Services & Amenities
The Fun Has Just Begun.
Fun fact: Learning isn’t just for young adults. Studies show that older brains tend to be better at pattern recognition and seeing the big picture, which is why we provide plenty of opportunities to improve your mind and body every day to keep the wisdom juices flowing.
If you’re looking to work with your hands, you’ll be within a short distance of art studios and classes. If your brain needs a workout, you’ll find intriguing lectures and discussion groups on almost any topic you could imagine. And don’t even get us started on ways to stay active—our calendar full of workout groups and classes will get you moving and keep you grooving.
If we shared every single amenity that La Vida Llena has to offer, we’d be here all day. So let’s just run through some of the highlights:
Where you’ll go:
Oh, the places you’ll go! Here are a few of them:
- Sculpture Garden
- Three Libraries
- Woodcarving and Repairs Workshop
- Model Railroad Room
- Arts & Crafts Studio
- Ceramics Studio
- Fiber Arts Room
- Art Atrium
- Two Fitness Centers
- Two Indoor Heated Pools and Hot Tubs
- Chapel
- Beauty and Barber Shops
- Computer Lab
- General Store
- Game Room
- Multi-Purpose Room – for movie screenings, Residents’ Counsel and committee meetings, etc.
What you’ll do:*
Short answer: whatever you like, as much as you please.
Longer answer:
- Painter’s Group
- Residents’ Council
- Residents’ Association
- League of Women Voters
- Sit & Stitch Club
- Meditation Group
- Bible Study
- Poker
- Bingo
- Table Tennis
- Non-Violent Communication Group
- Friday Night Movies
- Monday Morning Music
- Sunday School
- Catholic Communion
- Vespers
- Tuesday or Thursday Night Entertainment
- Karaoke
- Saturday Morning Coffee Hour
- Saturday Afternoon Movies
- Lip-Reading Class
- Resident Open Mic
- Monthly Furniture Sale
- Strum’n’sing
- Monthly Breakfast With Speaker
- Monthly Happy Hour
- Creative Corner Studio
- Bimonthly Blood Pressure Check
- Special Films and Presentations
- Monthly classes provided through Albuquerque Oasis
What you’ll learn:
Do you hear that? It’s the little voice coming from your brain. It really wants to keep learning new things and take part in lively discussions that will help it stay sharp for years to come. We listened, which is why we offer classes about science, technology, health, art, travel, and so much more through Oasis.
What you’ll hear: talented musicians with a New Mexican twist.
Here are some shows you might catch here:
- No Strings Attached – Bluegrass Band
- New Mexican Marimba Band
- Roger Dale Coble – Country & Americana
- Lindy Gold – Piano
- Brasso Profundo Quintet
- ChamberCHOPS
- Kevin Whitcombe
- Spitfire & Sailor
- New Mexico School of Music
- Tight Strings, Loose Ends – Dulcimer Duo
- Southwest Chamber Players
Who’s here to help:
Life’s easier (and more fun) with a little support. Here’s some of the dedicated crew that’ll be right by your side:
- Emergency call assistance and 24-hour Courtesy Patrol
- Aquatic class instructors at the two heated, indoor swimming pool and hot tubs
- Trainers for both personalized exercise and wellness and group fitness
- Full-time Life Enrichment Staff arranging events, trips, continuing education courses, concerts, and get-togethers
- Scheduled transportation services
- Complete maintenance and groundskeeping services
*A resident-led planning committee works closely with the Life Enrichment Staff to plan many of these activities. Which means you could soon be helping to shape day-to-day life at La Vida Llena.
Full steam ahead! La Vida Llena’s own model railroad club
Sometimes, less is more—or more accurately, smaller is more. That’s certainly the case with La Vida Llena’s model railroad club. Residents were so passionate about this miniature hobby that they brought it with them to the community and have been expanding on their own model of Albuquerque for over 30 years.
Forget five seconds of fame
Channel 1981, La Vida Llena’s very own 24/7 in-house TV channel, allows residents to participate in live broadcasts and programming, which are viewed by the entire community. So that’s at least an hour of fame, by our estimate (and probably more, since your loyal viewers will also be your neighbors).
Typical programs include community news, interviews with residents, community discussions, and a weekly showcase of both on- and off-campus happenings.
Community Broadcasts
Happenings (Monthly)
First Monday and Thursday at 3:30 p.m., First Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Resident Council Meeting (Monthly)
Last Friday and Monday at 2:00 p.m.
Ongoing Entertainment
24 hours a day, 7 days a week, classical music accompanied by daily bulletins will be played.
Live it up, downtown style
Put on your dancing shoes—or your walking shoes or finest concert-viewing shoes—and get out there. Our Residents’ Association and Council meets monthly to plan fun and enriching outings, making it easy to get out there and experience everything Albuquerque has to offer.
Below are some examples of past excursions. (The best part is that residents can make suggestions for future trips, so if you want to see something else on the list, you can make that happen.)
Fill your heart with a variety of cultural experiences that demonstrate Albuquerque’s rich history.
Recent events have included:
- St. Joseph’s Feast Day in Laguna Pueblo
- Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
- “The Heart of Indian Country” in Gallup, NM
- Stained glass class in Pecos, NM
- Annual MLK Commemorative Breakfast at the Marriott Pyramid Hotel
- Black History Kick-Off Brunch at the Student Union Ballroom
Fill your mind with eclectic artistic performances at Popejoy Hall on campus at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.
Here are some recent productions:
- Swan Lake by the Russian Ballet Theatre
- Jesus Christ Superstar
- Bandstand
- The Four Italian Tenors perform “Viva Italia!”
- Blue Man Group
- The Peking Acrobats
- Ballet Folclórico Nacional de México de Silvia Lozano
- 42FT – A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels by Cirque Mechanics
Fill your belly at some of Albuquerque’s finest experiential restaurants, including:
- Monday Movie Matinee, Lunch at Flix Brewhouse
- Albuquerque BioPark Aquarium and Shark Reef Café
- Laguna Burger
- Azuma Sushi & Teppan
No car, no worries
You could drive yourself everywhere, or you could sit back and enjoy the (beautiful) view while someone else does it for you. We offer scheduled transportation to all our activities, with some additional cost depending on frequency of use. Plus, we schedule weekly trips to places like grocery stores, the mall, area banks, and more. You won’t even have to hunt for a parking spot!
Putting it all together
Here’s a little quick math for you: What do you get when you add up engaging classes, a wide variety of resident-led activities, fabulous fitness opportunities, eclectic excursions, community outreach, and more? Answer: a perfectly personalizable activities calendar that’ll put you on the fast track to living The Full Life.
Click the sample calendar to explore.
The times, they are a-changin’
We feel the term “retirement community” is a bit stuffy and outdated. Here, we prefer the phrase “a neighborhood of friends who love having fun and living life to the fullest.” Does that sound more interesting to you, too? Learn more about why our community is more forward-thinking than all the rest.