Priority List Member Sharon Brown Looks Forward to Her Next Chapter at The Grandview

Sharon Brown has been researching her retirement living options for about ten years, looking for a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) nearby that would be the perfect fit for her active lifestyle.

"I knew that I would have to move at some point, but I wanted to do it on my own terms and at my own time--rather than of necessity," she says.

When she heard about The Grandview, an Erickson Senior Living community planned for Bethesda, Md., she knew it was where she wanted to live.

"I go to Montgomery Mall, I have a subscription to the Baltimore Symphony [Orchestra] at the nearby Strathmore Music Center, and I have doctors in the area, so it wasn't a neighborhood that was new to me," explains Sharon. "For those reasons, I decided that I would get on the Priority List."

Since becoming a Priority List member, Sharon has had lots of opportunities to learn more about the community's apartment homes, top-notch amenities, and array of activities. She's also met future neighbors!

One-level living

Although Sharon loves her condo, it's a duplex with lots of steps. "I have stairs to go to the parking lot and an outside parking space," she explains.  

Since Sharon joined the Priority List early, she was able to secure her desired apartment home floor plan--The Livingston. "I definitely wanted two bedrooms and two baths with plenty of wall space for my art collection," she says. "I was very pleased to be able to select an apartment home on the southeast exposure so that I will have ample sun on the patio."

With her one-level apartment home, she will soon be able to take the stairs on her own terms.

"I wanted to be able to do a certain amount of walking up and down the stairs, just for activity's sake," explains Sharon, who chose to live on the third floor of her residence building. She appreciates that all buildings at The Grandview will be connected via climate-controlled walkways and elevators.  

Time to plan

Because The Grandview is still being built, Sharon has plenty of time to prepare for her next exciting chapter.

Thanks to her Priority List status, she has access to numerous realty and moving services that will help make her move a breeze. In fact, she plans on using some of the community's preferred vendors to coordinate downsizing and moving.

Sharon appreciates that she's able to go through this planning process with Jan Augustine, a longtime friend, fellow Priority List member, and future neighbor.

To continue her love of learning and meet more future neighbors, Sharon has been attending exclusive educational classes for Priority List members--through a partnership with Oasis, a premier community-based organization dedicated to providing lifelong learning opportunities.

Sharon enjoyed taking classes at Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes in Shady Grove, Md., over the years. However, "Driving to Shady Grove became inconvenient, as it took up most of the day," she notes.  

"It's wonderful that there are classes held right at The Grandview Sales Center," Sharon adds. Priority List members can attend in person or at home via a Zoom link.

A dynamic lifestyle

Sharon will have access to the fitness center's private studios, used for personal training and classes; a Life Enrichment Center, which will be utilized for concerts and performances, town hall meetings, pickleball matches, and more; a wellness lobby; arts and crafts rooms; aquatics center; and outdoor terraces.  

"There will be so many great things about The Grandview, like a wonderful health club and a beautiful swimming pool," notes Sharon. "There will also be lots of restaurant choices; the rooftop wine bar will have stunning views."

While keeping an eye on construction progress, Sharon likes to stay busy, volunteering each week at the Smithsonian's American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

She also takes art classes at Glen Echo Park in Bethesda and subscribes to the Shakespeare Theater in D.C., as well as the Roundhouse Theater in Bethesda.

"I love the salon classes offered by the Shakespeare Theatre that allow you to actually go behind the scenes, meet with the production people, the lighting people, and sometimes the actors. It gives you a much more in-depth understanding of the production you're seeing," she says.

"I'm going to continue all of that once I move, and I know that there are many things that will be available at The Grandview that will benefit me, too," she adds. "I'm definitely looking forward to living at The Grandview!"

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