If you are 60 or older, this information is for you!  Or perhaps you know someone in Montauk that might enjoy the following, then by all means pass this article along.  Right next door to the Montauk Firehouse is a wonderful building called the Montauk Playhouse Community Center.  This year marks the 80th birthday of this building that was originally built as a tennis auditorium back in 1929.  This gorgeous, Tudor style building has been refurbished and saved by the Town of East Hampton and reopened to the public in 2006.  It has a gymnasium, child and adult day care center, a fitness center and physical therapy office. But most important of all, and the topic of this article, is the Senior Nutrition Program that takes place every Monday through Friday.  Under the direction of Eileen Bock, the Nutrition Program serves lunch every day and is open to guests 60 years of age and older.  This is the best bargain on the East End, with lunch costing only two dollars per person!

Some of the seniors arrive before the noon time lunch hour to take part in exercise classes held in the gym space on the second floor. (There is an elevator in the building.) A lunch menu is planned for the month and guests can see what will be served. Reservations are needed so the headcount is covered. The seniors can either put their name on a list for the next day’s meal when they are there for lunch, or call in their reservations if they do not attend on a regular basis.  The meals are well balanced, delicious, varied and include coffee, tea and a dessert. The seniors that I spoke with said they enjoy coming and knowing this is one less meal they have to cook!  When lunch is over the tables quickly turn into recreational areas with dominos, cards, or bingo, along with other games the guests enjoy.  However, one need not participate in any of these in order to be on the schedule for lunch.  Lunch can also be ordered and picked up and taken home, if a senior is unable to stay to join the others.

My mother and her friends have been attending the Senior Nutrition Center for years.  Before this lovely location was ready, the program was held in Montauk Community Church’s basement. Now there are so many amenities available in the Montauk Playhouse Community Center and before long an indoor pool and theatre will be added to the list.  It is a wonderful place to meet new friends, become reacquainted with old ones and to spend a few hours each week day enjoying the program. For more information or to take a tour of the Senior Nutrition Center and see what it is all about, call program director, Eileen Bock, at (631) 668-1023.

Senior Nutrition Center