In 2013 when my son encouraged me to move to Alexandria after my husband died, I looked at several apartment and condominium complexes in the Belle View and Huntington areas. I was leaving a large house in New Hampshire on an acre of land near the Piscataqua River that separates New Hampshire and Maine. In Virginia, I visited a lovely retirement village in Mt. Vernon — but I didn't feel ready to live only with people who were all around my age.
To my great delight, a cousin recommended Montebello, a condominium community for people of all ages, with four tall buildings on a high hill near the Richmond Highway and the Huntington Metro.
Montebello has trees, grass, flowers, and wooded walking trails. It has a cafe I can visit when I want to be with other people — the monthly condo fee doesn't include a required visit to the restaurant, but it does cover the cost of having other people mow that lovely grass! Like one of the other communities I first saw, Montebello has many interest groups — book groups, a music club, art club, indoor and outdoor pools, a bowling alley, tennis courts, and a great fitness center. I feel lucky to live here.
Carole Appel
Alexandria