The Taste of The Garlands
Inspired by cooking contests on television, including Top Chef, Chopped, and Hell’s Kitchen, The Garlands culinary team hosted their own heated cook-off called “The Taste of The Garlands” this summer.
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Resort-style Living
Take up a new hobby, enroll in a class, devote more energy to business or civic ventures, work out at the fitness center, or enjoy a concert series – the options are limitless.
Explore your artistic side, nurture your green thumb, or become a computer wizard – we have your back!
Invite the grandchildren over for a swim or plan a spa day for the ladies… whatever strikes your fancy, you’ll find many opportunities at The Garlands!
Top-Notch Entertainment
The Garlands Center for the Performing Arts is home to some of the area’s finest entertainment, excellent cuisine, festive events, and great neighbors and friends with whom you can enjoy it.
Whatever your interests, you’ll find a plethora of AMENITIES for pursuing your dreams, including:
- Four unique restaurants and a large private dining room
- The Galleria Coffee Bar and Gift Shop
- The Garlands Movie Theater
- Play Readers Theater Group
- Live Entertainment and Gallery at The Center For The Performing Arts
- An open art studio and art classes
- Woodshop
- Lifelong learning opportunities
- Raising flowers and vegetables in raised garden beds
- Walking paths
- Teddie Kossof SalonSpa
- Fitness and Aquatic Center for open use and classes
- Planned and organic social events
- Clubs to satisfy many interests, or create your own!
- Nearby golf course and tennis courts
- Guest accommodations
- A full complement of services at your fingertips!
WALKING PATHS
Tall oaks and mature red sunset maples gracefully shade walking paths through 31 picturesque acres and walking paths. Chat with a friend, walk the dog, or just absorb the breathtaking beauty around you.
THE TIMBERS LOUNGE
The Timbers Lounge is the perfect place to meet friends for happy hour, invite the kids to a friendly game of billiards, or ante-up with the Men’s Poker Club.
FINE DINING
At The Garlands, our four restaurants and two al fresco dining options, each with unique menu choices. There are so many options that every meal can be a new culinary delight. LEARN MORE
ROBIE LOUNGE
Gather with friends in the Robie Lounge . . . the perfect setting for a game of cards (or a glass of wine)!
MOVIE THEATER
Catch up with the latest Hollywood releases, watch an interesting documentary, or watch a Disney DVD with the grandchildren in our luxurious, state-of-the-art surround sound theater.
WOODSHOP
The Garlands Woodshop offers the space, tools, and fellowship to inspire your creative side and cross off items on your “honey-do” list.
THE GARLANDS LIBRARY
Take a book or leave a book at The Garlands Library.
GALLERY
Peruse the work of emerging artists in the Gallery, a rotating exhibit of local and regional artists’ work, including many pieces by Garlands members.
WELLNESS CENTER
Healthcare for urgent and emergent needs is conveniently down the hall at The Wellness Center. LEARN MORE
LIFELONG LEARNING
Members can stimulate the mind and enlighten the soul with opportunities that include Harper College Institute programs, Guest Lectures, Travelogues, and Member-led discussions.
ART STUDIO
Seasoned artists and artists-at-heart can participate in classes or use open studio time. Be inspired to create using a variety of methods and media.
RAISED GARDEN BEDS
There is no reason to give up gardening…just give up bending over! The Garlands staff help with watering, and our members plant, nurture, and boast beautiful botanicals, bumper lettuce crops, tasty herbs, and delicious tomatoes!
CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Culture is brought to your doorstep with music, theater, and dance.
GUEST ACCOMMODATIONS
Your guests will love our deluxe hotel suites.
There is so much to do at The Garlands!
LIFELONG LEARNING
Be informed. Stimulate the mind.
Enlighten the soul.
MEANDER
Enjoy beautiful landscaped
walking paths.
GARDENING
Grow killer tomatoes in
raised beds.
TRAVEL CLUB
Share journeys and vacation
photos with friends!
GOLF
Enjoy complimentary privileges
at the nearby golf course.
WINE CLUB
It’s 5 o’clock somewhere!
Swirl. Sip. Savor. Repeat.
TRIVIA NIGHT
A good time for all and a great workout
for the frontal cortex, too!
Gather at The Garlands Galleria
The Garlands welcoming common areas, including the award-winning Galleria at The Garlands and Galleria Coffee Bar, offer physical connection points for members to dine, exercise, entertain, and socialize.
The new open-concept Galleria at The Garlands is a focal point for these neighborly exchanges, offering members, their friends, and their families a convenient, bright, airy, and informal destination to congregate, caffeinate, and converse.
You’ll find INSPIRED living and a VIBRANT lifestyle at The Garlands…
The Garlands offers volunteer opportunities and many options for social, creative, recreational, and intellectual pursuits for living healthy, fully, and well.
The Garlands is the proud recipient of The International Council on Active Aging’s (ICAA) Innovator Award for excellence in health, wellness and active aging programs. This award honors cutting-edge wellness programs and lifestyle offerings that inspire healthier, more vital aging for adults over 50.
What Makes The Garlands Different?
When it comes to choosing where to enjoy your next best life, you certainly have options. Here are the reasons why savvy planners report that exemplary service, a casually elegant setting, a close-knit community, and long-term comfort and financial stability set The Garlands apart.
G-L-O-R-I–ous Care
As the curtain opens and morning light pours into the well-appointed, one-bedroom Prairieview at The Garlands apartment, caregiver Maribel Lopez-Torres cheerfully belts out the classic garage rock refrain – “G L O R I A, Gloorrr-ri-a.”
A Giant Leap Toward a Healthier Lifestyle
Supplemental outings like FitSprings classes provide our members with an option to expand upon what we learn in our in-house classes. With FitSprings, we can combine the principles of yoga and Pilates into a new high-intensity, low-impact workout that is equally as effective as it is fun!
The Picture-Perfect Hawthorn Villa
Garlands homes offer the highest quality construction and thoughtful interior design and feature large, open floor plans, spacious rooms, oversized windows, and the finest finishes and appliances. However, current inventory of Garlands homes is limited. Luckily, these select one-bedroom and Hawthorn Villa floorplans — offer immediate, “picture-perfect,” albeit limited, availability.
Back to School with Lifelong Learning at The Garlands
‘Tis the season for heading back to school, and at The Garlands of Barrington, a premier life plan community for older adults, “schooling” knows no age limits! According to a recent AARP study on lifelong learning, 55% of Americans ages 45 and older seek personal growth and are curious and actively learning new things. If…
GAME ON! Trivia Nights at The Garlands
Q: What is a favorite activity at The Garlands that encourages collaboration, stimulates brain health, engages long-term memory, facilitates friendships, and is just plain FUN? A: Trivia Night! What started as a one-time event attended by a few Garlands members has grown into a heated battle of the brains for many! Teams of 6-8 —…
Cleanliness Matters
The secret behind The Garlands’s spit-spot and award-winning cleanliness isn’t the latest and greatest cleaning product or a new-fangled vacuum cleaner. It’s much simpler than that: just real people caring for real people and one another. What appears as only a single bullet point on The Garlands brochure’s long list of convenient services, housekeeping is…
Doggone Good Times At The Garlands
Considered the “Royal Dog of Madagascar,” Rambo cavorts with Garlands “commoners” who are more than happy to share treats and belly rubs on his daily walks. Our beloved pets are with us through thick and thin, adding joy and laughter — and so many other benefits — to our lives and our homes. The…
Usher In Your Best Life This New Year at The Garlands
As we greet the New Year, The Garlands is fortunate to remain a financially stable, award-winning, and growing community that receives accolades from members, their families, and the greater community. Record Growth Last year, we welcomed 58 new members, and we are now 95% sold and compiling a waitlist. A Commitment to Re-Investment As we…
Gathering at The Garlands Galleria
The Garlands takes great pride in its award-winning design, top-quality care, life enrichment offerings, and customer service, but what we value most are the relationships The Garlands fosters among members and our team. This pervasive sense of community is, of course, because of the outgoing nature of the people who live and work here, but…
Top 10 Reasons We Chose The Garlands
1. the vibe Maybe it is the aesthetics and timeless décor, or perhaps it is the people, sense of community, and the culture, but most all agree that there is a comforting home-like, and casually elegant “vibe” that is noticeably unique to The Garlands. “It just feels like home.” – Carol Palmer 2. the people Many…
Feeding the Soul
At The Garlands, fine dining is a cornerstone of fine living. Chef Glenn Zamet and his team of sous chefs, cooks, pastry chef, dishwashers, servers and hosts, consistently exceed Garlands members’ expectations with plenty of delicious meal choices in four distinct restaurant venues daily. But, Chef Zamet and his team know that the role food…
Learn About The Garlands Private Art Collection
“Snow drop” motif lead glass window, originally from a home designed by architect George Washington Maher around 1907 in Kalamazoo, MI. The innovative vision conceived for The Garlands two decades ago was as revolutionary then as the Arts and Crafts movement that inspired its interior design and serves as a metaphor for the beauty of…
Sisters Out on the Town – Travel Club
Garlands Travel Club members had the opportunity to admire the work of one of their own while cruising Chicago’s famed architecture. Garlands member, Sally Nutini (pictured above left)and her husband’s construction company, North Products, were behind a significant amount of high-end, custom skylights and doors created and installed in landmark buildings throughout the greater Chicago…
Enjoy the Journey and the Destination – Garlands Travel Club
Cooped up by COVID no longer, Garlands members are cautiously and optimistically traveling to destinations known (and unknown) and enjoying the convenience of a pre-planned itinerary, the luxury of furnished transportation, and the company of friends. Fasten your seatbelts – The Garlands Travel Club is hitting the road! Their first stop was The Windy City…
Laughing and Singing with The Garlands Play Readers
This fall, The Garlands Play Readers, a troupe of ten-plus thespians, all of whom are over the age of 75 and live at the Barrington retirement community, delighted packed audiences at two performances of their original variety show, “Laugh and Sing.” Filled with songs made famous by the likes of Doris Day, Bing Crosby,…
Mastering The Fine Art of Retirement® at The Garlands
One of the most spectacular aspects of retirement is having the time and resources to explore one’s passions. Many Garlands members have mastered this aspect of “the fine art of retirement.” Some are literally studying and producing their own fine art . . . and inspiring Garlands staff to do the same. Their collective works…
Art Imitates Life
Veronica Potter is a Marine Veteran and artist who danced her way through life—literally teaching ballroom dancing and performing as a flamenco dancer. So, while most people find it hard to stay put these days, Veronica sees this time as an opportunity to soldier on, go with the flow and create more art. “I’ve made…
Through the Lens of Garlands Member and Professional Photographer Bill Lawton
Photographic Exhibit at The Gallery at The Garlands Garlands member Bill Lawton got his first camera in junior high, and he hasn’t stopped taking photos since! “There is hardly a day that goes by that I don’t take a photo of something,” says Bill. “If I haven’t taken a picture, it hasn’t been a…
The Ancient Art of Mahjong and Friendship . . . in Virtual Times
Mahjong is a tile game that originated in 19th century China and links back to Confucius and his love of birds. The “twittering of the sparrows,” or shuffling and tinkling of the tiles, signals the start of the game. At The Garlands, the Mahjong bird metaphor continues, as in “birds of a feather flock together” to…
Welcome Kossof Salon
Teddie Kossof entered the beauty industry in the late ‘60s and in 1975 opened the doors to his namesake salon and spa in Northfield. Forty-four years later it continues to be among the nation’s top salons, serving Chicago’s North Shore. In 1998, Teddie’s son, Alan joined the salon business and co-owns the salon, overseeing the…
Garlands Septua- and Octogenarians are “Thoroughly Modern”
It is 1922 in New York City, and a young Millie Dillmount has just moved to the Big Apple in search of a new life – what’s a small-town girl to do? But, in real life, it is 2019 at The Garlands of Barrington and the actress who is playing Millie is a mere 81…
Be CREATIVE
Marlene Peterson is a priceless original. Be CREATIVE When a Garlands friend asked Marlene if she painted, she replied, “I don’t ‘do’ art.” The friend’s response, “How do you know?” sparked Marlene’s curiosity and creativity. Dozens of masterpieces later, Marlene exhibits her work at The Gallery at The Garlands and around town, but her true gift is…
Watercooler Sisters Art Exhibit
The art exhibit “Divergent Paths” on display at The Gallery at The Garlands of Barrington July through August 30, 2018 features work by a group of talented women artists and friends who are equally passionate about creating art and supporting each other’s artistic endeavors. The self-named Watercooler Sisters—a result of a happy accident on a restaurant reservation—are showing a…
The Garlands Play Readers Present: A Passion for Story-telling, Entertaining and Good Times
The Garlands Play Readers, a troupe of 20+ thespians, all of whom are over the age of 75 and live at the Barrington retirement community, act, lip-sync and dance their way through dramas, sketch comedy and one-acts that are performed live in The Garlands’ own 200-seat Performing Arts Center.
The Fine Art of Retirement – YOUR Way!
Explore your artistic side…nurture a green thumb…audition for a leading role. Whatever strikes your fancy, you’ll find the companions, means and freedom to make those dreams a reality at The Garlands. Here you can create a one-of-a-kind lifestyle for a one-of-a-kind you.
The Garlands Inspira: Cultivate Possibility. Ignite Opportunity. Inspire Amazing.
Over the last 15 years our members have inspired us to set goals, dream bigger and have fun! We have countless examples of members with remarkably inspiring stories about their lives before and since moving to The Garlands—health improved, interests pursued, bucket lists crossed off . . . and the list goes on. “The Inspira philosophy and name are in…
