Upper West Side Roots, Hudson Yards Home

Rita had no intention of leaving her Upper West Side apartment. A New York City native who long enjoyed a full calendar of JCC programs, theater outings, and art classes, she’d built a rich life over 26 years in the neighborhood she loved.

Then, two falls changed the calculus. “I started thinking about possibly moving somewhere where there would be a little bit more support for me,” she says. What she calls a “preemptive move” led her to tour senior living communities exclusively on the Upper West Side. Staying in familiar territory seemed obvious. Then she visited Coterie Hudson Yards in early 2024.

“I was blown away by how beautiful it was, and everyone was so nice,” Rita recalls. The decision surprised even her. “I wasn’t in need of any kind of medical interventions at all, but I felt like if something happened to me, I knew that I would be in a place that was not just safe, but enjoyable.”

Two years on, Rita now serves as president of Coterie’s Resident Council while maintaining her art classes uptown and attending theater throughout the city.

Within the community itself, Coterie structures its engagement around seven core areas: Art and Culture, Health and Wellness, Lifelong Learning, Social Connection, Family Bonding, Special Celebrations, and Spiritual Well-Being. Residents choose their own level of participation across these areas, creating calendars as full or selective as they prefer.

Art + Culture

Accessing NYC’s cultural riches

Despite making the move to Hudson Yards, Rita still takes the train to the Upper West Side JCC for her weekly art class. Theater is also a passion she pursues throughout the city just as she always has.

Likewise, Coterie invests heavily in New York City’s cultural offerings. Private gallery openings and group theater outings appear regularly on the calendar, and the community organizes trips to museums, libraries, historic buildings, and art installations throughout Manhattan.

Three afternoons a week, live music fills the Coterie piano lounge. A jazz ensemble returns regularly, and student musicians from nearby Stuyvesant High School bring youthful energy to their performances. “It’s a nice way to end the afternoon and then go to dinner,” Rita notes. For residents seeking culture without leaving the building, the daily film screenings in the cinema provide yet another option.

Health + Wellness

Fit and feeling good

Rita’s commitment to fitness is non-negotiable. “I go to an exercise class almost every day,” she says. The consistency matters to her—it’s part of maintaining the active life she’s always led.

Coterie’s fitness programs, developed in collaboration with Elevation Health, offers residents multiple group classes every day in a dedicated studio space. The fitness center features state-of-the-art equipment designed specifically for older adults and selected with the guidance of Mayo Clinic.

For residents like Rita who value daily movement, the accessibility eliminates barriers to participate—no commute, no membership fees, no excuses.

Lifelong Learning

Intellectual depth, on demand

Rita regularly samples Coterie’s educational offerings, with art history classes in particular drawing her in—natural extensions of her longstanding engagement with visual arts.

Residents enjoy 92NY’s Himan Brown Program, where they can attend lectures and cultural programs from one of New York’s premier cultural institutions.

Art historian Christian Breed and political historian Doug Brin each bring academic expertise directly into the community with regular presentations. Coterie’s book collection is curated by McNally Jackson, which provides both classics and contemporary titles for the community’s lovers of literature.

For residents balancing multiple commitments, as Rita does, the variety means there’s always something available without requiring exclusive dedication to any single program.

Social Connection

Building relationships that matter

As Resident Council president, Rita works with the resident engagement team to shape the community’s varied social calendar. Welcome receptions ease the transition for newly arrived residents. Wine tastings offer relaxed settings for conversation, while neighborhood food tours help residents discover Manhattan’s culinary landscape as a group.

Game tournaments, book club discussions, organized outings throughout Manhattan, and gatherings in Lena’s Lounge for afternoon music all provide natural touchpoints for residents to connect on their own terms.

The architecture of social life at Coterie offers structure without mandate—residents can dive deep into community activities or maintain lighter engagement while pursuing connections beyond Coterie Hudson Yards.

Family Bonding

Holidays and everyday gatherings

Coterie events are designed to welcome family into community life. Multi-generational gatherings anchor the calendar, particularly around major holidays when families travel to share meals together.

The community hosts special dinners for occasions like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, and larger celebrations for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Hanukkah create opportunities for residents and their families to mark meaningful traditions together.

Family members are encouraged to attend events—from museum outings to evening performances—making visits about shared experiences rather than simply checking in.

Special Celebrations

Any reason to have a party

Coterie doesn’t wait for major milestones to celebrate. “Whatever the holiday, they’re very quick to have a party,” Rita observes. The Fourth of July drew a crowd, as did the Kentucky Derby. “We all had fascinators. We all drank mint juleps,” she recalls. “We had a grand old time.” The community even jokes about whether their Southern-style festivities would meet Kentucky’s approval.

This appetite for celebration extends throughout the year. Valentine’s Day, Mardi Gras, Pride, Earth Day—the calendar provides endless opportunities for themed gatherings, and Coterie embraces them all. Even televised events become communal experiences, with viewing parties for the Super Bowl and the Oscars transforming individual interests into shared moments.

Spiritual Well-Being

Honoring all faith traditions

Religious observance holds an important place in Rita’s life at Coterie. The community has hosted celebrations for Passover and Hanukkah, “and we’ve had a rabbi come for several Shabbat evenings,” she says with appreciation.

Coterie’s approach to spiritual life extends across faith traditions. The community honors significant holy days in Christian, Jewish, and Muslim traditions, creating space for residents to observe their beliefs within a supportive environment. Whether through organized services, prayer gatherings, or meditation sessions, Coterie respects the role that spiritual practice plays in overall well-being.

For residents like Rita, this thoughtful attention to religious life means that moving to a senior living community doesn’t require setting aside personally meaningful practices.

A Strategic Choice

Two factors ultimately drove Rita’s decision: the residence itself and transportation access. She rejected communities that felt like “a hotel room” rather than a residence. “I wanted the feeling that I was in an apartment,” she explains. The full kitchen mattered, even if she doesn’t cook extensively.

Transportation sealed the decision. “I still like to go lots of places, and having the transportation is very important to me,” Rita says. Coterie provides scheduled transportation within the island of Manhattan without additional fees—critical for someone maintaining an active cultural calendar. The proximity to the Shops and Restaurants at Hudson Yards offers another option. “Even on a bad day, you can walk all around the mall,” she says, then adds, “but you have to be careful not to spend money.”

What emerges from Rita’s experience is a case study in strategic planning. She found a community that accommodates her determination to maintain the Upper West Side connections she’s cultivated for decades and the Hudson Yards relationships she’s building now. “I am trying to do both lives at the same time,” Rita says, “and it’s working.”