At the age of 84, there is a vibrancy in the voice of Lawrence Brown that proves one thing—he has much more life left to live. And for the former executive at Northern Trust Bank and a longtime resident of Highland Park, he plans to live that life to the fullest as a resident of Presbyterian Homes’ Lake Forest Place.

“As much as we loved our home, we knew there would come a time where we would need to transition to somewhere else as we got older,” says Brown, who moved to one of the quaint cottages Lake Forest Place in May with his wife. “And being here, I just feel relaxed about our decision, especially when they come to mow the lawn twice a week.”

Brown lets out a hearty chuckle, but it is true—letting someone else handle mundane tasks such as outdoor maintenance gives Brown and so many of his friends at Lake Forest Place the time to do other things, such as go out to dinner or play a quick round of poker.

“Sure, it’s a bit of a change of lifestyle, but it’s something we welcomed,” says Brown, who moved his father-in-law into Lake Forest Place back in 1998. “Ever since I retired, I never felt comfortable just sitting down and relaxing. But here, it’s not uncommon for me to sit out on the porch and read a book. It feels good. Plus, it’s an absolutely gorgeous place to live.”

Currently celebrating its 20th anniversary, Lake Forest Place is indeed thriving, offering residents everything from cottages with fireplaces and patios to well-appointed apartments.

“Buyers are much more educated than ever before,” explains Paisley Valentincic, longtime Director of Sales and Marketing at Lake Forest Place. “They know all of their options, and we work to ensure that we are providing them much to pick from, from spacious cottages to smaller apartments.”

Of course, the skilled staff at Lake Forest Place does so much more, increasingly providing an important degree of emotional support to its residents.

“We are constantly changing our programming to stay on the pulse of what is happening out there,” says Valentincic. “From Ted Talks to meditation classes, we ensure that we take care of the whole being.”

And while growing older was once a challenging process for many, Valentincic says that these days, people are beginning to welcome the process, especially when offered the chance to live in such posh surroundings as Lake Forest Place.

“It’s all about complimenting their current lifestyle,” she says. “When it comes down to it, they want security for their future.”

Even if the time is not right for a move to Lake Forest Place right now, Valentincic says it’s important to have a plan.

“When you have a plan, that means you are in the driver’s seat,” she concludes. “No one wants to be in the hot seat when they get to that point when they aren’t feeling well. It’s not uncommon for someone to be here for 20 years, years in which they have been able to utilize all of the benefits we provide here.”

Lake Forest Place is located at 1100 Pembridge Drive in Lake Forest, 847-604-6516, presbyterianhomes.org.