Her decision to move into The Merion was personal, but not exclusively so. “I liked the people I met here right off the bat. There’s something special about this place,” said Jacquelyn Mattfeld.
Personally captivated, Mattfeld also deferred to her extensive professional background in assessing the community. With a resume too long to list, Mattfeld has a doctorate in gerontology, has been a member of faculties including, but not limited to, Harvard, Brown and Columbia Universities, has served as the president of Barnard College and is a past executive director of the C.G. Jung Center of Evanston. “I know a lot about aging,” she said.
Having investigated 14 senior residences, Mattfeld pronounced The Merion to be a “hidden treasure.”
Before moving to The Merion, Mattfeld was living in a condominium on Lake Shore Drive. After a serious fall and prolonged recovery, she decided she needed to make a change, wanting an independent senior living community in a vibrant location with easy access to cultural and educational offerings. “I have several close friends nearby and lots of connections in the Evanston area,” she said, citing The Merion’s close proximity to some of her favorite dress shops, dining venues, the Evanston Library, Northwestern University and of course, Lake Michigan.
Her beautifully furnished apartment home, she said, “has a good-sized bedroom and a spacious living room with a charming bay window so that I can have my inside garden.”
Mattfeld has found that the residents as well as the staff at The Merion are all extremely welcoming and caring. “Everyone I’ve met has been so kind and friendly,” she said.
Dining services at The Merion are unsurpassed. “Everyone here raves about the food,” said Mattfeld. “The chef is absolutely first rate as are the wait staff and culinary staff. They do everything they can to make you happy, and do it without a fuss.”
Residents at The Merion have staked out a large table in the center of the dining room for family style dinners. This eliminates the need for people to eat by themselves if they don’t want to. “People keep track of each other. This is a community and we care about each other,” she said. “People are everything. It’s what it’s all about. Within my first visit here, I knew that I would love it…and I do!”
The Merion is a luxury senior living rental community located in the heart of Evanston, steps away from Northwestern University and the beaches of Lake Michigan. An independent living community with exceptional activities, dining and programming experiences, The Merion boasts an on-site Wellness Center operating 24/7. The Merion’s unique partnership with nearby Symphony of Evanston, which offers rehabilitation, assures that residents can be cared for, when and if their health needs change, within close proximity of their apartment. The Merion is the Preferred Senior Living Community of Northwestern University Athletics. For additional information, visit www.MerionEvanston.com or call 847-253-7941.