Retirement Village (Moving to and Living)

It looks lovely, but despite being old yourself wouldn't you find it tiresome to only be around old people?

Wouldn't you miss the sights and sounds of young families walking their babies and dogs, kids laughing and shouting to each other while riding bikes, roller skating, skateboarding, playing football in the street, and so forth?

All forms of diversity bring me joy, age diversity included.
 
I've been in a 55+ community for 14 years now, and I love living here. It's a relatively safe and easy place to live as you get older - most homes here are one-level apartments or houses, landscaping done by professionals, lots to do. We have a variety of ages, as many people have visitors of all ages, including kids with dogs. In fact, many of the residents own dogs, and you see them outside walking them all the time. No bikes or roller skating in the streets, though, but it isn't a prison. Those of us who are able to drive (remember, you can live here at 55) are outside of our gates pretty much daily. In fact, many of the residents are still working. Others do volunteer work, go shopping, to the theatre, etc. This slowed down a lot during Covid, but then it did for everyone. Activities are pretty much back to normal now.

I do think residents for elders vary a lot, so it's a good idea to do your research and see for yourself what the atmosphere feels like. There's no one-size-fits-all answer.
 
Sunny said:
I've been in a 55+ community for 14 years now, and I love living here. It's a relatively safe and easy place to live as you get older - most homes here are one-level apartments or houses, landscaping done by professionals, lots to do. We have a variety of ages, as many people have visitors of all ages, including kids with dogs. In fact, many of the residents own dogs, and you see them outside walking them all the time. No bikes or roller skating in the streets, though, but it isn't a prison. Those of us who are able to drive (remember, you can live here at 55) are outside of our gates pretty much daily. In fact, many of the residents are still working. Others do volunteer work, go shopping, to the theatre, etc. This slowed down a lot during Covid, but then it did for everyone. Activities are pretty much back to normal now.

I do think residents for elders vary a lot, so it's a good idea to do your research and see for yourself what the atmosphere feels like. There's no one-size-fits-all answer.
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It sounds really wonderful. It's just so frustrating that those kind of places are so expensive (around here anyway). I can see why they have to charge a lot of money since they offer so much but it's just unfortunate that a lot of us can't afford it.
 
We lived in a +55 MHP for about 15 years. Earlier this year we found a new apartment complex on the beach.
What a difference! The MHP is like a ghost town, with nobody around. Right now I am sitting looking out at the beach, with walkers, joggers, and cyclists moving.
Also this complex has a great number of younger people , which makes us feel younger.
 
I'm with Sunny. We've only been in our over-55 for 18 months, but so far it's more than we could have wanted. It's not a huge place, only 500 homes. Plenty of things to do and nice amenities. We've gotten to know a ton of people so far and everyone is helpful and nice. There are those folks that you never see, who seem to be just existing - or perhaps they have their own world that doesn't include neighbors. The grandkids are about 20 minutes away and so far, we love it.
 
The more you research senior living facilities the more you become aware that no 2 are alike.

We lived in one in Arizona for 14 years and then moved to one here in Florida 7 years ago. There similarities and significant differences.

We would never go back to living in an all age community.
 
I wonder just how bad a hit the Villiages in Florida took in that bad,bad storm?

Maybe they were spared ? Let us hope !!
 
rgp said:
I wonder just how bad a hit the Villiages in Florida took in that bad,bad storm?

Maybe they were spared ? Let us hope !!
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I know someone who lives in The Villages. She said they just had heavy rain. The Villages community is far from the coast. So they were spared.
 
I'm very active in our theatre group. Next week, we are putting on a play that I am directing. It will be the 8th play I have written or directed, plus I've been in a lot of performances directed by other people. We are definitely not Broadway; we are all amateurs (although some are surprisingly good). But living in an ordinary home without the "community" amenities, it would be a lot harder to have this kind of fun. I could join a community theatre group, I guess, which would probably involve lots of driving at night, and would be a lot harder.

That's just one example. Want to play bridge? There's always a game, right in the building. Or pretty much any other game. Want a book discussion club, political activism, pickleball, a gym, a golf course, a community garden, even an LGBTQ club, you name it... it's right here. This becomes very attractive in old age.

But, as has been said, the communities vary a lot. I got lucky and got into a good one. And as someone mentioned affordability, we have a huge variety of home styles and prices, ranging from small, "studio" apartments to large houses. Some units are for rent. This is a standard, middle-class community for the most part. I couldn't afford those fancy, luxury-type communities either.

Another interesting thing about my community is the diversity of the residents. We have a good mixture of racial and religious groups. I recently saw a breakdown of ethnic groups living here, and we have everything but Hawaiian or Alaskan natives. But everybody else is represented, although there are just a few Native Americans. I like the diversity.
 
Sunny said:
And as someone mentioned affordability, we have a huge variety of home styles and prices, ranging from small, "studio" apartments to large houses. Some units are for rent. This is a standard, middle-class community for the most part. I couldn't afford those fancy, luxury-type communities either.
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It must depend on the area; around here, places that are even remotely like yours, one has to be at the very top of the middle class and up to afford. Maybe because there aren't enough of that kind of place so there's no price competition. What I get for living in the sticks, I guess.
 
Sunny said:
I know someone who lives in The Villages. She said they just had heavy rain. The Villages community is far from the coast. So they were spared.
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Thanks ..... Some good news there.

Of course I wish all could have been spared, I was just concerned about the consentration of the elderly .

For years my dad lived in Englewood {Manasota Key} & Grove City ..... He's gone now, I have not seen how those areas fared.
 
I have looked into retirement communities, then decided that should not be my plan. I would not fit in, for I am mostly an anti-social man. Retirement communities cost so much, and where I live all has been paid for. Here I dwell for the rest of my days, it is home for the children who grew up in it. There is no need for me to move, to be in a different community. For here my neighbors move in, and then leave. Different faces, every few years. The bicycles, the children, and the dogs chatting among themselves.
 
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