When Vista del Monte in Santa Barbara celebrated 60 years since its opening in 1964, it went big! Every resident was invited to the October anniversary day’s event.
However, the community also celebrated the anniversary for several months leading up to the October celebration, said Vista del Monte resident Ellen Smith, who worked on the anniversary committee.
“There were some singalongs of 60’s songs, a fashion show of what we wore in 1964; there were vintage photos, news clips and food prices from 1965. “
There was a sharing event when residents recalled what they were doing in 1964.
“Residents were getting married,” Smith said. “Somebody was in the Peace Corps. Other people were starting college or finishing college and starting careers and so forth.”
It all led up to the October program that invited every resident to join in on the celebration, which included congratulatory statements from government officials and Vista del Monte leaders. Additionally, staff and residents worked together to commemorate a new flagpole and arrange for a time capsule that would be buried.
“I thought it was very successful,” Smith said. “It was all very appropriate for a 60th anniversary.”
Anniversary celebrations are only one of the many things that Vista del Monte offers residents. When Smith moved to Santa Barbara from Pennsylvania to be closer to her children, she appreciated what she found during her Vista del Monte tour.
“This particular facility was a pick for me primarily because of the residents I met on my tour,” Smith said. “They’re welcoming, and there were plenty of opportunities to be involved and be part of the community however you want to be.”
When she meets people considering whether Vista del Monte is the right place for them, Smith tells them two things: The first is that the community was created by retired teachers, and, although it includes retirees from many professions and walks of life now, the atmosphere has been preserved.
“The fact that the ambiance is made up of people who are curious, who are enthusiastic about doing things, who are conversational, who want to make everybody feel welcome and be part of where we live was a big factor in why I chose Vista, and I really found that the residents here made a lot of sense for [who I am],” Smith said.
The second thing Smith tells people is that the layout and the number of residents make it an ideal living space, something she noticed from the beginning.
“I liked the fact that there’s 200 people here and not 400, and I can get around the whole campus in a day,” Smith said. “The assisted living environment is welcoming and open to the independent residents to come and visit people who might move there.”
Potential residents can learn more about and tour Vista del Monte to find out if they get the same positive feelings from the staff and residents.
“The openness and the inclusiveness was very comforting to me. It was probably the first thing I liked about it,” Smith said.
Learn more and schedule a tour at frontporch.net/community/vista-del-monte.
