As the first senior cohousing community in the San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix Commons is attracting members from other parts of California, the United States, and even from overseas! Most of them are planning to relocate to the Bay Area in order to be closer to family; all of them are drawn to Phoenix Commons for its unique community culture, state-of-the-art design and convenient, walkable location.

Those of you who have been following Phoenix Commons know about our commitment to education and conscious aging. All community members complete the Aging Boldly in Community (ABC) workshop series presented by our nonprofit partner, Elders Village. Now, thanks to the marvels of modern technology, they can attend the workshops virtually via webcam!

Our first virtual ABC workshop was held yesterday and was a huge success. Participants joined in from Southern California, the Sierras, the East Coast, and even the Middle East! Much of the discussion focused on the demographics of our aging society and the changing nature of retirement. (For an excellent, 5-minute video exploring the implications of an aging society, check out Coming of Age in Aging America.)

It is so inspiring to see Baby Boomers embrace their “Third Age” and join together intentionally to create an environment that will support their independence and social connection in the coming years. The senior cohousing movement is still in its infancy in the United States, but it is growing rapidly and it’s exciting to be at the forefront!

We are pleased to announce that we will be sponsoring another addition of the Successful Aging Orientation on Wednesday, December 18th at 6:30 pm. This class, led by Elders Village, will establish the need for education and training on aging issues, provide an overview of the entire course curriculum, and examine the rationale for emphasizing community throughout the course. Please come join us for this exciting and insightful course.

We are pleased to announce that we will be sponsoring our second Successful Aging Orientation on the 20th at 6:30 pm. This class lead by Elders Village will establish the need for education and training on aging issues, provide an overview of the entire course curriculum and examine the rationale for emphasizing community throughout the course. Please come join us for this exciting and insightful course.

On the 17th at 6:30 pm we will be hosting the final module of the Successful Aging series- Aging, Ecology and Legacy. This class lead by Elders Village will cover the how to see ecology as a study of relationships both between yourself, society and nature, ways in which our ecological concepts change as we age and understanding the legacy as a positive contribution for future generations. If you are interested in joining in the Successful Aging Workshop series please call us about attending (510-217-8527) one of the Successful Aging Orientations, the next orientation will be held on October 24th at 6:30 pm.

On the 15th at 6:30 pm we will be hosting the fourth module of the Successful Aging series- Lifestyle and Finances. This class lead by Elders Village will cover the expenses and savings associated with aging, various options for living an affordable lifestyle as you age and understand how community can increase the quality of life on a fixed budget. If you are interested in joining in the Successful Aging Workshop series please call us about attending (510-217-8527) one of the Successful Aging Orientations, the next orientation will be held on October 24th at 6:30 pm.