Four-legged as well as two-legged neighbors and potential residents got a taste of The Retreat at Mountain Brook Saturday at one of Birmingham’s most popular events – Do Dah Day, a festival that invites people to enjoy music, food and a parade with their pets. The event began in 1979 and has raised more than $1.3 million for Jefferson County animal shelters since 1992.
In keeping with The Retreat’s pet-friendly, community-involved atmosphere, staff members manned a booth at the festival. They gave away dog treats and accessories, citrus-flavored water and information about the newly renovated, luxury community and its future offerings for residents and those in surrounding areas.
“We had a lot of inquires,” says Amy Hodges, property manager. “A lot of people thought it was a retreat for dogs. We had to tell them it’s a retreat for dogs and people.”
(See below for more photos of the fun at The Retreat’s Do Dah Day booth.)
A 6,500 square foot, leash-free dog park will open at The Retreat in June and will include obstacle-course-style activity stations called The King of the Hill and Over Rover. Residents of The Retreat and nearby Mountain Brook and Eastwood neighborhoods are welcome to visit with their furry companions. Dog treats also are available in The Retreat’s resident lounges.
Studies have shown spending time with pets, particularly dogs, can reduce stress, anxiety and depression. The American Heart Association has linked pet ownership with a reduced risk for heart disease.
The developers of The Retreat understand the importance of giving residents and other community members places to spend quality playtime with their pets and to socialize with each other, Hodges says. A community garden adjacent to the dog park also aims to bring people together.
In addition to the booth at Do Dah Day, The Retreat at Mountain Brook had a presence this past weekend at an event celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence Day, at the Levite Jewish Community Center. The celebration featured a kids’ carnival, arts and crafts, food, music, a bike parade and more.
Hodges says the goal of attending events like these is to spread word about changes at The Retreat, which was built in four phases from 1974 to 1987 and has undergone a complete exterior and interior renewal since its purchase by Heller Stone Properties in 2014. The 517-unit, 80-acre property bordering the community of Mountain Brook is nestled in an established, wooded neighborhood next to a nature preserve, yet is minutes from downtown Birmingham, restaurants, shops and entertainment.
Formerly known as The Enclave, the community was once sought after, but had fallen into disrepair. For many people who learn about or see the renovations, “it’s bringing back memories of what the property was in the 1970s and 1980s,” Hodges says.
If you’d like to meet the new Retreat at Mountain Brook, please join us for a happy hour between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of every month. We’ll announce other upcoming events here as well.
See more of our new friends:
