A Blueprint for Longevity: Coterie Brings the Benefits of Blue Zone Living to Hudson Yards

The Coterie engagement team transformed Lena’s Lounge into a hotspot for its “Journey to the Blue Zones” event, with views of the New York skyline serving as a backdrop.

The bar featured a special “Build Your Own Blue Zone Bowl” buffet, where residents constructed personalized meals with yogurt, granola, bananas, figs, acai, and other berries. Some residents complemented their bowls with a glass of iced tea, wine, or other beverages.

The bowls are a nice touch,” said one resident who grew up in Ireland before moving to New York, where she’s lived most of her life. “And since the food is so healthy for me, I don’t have to feel too bad about drinking whiskey with it.”

“Social events have always been a cornerstone of the Coterie experience,” says Coterie Hudson Yards Resident Engagement Director Melissa Orr Azzarto. “We’re always looking for exciting new ways to bring our community together and foster social connections between residents, and that’s where our new A Year of Parties program comes in.”

A Year of Parties

The Blue Zones event kicks off the A Year of Parties program at Hudson Yards, featuring a special social event each month.

“The idea behind A Year of Parties is to add another fun event that the whole community can look forward to enjoying together, especially in months where there might not be big holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas on the horizon,” says Orr Azzarto.

For each event, residents can fill out special postcards to invite friends and family to attend. Future events include Chef Showdown, where Coterie’s executive chef tries his hand at residents’ favorite family recipes; Casino Royale, a casino-themed gathering to play games and win prizes; and Afternoon Tea, featuring lawn games, finger sandwiches, and a discussion on the history of the Victorian teatime tradition.

“We’re starting off with this Blue Zone event because it’s a nice mix of fun, social connection, and healthy lifestyle tips our residents can put into practice,” Orr Azzarto says.

What Are the Blue Zones?

Blue Zones are regions of the world where people live significantly longer and healthier lives than average. These areas were identified by Dan Buettner, a National Geographic Fellow, and include places like Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California.

Buettner’s research found that Blue Zone communities share certain lifestyle practices that boost overall well-being, including plant-based diets, strong community ties, regular physical activity, and a purposeful approach to life. Adopting Blue Zone practices such as eating nutrient-dense foods, engaging in low-impact physical activities like walking or gardening, and nurturing social connections can help seniors everywhere prevent chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, and cognitive decline.

Blue Zone regions also emphasize stress reduction through mindfulness practices, daily rituals, and fostering a sense of purpose—factors that support mental resilience and emotional health in later years.

The Blue Zones Come to Hudson Yards

The Journey to the Blue Zones event featured an interactive presentation by Food + Mood, an NYC-based company that specializes in health and wellness programs.

“We like working with communities that can really benefit from incorporating wellness concepts like Blue Zones into their everyday lives,” said Food + Mood cofounder Molly Lukins Burke. “The lifestyle choices embraced by seniors living in Blue Zones contribute to them living longer and more fulfilling lives.”

Certified Health Coach Jamie Kaplan talked about how Blue Zone habits could easily be incorporated into seniors’ routines.

“When we look at the lifestyles of people living in Blue Zones, we’re not talking about people running marathons or diving into really intense activities,” she told the crowd. “We’re talking about people going for walks with friends, getting some sunshine every day, and eating plant-based foods instead of overprocessed foods. These activities and dietary choices can really impact our health, longevity, and overall well-being.”

The Spirit of Moai

In the spirit of the Okinawan concept of moai—a small, close-knit group of friends who provide lifelong friendship and support to each other—the second part of the event focused on building social connections around engaging questions and shared experiences.

Discussion questions like “What’s a gift you’ll never forget?” yielded answers as universal as “My children” and as specific as “A 24-karat ring from Harry Winston.” The Beatles won out as the most popular musical act, though one resident pointed out that she loves hearing “Happy Birthday” more and more with each passing year. “It feels like a victory lap,” she said.

Orr Azzarto passed around a Polaroid camera and a box full of props like fake beards and monocles so residents could take turns snapping instant photos with their friends and family members.

“I wanted our residents to have some fun with the photos and also leave with physical pictures that they can take home and put on their fridge as a souvenir of the event,” she says.

Following the Blue Zones event, as twilight settled over the skyline, residents were treated to an hour of music from the Victoria Patterson String Quartet, with requests ranging from classical pieces by Beethoven to popular songs like “South Pacific” and “New York, New York.”

“One of the great things about Coterie is the feeling of community between everyone,” said one resident, as the musicians packed up and residents moved to the Brass Room for dinner. “And I like that they have so many fun events like this—you look at the weekly calendar they give us and there’s always something going on somewhere. It’s never boring here.”

Coterie Luxury Senior Living communities host social events every month. Get in touch to reserve your spot at our next event.