Active Life

A Vibrant and Active Community

At RiverWoods Durham, the natural beauty and academic culture of Durham meet the active RiverWoods way of life. Come for a visit at any time, and you’ll find our residents working up a sweat in the fitness center, taking a class at the university, walking the trails around our campus, or building toys for their grandkids in the woodshop. In this community, there’s a wealth of opportunities to suit every interest.

Worried about what you'll give up when you move to RiverWoods?

Resident-Driven Community

We encourage our residents to be active citizens in the life of their new home. There are many choices — participating in committees, starting a new initiative, or, helping run on-campus enterprises like the library, community store, resident newsletter, art shows, and music clubs. Residents who serve on the Resident Council work directly with the Executive Director. There is also an opportunity for a resident to be a full voting member on our CCRC Board of Trustees. The Board is comprised of the CEO of the RiverWoods Group, volunteer members of the external community, and residents of our communities. They work in partnership to provide strategic direction for the future of the RiverWoods Group family.

I feel like I'm on vacation every day!

It's like living on a cruise ship. There are so many fun things to do every day, both inside the community and in the local area, and plenty of friends to do them with.

A Community with a Passion for Learning

With a life free from the hassles of owning a home, you’ll have time to pursue new passions, interests, and pursuits! Our community offers many opportunities to express yourself and pursue new interests including:

  • On-Site Art Classes  and Resident Art Shows
  • Book Clubs/Library Committee
  • Poetry or Legacy Letter Writing
  • Sign Language Group
  • On-site Woodshop
  • Music, Dance, and Choral Groups
  • Sewing Group*

*During the Covid-19 pandemic, our group of talented and dedicated sewers wasted no time diving in to help. Read more about their extraordinary efforts!

Living a Larger Life

Our Residents love to have fun, and playing games is a big part — you’ll find groups gathering in Ray’s Place for bridge, mahjong, poker or Wii, or outside on our spacious courtyard playing ladder ball, corn hole, or practicing their putting.

No matter what your outdoor interest, we have a variety of fun activities for all levels.

Gardening – don’t give up your love of gardening when you move to RiverWoods Durham! We have over 20 raised garden beds where you can grow seasonal vegetables, herbs, and flowers.

Wellness – in addition to our full range of fitness classes, including yoga and Pilates, we also have resident-led meditation sessions twice a week.

Walking Trails – step outside and enjoy miles of walking trails available on our 33 acres of land.

Do you have an interest that hasn’t yet been explored at RiverWoods? We’d love to help you make it happen. Whatever your passion, RiverWoods provides a myriad of opportunities to pursue what you love most about life.

An Active Community of Friends

Most Residents remark that they’ve become more socially and physically active since moving to RiverWoods. Life here brings every resident the opportunity to make new friends who share your common interests.

Every month, we handle the logistics for various Community Outings to points of interest, museums, and other venues on the Seacoast, including:

  • Trips to the theater and symphony in Boston, Portsmouth, and Portland
  • Local Museums such as Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Harvard’s Natural History Museum
  • Fine Dining Trips
  • Golf Outings and Ski Trips
  • Tennis Clubs
  • Hiking, Kayaking, and Paddling Trips
  • Local Shopping, Farmer’s Markets, and Seasonal Apple Picking

UNH Connections

One of the more unique aspects of our community is our affiliation with the University of New Hampshire at Durham. UNH is in the country’s top 20% in research funding and holds land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant charters. UNH’s Wildcats are national contenders with more than 20 Division 1 sports teams, and the campus is home to over 30 student-run arts organizations.

With the University of New Hampshire only two miles from our community, we have a strong partnership that offers residents the opportunity to take classes and access the University’s indoor pool, outdoor track, and library.

 

We love living in a thriving university town.

The location is what drew us - near the university and along the beautiful Oyster River. There are so many opportunities for cultural and outdoor activities here.

RiverWoods Cares About Others

Our founders wove the spirit of service throughout the RiverWoods commitments. Employees and residents are known for their charitable work and are involved in many causes throughout the greater Seacoast area.

The RiverWoods Outreach Committee connects our residents with wonderful opportunities and ways to give back to the community, including:

  • Desks for Durham which funds and builds student desks for underserved local children who are remote learning.
  • Sweet Readers Bridging the gap between older adults and middle school student through art, music, poetry, games, and movement, as they share life stories, find common ground, and bridge their communities.
  • Pen Pals Residents exchange letters with students, building meaningful friendships, and giving students a chance to practice letter writing and penmanship.

We also support many local non-profits that are important to our community, including:

  • Oyster River Womenade provides financial assistance to community members in times of hardship.
  • Celebrate Durham a collaborative partnership cultivating a vibrant multigenerational, diverse community.
  • Project Linus providing blankets for infants, children and teens who have experienced illness, trauma, or other difficult situations.
  • Alzheimer’s Association RiverWoods Durham staff and Residents participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in September 2020, having the largest team in the walk, raising over $13,000 for the cause.