55 Communities - Pros and Cons

We live in Sun City Anthem in the Las Vegas Valley. Several people buy their homes when they are in their 50’s and rent them out until they are close to retirement. Its an active 55+ retirement community that looks like a resort. Tons of clubs and activities. Of course there are people who are not active, but everyone in my area seems fit and active. I love that there are usually no cars parked on the street, as often in are in “family“ neighborhoods where teenagers live. And, while I love kids, I like there are no trikes and bikes on the sidewalks. There are, I admit, a component of adversarial people who get pretty cranky with HOA issues and board elections can get somewhat nasty. There are 3 online blogs run by residents: one pretty balanced, one intended to stir up trouble, one quite political. The community is clean, safe, quiet and offers lots of opportunities for activities and friendship.
 

They are not for everyone. That being said, we have lived in a +55 mobile home park for 11 years. Yes, there are rules, but coming from a condo where I lived for 20+ years they are not onerous. We have a lovely 1400 sq foot manufactured home. We turned a section of driveway next to the storage shed into a little oasis with a lattice divider planter, a table and 2 rocking chairs.
Our front porch runs the width of our home, and we have a great view of our local 2000 foot high mountain. less than 4 miles from our home.
 

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I love living in a 55+ community. And Knight, people in their late 50's don't exactly have "one foot in the grave!" Neither do most of the rest of us.

It's lively, friendly, and varied. Lots of activities of every kind. (I'm talking about normal times, of course, not right now.) And it is quieter than most other communities, with the lack of kids, teenagers, traffic noise, etc.

As Packerjohn says, your enjoyment of a place largely depends on what kind of neighbors you get. And there are a lot of more important things than their age.
 

Gardenlover said:
A relative who lives in a 55+ community stated that given the chance he wouldn't move into an older community again. His reasoning was that too many of the people have nothing better to do than degrade the current leadership, facilities, goverment, etc. etc. Basically they have too much time on their hands.

I've always thought a 55+ community would be quiet and safe. What are the thoughts of those who live in these communities?
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Those people, mentioned above .... you can bet that they were always obstinate! ... probably gripers their entire life, and then they happened to move into a senior community.
 
Gardenlover said:
A relative who lives in a 55+ community stated that given the chance he wouldn't move into an older community again. His reasoning was that too many of the people have nothing better to do than degrade the current leadership, facilities, goverment, etc. etc. Basically they have too much time on their hands.

I've always thought a 55+ community would be quiet and safe. What are the thoughts of those who live in these communities?
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That is my assumption as well. This is my first visit to this forum. So I will see what they say. lol
 
Happyflowerlady said:
I know someone who lives in a 55+ apartment complex, and from what I have seen, it is exactly the kind of place that I would choose if I were going to live in an apartment alone. They are not assisted living, but the complex has an indoor pool/exercise area, and they have community activities in the “rec-room” near the pool area.

I think that it would be a lot quieter than just having an apartment in a regular complex, too. I have a friend who moved into an apartment after she sold her house, and she complains about her neighbors all of the time, and has even moved from one apartment to another one, at least once already.

I definitely would NOT want an apartment like @Robert59 mentioned, and it does not seem legal that they could even come in every two weeks and inspect and take pictures. When you pay your rent, you should be able to expect privacy, and to drink alcohol as long as you are not having wild parties there.
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We live in a regular apartment complex, however, we know seniors close by and associate with them. We have a outdoor pool, exercise room, sauna, and pleasant walking areas. Neighbors are very nice, no loud parties in our section.
 


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