You are ready to retire, but maybe the traditional lifestyle of casual lunches, golf courses, and games of bridge aren’t how you want to spend your golden years. As baby boomers move into retirement, there is a growing variety of retirement communities available to meet the diverse population of retirees. Here are some of the options:
Artists’ Retreat
Appropriately located in the heart of Southern California, both the The NoHo Senior Artists Colony and the Burbank Senior Artists Colony combine arts-focused programming with apartment living. These facilities include access to a performance theater and life-long educational programs open to both experienced professionals and first-timers. Unleash your artistic spirit!
Immigrant Communities
The rise in immigrant populations in the United States creates a trend in retirement communities supporting those populations. At ShantiNiketan, a retirement community in Florida, the focus is Indian culture. The lifestyle is vegetarian food, yoga, and meditation in a gated community. In Fremont, California, Aegis Gardens caters to retirees speaking Mandarin and Cantonese. Signage is bilingual and retirees enjoy games of Mah-Jong, tai chi, and Chinese calligraphy.
Back To School
Retirees nostalgic for their youth or who favor life-long educational activities are opting for retirement communities on or near university campuses. They often have access to classes, libraries, medical care, and the culture excitement of the academic environment. Major campuses that have such programs include Duke, Stanford, Notre Dame, and Cornell, with experts predicting a rapid growth in these communities in the near future.
The growing diversity of retirement communities reflects the baby boomer population. With over 75 million baby boomers, it is no surprise that there are communities designed to cater to a wide range of interests and lifestyles. The above communities are just a few examples. Other communities include those catering to muscle car enthusiasts, same-sex couples, and, yes, even the traditional ‘country club’ set. In fact, there is likely a community just for you and your interests!
Source: US News & World Report (http://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/articles/2013/05/28/7-unusual-places-to-retire)