There are people who you meet and instantly feel like you have been friends with for a long time. Matthew Weiner is that guy. He greets you with a big grin and is full of life. He and his wife, Jennifer happened to sit next to us in the Village over the Christmas holiday 5 years ago. It didn’t take long to feel as if we had been friends forever and not recent acquaintances. They have this happen to them everywhere they go.
They purchased a condo in the Village a couple months later and have been making Jackson their second home ever since. His first impression of Jackson was better than he imagined. As he describes it, Jackson is an “outdoor paradise with great people.” His teen girls love it, too. They weren’t excited about switching the holiday routine but now consider Jackson home and can’t imagine not experiencing the torch parade and fireworks on New Years Eve. The traditions have a way of becoming part of what we all come to love and expect in a small town.
Matthew explains that Jackson is far and above other ski towns because “it’s the whole package.” It has an authentic rustic appeal. “But overall it is the people sharing the same goal of pursing a healthy outdoor lifestyle in paradise.” He also likes that “you can be sitting next to a billionaire at a bar and wouldn’t know it.” Jackson is an everyman’s kind of town that makes tourists and locals alike feel lucky to experience it.
As you can imagine, Matthew is expressive and not shy. He effortlessly says this town is “literally my favorite place on earth” and you believe him. This summer he and Jennifer dropped the girls at camp and they came here to create their own version of camp. He would have described himself as a beach person but now sees there is so much more to do in the mountains that he has switched his preference.
They plan to make Jackson their permanent home but for the time being he is keeping his day job as Managing Director for Multifamily Capital at Wells Fargo in New York. He enjoys bringing clients out and should be a town Ambassador with the way he promotes it. The only negative he reluctantly will admit is “it’s not the easiest place to get to.” There isn’t anyone who can argue that point but we all agree it’s worth it once you arrive.
The intimidating reputation of Jackson he heard before he ever came was “the mountain was steep.” That doesn’t keep skiers away and often attracts many. Matthew was up for the challenge and wanted to experience it with the whole family. The more Matthew gets to know Jackson he realizes “he is a terrible skier compared to most people here” and “has never seen anything like the talent skiing that mountain.” He is definitely not a terrible skier but it is another example that he sees the best in everything and everyone around him.
They have made many friends in town and it’s the way they treat everyone with respect and kindness that makes us all hope they move here sooner than later. If you haven’t had the opportunity to meet Matthew or Jennifer it won’t be long and you’ll have friends for life when you do.
