Names: Marion and John Lyon

Ages: 66 and 68

Occupations: Marion — retired childcare provider and kindergarten assistant; John — retired from construction and property management

Children: son; daughter; 2-year-old granddaughter, Liliana

Neighborhood: Eno Haven Apartments, Hillsborough

Move-in Date: October 2011

Square footage: 920

Details: Affordable apartment complex for seniors 55 and older. Two two-bedroom and 13 one-bedroom apartments open. Call 919-245-0700. Complex has laundry rooms on both ends of each floor, additional storage for each apartment, wide hallways with handrails, fitness room and common areas for sitting, playing cards, using computers. The Lyons’ apartment opens to open dining and living area with galley kitchen to left off hallway. Full bathroom, two bedrooms off hallway. Nearby Landmarks: Orange County Senior Center, Triangle SportsPlex

Where We Live

John: We’ve had homes all our lives. This felt more like a home to us than an apartment. This was built recently, so all of the appliances are Energy Star rated. Our utility bills are very low — half of what we were paying at Brier Creek. We have as much amenities as we had in our own private condo, and it was upscale.

Marion: We particularly like this because it’s a little more private for our visiting granddaughter. You’re surrounded on one side by the storage room and the other by the staircase and then the outside.

John: Being on the end we have almost our own private entrance; we can go right out. There are lots of closets.

Marion: Yeah, we have almost too much storage. We like the front of the building because we can see people come and go. Across the hall, that all faces the woods. They’ve got rocking chairs to sit out there. They have walkways that you can walk all the way out to the main road and almost to the senior center. It’s well maintained. And there’s a fence that separates you from the highway. You feel very safe walking. And the grounds are well maintained.

John: There’s plenty of parking, and at night it’s all well lit here, so you feel very safe. All the apartments have emergency pull cords in the living room, bathroom and both bedrooms.

Marion: They sound just outside your door. There are a lot of windows.

John: It’s very bright, even on a day like today. When the sun’s out, you don’t even need to have the lights on.

Marion: And it’s very quiet here.

Why We Chose Our Apartment

Marion: We’re from a small town, where we raised our children. We’re originally from New Hampshire. We were an hour outside of Boston in Brookline.

When we moved to Raleigh, it was too big for us. It was another senior living center in Brier Creek. It was just too fast paced. After a year, we started looking again. First I ate lunch [in Hillsborough], and then I decided to stay here. I like these country roads; everything’s a little slower. Our daughter lives in Durham. She has our first grandchild. That’s one of the reasons we moved here. We wanted to see her grow up. We do like the small downtown because you can walk around. We spent the holidays there. We went to the tree lighting, had hot cocoa and met the mayor.

John: And the library is great. I take our granddaughter there for “lap sit” they call it. It’s like a children’s story hour. She loves it.

One thing I looked ahead at — and God forbid you ever need it — this apartment is well equipped for a walker or a wheelchair.

Marion: This building was originally set up for aging seniors.

John: All the wide corridors and the large bathroom.

Marion: Safety rail.

John: And the countertops, you can put a wheelchair under in the bathroom and the kitchen.

Advantages

Marion: People our age. The other place they were all very, very old. It was starting to make us feel older. There’s a nice mixture of age here, and everybody looks much younger than they are.

John: The rent for us, it was a huge advantage. They have lower rents than market rents. It allows us to have this two-bedroom for $690 a month, and that includes the water, the sewage and the trash. The only thing that we pay here is our electrical and your own cable. At Brier Creek, a two-bedroom apartment was at $1,100 to $1,200 at market rent. We were so unhappy, we were looking around to move and we said, “No, we can’t afford that.”

Marion: There’s a bus service here. It goes to stores. It’s free. It comes right here to the portico. It just comes all the time.

John: So if we reach the point where we can’t drive anymore, we can take the bus. So we got a great deal. It’s what I call the “real deal.” We’re so lucky.

Disadvantages

Marion: Not that I know of.

John: Can’t find a one. We forgot to mention how great the management company is. They just take care of any need, going through all the governmental forms. They made the process very easy for us because you have to qualify to live here, be within a certain income.

Our Community

John: Everybody’s so friendly.

Marion: We feel safe, comfortable. There’s always someone who feels like talking. And just generally, the people are very caring. There have been a few instances when someone has pulled their emergency cord, and everyone rushed out to help them — even in their pajamas. We have a mailroom that has a bulletin board, and you can put anything up there. They have a suggestion box, and they have a newsletter that comes out once a month.

John: That’s the advantage of having an on-site manager.

Marion: There’s a maintenance man on duty all day five days a week. They have planned activities and potluck dinners and lunches if you wish to join them. There are also six laundry rooms in the building. They’re coin-operated, but still it’s very neat. They have the elevator. Pets are now allowed for a fee.

John: Small pets.

How We Made Our Apartment a Home

Marion: We’ve got deer! There’s a family of five. They come out at night, and they just graze. Every time I get up, I go to look out.

John: It’s almost like we’re back in New England.

Marion: And I think I’ve seen raccoons — and lots of birds. We’re not used to these species, all different colors.

John: It’s actually fun to be retired and just relax and enjoy everything around you.

Marion: We have fun; the pay’s not so good.

John: I think as you get older, the money’s not as important as your quality of life and your family. When I put everything together that we have here, it’s really, really nice. We feel at home. Some furniture is new; some is old.

Marion: No, we don’t have anything old — just you.