Ginny and Bob Connolly moved to Crosslands in the past year, after living in the Hudson Valley for a number of years. Bob taught at a boarding school, and he and Ginny were part of the faculty who lived on campus and helped create a community for the students.

When Bob was thinking of retiring, they needed to consider what their next move would be. “We had to figure out whether we wanted to buy a house, rent somewhere, or just move into a community where we ultimately wanted to be. We decided it was definitely easier (and cheaper) to just make one move.”

Moving out of faculty housing into a cottage at Crosslands still required downsizing, however. “We were able to take our time- we took possession of our cottage in December, but didn’t move in until June.  We had a chance to measure everything, and really think it through, and we knew everything we were bringing with us would fit,”Ginny said with pride, “Even though I think the movers were a little skeptical!”

The Right Time to Move

Bob is 70 and Ginny is 67. They both agree moving into Crosslands while young and healthy was a great choice, allowing them to build the relationships that really sustain everyone as we age. Along with their two adorable dogs, they’ve found it easy to feel at home in Crosslands. “We spent 20 years creating a community for children [working in Boarding Schools] and sharing their lives, and now it’s like we’re the kids- but no tests!”

Sustainability Matters

Bob and Ginny looked at several other CCRC/Life Plan communities, but found the Quaker philosophy and values were really important to them. “We are Quakers, but it’s the community values and inclusion that really make the difference. Everyone has ‘chores’ and interests galore and shares them!”  The environmental and ecology aspects of the community were also important to them. The Connollys has built a passive solar house in the early ‘70’s and Bob helped build the largest solar array in Dutchess County, NY.

They both love the birds around campus, and soon after moving in, helped with the Purple Martin banding when they moved in last summer. They love that Kendal-Crosslands is such a dog-friendly and gardener friendly community.

Ginny is enjoying the cultural events on campus, knitting and learning how to weave with the group over at Kendal. She’s helping with the speaker’s forum, and is going to be part of the committee working to improve the resident’s website for Crosslands as well. Bob says his self- appointed “chores” include spending time in the wood shop, fixing things, and using the new Peloton bike that they’ve added at the fitness and rehab center.

“We felt very welcome, right away. People invite you to dinner, and it feels like a neighborhood. We really liked the openness of Crosslands.”

Excellent Health Care is Important, Too!

Compared to other CCRC and Life Plan communities they looked at, Kendal-Crosslands Communities offered everything they wanted, including excellent health care, on campus and in the surrounding community. ”With so many rural hospitals closing, it’s important to be somewhere where you have access to excellent, dependable healthcare,” Bob said. Here, there’s a choice between three great healthcare systems- Penn Medicine, Main Line Health and Christiana Care in Delaware, all of which have world class healthcare and experts – just a short drive from campus.

Coming from out of state, they noted that there are a few things people will need to remember. It takes a little while but it’s important to change your driver’s license, insurance and registration. You also need to change your voter registration, but everything is close by. “Crosslands is even a polling place, making voting very easy,” they noted.

The long term financial stability of Kendal-Crosslands Communities, combined with its beautiful location, values and access to high quality medical care, if needed, made the decision to move to Crosslands easy for Bob and Ginny. If these things are important to you, click the button below, and we’ll send you a digital copy of our brochure to help you learn more about everything we have to offer.