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“I’m 68 years old, and somebody asked if I’m retired. I told him ‘No, I’ll still be writing long after I’m dead.’”
-Ron Brackin-
Some of the best art professionals anywhere reside at Happy Valley. As an artist (former ceramicist/current pencil artist) I was overjoyed when I found out. I’m happy that I can call all of them colleagues. Though I’ve been trying for years to get them all together and form an arts association I’ve been woefully unsuccessful with each attempt. Artists are solitary individuals I guess myself included.
A close associate of mine I’ll call Curtis is one of the most brilliant writers I’ve ever come across. This man is so smart your beloved writer can’t touch him; I bask in his greatness. He has what they call personality plus. I do have one problem with Curt; the man simply refuses to publish anything! I can’t figure him out…all that raw talent yet fear of some unknown blocks his creative genius. His many friends urged me to back off for fear of me forcing him in some mental hole which he won’t be able to dig himself out of. To top that off Curt wrote a Christmas carol that could easily top most of the stuff that’s aired during the Holiday Season. He did listen to me once. He wrote the thing down and it was played last year at the annual residents Holiday dinner.
Another resident I’ll call Connie joined in as I asked them to compare their former neighborhoods with Happy Valley. Susan complained that she used to live in Marquette Park, previously an all white enclave and former home for the American Nazi Party. Though the goose steppers have long moved out, Marquette Park has fallen victim of urban blight. This is not a farce. Chicago is a city of strong tribal instincts where neighborhoods and peoples are segregated along racial, ethnic lines separated by physical boundaries (train viaducts, wide streets, expressway). According to recent polls the city is the most racially segregated and diverse of all cities in the United States! Thomas moved to Happy Valley since he could no longer afford the high rent at East Lakeview.
We have Game Night, Movie Night, and on holidays there’s always lunch, dinners and visiting choral groups to fete our residents. On Thursday afternoons a pretty physical therapist from Northwestern University Hospital conducts hour long exercise sessions for residents. Wednesdays a nurse visits to take blood pressures and inquires about our health. Seminars on Social Security, legal issues, Medicare with representatives of the various health care associates give regular lectures providing us with valuable information regarding our place in the health care industry. There’s even a Bible Study night sponsored by nearby Moody Bible Institute and the occasional political hack who hustles us for our votes.
Then there’s the fundamentalists who lie and wait for unsuspecting residents in order to pound the Word of the Lord into their heathen heads. The Valley is an odd place where we have people with advance degrees in the sciences, letters and the arts living side by side with elementary school dropouts and holy rollers who believe the Universe was created in six literal days, the Moon landings never took place and reject Evolution as Darwin’s folly.
We have an active sky diver, a Scotsman who knows more about the art of Whiskey distillation than Jack Daniels. We even have a former teacher who parades around the neighborhood wearing a multi-colored beanie with a propeller on top that spins in the breeze. Reader if you saw the movie ‘Ship of Fools’ you’ll get the idea of life in the Valley. I’ve barely touched the surface of the large number of eccentrics in our building. They’re harmless, fun to watch; I get a kick out of watching some of my neighbors do their thing.
Living down the hall is my church going friend I’ll call Harold. A Vietnam vet whose specialty was assassinations but can’t discuss his ‘assignments’ since most are still classified by the United States Government. Harold doesn’t talk much and I won’t ask why. He’s a nice guy but I wouldn’t rile him if I were you; it isn’t safe.
A popular tourist destination a few blocks from our building is the ‘Viagra Triangle’ a tiny public park that rests between three cross streets that divide the park into a triangle. The hook up capitol of the Near North side it’s a well known hang out for older men with deep pockets on the prowl for young ladies of the evening.
Our building is among the best run and thus far, the safest senior residence in Chicago. The residents are a multi-racial mix; a 50-50 split between whites and blacks. Overt racism is an anomaly at the Valley though we have our fair share of odd and nefarious individuals. On average the people are friendly, outgoing and involved. The ultra-vocal letter writing members of the tenants association has made and mangled many a manager. Troublesome tenants are asked to leave once identified. Compared to some other senior homes where drug use is rampant with dealers doing a brisk trade going from door to door on skates, people at the Valley are law abiding and keep to themselves. Living on the ‘Coast’ is a shopper’s paradise. The Magnificent Mile, Gibson’s steakhouse, Rush Street to mention a few classy stores and other tourist spots.
Despite our top notch maintenance crew and security personnel the Pointe has a very high turn over of managers. We’ve had ten managers resign or been given the boot for reasons over the years; absconding with company funds, poor management/people skills, favoritism to conduct unbecoming a property manager. Our current manager has a heart of purest gold…so far. Her pretty assistant the one who does all the leg work is God’s gift to tight skirts; real eye candy!
The Valley is top heavy with retired world class attorneys, writers, art professionals with an assortment of university professors, high school teachers, income tax experts, accountants and other high level once-upon-a-time-I-used-to-make-a-lot-of-money business and legal professionals. Reader if you’re 55 or older and considering living in a retirement community here’s a few resources to get you started:
• www.retirementcommunity.com
• www.gardenassistedliving.net
• www.newretirementcommunities.com
• www.55communityguide.com
• www.robson.com
I ended the interview by asking my panel of friends their thoughts on building improvements, two of which can be best communicated to the management:
Thomas:
“Too many kids live here and they’re noisy! This is a retirement community not a nursery!”
Absentee parents regularly drop their kids off on grandparents to keep while they work. A number of residents are raising their children’s kids since Mommy and Daddy, if they could be found are out doing their thing.
Our building publishes a monthly newsletter. The four page full color publication is comprehensive and covers the ‘rules and regs,’ laundry room etiquette, a poetry section, recipes, a calendar of monthly events, sage advice, timely articles pertaining to senior living and baring the ‘gripe brigade’ a host of items that does it justice; its’ a good read. Barring the endless unit inspections which I think are invasions of our privacy, a no food freezer policy and the tiny apartments, the Valley’s a nice place to call home and the price is right.
Like the Tag Team tune goes “Whoomp! There it is” the good, bad and ugly side of close quarter’s urban living.