The Faces of Elderberry Commons

Not just neighbors—a collection of stories.

We are a vibrant group of active adults (55+) who started as strangers and are growing into a community. We didn’t just set out to find a piece of land; we set out to find a better way to live.

At Elderberry Commons, our neighborhood is a reflection of the people who call it home. Whether we are discussing shared goals or sharing a laugh, we are building more than houses—we are building a culture of connection.

What will our new home be like?

In part, it will be a reflection of who we are. It will almost certainly have a community garden, since a number of us are already passionate about gardening. In fact, one has gone through the training to become a King County Master Gardener and not only works in her own garden, but also in the one at Ronald McDonald House. Another lists “puttering in the garden” as one of his delights and has been involved in urban forest restoration.

Fortunately all that food isn’t likely to make us overweight because so many of us list hiking or walking as something we enjoy regularly. From daily walks around the city to hiking in the mountains as often as possible, we are a very active group. Some of us also indulge in cycling, cross-country skiing and snorkeling. Wherever we end up living, there will always be people encouraging us to get moving.

Moving is, in fact, what most of us have always done. We are overwhelmingly travelers. One of us estimates he’s been to 40 countries, another has lived on four continents, and a third once spent 18 months traveling the world and producing a photographic slide essay of her experience. For us, travel is most enjoyed as an immersion in another culture, a chance to learn how others live.

Which has led a number of us to study other languages. Few can claim fluency, but many have learned “enough to get by” in non-English-speaking countries. One of us has learned six languages “passably well” while living abroad, and another regularly attends a conversational group in Spanish. Once we are living in community, perhaps we can share our language learning and improve our conversational skills.

But everyone needs a rest from all this activity. In the winter, when it’s rainy and dark, nothing is quite so comfy as curling up with a good book. Fortunately we are all readers. One of us participates in three book clubs, another in two. One reads two newspapers a day while juggling one fiction and one nonfiction book simultaneously. It seems likely that our site will include both quiet nooks for reading and places to discuss them.

Currently our group consists of people ranging in age from 70 to 89, with women slightly outnumbering men. But you don’t have to have reached your eighth decade to join us. As you can see, we are active both physically and mentally, and would welcome anyone age 55 and over who is looking for the kind of community we want to form.

It's probably a stretch to think we’d have our own theater, but we might plan group treks to local theaters because so many of us enjoy live theater and musicals. Still, one of us currently leads a readers theater group, another plays marimba in a band, and a third is taking singing lessons, so some kind of in-community performances aren’t out of the question.

Nor will the other arts be neglected. Many of us are fans of art museums, dance concerts, the symphony and the opera. Maybe our site will include a big screen in the Common House for group viewing and a studio for those who want their art hands-on, like our member who loves to make baskets.

Our Shared Values at Elderberry Commons:

Community and Social Connection

We seek to build a community where the atmosphere is welcoming, where our members cooperate and collaborate in both work and play, where there is a sharing of interests and activities, opportunities for creativity, a balance of shared time and alone time, not to mention laughter shared with both people and pets.
Healthy and Sustainable Living

We want to help protect the environment through our way of living. We plan to use green building principles, support healthy eating through the food we grow and cook, choose a walkable site close to transit and preserve affordability and accessibility as much as possible.
Shared Governance

We plan to create a clear decision-making process that will help us to resolve conflicts quickly and fairly while ensuring that everyone’s voices are heard.
A Culture of Inclusion

We are all individuals with varied characteristics and interests, but we respect each other and we strive to be informed citizens and supporters of social justice, both within our community and in the world around us.
Aesthetics

We appreciate beauty and plan to create and maintain the kind of homes and grounds that promote comfort and peace.