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Get the Inside Scoop: Spring Harbor Residents Share Their Stories

There are so many wonderful aspects of Spring Harbor, but it’s our dynamic retirees that add an irreplaceable charm to our community. We caught up with a few residents to get their take on life at Spring Harbor, as well as insider info for anyone contemplating living here.

Since moving into the community in January 2020, Carolyn Phillips has had a unique experience at Spring Harbor because it has majorly occurred during a worldwide pandemic. Meanwhile, Linda and Norris Randall, who were newlyweds upon moving to Spring Harbor in December 2019, help shed light on the experience couples can have in the community. Learn more as they share their stories in their own words below:

How did you end up selecting Spring Harbor as your retirement destination?

Carolyn Phillips (CP): It was an accident. A friend of mine was visiting from Atlanta and we were looking around at options for her and decided to come check out Spring Harbor. I’ve always lived in Columbus, so I’ve known Spring Harbor for some time, but it wasn’t until we both walked through the door that we knew. We both turned to each other and said, “This is it!”

My friend sold her condo in Atlanta and moved in, so I’d come visit and eat here. That’s how I really got familiar with it and how wonderful the environment is. Meanwhile, in my neighborhood, all my favorite neighbors moved away. And my home and large yard were just getting to be too much for me. It was a lot to take care of! I decided to put my home on the market and here I am.

Linda Randall (LR): Columbus is home for us, so we decided to live here. We looked around locally and decided this was the place.

Norris Randall (NR): We came up here to have lunch with a friend one day, and I ended up running into another friend. We ended up knowing several residents.

Why did you choose the type of living option that you did?

NR: We almost went for a villa, but in the end, we decided on an apartment for its location. It’s nice because it’s right by the back door, allowing us to get to the car and bring in our groceries.

LR: We like to eat breakfast in the room. And the apartment isn’t far from where we go out to the dining venues for other meals.

What do you enjoy most about the Spring Harbor community?

CP: At Spring Harbor, going out to eat every night is an activity. It gives you a reason to get dressed and go out. Also making all these new friends here, and the lovely environment. Everything is well maintained. There’s social hour every Friday from 4-5pm where you can come have snacks and drinks and visit with residents. That’s when we meet the new residents.

LR: It’s fun to get to know new people from all over the world. There are many retired members of the military and people that have lived everywhere. We have good neighbors!

NR: There’s a lot of interesting people here. Some that traveled the globe, others local. We found out I went to Kindergarten with one of the military wives here because she had a black and white class picture. I know some others from my time in college at Clemson, too.

Are there any particular activities or amenities you enjoy now that you’re a Spring Harbor resident?

CP: I love going to art like painting and drawing classes. And they have craft projects—those are fun. We have a group that plays dominoes, too.

NR: I like bird watching and photography, which I can do here—especially with all the landscaping. And we like bridge, chair volleyball…

LR: …and aerobics. There’s much more available. We enjoy the water aerobics.

NR: And the hot tub is nice. It’s very private early in the morning.

CP: Everybody here is as active as they can be. If you can’t find something to do, it’s not because it’s not available.

How has the pandemic affected your experience?

CP: Shortly after I moved in, Covid hit, so I was even more thankful to be here. I didn’t have to worry about everything like I would have if I was still living at my house. They closed down the dining room temporarily in the beginning for safety reasons, and all I had to do was call up and order what I wanted to be delivered to me. I’ve always felt like I had something to do here, but now we are seeing even more activities being added back.

NR: We wear masks every time we leave the room.

LR: The pandemic would’ve been a lot worse, more lonesome if we were still living in our homes. We have medical assistance in a hurry. Nurses are on call. There’s a doctor here every day. The pharmacy delivers our prescriptions, so really, we don’t even have to go out.

What would you have missed out on had you not moved in when you did?

CP: Feeling safe and secure and knowing I will always be taken care of. A biggie is the different levels of care they have right here at Spring Harbor and just knowing I won’t have to move somewhere else later. I really didn’t know I was ready to come here, but I’m so glad I did. It’s really no different than owning an apartment in downtown Atlanta or something. I’m truly independent here. I come and go as I please. Plus, I feel so safe and secure and that’s really important.

I think the thing to do is to come before you think you’re ready because you can come and enjoy everything. There’s not one person living or working here that’s not delightful. Everybody that works here will listen—everybody’s got time for you. They’re very caring and open to hearing whatever you want to say. And there’s no one I’ve met that lives here that doesn’t like it. I can’t think of any weak areas, there’s nothing bad I can say—maybe that’s why.

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Visit Spring Harbor at Green Island

Schedule a time to tour our stunning community, meet our vibrant residents, and let us answer your important questions. Once you step into our world, you’ll understand why so many seniors happily call Spring Harbor home.