A few Sundays, back I attended a garden open house at Elderspirit. Arranged by members of the landscape committee, the focus was on the various gardens and offered my first invitation to visit to the Elderspirit grounds.
I had been only minimally aware of Elderspirit and this offered an opportunity to find out more about this intentional community that offers a unique lifestyle choice for older adults. Components include co-housing in a mixed income community, member-management, a focus on spirituality and mutual support.
I had been only minimally aware of Elderspirit and this offered an opportunity to find out more about this intentional community that offers a unique lifestyle choice for older adults. Components include co-housing in a mixed income community, member-management, a focus on spirituality and mutual support.
To watch a video about Elderspirit go to this link
Elderspirit achieves mixed income status by combining owner occupied dwellings with more economical and affordable apartments. It's guiding ethos utilizes outside the box thinking that appeals to community-minded individuals and based on the bumper stickers on cars in the parking lot leans a lot more Democratic than Republican.
Talking to people in the community of Abingdon, I got several different takes on Elderspirit. One person characterized the development as "a hippie commune on Geritol." And
another commented that if the residents were in their 20's and 30's you
could be sure that the law would be up there all the time, which is
entirely amusing when you know several ex-nuns reside there.
Someone else told me that while there was general pride in Elderspirit, it was expressed with one raised eyebrow, as it brought people from outside the area into the community. Indeed several folks I spoke with had been looking for a place like this and moved here when they found it.
This place has an open feel. One resident related a story of a friend living in a condo apartment in Ohio. While she was able to garden there, plant heights were restricted to 2 feet tall, so she was training her tomatoes to grow on horizontal lead wires.
As decisions here are based on committee consensus, silly rules like that could be reworked and renegotiated.
After touring the various garden spaces I joined other visitors and the community for a buffet.
For additional pictures and information on Elderspirit see this link.
Gotta love a space that combines bicycles, motorized scooters and rollators.
Carina
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