Apartment Homes in Neighborhood Provide ‘A Family Home,’ Amenities, for Independent Seniors

By Myriam Lemmerman and Jacquie Bokow

The Oaks at Four Corners (321 University Blvd., West) has 126 one- and two-bedroom apartment homes for senior citizens who still live independently. Seniors who live there must be at least 62 years of age. Currently, the oldest resident is 97 years old; the majority of residents are in their 90s.

The Oaks was built on the spot where Four Corners Elementary School stood and abuts Rachel Carson Meadow and the children’s soccer field behind the North Four Corners Rec Center.

The Oaks has 126 apartments for independent senior citizens.

This is a place where seniors feel at home, but there is activism, too. It was the seniors at The Oaks who banded together and contacted Nancy Navarro about installing a crosswalk light on University. Many visit doctors at the medical center across the street and residents have fallen while attempting to rush across University Blvd. ahead of oncoming traffic.

(From left) Margarita Villars, Phyllis Chase, and Alexander Gaskins. The Oaks residents met to hear more about the impending soccer field for Rachel Carson Meadow. They were uniformly opposed.

Residents at The Oaks have expressed opposition to the installation of a soccer field on the meadow adjoining their home and, at press time, had planned to visit a Montgomery Parks Foundation Bi-county Agency Committee meeting in Annapolis in late January at the invitation of Tom Hucker to express their disagreement.

(From left) Mary Jacobs, Mirdza Odins, Nancy Amado, and Jean Langhorne.

Many local organizations help the seniors at The Oaks. Twice-a-week exercise is sponsored by Holy Cross Hospital and a JCC [Jewish Community Center] bus takes residents grocery shopping weekly. Students and teachers at Blair High School conduct both Spanish and English Lessons every Tuesday, which give the seniors an opportunity to exercise their memories and have fun. On Friday the residents have another opportunity to interact with these young people, who come to play games and for other projects.

The Oaks is surprisingly large. Three levels of apartments (a total of 126) over four wings span the depth of the property.

Residents coordinate and decide the activities each month. Besides the usual activities you might expect for seniors — lectures on health topics by medical professionals, blood pressuring screenings by a nurse from Holy Cross Hospital, weekly bingo, meditation (by Mary Bauer, who lives in the neighborhood), chair massage by Angela Orozco of Angelic Hands, monthly birthday parties — The Oaks has its own choir group, which is accompanied by Dr. Alberto Gamez on piano. The Children’s Choir from St. Bernadette’s Catholic Church performed during the Christmas Season. The Clarksburg High School Choir also performed (their Music Director, Evert Williams, is the son of Oaks resident Blanche Williams).

Myriam Lemmerman, Activities Director for The Oaks, stands beside the huge calendar announcing events for the month.

For those interested, the two-bedroom apartments at The Oaks are 725 sq. ft. and rent for $1,004 per month; the minimum income required is $23,300. Two sizes of one-bedrooms are available. The 567-sq. ft. apartment is $765/month and requires an income of at least $18,000; the Junior one-bedroom is 529 sq. feet and rents for $641 with a minimum income of at least $15,000.

There is currently a short waiting list to move in; new tenants are drawn from that whenever there is a vacancy.

For more information, or to share any ideas or talents, contact the office, 301.681.6632 or oaksatfourcorners AT comcast DOT net.

[Myriam Lemmerman is Activities Director at The Oaks.] ■