Resident Loves the Friends and Fun She Enjoys at Lantern Hill

A day in the life of Lantern Hill resident Marge Mueller includes card games with new friends and a swim in the pool, among other activities!

Whether it's playing a lively game of cards in the morning or joining neighbors for a cocktail before dinner, Marge Mueller's day is filled with friends and fun at Lantern Hill , an Erickson Senior Living community in New Providence, N.J.

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"Everyone is so friendly," she says. In fact, as we spoke on the phone, her next-door neighbor stopped by to see if she wanted to get together later for a margarita. "It's wonderful to have so many friends here."

And with her hometown of Basking Ridge, N.J., just 10 miles from Lantern Hill, she still meets with longtime friends regularly.

'Nothing compared'

When she began to consider choosing a retirement community, she was living in a three-level townhouse. "I had recently had knee surgery, so I knew it was time to move," Marge recalls. Deanna, one of her four adult children, encouraged her to look at Lantern Hill. "I also knew a few people who lived here," she adds.

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Having worked in the real estate industry for 50 years, Marge was especially impressed with Lantern Hill's design and architecture.

"I loved the look of it," she says. "I had shown clients some 55-plus and continuing care retirement communities in the past, but nothing compared to Lantern Hill, especially once I learned about all the amenities . I love the on-site aquatics center!"

Since settling into her one-level apartment home, Marge has made the most of these amenities and found plenty of interests to pursue, such as playing Hand and Foot Canasta and revising a resident booklet listing all the community's clubs and activities.

Dinner with friends

"The variety of dining options was another big factor for me choosing Lantern Hill," Marge notes. "Bistro 1720 opened shortly after I moved in, and it's located in Bell Pavilion where I live. It's so convenient, and I like all the different menu choices."

She also appreciates that residents can reserve private rooms for when family or friends are in town.

"Whether you're dining with family, friends, or neighbors, our restaurants are a great place to socialize," notes Ryan Fitzpatrick, associate executive director at Lantern Hill.

"In fact," he adds, "we have a new resident-run program called Meet and Eat that brings new residents together to dine and talk with some of Lantern Hill's leaders. I recently attended one, along with our dining director, and we had great conversations about life at Lantern Hill. Residents asked us questions and got to know us better."

There's also the Dining Buddies program, which pairs new residents with others who have shared interests.

Abundant amenities

"Many prospective residents want an active, vibrant lifestyle, and they are certainly going to get it here," says Fitzpatrick. "Thanks to our maintenance-free apartment homes and array of amenities and clubs, residents can be as engaged as they wish."

Without worrying about the hassle of time-consuming upkeep and repairs, residents have plenty of free time to pursue their interests and pick up new hobbies--or just relax! If a lightbulb needs to be replaced or a faucet starts to leak, one call to General Services is all it takes.

"Events and activities developed by the Resident Services team, as well as special interest clubs, offer even more opportunities to make new friends," he explains. "The gardening club is very popular, as is the bocce group, which culminates with a resident versus staff bocce tournament. The tournament is fantastic--it's in its fifth year now."

Peace of mind

With so many clubs and activities to choose from, Marge is having more fun than ever.

"Lantern Hill has so much to offer, and you can choose how involved you want to be," she says. "Recently, we had to move our 2 p.m. card get-together to 2:30 because so many of us wanted to attend the line dancing showcase at 1 p.m.! There are so many great opportunities and fun activities, so that you can just enjoy yourself."

Marge and her four children--two live in New Jersey, and the other two live in Florida and Illinois--also appreciate the peace of mind that Lantern Hill offers.

"Even though two kids are close by, I didn't want them to worry about my health, so I see living at Lantern Hill as a gift to them," she says. "My doctors are close by, so I am able to maintain those relationships. I recognize, though, that my doctors will retire one day, so it's nice to have medical services on-site at Lantern Hill."

To learn more about the benefits of moving to a maintenance-free community, request more information today.

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