Mountain Views News          Saturday, April 2, 2011

14

HOMES AND PROPERTY

 Mountain Views-News Saturday, April 2, 2011 

One Of A Kind: Featuring unique homes and gardens and the people whoe create them Story and Photos By Chris Bertrand 


Ready for Retirement Living? Try Royal Oaks Manor in Bradbury

For the past 51 years, Royal Oaks Manor 
has been a residential living choice for many 
locals who’ve decided that living in the 
home they raised their families, or living 
alone somewhere isn’t right for them.

Located in Bradbury, adjacent to the 
foothills and horse trails of this small tony 
community between Duarte and Azusa, 
Royal Oaks seems to be the local standard 
by which some compare residential living 
options. 

Owned and operated by the not-for-profit, Southern California 
Presbyterian Homes (SCPH), Royal Oaks is one of several accredited, 
Los Angeles area facilities serving about 3,000 SoCal senior, including 
Westminster Gardens in Duarte (the subject of a feature a couple of 
years ago).

Kelly Finney, Director of Community Outreach at SCPH, took 
me on a tour of the 18.5 acre grounds recently. What caught my 
attention early on, was the ease by which residents can move between 
the different levels of independence and care at Royal Oaks. From 
independent living, to assisted living to skilled nursing care which is 
Medi-Cal certified, a rarity in senior residential living communities, 
Finney advised. 

Some residents have purchased duplex style detached homes with 
full kitchens. Some aren’t even retired yet, but opt for the security 
and relatively carefree aspect of this style of living. One resident even 
purchased two side by side units, and combined them into a larger 
living space.

Others live in various sized apartments and single or shared rooms. 
Some prefer the building with underground parking, whereas others 
prefer the original building where everything is under one roof, 
instead of walking from building to building for activities and meals. 

At some point, a smaller unit or shared living becomes an attractive 
option, especially if walking up to a block for meals and meetings 
and classes, or traversing stairs becomes a problem. Others seem to 
revel in the campus like atmosphere, moving from their apartments 
to meetings to chapel to exercise, then out with the car, within the 
safety net that Royal Oaks provides.

Many feel the reduction in the worry about meeting plumbers and 
painters and gardeners, as well as meal preparation and planning, 
allows them to enjoy this stage of their lives more fully. Most residency 
programs include at least one meal a day.

I met one couple, where one spouse had need of 
full nursing care, but occasionally was up to dining 
in the building where her husband still resided. It 
was clear that it was a comfort to them to have the 
care needed for her, yet allow the husband to be 
nearby in their private unit, available day or night 
if the situation called for it.

When asked for advice on the decision process, 
one senior living resident commented to me, 
“Make the move while you can and you are able. 
Don’t wait until there isn’t any other option or 
it’s an emergency. Leave yourself plenty of time 
to emotionally get used to the idea, and to sort 
through your accumulated belongings.”

Another senior recalled that they invited the family 
to come over on a weekend to claim memorabilia, 
furniture and the like, to help reuse and reduce 
the items to consider taking with them, selling or 
donating before the move.

Lunch at the dining room 
felt like an upscale yet casual 
restaurant. A hostess seated 
those waiting to lunch, offering 
to fill a table of residents, seat 
them singly if they’d like quiet 
time or as a group who wished 
to eat together. Kelly and I ordered off the menu, 
as did the others eating around us. The food was 
appetizing, though purposely in smaller portions 
by design.

The grounds are gorgeous, with a duck pond a 
favorite spot for enjoying the beautiful grounds. 
Another favorite spot of residents is the fountain 
area with dining tables and a reflection and prayer 
garden that holds the original cornerstone from 
1959.

The chapel offers non-denominational 
Christian services, bible study programs, some 
denominational services like Catholic Mass, 
funeral services and even the occasional wedding. 
The chapel does double duty as an auditorium for special events.

A library, managed by the residents, carries books and periodicals, 
and provides a sumptuous place to sit and read. The sundries and 
gift shop is also run by the residents. The volunteer hours support 
the non-profit status, which is “Vital to us as residents because it 
decreases our monthly payment and taxes,” according to The Oak 
Leaves monthly publication for residents. 

The paper also lists a plethora of activities, classes and outings, 
birthdays and other news for the community. Outings are 
regularly offered, and the Royal Oaks bus can be seen at many 
local entertainment venues and arts activities, including a trip to 
see the play Guys and Dolls at Arcadia High School that week. The 
bus also provides routine scheduled transportation for those who 
don’t drive or prefer not to drive, especially at night.

The exercise facilities include an outdoor pool, an attended 
workout gym and classroom for exercise and other classes.

If senior living at Royal Oaks is of interest to you or a loved one, 
consider a visit with Sierra Madre Senior on Thursday, May 12th. 
Healthy aging and nutrition will be discussed; a mini- wellness 
fair will be offered, and lunch will be provided by Royal Oaks. 
Contact St. Rita Senior Ministry at 626 -355-1292 for information 
and reservations.

Royal Oaks Manor is also a proud sponsor of the 2011 Pasadena 
Conference on Aging. They will be providing free wellness screenings, 
including blood pressure, BMI, Osteoporosis, hearing, etc. Thursday, 
April 21st from 8-1:30 at Pasadena’s First Church of the Nazarene at 
3700 East Sierra Madre Boulevard. 

Later this year, on Saturday, September 24th, a huge health fair will 
be held in Memorial Park in Sierra Madre. As an active community 
partner, Royal Oaks will provide wellness screenings, aging 
information, disaster preparedness, much more.

For more information about Royal Oaks Manor, information about costs, or 
a private tour, contact Michael Abasta, Residency Counselor at 626-359-9371 
or visit their website, www.RoyalOaksManor.com 


CENTURY 21 VILLAGE AGENTS HONORED

 Rick Davidson, President & 
CEO of CENTURY 21 Real 
Estate LLC recently notified 
Andy Bencosme, Managing 
Broker of CENTURY 
Village Realty that his office 
had been recognized with 
the Quality Service Pinnacle 
Award and three of his 
agents have been recognized 
with various awards for their 

sales production and customer 
service for 2010.

 

The Sierra Madre agents 
are Nazee Rix, Emily Duggan 
and Julie Muttavangkul. 
Nazee Rix and Emily Duggan 
the office’s top producing 
agents for several years 
were awarded the 2010 
CENTURION Producer 
Award which is a symbol of 
excellence earned by only 
an elite group of CENTURY 
21 Producers in the CENTURY 
21 System. Duggan 
& Rix were also recognized 
with the “President’s Award” 
signifying exceptional quality 
service and superior sales 
performance. In addition 
to these two awards, they 
were given the Quality Service 
Pinnacle Award which 
is earned from the results 
of questionnaires returned 
by past clients. Some of the 
questions are: how did your 
salesperson’s service compare 
with your expectations 
and did your salesperson 
keep his or her promises?

 

Julie Muttavangkul, last 
years third top producer was 
congratulated by Davidson 
for her outstanding achievement 
of attaining Ruby level 
of Sales Production in the 
2010 Masters Program. She 
also received the Quality 
Service Award, voted by her 
satisfied clients.

 Nazee Rix, Emily Duggan, 
Julie Muttavangkul and all of 
the friendly agents at CENTURY 
21 Village Realty can 
be reached at 38 W. Sierra 
Madre Blvd. in Sierra Madre, 
by telephone 626.355.1451 
or on the internet at www.
c21village.com.

HOW TO BUY LIKE 
A SELLER


If you're in the market to buy a home, take a counter-intuitive tip and imagine the day you'll 
be selling it. That's right - whether you're a first time buyer, or relocating, this home probably 
won't be your last, so look for features that will pay off when the day comes to move again.

North, south, east or west, the biggest amenity the next buyer will look for is central air conditioning. 
In the Deep South, over 90% of buyers rank central air as critically important, and 
three-quarters of buyers everywhere else put it high on the list.

Another often-overlooked feature is storage. Over half of buyers desire a two-car garage 
and a walk-in closet for the master bedroom. Ample closets and storage space just can't be 
stressed enough.

If at all possible, avoid costly upgrades and offer incentive down the road by purchasing an 
energy efficient home with newer windows, pervasive insulation, and Energy Star appliances. 
If the home is already wired for cable, satellite, and high-speed Internet, so much the better.

Finally, it’s still all about location, location, location. It's the one thing you can't change about 
the home you buy, so look for good schools (even if you don't have children) and proximity 
to shopping and recreation. Just ask your agent about the most popular features in your area 
and take heed!

Left to right: Nazee Rix, Emily Duggan, Julie Muttavangkul

SIERRA MADRE’S 

BEAUTIFUL HOMES ...

If you would like to see an on-line video showing 78 beautiful homes in 
Sierra Madre go to youtube.com and search Sierra Madre California 
Homes Or Sierra Madre’s Beautiful Homes.


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com