Jim and Jean Timberlake knew the commute all too well. After years of living in Hanover County, the couple had beaten the path down I-95 too frequently, as they headed from their home to their jobs in the city. But once their daughter was grown and had moved out to start her own life, Jim and Jean realized that a suburban setting wasn’t what they needed anymore.

“The constant driving, responsibilities like yardwork and home repairs - we wanted to spend our days doing something different,” said Jim. “We felt so isolated from the things we enjoy, but now we have a whole new community of friends and so many activities to choose from.”

When Jim and Jean moved to their condo in Cedar Works in September 2007, they actually moved into a neighborhood rich with family history. Even though they’re fairly new to Rocketts Landing, they actually have a family history in the neighborhood. During the Depression, Jim’s grandfather worked in the ice cream freezer plant that occupied Cedar Works decades before the building’s total renovation last year - and his mother was born and raised one block away on Nicholson Street.

Along with many others, Jim and Jean are in a new, exciting chapter of their lives as residents of this vibrant community. “We have friends nearby all the time,” says Jean. “We live in a building we love, with brick walls and wood beams. The river is right in our front yard, and the city is right at our doorstep. It all really makes sense for where we are in life.”