~THE COMMON AREAS~

  The design of The Victorian by its original architects featured a four-story structure built in the shape of the letter “U.” Resting quietly in between the two “sides” of the letter “U” is an outdoor Courtyard covered with what was in its heyday creeping bent grass in between the two sides.  The interior grass is corralled by a paved walkway around the perimeter of the Courtyard, inviting resident or guest to take a slow stroll around its twisting pathway. We hear stories from some of the longer tenured residents that in its early days the grass in the center of the Courtyard was well manicured creeping bent so as to guarantee a true roll on the golf ball being putted from short and long distances from the hole. A couple of white wrought iron benches are judiciously spaced next to the walkway offering seated accommodation to a walker ready for the rest. Finally, outside of the pathway sheltering the interior, brick sides of the “U” is a landscaper’s nirvana that the member residents of The Victorian’s landscaping committee tend to very profess-ionally.  This nirvana consists of flowering bushes, green ground cover plants and clumps of multi-colored  flowers. Several large trees grow within the green’s perimeter, providing cool, shady rest areas for the walkers of the path.  In addition to acting as nature’s air conditioner in the Courtyard, these trees provide in the spring the perfect foundations for the nests of newly borne bird babies.  So whether you are looking for a short, middle of the day stroll or a quiet hiatus from an otherwise busy and hectic day, listen for the Courtyard’s invitation to find it right within the “U.” 

 When a resident's unit proves too small for whatever event the resident was going to celebrate, a Victorian resident has an alternative to "sardining" his/her guests into the resident's own unit.  There is a Party Room located immediately beyond the main entry-level which is available to any resident on a first-come first-served basis.  The Room comes with its own dining tables and folding chairs and sports a fully functional kitchen and bar.  There is no rental fee for reservation and use of the Party Room by a resident, unless food is being served when there then is a nominal charge for clean up after the party is completed.  The Party Room also claims some game enthusiasts as its continuing customers.  Weekly it becomes the grandstand for some competitive Mahjong games. And on another weekday it is used by a senior citizen musical group that calls itself Hum & Strum.  To show its gratitude for use of the space without a rental fee, Hum & Strum presents two concerts each year for the residents, one to welcome the return of spring and warmer weather and the other to celebrate the holidays of Christmas, Hanakuh, and Kwanza.  And last but not least, monthly the Party Room hosts The Victorian Book Club's meeting to discuss the latest book the group has chosen to read.  

   At The Victorian Condominiums the mailroom doubles as more than just a post office where all can find deliveries from family members and friends.  In addition to the traditional lock boxes that hold the day's post office deliveries, there's a table that holds all the UPS, Fed Ex or other package deliveries.  Then there are three bulletin boards that contain information of "goings on" in and around The Victorian facility, as well as expressions of gratitude for special assistance with a community project.   

  It's no secret that reading is a favorite activity of many of residents at The Victorian.  And The Victorian provides a library room to house books donated to the facility and to give the reading afficionados their sacred space for  quiet reading, book storage and other facility events that might need meeting space.  One of the residents , a former elementary school teacher, has made it her mission to organize and assist with promoting reading and reading literacy for children and adults by maintaining “Little Free Libraries”  around the east side of Cleveland and Cleveland Heights.  Her space for storing the books she  eventually will distribute to the “Libraries” is provided by The Victorian ’s   “Little  Free Libraries” Project.   

 One of the least appreciated areas of The Victorian, except when it's 10 degrees out and the snow is snarling all over sidewalk and street, is our heated, indoor garages, one each under the east and west wings, forming a basement of sorts under each wing. Heated to 55 degrees in the winter months, for both driver and passenger disembarking from and embarking into their car, the garage quickly engenders long lost appreciation abandoned in the summer months.  Each garage also has a special bay for residents to wash and wax their cars during any time of the year.   

 Each Unit at The Victorian Condominiums receives its own separate Storage Unit for storage of those personal items that are just not needed on a daily basis or are needed only on a seasonal basis.  The Storage Units are located on each floor so that a resident has only a few steps from his/her Unit to store or retrieve any items kept in the Storage Unit.  

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END OF "THE COMMON AREAS"

To go to the next Section, "Victorian Happenings" click on the Tab Link captioned "Victorian Happenings" located in the drop down window under "MORE" in the header of this Section, The Common Areas.