Serene, expansive, meaningful, enveloping. Those are some of the words that staff and residents use to describe The Baytree by Ardency , a luxurious, resort-like retirement community in Greenwich on Sydney’s lower north shore. It’s not only the words themselves but the warmth with which they are expressed. When The Baytree resort manager, Sarah Connelly, calls the environment she and her staff have cultivated “genuine”, she means it.
“We are a part of our residents’ lives,” she explains. “We’re working within their home. It’s not a hotel; they’re not going to leave and check out the next day. It’s about forming a connection that will last several years.”
While Connelly explains that it’s not a hotel, one could be forgiven for thinking otherwise. Here, the facilities are, as earlier described, expansive.
A suite of resort-style amenities spreads across the sprawling 1.4 hectares of established, landscaped grounds, home to myriad microclimates for different garden styles, including Mediterranean, tropical and native.
Here, residents have access to an indoor heated pool, spa and gym, where classes like aqua aerobics take place. Elsewhere, there’s a bowling and putting green, essential for working on one’s short game, along with a salon, cinema, library and workshop.
The restaurant, where chefs cook fresh meals for residents or send them up to their homes, is the centrepiece of the community, where residents often congregate and socialise.
It’s also where connections form not only between fellow residents, but also between residents and staff. As concierge Korelle Mobbs explains, there’s a rapport that’s been built up through personalisation.
“I was in the restaurant and vanilla slices came in,” she says. “I know one of the residents loves them. So, I called his wife, said, ‘Guess what’s come in?’ and put a couple away for them.
“My mentality is, I just want them to have their best life. They’re here, they’ve worked hard, they need to relax and enjoy.”
Connelly echoes this idea: “It’s definitely not a cookie-cutter approach at The Baytree, and it’s not a one-size-fits-all.”
There’s an element of anticipation, with staff pre-empting residents’ wants and needs to provide service that is deeply fulfilling without feeling overwrought.
“Everything happens here in the background, you don’t see it,” says resident Christine Shepherd. “There’s nothing that I need anymore. It’s just a joy living here.”
Shepherd was immediately enamoured by The Baytree’s detailed landscaping and, as a lower north shore local, she also loves the community’s position in a familiar neighbourhood.
“You only have to walk around the gardens; you think, ‘Where can you find this in Sydney?’” she says. “When I first walked in and saw the view, I didn’t know what was involved here, and I just said, ‘I’m going to live here.’”
What is involved here is an immersive living experience, bolstered by its proximity to Sydney’s CBD and the lower north shore, Connelly says.
“I’d say 99 per cent of our residents come from the local footprint and they want to keep enjoying the location,” she says. “We organise dining experiences in the city, we have connections with orchestra ensembles and the Mosman Art Gallery, and University of the Third Age lectures are hosted here, too.”
While residents are certainly busy with the range of amenities and activities at their fingertips, Shepherd explains that it never feels regimented or overly routine, and that the real draw is the connections formed with the people within The Baytree.
“There’s a sense of freedom, but belonging,” she says. “That sounds weird, but there’s a sense of freedom all while belonging to a community.”
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