It’s always exciting visiting an open house and imagining what your life would be like in that new home. You pull up to the driveway, and notice the perfectly placed flowers and the freshly manicured lawn with not a blade of grass out of place. Every detail is perfect and exudes curb appeal.
Inside the perfectly staged, newly painted rooms, visible vacuum lines crisscross the carpet. It takes only a few minutes for you to seamlessly imagine your furniture, your lamps, your pictures—your life—arranged in this new space. It’s easy to get pulled into the swirl of it all and before you know it you’ve signed on the dotted line and committed the next chapter of your life to managing this professionally staged space.
Maintenance of a home – both inside and out – takes work, time, money, and attention. It includes shoveling, mowing, raking, painting, and caulking. It also takes replacing things when they wear out, break, or leak. With all the time and expense needed to maintain your home, when will you have the time to actually enjoy it? When will you have the time and the money to enjoy your life, and well, live?
Don and Vivian Doolittle moved to Lancaster from Charleston, South Carolina. Originally from New Jersey, they wanted to move back north to be closer to their adult children. They chose Willow Valley Communities for several reasons, not the least of which was their desire for a carefree, maintenance-free, and worry-free lifestyle. The Doolittles wanted to spend their time pursuing activities they are passionate about, not worrying about home maintenance. They say that is where they want to be at this time of their lives.
Vivian explains, “We live in an apartment at Willow Valley Communities where everything is conveniently right here.” She means award-winning amenities like a 30,000 sq. ft. Clubhouse with outdoor pool, tennis courts, bowling alleys, golf simulator, and vintage arcade; an 80,000 sq. ft. Cultural Center with fitness and aquatic centers, Day Spa, 500-seat Performing Arts Theater with world class performances, twelve culinary venues, and more. They are all located throughout Willow Valley Communities’ 210 meticulously manicured acres right outside the Doolittles’ apartment door. Willow Valley Communities is not only extraordinarily walkable, it also offers convenient regular transportation services across campus so it’s easy for the Doolittles to go anywhere they want to go and do anything they want to do.
The Doolittles also have fun exploring Lancaster and beyond. From visiting engaging tourist destinations with their family to dining out at some of the area’s nationally known restaurants, they say it’s no surprise that U.S. News & World Report ranks Lancaster as the #1 Place to Retire in the U.S. for 2022-2023. (Lancaster is consistently in the top 5 year after year.)
If the weather is bad, the Doolittles say they don’t have to walk outside at all if they don’t want to. Culinary venues—including a wine bar—plus a bank and other services are all within inside walking distance of their apartment. And if that bad weather means snow, it’s Willow Valley Communities’ grounds teams, not the Doolittles, who take care of shoveling the sidewalks. And while inside their apartment, if any repairs or fixes are needed, they are arranged with a quick phone call to Willow Valley Communities’ on-site maintenance team.
The Doolittles also enjoy far away travel, often arranged through Willow Valley Communities. “Everything is taken care of,” explains Vivian. “Just pack and get on the bus to the airport!”
Donald and Vivian Doolittle chose to move for the extraordinary lifestyle Willow Valley Communities has been known for close to 40 years. But the Doolittles also chose Willow Valley Communities for the peace of mind of its Type A Lifecare contract. Lifecare means that if Don or Vivian ever need an enhanced level of care, their monthly service fee will not increase because of that need. Willow Valley Communities is the only exclusively Type A Lifecare community in Lancaster County.
“So you see,” Vivian chuckled, “maintenance-free is not just within your four walls. It goes far beyond that. From a clogged sink in my kitchen all the way to arranging a European trip, my life at Willow Valley Communities is maintenance-free and more importantly, it’s carefree.”
With maintenance and grounds teams at the ready, a strong tradition of hospitality excellence, and the promise of Lifecare, all residents at Willow Valley Communities enjoy the Life Lived Forward lifestyle they desire.
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Spring is the perfect season for you to discover a carefree lifestyle for yourself at Willow Valley Communities. Our Discovery Tour is the perfect introduction to our beautiful community. On the tour, you'll see one-and two-bedroom model apartments, explore some of our award-winning amenities, and have the opportunity to ask all of your questions about senior living in a relaxed, casual atmosphere. Reserve your seat at our next Discovery Tour on February 23, 2023 willowvalleycommunities.org/visit or call 800.770.5445.
