The skyroom at The Hillcrest provies stunning views to the north, west and south. Residents frequently visit the skyroom for sunsets over downtown and to watch fireworks on the Fourth of July or after Wichita Wingnuts baseball games.
helps out, keeping the building and its services running smoothly, and residents had nothing but praise for them. Lidgett, a social butterfly, is working with other residents on a party to mark the Hillcrest’s 90th anniversary, to be held in the building’s elegant, wood-paneled lobby. “We’ll move out the furniture and turn this room into a dining room, have
dinner and chamber music and dancing outside on the patio,” Lidgett said. “The DJ will play music from the 1920s, and we’re planning to print some brochures with lyrics.” Such efforts are all part of the community-minded way of living that the Hillcrest has cultivated now for nearly a century. “An important word to describe the
Hillcrest is ‘co-op,’” Toevs said. “We’re cooperating with each other for the general good of all.”
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If you’re interested in moving to the Hillcrest, how do you do it? You almost certainly have to buy rather than rent, for one thing – and there are a few extra steps. “The process of getting in here is very dynamic, in that you make an application, and you’re not buying a unit, you’re buying a stock in the corporation,” Toevs said. “After you put your application in, there’s a fee for that application to be sent to a national clearinghouse, where they investigate you.” If you pass that test, the clearinghouse company will call you for a phone interview. If that goes well, Toevs said, a group of residents will meet you in the lobby for more discussion. “You see whether you’re gelling, and the board will decide if they feel like you would fit or not,” Toevs said. All this is standard for many cooperative apartments on the East Coast and in larger cities, but it still comes as a surprise to some in Wichita, where the process, and the idea behind it, is less familiar. “It’s not a place for everybody, and there are people who move in and realize, this was a mistake,” Gleissner said. “They don’t want so many neighbors, don’t want people to know what they’re doing. It’s just not a fit for everybody.” The building’s “no pets” policy (except for a few cats that somehow became exceptions to the rule) is enough to rule out the Hillcrest for many. But those that are the “right fit” are likely to stay for a long time. That includes elderly people, who find they can stay in their homes longer because of the lack of maintenance; the lack of stairs; and the younger people who surround them, providing social outlets as well as a safety net. Hornberger, who is elderly, said she is grateful for a group of ladies called Vespers that meets regularly for drinks and chit-chat. Karen Lidgett, one of the other members, was present for the discussion with East Wichita News. “When Karen’s family moved here, she said, ‘When I retire, I want to help people so they don’t have to leave the Hillcrest,’” Hornberger said. “She has certainly helped me a lot.” The Hillcrest staff, including 14 part-time and full-time workers, also
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A cohesive community