Lilian Koslow has been a resident at the Watermark at Westwood for the last five years. On Dec. 1, the president and CEO of Watermark Retirement Communities announced that residents would need to move out of the building within 120 days. ''I’ve been sick about it because I really enjoy it here. The people are lovely, the location is excellent, and at my age of 98 years old, it’s a little bit hard to think of moving,'' Koslow said.
At 98, Koslow participated in a protest against the evictions, chanting ''old lives matter'' and walking across the span of the building with fellow residents and their families. ''It was good for me at 98 years old, to be able to hold a sign and fight for (the cause),'' Koslow said.
The Watermark is currently an unlicensed senior living facility but is planning renovations that would bring the building up to standard for licensing. The building was previously a student residence hall known as Weyburn Hall.
Koslow lived in Massachusetts with her husband prior to his death. After his death, Koslow said she was very lonely. ''(My daughter) insisted that I come out here. She wanted me to live with her, and I said, 'You’ve got your own life. I want you to be happy and not have to worry about me,''' Koslow said. ''I was only supposed to stay one month, and now I've been here five years.''
A framed portrait of Emiel and Harriette Meisel's late granddaughter hangs in the Meisels' two-room complex in the Watermark.
Emiel Meisel, like many other residents at the Watermark, was upset about the notice of eviction. Meisel frequently blogs about his feelings on the matter. ''Where in hell else can an old person live, and walk and feel like they’re independent?'' Meisel said.
Meisel is the responsible party for organizing the Old Lives Matter protest for the residents of the Watermark.
Emiel and Harriette Meisel have been married for 66 years. Before moving to Westwood in 2014, the Meisels were living in Mexico, and before that, in Paris.
Harriette Meisel regularly used to attend happy hour with the friends she had made at the Watermark, who Emiel Meisel calls the ''Sippin' Sisters.'' After the eviction notice, many residents of the building, including some of Harriette Meisel's friends, found alternate housing options and moved out of the complex.
Ruth Frank met her late husband at UCLA in 1941 after he spotted her in the library and asked her to attend the UCLA vs. USC football game.
Frank came up with the slogan, ''We want to live here, not leave here.''
Frank's late husband played baseball at UCLA alongside Jackie Robinson.
Jeannine Frank, Ruth Frank's daughter, also attended UCLA and even lived in the very building Ruth lives in currently when it was Weyburn Hall.
For the Frank family, leaving The Watermark requires leaving behind the familiarity of Westwood and the UCLA area. ''It's familiar and it's fun,'' Jeannine Frank said about the area.
Flossie Liebman's apartment is adorned with clocks of different sizes and shapes.
Liebman is another resident of the Watermark that has not sought to move. She's comfortable where she is and doesn't intend to move, she said. ''I have full confidence that we followed the rules and that we can make it work. I’m staying,'' Liebman said. ''I have no complaints, as long as they keep up the service we moved in with.''
In addition to clocks, Liebman's walls were also decorated with photos of her family and old portraits. Pictured above is photo of Liebman at her Sweet 16 birthday party.