Survey Says: Lexington Center’s a Shopping and Dining Destination

But improved parking and more independent/specialty stores are desired.

  As part of the Lexington Center Committee’s ongoing effort to figure out how to keep the town center vibrant and viable, the committee engaged a group of Bentley University undergrads to study the downtown central business district. Part of the students’ study was a 23-question survey made available to Lexington residents and others who visit the center, asking about their likes and dislikes about suburban downtowns in general and Lexington’s specifically.  About 700 respondents completed the survey, about 89 percent were Lexington residents and 77 percent were women, according to the LCC. “The survey validated some things,” said Jerry Michelson, chairman of the Center Committee. “Some of the information is things we’ve heard anecdotally…

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Join the Conversation: What Should Go Here?

We asked earlier this week what should fill the space vacated by the now-closed young women's clothing store 344. Suggestions so far include diners, book stores and the equivalent of 'anything but another bank.' Weigh in with your ideas.

Visions for Vacancies in Lexington: What Should Replace 344?

Any ideas about what you'd like to see open at the young womens clothing store's former home?

Welcome to Visions for Vacancies, a Patch feature and a place where you can weigh in with your ideas about what kind of businesses you’d like to see occupying empty storefronts around town. Every so often, we’ll highlight a vacant building, storefront or structure around town. And we’ll leave it you, the Lexington community, to sound off on what you’d like to see there before any plans go before town boards. This week we’re in Lexington Center, looking at the empty space next at 1751 Mass Ave., the former home of 344, the young women's clothing store that closed earlier this month.  It's a prime location right in the heart of town. What would you like to behind those glass walls? The Center is already home to several eateries, shops, banks…

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Judith Ligor

9:15 am on Saturday, February 23, 2013

I like the idea of a "Stevens Market". It woud be a nice place to also pick up locally grown/produced items. Lexington fare type of store. I think I would rather grab some milk and bread (maybe fruit) there then the CVS.   more ›

With LCC, Bentley Students Will Explore Lexington Center's Future

A group of LCC member Peter Siy's students at Bentley will create a web-based survey seeking residents input on the future of the downtown business district. Results will be presented at the end of the Spring 2013 semester.

The following information was provided on behalf of the Lexington Center Committee. As part of the Lexington Center Committee’s role in advising the Lexington Board of Selectmen, LCC chair Jerry Michelson has engaged Bentley University’s undergraduate students who focus on business improvement in their hands-on Integrated Business Project course. Michelson and the LCC are actively engaged in providing a clear vision for Lexington’s downtown central business district (CBD) to the Board of Selectmen. And Peter Siy, a member of the Center Committee is a teaching executive in residence at Bentley, and one of the professors responsible for the business core course Integrated Business Project(s).The committee and class come together this …

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PHOTOS: Trick-or-Treaters Take Lexington

Hurricane Sandy didn't stop hordes of ninjas, princesses, story book characters and Avengers from storming Lexington Center and surrounding neighborhoods for Halloween trick-or-treating.

The severe weather Hurricane Sandy brought earlier this week was plenty scary, but it didn't stop trick-or-treaters from hitting this streets this Halloween. During the afternoon of Oct. 31, hordes of ninjas, princesses, story book characters and Avengers stormed Lexington Center and business areas on Bedford Street, East Lexington and Five Forks for the Lexington Retailer's Association's 12th annual Halloween Trick or Treat with Local Businesses. Consensus among the parents in tow during the afternoon event was that the LRA trick-or-treat would be in advance of evening trick-or-treating, rather than instead of it. And among those who said it would replace any evening trick-or-treating, several of them said skipping the nighttime activity …

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Visions for Vacancies in Lexington: 1646 Mass Ave

What would you like to see fill this vacant space for lease in Lexington Center?

Welcome to Visions for Vacancies, a Patch feature and a place where you can weigh in with your ideas about what kind of businesses you’d like to see occupying empty storefronts around town. Most weeks, we'll highlight a vacant building, storefront or structure around town. And we leave it you, the Lexington community, to sound off on what you’d like to see there before any plans go before town boards. This week we’re taking another look at 1646 Massachusetts Ave., a residential-style building in Lexington Center that's advertising retail and office space for lease. The vacanct storefront is located on the eastern edge of the restaurants, retail and office space along Mass Ave in Lexington Center, and just a short walk from the high school…

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POLL: How Walkable is Lexington?

Is this town easy to get around on foot?

Over the past few months, school bus fees, MBTA budgets, the new Lexpress fleet and F-18s out of Hanscom have been the transportation talk of the town. But planes, trains and automobiles aren’t the only ways to get around. Well known is the Minuteman Bikeway, which runs through town. But that’s not what we’re talking about today. According to the website WalkScore.com, Lexington lands a “Very Walkable” Walk Score of 75 out of 100. However, a second search on the same website results in a depleted “Car-Dependent” score of just 39 out of 100.  Go figure. Lexington's score falls best score falls short of some neighboring communities, like Arlington (a "Walker's Paradise" at 94 of 100) and Concord (a "Very Walkable" score of 80), but bests …

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Hank Manz

9:26 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012

There are major glitches and far too many streets have sidewalks on only one side, but you can get around on foot. When combined with Lexpress, the T, and a bike, things aren't bad. Walking to the mall in Burlington can be a little hard on the nerves because of that stretch past the quarry where there are no sidewalks. The other day I needed a box of nails and the car was over a mile away. A …   more ›

Which Roads Would You Like to See Repaved in Lexington?

Tell us where you would (or would not) like to see road work in town.

Road work is all around town, including the latest interruptions on Waltham Street heading in or out of Lexington Center. But is the road you travel most being repaved, torn up or interrupted for some other reason? The town lists the year's road repaving and reconstruction projects on its website, but we want to know what roads in town you think are most in need of repairs, repaving or overlay work. (Click here for the latest list of 2012 engineering construction projects.) Are they county or state roads? Or local roads as you travel through the neighborhood? Share your ideas about which roads and why in the comment section below.

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Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today: June 13

Surveys, summer classes, meetings and more today in Lexington.

1. Meet and Greet the New VSO: Lexington's Human Services staff is hosting know, a Veterans' Service Officer (VSO) meet-and-greet with new VSO Ryan Lennon from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Lexington Senior Center. 2. Today in Public Meetings: According to the town website, public meetings posted for today include: the Lexington Center Committee at 8 a.m. at the Town Office Building; the Board of Selectmen at 1 p.m. at the Town Office Building; the Council on Aging at 2 p.m. at the Senior Center; the Transportation Advisory Committee at 3 p.m. at the Town Office Building and the Energy Conservation Committee at 6 p.m. at the DPW Building. 3. New Selections of Summer Classes and Workshops: The Lexington Arts and Crafts Society has announced a …

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This Space Is Reserved -- For Cyclists

A new bicycle parking pilot program is launching this weekend in Lexington Center.

Lexington Center is about to get a little bit more bicycle-friendly, thanks to a new pilot parking program taking effect this weekend. Starting this Saturday, May 19, the pilot program will temporarily convert one automobile parking space at 1720 Massachusetts Ave. into a space reserved for 15 to 20 bicycles. That bike parking space will be available to the public on weekends through Oct. 28, according to an announcement from the town. “The pilot offers Lexington Center a great new public amenity which complements the town’s well-used bike path and draws more people and economic activity into our Center,” Melisa Tintocalis, the town’s director of Economic Development, said in a press release. This parking space involved in the pilot …

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