Life at Altis at Skyline Is Full of Surprises
Max and Derek Tucker were ready for a change. So they went out looking for it. Were they searching specifically for a 55+ community? “Not at all,” explains Max, “because we didn’t even know that existed.”
After a few friends had mentioned Santa Clarita to the couple, specifically for its beauty and livability, Max and Derek checked out a few neighborhoods. And while they were intrigued, nothing really spoke to them. That is, until they stopped by Altis. “It fit everything we wanted, and some things we didn’t even know we wanted,” she says. It’s that blend of comfort and discovery that stands out.
Our Single-Story Dream Home
“We loved the openness of the home. The ceilings are very high, and we have a view of the paseo—we love that.” The expansive single-story style immediately appealed to them because, while Max and Derek don’t plan to slow down anytime soon, they did want to make a smart move for the future (and the future of their knees). “We also love that everything’s brand new. It’s a big change from our previous home, built in 1957. Here we don’t have to worry about replacing an old furnace or an old roof. There are no surprises.”
Active Adult? More Like Exclusive Social Club for 55+
Well, there was one surprise: the wealth of experiences. Here, there’s a calendar of events, classes, concerts, and gatherings big and small, all happening right in the Altis community. Any given day, there’s something (or a lot of things) to do. Do they feel pressure to take advantage of everything going on? “No pressure. You can participate in the events you choose. But I do love learning and experimenting.” A few of her favorites are the gym, the pickleball class, and the Pilates class taught by a licensed instructor. She’s also a big fan of yoga and strength training.
Then there are the groups and connections to be made: things like travel clubs, e-bike excursions, and get-togethers for scotch aficionados and one for aspiring mixologists. Max said that the minute she heard about a wine tasting hosted by a Sonoma sommelier, she couldn’t wait to sign up. “Yes—count us in!” She and Derek have always wanted to go to wine country, so this was the perfect event for them. “We got to sample different wines and learn how to pair them with meals. It was so much fun. It’s like we had Sonoma right here, a hundred yards from our door.”
And of course, there are all the neighbors they’ve befriended along the way. “I love getting to know people,” Max explains. She said they loved attending the community pool party, complete with a surf band playing poolside. And there are other kinds of performances happening too: bluegrass, jazz, and a participatory drum circle for those who want to do more than spectate.
Max says she and Derek have also been to concerts and stage plays outside of Altis, where all the arts and culture of LA are still available to them. “Both at home and away, Altis has added joy to our life.” Max says, “Before moving here, we might have gone to a Dodger game, and maybe we’d ask a few friends if they wanted to go. But now we go with a whole group—about twenty of us from Altis all went to a game together.”
Their neighbors hail from all over the country, including Florida, New York, and San Francisco. Max says another surprise was finding out that some of their new friends had previously lived right near them. “There were so many people who had sold homes in Burbank to move to Altis. We didn’t meet until we all moved here.”
Natural Beauty Always Included
And lest you think it’s all fun and games, there’s also the natural beauty up at Altis. “We can just head out for walks and get fresh air without all the traffic lights and the cars.” And in the mornings, they have breakfast on the patio and take in the views of the mountains and paseos. Even while Max is working she’s got an amazing vantage point: “I’m looking at the mountains. I’m sitting in my home office and this is what I get to look at.”
Max was asked for one word to describe Altis, and she didn’t hesitate. “Luxury.” She says, “Living here, there’s just an abundance of everything.”
She laughs. “We keep saying to each other, ‘Can you believe we live here? We actually live here.’ It feels like we’re at a resort and we’re waiting for someone to knock on the door and say: ‘Checkout was at noon—time to go!’ But this is our forever home. We love this community. This is it.”