Three Tenors, wine, art, chocolate, yoga, rummage sales, line dance and people under 50 years old. Which one doesn’t apply to the Ballard Senior Center? Wrong.

Every single one of the above is part of the senior center’s past or current events calendar. The Ballard Senior Center has opportunities for anyone willing to leave their fear of being considered a senior at the door.

It sits just north of the 7-11, at 32nd Avenue Northwest and Northwest Market Street. Picture windows face the bus stop for routes 17 and 44 on 32nd Avenue, often advertising the date of the next rummage sale (Oct. 16-17) or special events like the Wine, Art and Chocolate Night (Oct. 8) or the Bavarian Fest (Oct. 19).

A giant billboard wouldn’t be enough room to list what’s really going on inside the building, which is nothing short of a combined restaurant, fitness center, computer lab, classroom, retail destination, crafts room, billiard hall, health, nutrition and social center.

The unassuming city-owned building is home to one of seven senior centers in the city, and one that center Director Carlye Teel is proud to hear called, “the really friendly one.”

They serve a full lunch ($3 suggested donation) at noon, Monday through Friday, and a very social dinner at 5 p.m. on Wednesday ($7 suggested) followed by movie or bingo.

Ongoing services include weekly health checks with a nurse, nutrition consultations with residents and doctors from Bastyr, a social worker, a financial advisor, a dental hygienist, a legal consultant, a senior rights advisor and a foot care specialist.

Some services are free to members ($30/year membership), others have a very reasonable fee. All services are available to anyone, but seniors get preference.

Then there are the classes -- Spanish and German, Genealogy and Tai Chi. Photography, current events and book clubs.

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday there are three fitness classes per day. The rummage sales that happen in October, February and July are famous, as is the Holiday Bazaar that takes place the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Every week includes field trips to casinos, farmer’s markets or museums. New in 2009 are a Taproot Theater night (Dec. 1) and Chocolate and Art (Oct. 8).

In previous years benefit concerts have featured the Three Tenors, the Kingston Trio, and Wayne Newton, performing exclusively to benefit the Ballard location.

The former grocery store site is often used for community meetings and available for rental to other non-profits. Last week the Wallingford Senior Center, which was privately run, announced they might need to close their doors leaving Ballard and Greenwood senior centers as the only ones serving the entire north end.

Ballard provided services to 3,500 in 2008 and expects the 2009 totals to be considerably higher.

Affiliated with Senior Services, a King County non-profit, the center has to fundraise for 72 percent of its operating budget. The city provides the building and they receive funds from city of Seattle and King County; always with the jeopardy of budget cuts.

All programs are open to everyone, but preference is given to seniors. Twenty-two year director Teel plans to find out what programs were most popular at Wallingford and move them to Ballard.

Board members on the fundraising committee are always looking at creative ways to bring together local community members to provide mutual support. In putting together the Wine, Chocolate and Art night, board member Nancy Ward specifically looked for local artists, with four based in the neighborhood itself.

Sommelier Buddy Dunn is board member Patrick Dunn’s brother; he plans to pair wines with Theo’s Chocolates. Next up is the fall rummage sale and the Bavarian Fest. The upstairs is overflowing with goods.

Director Teel is there when the senior center opens its doors every morning at 9:30 and when it closes at night, although she doesn’t always stay for movie night. Teel, 60, knows how important the center is to the emotional, social and physical well being of older adults and its community.

Center members mentor student at Adams Elementary and were responsible for dressing all of the Teddy Bears distributed by the Moyer Foundation last year.

Inside the Senior Center there’s a wealth of services, available to anyone willing to let go of the notion that the center is just for “old people.” The center always needs volunteers (food pick-up, bazaar help, Bingo caller) and they welcome anyone, whether you’re 95 or 25.

For the recently retired or the suddenly alone, the lifelong learner or the bridge addict, the Ballard Senior Center is a homey place with home-cooked meals, but no dishes, filled with lots of interesting people. Not old people, just people.

Ballard Northwest Senior Center is located at 5429 32nd Ave. N.W. A fuller list of activities and events is at www.ballardseniorcenter.org. For information call (206) 297.0403.

Peggy Sturdivant can be reached atlargeinballard@yahoo.com.