It’s spring, kind of, so baseball must be here. Right?

It’s baseball season and here at Renaissance West we’d like to celebrate by spoiling our residents! This year we’ve got quite a few tickets for the April 21st and April 22nd Cubs games at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs will be taking on the Arizona Diamondbacks on both dates at 7:05pm. We are giving away two tickets per resident and space is limited so head on down and pick up a pair before they’re gone.* 

Bring a friend and boast how AWESOME your sweet abode is because not only are all utilities included, but occasionally you get a few fabulous extra perks thrown in! We blow our competitors out of the water with our lovely studio apartments that include all utilities, a club room with cardio machinery, complimentary bicycle storage, a laundry facility, on-site management, and 24-hour maintenance emergency staff. All of this and great shopping, entertainment, and restaurants nearby!

So next time you are looking for a place to call home sweet home, think of Renaissance West, where you get a luxury feel for an affordable price.

*Contact our the Renaissance West management office at 773-862-2500 for all inquires.

Art, Oil, and The End of Winter!

As April begins, it’s tough not to feel like a “fool” after the winter that we just endured in this very Windy City. As tempting as it is to just continue the winter hibernation, it’s time for our Renaissance North residents to break off the shackles of winter and get out to some of the fun happenings in our very own neighborhood of Old Town. Here’s a couple of fun, special places nearby.

Any art lovers amongst us? I have to believe there are.

Just for you, Old Town has something special. It’s The Old Town Triangle Art Center, located at 1763 N. North Park Ave. They’ve received rave reviews from local art critics, and many of the pieces are priced just right, so there’s something for all art lovers. The Old Town Triangle Art Center is open on weekends from 10am-6pm.

In this neighborhood, we don’t always follow the norm. Some of us actually get excited over things like Extra Virgin Olive Oil. How about you?

If so, you should definitely check out Old Town Oil. Established in 2007, they specialize in olive oils,  alsamic vinegars, aged and flavored vinegar. Some of the olive oil combinations they have are downright kooky sounding, but something tells me that they’re also unbelievably delicious? They’re located at 1520 N. Wells Suite 1, and they’re open Mon-Sat 11am-7pm, Sun 11am-5pm.

Not everything is about art and olive oil in Old Town. There’s so much to see and do that it’s a wonder that Ren North-ers have time to take care of their daily necessities. It’s just good to know that so much fun is so close to the front door!

And now that we can get out that front door without being assaulted by a foot of snow and ice, it’s just that much easier to get out and enjoy ourselves.

Like Nike says, Just Do It!

We’re working on walking

Part of our mission at Greenview Place is to keep our residents as independent as possible. We encourage them to do for themselves anything that they can, and we’re here to assist if needed.  

A big part of that independence is mobility. Through exercise, physical therapy and a stair-free building residents are supported to maintain their mobility. Many residents use devices such as a walker, wheelchair or rollater to help them get around.  Today Patrice, one of our wonderful physical therapists, held a wheelchair and walker clinic. She spent the afternoon going over safety tips, cleaning, and tightening and adjusting residents’ equipment.  By the end of the day, residents had safe and clean walkers, ready for residents to get moving!

The physical therapy team also plays a big role in motivating residents to keep moving. Each week the therapists offer a different activity designed to increase opportunities to exercise and stay in motion.  Last week Jose taught another lesson in salsa dancing. Residents were up and dancing to the beat like pros after his instruction.

Next month, we are planning a special Greenview Olympics where community members can compete against their neighbors and go for the gold. Stay tuned to see who our medal contenders are!

The date may have changed, but we haven’t!

As we head feet-first into what is starting off as a cold and snowy 2014, let’s take a look back at what happened at Renaissance North in 2013!

Early in the year, we said goodbye to former Building Manager Don Doering, who was with Renaissance North from 2010 through the beginning of 2013. Later in the year, we said hello to new Building Manager Mark Masaracchia, who continues to grow in the role and is dedicated to making sure that your experience at Renaissance North is happy and that you’re satisfied you’ve made the right choice.

Over the summer, we were introduced to Ted Matlak, Renaissance North’s Night Monitor, who has been garnering rave reviews from all the residents in terms of how fantastic and helpful he has been since his arrival in July.

In the fall, Leasing Agent Cory Fultz said goodbye to Renaissance North to pursue his own business venture. His departure opened the door for Judy Truong to take on the role of Leasing Agent. She’s hitting the ground running leasing units and in making sure she’s there to provide top-quality customer service to our residents. 

Here’s an old maxim that’s true. The more things change, the more they do stay the same. At Renaissance North, our commitment to making sure your living experience is the best possible one in  Old Town – indeed, in the City of Chicago – has not changed.

From all of us to all of you, happy new year, and we wish you prosperity and positivity for 2014!

Winter Wonderland at Greenview

Last week, Greenview celebrated its fourth anniversary.  To mark the celebration, the staff at Greenview Place threw an amazing Winter Wonderland party!  In attendance were our residents, team members, guests, and supporters.  We decked the halls in icicle lights and snowflakes.  It was festive night filled with music, food, drink as well as two very special visitors just for the occasion.

We started the evening with some lovely music provided by harpist Nannette. Residents and guests sang along to the classic carols like “Silent Night” and” Deck the Halls.” The dining service team served everyone Christmas goodies, and party goers snacked on appetizers of shrimp cocktail, meatballs, chicken kabobs and stuffed mushrooms. Our director of marketing even provided her special recipe for mulled wine for everybody to enjoy! 

Next it was time to get our Christmas pictures taken with the big man himself.  Santa brought down the house as he posed for portraits with guests and his friend, the abominable snowman! Residents, children and staff all had turns getting into the picture.

What party would be complete without a special treat at the end of the night? We topped our party off with hand-decorated gingerbread men, sugar cookies and cream puffs, all served alongside hot apple cider.

We captured many beautiful moments this night of residents and families posing with Santa, guests singing along with the harp and friends enjoying the party together. We had a great time, and we hope that you all have wonderful holidays as well.

So many reasons to celebrate

It seems we are right in the middle of holiday fever! Almost every night there is something special happening. Last week saw the start of Chanukah, and Thanksgiving – aka Thanksgivukah! They fell on the same day this year for the first time since 1888, and that won’t happen again for another 77,798 years!

This week, the staff of Greenview celebrated with our parent company, The Renaissance Companies, at our annual Christmas party. The group got together for an evening of bowling, music, food and teamwork. Everyone, even the non-bowlers, had a great time enjoying food and fellowship – AND great raffle prizes! We also honored those in the company who have served for milestone years.  Employees were honored with gifts and thanks. By the end of the night, everyone was partying and having a great time. 

As you can see, Greenview Place knows how to have fun.  Looking to crash our next party?  Then you won’t want to miss next week when we host our annual anniversary party. Greenview Place will be transformed into a winter wonderland.  The evening will feature a live harpist, delicious eats, cider and even some very special seasonal guests!  Come and enjoy some holiday cheer with us! It all happens December 11 from 5 to 7 pm.  Everyone is welcome; just let Rebecca at 773-525-1501 know you want to attend.  

We hope to see you there!

Chef Vince comes to Greenview

Everyone knows that the heart of any home is the kitchen. That goes for big, multi-family homes as well as itsy-bitsy homes, too!

Greenview Place recently introduced a new Director of Dining Services, Vince C., and he has been working to keep residents loving their meals.  While Vince started at Greenview just three months ago, he’s been working in the industry for over twenty years.

Right now, Vince is focused on making our guests happy. “That’s the most important thing,” he says with a smile. 

Vince also knows that keeping his team motivated makes a difference in the quality of service to residents. “Making my staff happy is important, too. If we do that, everything else will fall into place.”

Some of his favorite new menu items are pizza, ribs and sweet–and-sour chicken. They’ve been big hits with residents, and Vince’s 4th of July rib fest went over BIG!

When he is not at work, Vince likes to barbecue – kind of a busman’s holiday, right? Aside from cooking, Vince has a passion for music, and he loves sports, especially football, basketball, and baseball. You’ll have to stop in and ask if he’s a Bears fan.

Thus far, Vince has really enjoyed the people here at Greenview. He says that our residents and staff have been great to work with. The freedom to be creative with the meals for our guests and with special event menus is also a big plus for Vince.

He’s looking ahead, excited by the challenge to prepare and serve Thanksgiving meal because it is “going to be awesome. Lots more than just turkey!”

Stop by in November and find out for yourself. Mmmm!

Aloha from the island of Greenview

This year, Greenview Place celebrated the unofficial close of summer with a trip to the tropics. And what a trip it was!

Without leaving the city, residents, staff and guests were transported to a Hawaiian night out.  As always, this year’s luau was a huge smash hit. The staff really outdid themselves, and residents came ready to party. We had more people attend than ever before. Everyone was out for a Hawaiian good time.  

To get ready for the party residents donned their best Hawaiian shirts and flower leis. The men received dried grass hats, while the ladies had traditional grass skirts and flowers for their hair. Residents posed for a photo shoot in their festive outfits.

The spread included ham and pineapple sliders, sweet and sour Hawaiian meat balls, tropical pork kabobs, fruit skewers, and coconut cake. We even had strawberry daiquiris and piña coladas to get the party started! And then, the highlight of the evening was a visit from dance troop The Barefoot Hawaiian. They hulaed the night away, inviting residents and staff to participate in some very special dance performances.

Future luaus are sure to keep getting better and better. Mark your calendars now for next August. We look forward to seeing you at the next one.

Aloha!

Public radio WVIK meets one of our first residents at The Jackson Renaissance

WVIK Radio in the Quad Cities joined us for our grand opening, and caught the flavor of what a Renaissance project can mean for local seniors. 

A 120-year-old Davenport school now has a new look, a new purpose, and new tenants. The former Jackson School on West 16th Street is now The Jackson Renaissance, an affordable senior living apartment complex. The Chicago-based Renaissance Realty Group held an opening ceremony today (Thurs) for the nearly 12 million dollar restoration project. (To read the entire post, click here.)

You’ll get the chance to meet Bernice J, who gave us her amazing personal history, and ended with a maxim about serving others. You’ll like her story.

Join us at The Jackson Renaissance and choose the best the Quad Cities has to offer.

The Jackson Renaissance hits the front page

The Quad City Times posted a great front-page story about The Jackson Renaissance just before our grand opening. Take a peek to learn more about the renovation of this 120-year-old public school, now repurposed for luxury, affordable senior living.