"You live with like-minded people here."

Tony and Titia (68) recently moved into Seasons The Sphinx in Amsterdam Noord’s new Aan het IJ neighbourhood. They were looking for a place where they could live without worrying, close to care facilities and with the possibility to connect with neighbours. ‘We found that combination here,’ says Tony.

Tony and Titia were both born and raised in Amsterdam. Now that their children are grown and have left home, they decided to return to the city. ‘We wanted a new construction home where care was available for us. My wife Titia has dementia, and I am her caregiver. That’s why we felt it was especially important that we have contact with our neighbours.’

Living with like-minded people

When they were looking at possibilities, the concept for Seasons in The Sphinx quickly grabbed their attention. Seasons offers independent living in a small, connected community, with care available on-call. ‘The residents here are like-minded people who are looking for comfortable, long-term housing. And there are a lot of activities in the property. We eat together once a month, and there are organised walks and bike rides. Titia has some mobility issues, but we certainly go out for short walks. Because everyone is new here, we are all looking to make connections with each other. That makes things much easier. You notice that people are willing to help each other out, whether it’s small practical assistance using the residents’ app or working on something together. It is a really good feeling.’

The benefits of a new construction home

In Seasons The Sphinx, Tony and Titia found a place where everything came together. ‘The location is close to the city centre, the surrounding area has lots of greenery, and we immediately loved the apartment itself. We have a spacious apartment with a parking space and a generous roof terrace. And we also love the fact that it is a newly built home: underfloor heating, good insulation, triple glazing and sun blinds. These are all great benefits.’

The couple can often be found in the communal living room. ‘We are always there for coffee hour, but you can also reserve the living room. In fact, we’re having a family gathering there soon. We have a cat, but my brother is allergic to it. So the space is very convenient for this situation!’

At home in Noord

Tony and Titia love to go out together. ‘We’re never home all day. We regularly go out to a museum or take car trips. As long as we can do it together, we enjoy ourselves. Amsterdam Noord has also become a lot of fun. The ferry is an eight-minute walk, and from there you can get to Central Station in no time. What’s great is that you can find lots of people if you want, but you can also avoid the crowds.’

Favourite spot

Meanwhile, Tony and Titia have found their feet in their apartment. ‘We feel comfortable here,’ says Tony. ‘The place is cosy and beautifully maintained, exactly what we needed. We chose warm colours: crushed sand on the walls and shades of brown. We brought a lot of art with us and have found a place for all of it. We often sit and relax in the living room. However, when friends come over, we sit at the large dining table near the kitchen. This allows us to remain present when we’re cooking, and we enjoy that. We live on the seventh floor and have a 30-square-metre roof terrace with unobstructed views on two sides. I think that’s rare, to have such a large outdoor space in the city. And it is truly wonderful!’