One of St. James Place’s Best Kept Secrets — Happy Hour

Talk to any resident of St. James Place, and they’ll rave about the various events, meals and activities available. They’ll tell you how wonderful the staff is. But there’s one thing not mentioned on the website (until now) that excites almost every resident on the campus, something they all agree on — Happy Hour! Every Wednesday through Sunday at 4 pm, residents gather in the bar for some tasty libations and nonalcoholic beverages, and a lot of engaging conversation. But Happy Hour at St. James Place isn’t about the beverages. It’s about gathering as a community. No matter your background or lifestyle preferences, Happy Hour at St. James Place has become a social event very few residents want to miss.

Mary Larson, a St. James Place resident for the past seven years, has a lot to say on the topic. In fact, Mary’s first Happy Hour helped her decide St. James Place was the place for her. “I had what they call a staycation,” Mary says. “I was here for several days and nights and got to meet a lot of people before I made my decision. I went to Happy Hour several times which was really helpful when it came time for me to decide, because you could see how much fun everyone was having, and how welcoming they all were.”

Tip Tipton, another resident, agrees with Mary. “Happy hour is very popular. And it’s not just the wine or whatever you drink. It’s the social aspect. Folks gather and just sit, talk and learn from one another.”

“I don’t miss very many,” Mary says. “It’s kind of like a family. Most people who aren’t retired go to work during the day. Then they get together at supper. And that’s kind of what it feels like here. Some of us have been getting together for a long time. Some of those who come are brand new. This way we can bring them into the fold, kind of like what happened with me. It’s something that most of us look forward to.”

With all the fun being had, you have to wonder why they take Mondays and Tuesdays off. According to Mary, however, while the “official” Happy Hour may not occur the first two days of the week, that doesn’t mean the residents haven’t found their own workaround. “Well, they close the Duplantier dining room those two days, so things shift over to the Le Petit Carré, our buffet. People don’t generally drink then, but sometimes, on the other side of dinner, we’ll have a version of Happy Hour there, too.”

“And don’t forget,” Mary says, “we celebrate a lot of occasions here at St. James Place. There are so many wonderful activities, outings and other fun occasions, there really is something for everyone here. If you enjoy being part of a very active and social community where everyone cares about each other, in my opinion you can’t do better than this.”

Since the friendliness of Happy Hour helped Mary decide to move to St. James Place, does she do the same for others? “Oh yes,” she says. “We have people coming through all the time, checking us out. It’s fun to involve them. The residents all see ourselves as ambassadors. While we all have wonderful things to say about St. James Place, Happy Hour is the event that really brings us together.” 

Mary also credits the staff at St. James Place with helping get the residents through the worst of the pandemic when all activities had to be shut down for a brief period. “The staff is perfect,” she says. “They cooked for us, did our maintenance if we needed it. They got our mail to us. They just took incredible care of all of us. We’re all family here and do what we can to help each other.”

When things reopened and Happy Hour was able to resume, Mary was right there, in the swing of things. Asked if she’s missed many since then, Mary laughs and says, “I could count them on one hand. I just love being around people.” Since the staff had been so incredible and such an important part of the St. James Place family, were they able to participate in Happy Hour? “No,” Mary says with a sigh. “Unfortunately, they can’t do that. But sometimes we have a special party to celebrate them, and everyone comes to that. We do whatever we can not to leave them out.” 

When asked to sum up what makes Happy Hour so much fun, and why she believes it’s such an important activity for the residents of St. James Place, Mary doesn’t hesitate with her answer. “The largest part of it is the social aspect. But it’s more than that. It gives people the chance to meet others who might like to do the same things they do. If you want to play Bridge, you’re going to find others who like it, too. If you want to learn Spanish or take one of the LSU OLLI classes, just go over and say hi to Tip. It helps people know what’s going on and to try new things and different activities. But mostly it’s an opportunity to bring people in and make them feel at home and comfortable with the place. And doing it with a little glass of champagne in your hand doesn’t hurt either.”

If you’d like to join the residents of St. James Place and see what makes Happy Hour so much fun, call (225) 314-5857 to arrange a personal tour.