Villa Gardens is known for its vibrant culture. And it’s by design: we created a place where individuals could pursue their interests, meet others, and share in meaningful activities. That’s yielded countless groups, committees, and unending cultural, educational, and recreational opportunities. Try new things, re-discover old passions—it all unfolds naturally in an elegant setting where everyone’s voice matters. More so than ever during this pandemic, a powerful sense of camaraderie fills our neighborhood. Residents love to engage with one another even from a distance—creating new opportunities to share passions and discoveries. The people who call Villa Gardens home are always finding new, creative ways to connect and thrive.
Life, in full swing.
Let's Connect.
The Villa Gardens Beatniks performed a set in Club West recently - look at them go! Drum Fit class every Friday has turned us into fanatics. Great cardio exercise and a wonderful brain-enhancing exercise. Memorizing choreography and performing motions to music = happier, healthier bodies and brains. #beatniks #drum Fit #ItTakesAVilla #livingyourbestlife
Our residents were treated to a private tour of Carnegie Observatories! A Villa Gardens neighbor, and the oldest scientific organization in Pasadena! Carnegie Observatories is renowned worldwide for many landmark discoveries in modern astronomy — the existence of galaxies beyond the Milky Way, the evolution of the cosmos and stars, black holes, gravitational waves, and much more. We visited the historic Hale Library and the Machine Shop where astronomical instruments are designed and fabricated. #carnegieobservatories #astronomy #pasadena #science #space #community #outings #LifeEnrichment #lifelonglearning #seniorliving #livingourbestlife
Today we concluded our Fall Prevention Awareness Week with a terrific presentation and workshop with physical therapist Julia Masulis. Great information and wonderful demonstrations on how to prevent falls, how to fall properly (yes, there are strategies!), and how to safely get up from a fall. Plus, a variety of sound balance drills to practice at home. Thank you, Julia!
Happenings & Highlights
Arts and Culture
Feed your artistic appetite by attending local cultural venues that include theater, music, movies, museums and local gardens. Visit Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens, Pasadena Playhouse, the Norton Simon Museum and other cultural landmarks.
Stay in Motion
Stay fit and healthy at every stage and every age. We offer a large variety of fitness options that include water aquatics in our heated pool, personal fitness training in our state-of-the art Solarium Gym and a variety of strength, flexibility and fitness classes.
Expand Your Knowledge
Lifelong learning has been a theme at Villa Gardens since its inception. Discover new avenues of enjoyment through lectures, classes and seminars on a variety of topics by prestigious universities, colleges and notable guest speakers.
Spiritual guidance
One-on-one visits and group classes for all spiritual and religious backgrounds and beliefs.
Volunteers Welcome
Grow and maintain your current volunteer network by working throughout the greater Pasadena area including local schools, Huntington Memorial Hospital, Habitat for Humanity and many other service based organizations. Join the Villa Gardens Residents Association or one of many resident committees that keep our Villa Gardens community thriving.
Get around on the Gold Line
Scout around Pasadena or head into Downtown LA for theater, dining, shopping, and more. We are one block away from the Metro Gold Line station.
Live Performances
We are host to an array of cultural opportunities on site including the USC Thornton School of Music, Colburn Conservatory School of Music, LA Opera, Pasadena City College Theater, Parson's Nose Theater and Tuesday Musicale to name only a few.
City of Roses is Your Home
Pasadena is known around the world as the host of the Rose Bowl Game and the Rose Parade and is one of the primary cultural centers of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is a premier shopping and dining district known for its Victorian and Art Deco buildings. Or visit other museums and galleries including, but not limited to the Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena Museum of California Art, the USC Pacific Asia Museum and the Pasadena Museum of History.
Taco Tuesdays
In addition to Tuesday afternoons where we serve delicious tacos and margaritas, residents can enjoy a cocktail, glass of wine or a soft drink in our Bistro Lounge every day before going to the dining room for dinner.
This is home.
Sharing a place. Sharing interests. Discovering new skills, novel experiences, and new friendships. It is the kind of thing that makes up the fabric of a community. People who learn together, grow together, dine together, relax together, and befriend one another. There is a vital need for community engagement. What we hear from our residents again and again is that they wish they had only known sooner how grand life could be. This is retirement.
For residents, by residents.
Our communities are full of passionate people. To celebrate that, we started Shine!, a life enrichment program. It’s all about getting in touch with the unique skills of the individuals who make up our communities, and giving everyone the space to be a teacher—and a student. Through this program, we invite everyone to tell us what’s important and interesting to them, and then we make those experiences happen.
Volunteer
In a city known for its nonprofits, Pasadena people are community-focused. And our residents are no exception—volunteerism at Villa Gardens is big. There’s no shortage of opportunities to bring your time and energy to others, both at Villa Gardens and in the wider community. We tutor at local elementary schools. We lend a hand at The Huntington. And at Habitat for Humanity, our residents make a difference. Back at home we help in the library, the community store, and the Health Center, where your time is always appreciated.
For members of the wider community interested in learning more about the variety of opportunities to make a positive impact here, please contact Life Enrichment Director Katherine Custodio at 626.463.5321 or via email at kcustodio@frontporch.net. We work with prospective volunteers who wish to share their expertise with us at Villa Gardens.
Make a donation
Thanks to generous donors and supporters, the Front Porch Communities Foundation (FPCF), a 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization, helps older people flourish. Gifts to the FPCF assist residents who outlive their resources and support community improvements that enhance the quality of life. Employees also benefit through donations to the HEART Fund and Scholarship Funds. Your charitable donations through FPCF are tax-deductible as allowed by the IRS.
FPCF works with each Front Porch community, its executive director, and residents to raise funds that benefit your community.
Click below to make an online donation or please call: 800.233.3709.
