The story below is from our March/April 2022 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
Roanoke wins out as a retirement destination for this future-minded couple.
Bob Sowder
When Leslie and Gregory Coyle moved towards a shared retirement and considered purchasing a second property, they pondered weather, mountain views and activities, and, as respective former work in trust/investment services and banking taught them, they closely examined the economic viability of each city they considered.
“The strength of the banks and credit unions in an area is a good marker of the financial health of a community, and Roanoke is underpinned by strong, well capitalized financial institutions,” says Gregory, a former federal banking regulator who made a career with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, commonly known as the FDIC.
In addition to Roanoke’s financial health, the Coyles were charmed by the lively and walkable downtown, the friendly people, the abundance of restaurant choices, and the proximity of the airport and Amtrak stations for travel. With no familial ties to Roanoke, they chose it over eleven other contenders, including Asheville and Greensboro, North Carolina, which are popular retirement destinations. The Coyles recognized some benefits in those cities, but they see Roanoke as a locale poised for a blindingly bright future.
“We see the promise and the potential of this city, and we felt comfortable enough about it to invest in a home here,” enthuses Leslie, whose second home is in Vero Beach, Florida, where she and Gregory will spend at least six months of the year.
Their Roanoke condo, part of the revitalization of downtown, is at 204 South Jefferson, a historic building that was erected in 1927, and was the tallest building in Roanoke until 1977. In 2006, it was redeveloped into residential condos by Ed Walker, whose company has been behind many downtown projects. The Coyles’ condo occupies the entirety of the 10th floor, consisting of 4,660 square feet, and its run of 29 windows provide 360-degree views of the landscape and cityscape. Mountains, lit by city lights, have captivated the couple since they purchased the property in July.
“I think when people grow up here, or just become used to the mountains, they might take them for granted a little bit…being so used to it,” notes Gregory. “I can tell you I am just in awe of the views we have.”
Those views previously belonged to Warner Dalhouse, one of Roanoke’s favorite sons. A Roanoke College and UVA product, Dalhouse enjoyed a successful career in banking, and was the former chairman and CEO of First Union National Bank in Roanoke. His hand has touched many of the successful non-profits in the region, and according to Roanoke College, has been instrumental in raising more than $35 million for various organizations, such as the SPCA, Center in the Square and the Jefferson Center. Dalhouse and his wife Barbara sold the condo in order to spend more time at Smith Mountain Lake.
The Coyles have great respect for the Dalhouses’ work in the community, and see life in the condo, where the Dalhouses held many fundraisers, as a good luck charm and a springboard to finding their own footing in Roanoke. And they’ll do it with much of the Dalhouse’s furniture and artwork, which they purchased separately from the real estate transaction. The reason was in part a practical one, as the nature of a historic building can make moving day a challenge.
“We understand some of the furniture in the home was brought in by crane, because the freight elevator is too small for larger furniture,” explains Gregory. So the baby grand piano, much of the original art from local and regional standouts such as Ed Bordett, Betty Branch, Holly Felice and Geoffrey Johnson, and many furniture items remain, mingled with the Coyles’ own cherished collection of art and possessions. Thankfully, the Coyles’ own style melded well with the Dalhouses’, who favored a soothing neutral palette of creams and tans that allowed the view to be the star (from four rooms facing south, you can view the actual Mill Mountain Star shining over the city).
When the private elevator doors open to the condo, the foyer area is painted black, a change the Coyles have made since moving in, along with a custom painted monogram on the elevator doors. The black is more welcoming than stark, showing off two large paintings by Hawaiian/Canadian artist LeoHone, along with a three-foot tall Murano glass vase from Italian artist Enrico Mammozzo that the couple bought in San Francisco last year, specifically for the foyer’s art display niche.
The black walls, grounded by a creamy marble floor, draw you into the living space, which is clad in warm cherry wood floors and flows without walls from dining room to kitchen to living area. To the right of the foyer is the formal dining space, delineated by a two-tiered dropped ceiling with built in LED lights to cozy up the space, and cocooned by a curved Italian marble wall, punctuated by unique frosted crystal tiles from Lalique, a famous French glassmaker.
Around the corner from the formal dining space, which can comfortably seat six to eight, is the kitchen, which can accommodate the most serious of cooks, with SubZero refrigerator/freezer, and Wolf ovens and gas cooktop. A 32-foot-long island allows for kitchen storage without blocking the views, and a butler’s pantry with second refrigerator/freezer and built-in Miele espresso coffee maker ensures coverage for even the most elaborate of party spreads.
Off the kitchen is a library with a gas fireplace and doors that can be closed for privacy. Built-in bookshelves house family photos, books and the couple’s glass collection of pumpkins. “We started with a couple, and then people would buy them for us as gifts,” explains Leslie. “Now it’s become a challenge, finding unique and different ones when we travel.”
On the opposite end of the condo, another room can be closed off for privacy, which functions as Gregory’s office, but a pull-out couch ensures it can be a third bedroom, if needed for guests. The primary suite has a luxurious bath and closets, while a second en suite guest room with king-sized bed is a treat for visiting friends and relatives. A large Ed Bordett painting of New York City, commissioned by Dalhouse, hangs above the guest suite bed. It previously hung in the dining room, but the Coyles relocated it so they could display Leslie’s collection of Royal Copenhagen Christmas plates, given to her by her parents each year. Learning how to mix and match their own treasures has been part of the joy of settling into the condo, and feeling at home.
“We’ve enjoyed discovering more about the local artists’ work that we purchased, and finding spaces to display the art that we’ve collected and love,” notes Gregory. “It’s a work in progress.”
The story above is from our March/April 2022. For more stories, subscribe today or view our FREE digital edition. Thank you for supporting local journalism!