Best Towns To Retire

6 Responses

1. miss_nik says:

   June 24, 2009 at 10:40 am

   I think it’s one of the best reasons to move. Everyone you’ll be around will be your age and share similar interests. The community will be geared toward your demographic with rules and amenities that reflect that.
   As far as cons, the only ones I can think of are the ones that go with moving into any “association” or “community” and thats:
   1. More stringent rules than if you owned your own house
   2. possibility of living closer to neighbors than in your own place, this could be a good thing of course
   3. shared resources
   I would also maybe be weary of moving into a 55+ community if you have habits that fit more in a frat house than a retirement village. If you’re running wild at 1 AM, this kind of environment might not be for you, but I think you already know that.
   A couple more pros:
   1. If you currently live in your own house, by moving to one of these communities you’ll probably wind up with someone who takes care of the lawn and other maintenance.
   2. Increased amenities like pools/work out rooms
2. Musica says:

   June 24, 2009 at 3:20 pm

   If you’re happy where you’re at, then don’t move.
   From what I’ve been told of the “over 55″ or “senior communities” they can be somewhat depressing, and there’s also problems with busybodies and gossips. Also you can expect some desperate women to be chasing you all of a sudden. The ratio of senior women to senior men is quite high…if you don’t mind that, then fine…but … oh well.
   You can establish social networks in many other ways besides moving to a retirement community. How about just visiting a local senior center from time to time? Even the smallest towns have one.
   Personally, I think its a good idea to have friends of all ages, and here’s some ways you can do that:
   Be a community volunteer for something that interests you.
   If you’re religious, there may be social outlets through your house of worship.
   Consider taking courses at a local community college, university or even vocational school…or maybe even teaching an adult class yourself. Speaking of schools, maybe you can join your alma mater’s alumni association, and help plan reunions.
   If it’s romance you are looking for, then try personal ads and going to senior dances…along with the other suggestions.
   Good luck.
3. Crystal says:

   June 24, 2009 at 3:36 pm

   61 is really not old! If you are in need of assisted living that would be a reason to relocate to a senior living facility, but if you are just looking to connect to a community of people your age there are definately other options for you with out uprooting yourself and moving to a new community.
   You should try http://www.Eons.com! This is what my mother and my aunt have been using to connect to people your age. I swear it is their latest craze. According to them Eons.com is Best Baby Boomer social community on the web! It’s totally free and it keeps them active in the baby boomer community.
   At eons.com you can:
   • Express yourself through your Profile and share your life—with privacy settings that keep you in charge;
   • Join Groups around your passions and interests or start your own;
   • Share photos and videos with friends and family;
   • Play games to build your brain and challenge others;
   • Laugh out loud and have fun with your Eons friends every day!
   Check out Eons.com and you might find your social/community needs have been satisfied and you wont need to move for another 10 years. Good luck!!
4. Life in the slow lane says:

   June 24, 2009 at 9:05 pm

   At 61 there are many, many ways of establishing a social network if you don’t have one. For myself the answer to living in an over 55 community is no, no, no. When I retired 10 yrs. ago I was a widow and I decided to live any way I wanted to. A little Nun once told me, “Travel light in life. Don’t be burdened with THINGS.” So I sold my home, many possessions and gave many things away. My kids think I’m crazy because they have far grander expectations for their mother. I enjoy living in an inexpensive studio apt. with few responsibilities and almost nothing to take care of. I write stories, travel with groups at times and not always with seniors, long walks or whatever else I want. I can have boyfriends of any age and I am not bound by the restrictions or expectations of an ‘over 55′ community. If you like institutions then join the over 55 institution. I don’t want to be institutionalized in any way, shape or form.
5. The Smart Redneck says:

   June 25, 2009 at 3:38 am

   I’m far from old enough to retire but i have visited people in the over 55 community and i find them a bit too sterile so to speak nothing out of place everyone wanting to know what goes on in each others life i say if you want a social community volunteer at places around your present community and leave that 55 and over stuff for when your unable to enjoy the house that you built out of your hard earned money i know I’ll never go to a home until I’m unable to live in the house i built with my own 2 hands and my heart
6. Signilda says:

   June 25, 2009 at 6:31 am

   61 is still quite young. You might find those communities a bit depressing because there will be people living there who are a generation older than you and at the end of their lives. You may have new friends and neighbors die off. Ambulances come around often too.