When companies like Related and Hines jump on a trend, you know it’s big. That’s what’s taking place from sea to shining sea as these major developers and others leap in to create luxury senior living properties in the heart of major U.S. cities.
Simple demographics are the reason. Experts predict the global population of folks 60 and older will double to 2.1 billion by 2050, and the number of U.S. seniors to almost double to 84 million by the same year. Many of these oldsters have no intention of leaving their big-city lifestyles behind in retirement.
Late last year, Related Companies unveiled a super-luxury senior living property called Coterie Hudson Yards, featuring $30,000-a-month apartments in New York City. New as well is Coterie Cathedral Hill in San Francisco, also developed by Related Companies and operated by Atria Senior Living. The property is home to many of the best-heeled seniors in the Golden Gate City.
Not to be outdone, Hines along with Welltower has developed New York City’s Sunrise at East 56th Street, with interiors by high-end hotel designer Champalimaud Design. Also developed by Hines and Welltower is The Apsley, a brand new ultra-luxe senior living community on New York City’s Upper West Side.
“In New York City, the 65-plus population is growing faster than any other demographic,” says Denise Falco, senior vice president of operations at Sunrise Senior Living. “When we developed Sunrise at East 56th and The Apsley, this was top of mind, and we created exceptional communities that cater to the specific needs of sophisticated New Yorkers who want to age in style without leaving the city or their lifestyle behind.”
Personalized care
One aspect of the new class of uber-luxurious urban senior living properties is attention to the kinds of needs a sophisticated urbanite would certainly prioritize.
At Coterie Hudson Yards, residents can call on a Director of Innovation to help with technology needs. Sunrise at East 56th Street’s pampering extras include meticulously landscaped outdoor terraces, and gardens with biophilic benefits that also furnish residents with dramatic Manhattan views.
Both San Francisco’s Coterie Cathedral Hill and Manhattan’s Sunrise at East 56th Street serve up cultural partnerships of the kind most likely to enthrall an urbane metropolitan. At the former, partnerships have been forged with the San Francisco Opera, SF Ballet, and the annual San Francisco Jazz Festival, among other cultural purveyors. At The Apsley, cultural partnerships will help residents stay up to the minute on events in literature, theater and the art world.
Design touches
No resident of the highest-end senior communities would tolerate anything less than splendid, world-class interior design. At The Aspley, the building design conjures up the finest interior designs of other iconic Upper West Side properties, among them The Dakota and Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
As mentioned, Champalimaud Design created the interior design for Sunrise at East 56th Street, imbuing interiors with the same brand of elegance that distinguished its designs at The Plaza Hotel, the Carlyle and the Waldorf in New York City, the Beverly Hills Bungalows in Southern California and Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton hotel properties across the face of the globe. The one- and two-bedroom residences at Coterie Cathedral Hill were designed by March and White Design, a globally-renowned design and architecture studio whose designs have found their way into the interiors of properties ranging from private homes to superyachts.
Other services
Luxe urban senior living communities are known for wellness and care services that focus attention on residents’ health needs. For instance, the circadian lighting within Coterie Cathedral Hill’s memory care studios helps regulate the sleep quality, energy levels, natural rhythms and productivity of residents, while Sunrise at East 56th Street prioritizes independent and assisted living services, Alzheimer’s and memory loss care, as well as rehabilitative services. At Coterie Hudson Yards concierge medical provider Sollis Health offers 24-7 health care.
When time comes to expand residents’ interests and passions, The Apsley is not untypical, enticing residents who desire to learn with art studio, theater and library.
These communities are likely to lead the way for many others to follow in years ahead, as growing numbers of older adults seek to mix the urbane and the urban.