About Us
Support Arlington Center is a citizens' group dedicated to keeping Arlington Center thriving with diverse, successful small businesses. It was started in June 2016 during the alarming rate of empty storefronts and exorbitant rent increases. The group works with Town members, business owners and the community to encourage shopping and dining in Arlington Center. The group consists of Arlington residents, business owners, and visitors who love and support Arlington Center. We feel a special responsibility as the site of Town Hall, Robbins Library, Arlington High School, the Town Garden, Arlington Town Day, Jason Russell House, Cyrus Dallin Museum, Spy Pond, the Boys and Girls Club, the Senior Center, the main post office, and much more.
Historic Arlington Center attracts people to its restaurants, shops, and theaters, and other cultural and community amenities, from fitness to the arts. Despite Arlington’s skyrocketing housing market, we have been concerned to see an increasing number of storefronts go empty over the past few years. This impacts the entire community, and inhibits the success of our downtown.
Our goal is to keep the Center an exciting and meaningful destination. We want to empower and support existing businesses and to encourage new businesses to invest in Arlington Center.
Please join the conversation on Facebook, as we have more than 1,200 members to date. For additional questions, email Support Arlington Center.
Co-Founders
Alyssa Krimsky Clossey
Alyssa is a co-founder of Support Arlington Center. She has been a resident of Arlington since 2000, and loves her town. She considers Arlington Center a special, small town with a strong community, and loves the hardworking, warm, friendly owners of the retail stores in the Center. Alyssa was proudly raised in Cambridge, MA and has high hopes for Arlington Center to become an even more vibrant, exciting center with a diverse community. She does not shop in malls, and much prefers to shop locally and support small businesses. Alyssa recently launched Theater Mama Reviews, a site that provides an in depth review of Broadway, off-Broadway, regional shows, and more.
Nicole St. Clair Knobloch
Nicole is a co-founder of Support Arlington Center, as well as a Town Meeting Member. She first moved to Arlington in 2010 to join her husband, who moved here in 1994. One of the first things she loved about Arlington was the opportunity to meet and get to know the owners of local stores and restaurants. She also loves the proximity of those businesses to open space treasures like Spy Pond and Menotomy Rocks Park, and believes the combination of natural beauty and a vibrant commercial center supports Arlington as a special community.
Jeanne Tift
Jeanne is a co-founder of Support Arlington Center. She first moved to Arlington in 2002, and loves living in the center, with the opportunity to walk to so many places and run into friends and neighbors often. Jeanne is originally from Georgia, but loves her adopted home of Arlington, and has high hopes for the Center to remain and grow as a vibrant, exciting location with a diverse community. She shops locally and supports small businesses, especially in Arlington, whenever possible.
Historic Arlington Center attracts people to its restaurants, shops, and theaters, and other cultural and community amenities, from fitness to the arts. Despite Arlington’s skyrocketing housing market, we have been concerned to see an increasing number of storefronts go empty over the past few years. This impacts the entire community, and inhibits the success of our downtown.
Our goal is to keep the Center an exciting and meaningful destination. We want to empower and support existing businesses and to encourage new businesses to invest in Arlington Center.
Please join the conversation on Facebook, as we have more than 1,200 members to date. For additional questions, email Support Arlington Center.
Co-Founders
Alyssa Krimsky Clossey
Alyssa is a co-founder of Support Arlington Center. She has been a resident of Arlington since 2000, and loves her town. She considers Arlington Center a special, small town with a strong community, and loves the hardworking, warm, friendly owners of the retail stores in the Center. Alyssa was proudly raised in Cambridge, MA and has high hopes for Arlington Center to become an even more vibrant, exciting center with a diverse community. She does not shop in malls, and much prefers to shop locally and support small businesses. Alyssa recently launched Theater Mama Reviews, a site that provides an in depth review of Broadway, off-Broadway, regional shows, and more.
Nicole St. Clair Knobloch
Nicole is a co-founder of Support Arlington Center, as well as a Town Meeting Member. She first moved to Arlington in 2010 to join her husband, who moved here in 1994. One of the first things she loved about Arlington was the opportunity to meet and get to know the owners of local stores and restaurants. She also loves the proximity of those businesses to open space treasures like Spy Pond and Menotomy Rocks Park, and believes the combination of natural beauty and a vibrant commercial center supports Arlington as a special community.
Jeanne Tift
Jeanne is a co-founder of Support Arlington Center. She first moved to Arlington in 2002, and loves living in the center, with the opportunity to walk to so many places and run into friends and neighbors often. Jeanne is originally from Georgia, but loves her adopted home of Arlington, and has high hopes for the Center to remain and grow as a vibrant, exciting location with a diverse community. She shops locally and supports small businesses, especially in Arlington, whenever possible.
Advisor
The Advisory Role is a liaison to local businesses and business development organizations (such as Arlington Entrepreneurs, Arlington Chamber of Commerce and Town of Arlington's zoning and economic development team/s). Such a role includes the following: suggests projects and events to increase Arlington Center's visibility and economic activity (cash mobs, pop-up stores, public art displays, etc); collects and/or writes articles and press releases featuring local businesses in Arlington Center; and helps to keep the issues related to empty storefronts front and center in peoples' minds.
Margy Rydzynski
Margy is an Advisor for Support Arlington Center, and is the Founder and Community Manager of Arlington Entrepreneurs. Arlington Entrepreneurs is a networking and business development organization for micro-business, offering free membership and open to small businesses in the Arlington area. There are over 200 members; most of them are self-employed and either work from home or rent a single office in a larger building. In addition, some of her members also run small storefront businesses throughout Arlington. Margy lives in Arlington Center and is strongly committed to its economic vitality; it is truly the heart - and soul - of the Town. Her goal is to keep Arlington Center strong, prosperous and locally owned. Learn more about Arlington Entrepreneurs and contact Margy @ arlingtonentrepreneurs.org for access information.
The Advisory Role is a liaison to local businesses and business development organizations (such as Arlington Entrepreneurs, Arlington Chamber of Commerce and Town of Arlington's zoning and economic development team/s). Such a role includes the following: suggests projects and events to increase Arlington Center's visibility and economic activity (cash mobs, pop-up stores, public art displays, etc); collects and/or writes articles and press releases featuring local businesses in Arlington Center; and helps to keep the issues related to empty storefronts front and center in peoples' minds.
Margy Rydzynski
Margy is an Advisor for Support Arlington Center, and is the Founder and Community Manager of Arlington Entrepreneurs. Arlington Entrepreneurs is a networking and business development organization for micro-business, offering free membership and open to small businesses in the Arlington area. There are over 200 members; most of them are self-employed and either work from home or rent a single office in a larger building. In addition, some of her members also run small storefront businesses throughout Arlington. Margy lives in Arlington Center and is strongly committed to its economic vitality; it is truly the heart - and soul - of the Town. Her goal is to keep Arlington Center strong, prosperous and locally owned. Learn more about Arlington Entrepreneurs and contact Margy @ arlingtonentrepreneurs.org for access information.
