Janet Dawson refers to her choosing Canterbury Court as a “stroke of good luck.” The North Carolina native landed in the Atlanta area in the 1960s right after Canterbury Court opened. Her move to Canterbury Court was made in 2012 after suffering a minor stroke.
You can find her some days enjoying a cup of coffee and banana bread in what is known as the “fort” in Canterbury’s lush gardens. On this particular day, she and Kack Whitaker had asked Jean Ellen to join them. Jean Ellen Jones, an intrepid campus photographer, said she was too busy. Too busy taking candid photos of residents taking advantage of the great outdoors and gorgeous Atlanta weather. Not to mention the pristine gardens at Canterbury Court – just one of the amenities the Buckhead community is known for.
“It was a pleasant morning,” recalls Janet. “I go often. [The fort] is a wonderful little place.”
Janet said she is so glad she listened to a chapel member at her church when they suggested visiting Canterbury after she had visited a senior living community in her home state of North Carolina. “I walked in and it (the North Carolina community) was cold. I knew then I was ‘going home’ to Canterbury Court. It was friendly, comfortable and pretty. I love my apartment,” Janet said.
Janet is one of many residents who mention the garden as a draw and who spend as much time as they can enjoying it, visiting with friends, family and chatting and relaxing. “That garden is beautiful. Groups of people go and enjoy it and love being outdoors,” she said. “When you move here, you really get to know people.”