The Trails

The Trails sits in a newer neighborhood near Legacy Farms, close to both the Ashland and Southborough MBTA stations, with Rt. 135 running through for easy access to I-495 and other roads, and it offers a mix of assisted living, independent living, and memory care services under one roof for people needing different kinds of help as they age, so there's options from light daily help to specialized memory care for folks with memory loss and cognitive concerns. The setting includes over 500 acres of open space, and even though the development's had its fair share of stormwater issues and conservation fines that folks in town have had to talk about now and then, there are walking paths, the Fern Glen Trail starting at the high school, and other trails, like ones made from stone dust, plus there's work still underway to finish out paths, pocket parks, and even a small parking lot near Abbott Farm. The homes have nine-foot ceilings, hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, gas fireplaces, two-car garages, and master suites mostly on the first floor, with modern farmhouse looks mixed with New England touches, and most homes giving you 2,100 to 2,500 square feet, plus options for basement space if you need that later on, with kitchen and bathroom cabinetry choices, Kohler fixtures, kitchen islands, 2.5 bathrooms, plus a patio or deck to sit on when the weather's nice. People who live here can get laundry and housekeeping, meal planning with professional chefs who handle food allergies, diabetes-friendly choices, and special requests, and restaurant-style dining all day, with move-in help and transportation help thrown in. Residents find outdoor trails that hook right up with Hopkinton State Park for boating, walking, swimming, and community gardening in beds the folks at Weston Nurseries set up, along with bocce courts, a dog park, arts and crafts room, library, community room, movie theater, and fitness options, not to mention the spa, sauna, and wellness room for relaxing or working on your health. Staff provide round-the-clock supervision and safety call systems, help with bathing and dressing when it's needed, medication management, and scheduled programs, along with support for family members who want to stay involved. Since this area was planned as an open-space mixed-use development, there's also a diner, small shops, a weekend farmers' market in Hopkinton Center nearby, and regular outreach with community meetings and trail walks, plus a guest speaker coming to talk about pedestrian routes. While the whole place is still working through some environmental and building issues-like stormwater runoff into Ashland's reservoir which the conservation people keep checking on-residents seem to value the mix of comfort, access to nature and trails, and plenty of places to keep busy or meet neighbors around the bocce court, community garden, or even just out on a walk.