The Best of Both Worlds: Finding Community in Nature & the City

After decades of city living, John and Linda Braxton have found it surprisingly easy to settle into their new life at The Hill at Whitemarsh. The Braxtons moved to The Hill in February 2024, after five years of living in a townhouse in Society Hill and over 30 years in Northern Liberties–both bustling, vibrant neighborhoods in the city of Philadelphia.

“We love the energy of the city,” said Linda. “We used to have the best spontaneous community get-togethers, with our neighbors all bringing out food and drinks to the street so we could make a night of it. There was always so much going on.”

“We had a significant number of artists living in Northern Liberties when we were there,” recalled John. “We were surrounded by all sorts of artwork and creative pursuits, including First Fridays at all of the art galleries, and beautiful hidden gardens that only residents knew about.”

Known for its lush landscape and wide open space, its proximity to Erdenheim Farm and the Dixon Meadow Preserve, The Hill at Whitemarsh could not be more different than a city neighborhood. The Braxtons, however, found so many similarities between what The Hill had to offer and what they loved most about their city life.

“First and foremost we wanted an active community, and at The Hill there are activities every day. As neighbors, we get to experience each other beyond what’s happening in our homes. We’ve really formed a sense of family here, which feels a lot like what we had in the city.”

– John Braxton

“The community is definitely what we were most fond of living in Northern Liberties, Society Hill, and now The Hill,” agreed Linda.

While they are downright giddy with their decision to move to The Hill, Linda admits that the community wasn’t top of mind when they began the process of looking for a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC).

“The process was really overwhelming, and we ended up working with a senior living advisor,” said Linda. “She helped us figure out what we wanted, which, it turned out, was not to be downtown in the city. We wanted it to be easy for us to get into the city, and wanted to be a part of an active community.”

It was during this process that Linda realized she had actually toured The Hill at Whitemarsh years prior with her sister when a nearby hospital had recommended it for their mother’s rehab experience. She remembered loving it so much, she requested that the advisor they were working with add it to their list.

“We would come here, tour the property, look at homes, and then go look at other communities–but we always kept coming back to The Hill,” said Linda. “Every time we came up to visit, we liked it more. It’s a nice mix of being involved with the community here and being able to return to the city.”

“We have tickets to the orchestra, and I’ll take transportation from The Hill straight there,” said John. “I can go meet friends for lunch at a private club, where Linda and I are members. We’re subscribers to an Old City theater and we still make sure we go to see shows there. The Hill is the culmination of the good life we’ve had in Philadelphia.”

And when they’re not making plans in the city, the Braxtons are keeping busy with activities at The Hill.

“We’ve gotten really involved with the community here,” said Linda. “We’re all connected in different ways, and the people you don’t yet know are so friendly and open.”

“I play water volleyball three times a week,” said John. “I’m involved in the film series here–we just finished a study on Shakespeare. I’ve been asked to join the chorus, and I’m learning how to read music, which is something I haven’t attempted to do since I was a kid.”

With so many new activities to pursue and new people to meet, the Braxtons have a full schedule–and very little stress.

“We have no doubt that moving here was the right decision,” Linda said.

“Even though we own other homes, Linda has said that this is our forever home, and she’s right,” John said.