Age well, live smart − that is what our residents look forward to at The Avant in Palo Alto. It’s a retirement community in a lovely setting, with stunning brand new apartments, and best of all – there is no costly buy-in. Simply pay the rent, month to month.

The Avant opened in May of 2014. This beautiful independent living community is right sized and intimate, with just 44 apartments custom designed for active older adults. Enjoy gracious living from the welcoming entry, to the lovely courtyard, to the dining room with elegant chef prepared meals, and delightful views from the solarium.

The two residents interviewed for this story were so impressed with the amenities and apartments, it took them almost no time to decide to move in.

The first resident is an active 83-year-old native Californian who has lived in Palo Alto since 1959. Before she retired, she taught physical education and coached tennis, as well as doing volunteer work in local schools and the community. She was married for 42 years, and has three children and five grandchildren.

“I hadn’t planned to move,” she said. “But when I saw The Avant, I fell in love with it. I packed up my house and in three weeks I moved in.”

At The Avant, she takes the swim aerobics, exercise classes, and plays Jeopardy and cribbage. She enjoys the company of other residents after dinner. She especially likes the concerts that are planned every week and the scheduled outings for movies and lunch.

“It’s really beautiful,” she said. “I have never lived in a new place like this before.”

One of her favorite things about living at The Avant, is that she doesn’t have to cook. She admits that she wasn’t cooking much at home anyways. “There’s really not much incentive to cook for one,” she said. “The meals at the Avant are really good.”

When her sons visit, their favorite rooms are the lounge on the first floor and the solarium on the third floor, where they chat and play games.

She believes that one of the secrets to having a long life is to keep active. At The Avant, she is able to have a busy life physically, spiritually, and socially with plenty of interaction with other people. She plans to be active well into her 90s.

The second resident interviewed for this story said, “I walked into a beautiful one-bedroom apartment with high ceilings in the living room and bedroom, granite kitchen countertops, a view of the courtyard overlooking a heritage oak tree, and signed up on the spot.”

“The Avant has all of the luxuries you’ve seen at other places, and it’s all brand new. The solarium on the third floor has a bank of windows, stylish tables and chairs, and great places for children and grandchildren.”

Her little dog, a Bichon, was interviewed and must have passed, because she is one of the few residents with a dog.

“I was also looking for a place that offered transportation,” she said, explaining that she has not driven in five or six years. The Avant has a chauffeured sedan and van available for residents’ appointments, outings, or events.

She fills her days from The Avant’s activities calendar, which she says offers a variety of choices each month. She walks her dog three times a day, participates in aquatic and regular exercise classes, looks forward to doing Tai Chi and becoming a member of the book club. She enjoys going out to restaurants, movies, plays, and the symphony.

The restaurant-style dining room is “super, with all sorts of extras,” she said. “They have a fantastic chef, and the food is excellent!”

When her family comes, they have meals together in the dining room or outside in the courtyard. “My family likes to visit, because it feels like home,” she said.

The staff at The Avant is “ready and willing to help with anything that needs to be done,” she said. “They really care about what we want. It’s more than a job to them. They really want us to be happy living here.”

“Where else can you have all the privacy you want in your own place and have the company of lots of friendly, interesting people?”

Every resident will enjoy well-deserved freedom at The Avant. With everything that’s involved with home ownership, not worrying about anything, and instead focusing on more time to do what each individual really wants is one of our main goals. Whether it’s refining the golf game, engaging in fitness classes or traveling the world, our activities calendar is as inspiring as it is packed with ideas.

The Avant takes independent living in a whole new direction!