Throwback Thursday from 2011

A blast from the past! This brief interview appeared in Sarasota Magazine's January 2011 issue. During the current stay-at-home pandemic now in the fifth month, Elliott's still spending time cooking (every day!), and we're both still walking the beach and gardening. Elliott's busy working on house maintenance projects, Janet's managing social media for an architect and a photographer, but we haven't been kayaking and sailing in quite awhile. Where does the time go?  

DEMOGRAPHIC SNAPSHOT

E+J 2011, Photo by Michael Short

Baby Boomers > Elliott Himelfarb & Janet Minker

Ages > 57 and 56

Came from > Washington, D.C. area

Arrived > 2009

Enjoying > Kayaking, the beach, gardening, arts and culture.

Work Status> Working part-time, no plans to retire yet.

After living near Washington, D.C., for most of their lives, Elliott Himelfarb, 57, and his wife, Janet Minker, 56, were accustomed to the bustle of a big city. But two years ago, they realized they were ready for a change. Janet’s cousin plays for the Sarasota Orchestra, so they’ve been visiting for the past 15 years; moving here seemed like a natural next step. “Sarasota has everything to offer but on a smaller scale [than D.C], so it’s easier to take advantage of it,” says Elliott. In contrast, getting to the Kennedy Center or D.C. museums could be “a logistical feat,” he says.

 Their move has signaled the beginning of a “somewhat transitional” phase in life, he says. While not quite retired, Elliott says they are “definitely on the way there.” Both still work part-time. She’s an art designer and social media consultant, primarily for healthcare groups based in D.C., and he’s a residential construction project manager currently working on several Sarasota houses, including one they’re building for themselves on Lido Key.

Even so, their focus has become “less business-oriented and more about self-fulfillment,” says Elliott. They spend more time cooking, walking the beach, kayaking, sailing, even gardening—their plants are much happier here than in D.C., he says with a laugh. And they’ve loved involving themselves in community affairs. Last year Janet helped organize an arts exhibition at Mote Aquarium, and she also worked on November’s Owen Burns celebration. — Beau Denton