlington located in east Lexington adjacent to the Minuteman Bikeway. It is the largest piece of undeveloped land in the Arlington/Lexington area, serving as public open space for the surrounding communities.
View the AGM brochure and Tour Guide, and more about AGM.

Photos by Harvey Cote, Ellen Finnie, David White.

Thanks to everyone who helped with the Great Meadows boardwalk repair project. Dozens of people participated – families, individuals and an Arlington scout pack. Over 100 boards were replaced and the boardwalks are now in much better shape than before. We expect, considering that the age of these boardwalks, that these efforts will be repeated in the future as more treads need replacement.

After fifteen years the boardwalks at Arlington’s Great Meadows need some repairs. It’s basically a matter of replacing some rotting boards on the walkway. The Friends group have assembled materials & tools for the repair close to AGM. However, because of COVID-19 we are not able to plan a typical workday where people just show up.

We are going to try a team/pod approach where people put together a team (2+), and we provide what you need. You schedule a time (can be during the week or on a weekend) and come by to get a set of materials & tools and go to the site and do the work. This both gives flexibility as to time and also avoids groups of strangers. We have written and video instructions, and experienced people will be available by phone to provide guidance. This provides an opportunity to get your family out of the house into fresh air.

We are starting this effort on Saturday September 19. If interested, please contact David White (dwhite@gilbertwhite.com) or Lorelle Yee (lorelleyee@yahoo.com) for more information and to schedule a time.

Repair video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zhRo6s9-iK4lQrN8oFRNNVv0hk1dtLZm/view?usp=sharing

Repair Instructions: Boardwalk Repair Instructions.pdf