Meet The Bartletts Of The Commons In Lincoln

After moving a lot and leading very busy and successful careers, Jim and Hanna Bartlett are happy to have landed at The Commons in Lincoln.

The couple won’t stop taking trips to Paris and visiting good friends in Cleveland, but their home now is at the Lincoln-based senior living community. And they are thrilled to be there for a number of reasons:

• The people they have met since moving to The Commons at the end of September.
• The terrific staff that “gang tackles” a problem, according to Hannah.
• A lower level apartment that allows them easy access to virtually anything they need or want – the main reason they both really love the space they selected.

“We actually came a year before we thought. Since we had moved a lot, we did not have any issue with what to bring or move here,” says Hanna.

Iim had a huge collection of books. Hundreds. The couple said it was so great to see some of their belongings go to places that needed them. “We got a warm feeling that all these books are going on to be useful for others,” they agreed.

The couple heard about The Commons in Lincoln from a friend. “We were immediately taken with it and got on a waiting list,” says Hanna. “That gave us a sense of security.”

While they are so happy to be residents of The Commons in Lincoln, they both intend to maintain activities and friendships in the greater Boston area. It also is one of the reasons they love the location of The Commons. They can be in Boston in a short amount of time.

Jim uses the gym every day and Hanna said there is a “robust” list of activities and programming if you choose to stay on campus.

They like being part of a community with other people who have a common sense of why they are there. It resonates with them. They meet very interesting people with very interesting stories at dinner each night.

Unlike a lot of couples, the Bartletts decided to remodel the kitchen so when Jim gets a notion to cook, he has a kitchen that feels like his kitchen from a previous home. “It’s first class with nice counters and cabinets,” Hanna says. She also commented on how flexible the management team was about their project. “We have paint on the walls. It’s ours. We are personalizing our apartment.”

While they have not entertained a lot yet, they do plan to become more active at The Commons in the coming months and years.

Asked how they knew it was time to make the move to a senior living community, they said they both had heard the key was not to wait too long. “People told us to go when you can do what you want.”

Their interests include friends, family, current events, visits to Paris.

They are also glad they made the move when they could still make their treks to Paris, Cleveland and other places they enjoy. But they said the best gift is when they told their two children and they were relieved and happy for them.