Thinking of moving from a 55+ back to the real world.. (twin, family)
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Cool...I like the t-shirt and the cars above it. Those two seaters are great. I wonder if the missus will let me get one!!! I'm coming late to the what they call the mid-life crisis. Lately I've been dreaming about getting in one of them with the top down and doing some nice cruisin' with 'Jet Airliner' blasting from the radio. I'm sure they rocked.
from reading some of the posts, it seems that some people think that 55+ communities can be, will be, the final destination. for most people, this is not the case, because 55+ do not offer any medical supports, assistance with adls, which becomes more important as we age, or any, for lack of a better word, case management. most people my age,70, and younger, no matter how much we exercise, eat right, socialize, will not glide into old age without needing these supports, whether it be short or long term. i mentioned case management because most seniors will come to the place where they need help with planning, coordinating services, appointments, whatever, beyond what adult children are able or willing to do. the 55+ communities that i'm aware of, don't have someone in this role because their emphasis is on vigor, health, and maintenace of this lifestyle.
i can possibly see a 55+ for a single late fifties/early sixties woman who is active, wants to expand her social circle, wants the option of some structured activities, and wants to be rid of house maintenance and the care of a larger home. this might fill a need for a while- maybe forever, but statistics are against that. a 55+ community is primarily a social model, with the focus on expanding social outlets in a more carefree enviornment than staying in one's home can often offer. i guess what i'm saying is that most folks as they age cannot escape needing medical supports, because debilitation becomes a part of aging, even for baby boomers. the 55+ communities do not provide this ,as indeed their models and marketing are focused on maintaining an active lifestyle. there's nothing wrong with that, but again, at some point, most seniors are going to require more. if a person is looking at making "the final move" the 55+ will probably not be it, although the younger you are when you enter ( 55-62 ), the longer you might have to remain there. but the probability is that at some point in the future you will have to move again.
Too many rules, sheeple that walk down the street amassed like zombies toward their 10 o'clock water aerobics class or 11 o'clock bridge game, did I say too many rules? No diving or jumping into the pool, little girls' hair must be braided so as not to clog up the pool filter, etc., etc. No outside sneakers on the treadmills, just clean brand new sneakers so as not to guck up the equipment.
We've found a nearby neighborhood; small back yards insure there are no pools, no german shepherds, and we're thinking of making the change toward freedom. We figure coffins are much too confining, why settle for the restrictions now when we should be raising hell?
I can remember the same rules at health clubs and other facilities in NTC in the 90's, nothing new here.
As for the marching "zombies," stand in your front door and moon 'em. That'll raise a little of the hell you're yearning for.
Whoa..that's news to me. You mean to say it's set up that way by 'interests'? Something to contemplate, something to contemplate. I never thought communities were set up like that. Do they advertise the community like that? hehe..retired astronomers or New Mexico ranchers welcome, c'mon down!??..;-)...
I don't think most of those places advertise, at least not in places the general public would see the ad. A few miles from us is Falcons Landing, which is for retired military officers. (Ones that get an honorable discharge, they make point of noting, LOL.) I've never seen that place advertise, but I hear it's popular and has a waiting list.
I don't think most of those places advertise, at least not in places the general public would see the ad. A few miles from us is Falcons Landing, which is for retired military officers. (Ones that get an honorable discharge, they make point of noting, LOL.) I've never seen that place advertise, but I hear it's popular and has a waiting list.
I posted a thread a while back about our visit to Sun City Hilton Head, and one last year regarding our visit to Sun City Anthem in Henderson, NV. You can find both in my blog as well instead of trying to search for them. I tried to give a reasonable report of both.
We have also visited two others. One in Jacksonville, and one in Nocatee (Ponte Vedra at Del Webb's website) and did not like either one. The area around the one in Jacksonville was not a desirable one. Nocatee was deserted. We saw maybe four people that didn't work there. Home pricing was ridiculous. We didn't stay long at either location.
But the reasons for this post are these:
55+ simply are not for everyone. I know it's been said many times, but that point seems to get lost in the midst of opinions and bickering (of which, I am guilty).
Yes, there are HOAs in the communities, and some apparently are pretty strict. We did not see either of the two we liked as having this problem. There are also plenty of communities that are not 55+ with the same problem so the age of residents is less important as the strictness of an HOA. If you live in a neighborhood like ours there is no HOA and you are at the mercy of neighbors whims. In our case we have a number if them that are less than caring about their yards, houses, and people who live around them. An HOA here would be welcome, at least to those of us who give a damn about the neighborhood.
The ageism that seems rampant when discussing over 55 communities confuses me. Both communities we visited had plenty of people of all ages right outside the area. In Anthem we could drive "down the hill" and shop amongst people of all ages. Drive a little further and do some gambling. We spent time in an Irish pub eating delicious food, drinking great beer, and playing trivia with a group whose ages spanned early twenties to mid-sixties (With us being the mid-sixties portion). They saw there was just two of us and asked if we would like to join them. And we are welcome to play with them any time we are in Las Vegas. In Hilton Head we ate at a restaurant right outside the community that was packed with people of all ages. In fact, every restaurant we went to outside the area was the same and none were more than a few blocks away. Hardly an old people only experience. The same holds true for the Food Lion right across the street from one of the entrances. Granted inside the community it's predominately older citizens, but why limit yourself? Do you only venture a few blocks where you live now?
When we toured the amenities we found a great variety, which is noted in the blogs. There were a lot of fit people in the exercise areas and swimming pools. The libraries were busy. Mrs. Tek played bridge at the one in Hilton Head, and played at a club outside the one in Las Vegas. Both had a ton of things to do. Both have a wood working shop, which is a must for me if we ever move to one. In Las Vegas I got to play poker with some of the residents at the amenity building and had a blast. There are some good players there.
We never met a single grumpy person at either one.
I honestly think that if someone is bored at a 55+ community like the ones I've visited they are not making an effort and will likely have the same problems and results wherever they live. If they have the need to spend time with people of all ages it's a short drive to areas where they can be found. It's not necessary that they live next door. That is if you don't venture out, and in that case you'll not find them no matter where you live unless they happen to be next door or across the street, And you should then hope they don't move away and another "elderly" person with the same tendencies moves in.
Wouldn't that suck?
I'm sure there's more I could say, but this is enough for now.
Real world meaning:
yellow school buses roaring up and down the street?
2 working parents driving in and out all day?
skate boarders going up and down the sidewalks all day?
beer cans and teenage parties?
drug users?
ATVs and loud motorcycles at all hours?
Stereo blasting from fixed up Hondas?
gangs and graffiti?
trash?
I am living in the "real world" and loving it.
I also felt that a 55+ would never be the right fit for me.
One of the many things I did not like was the rules they had on your children visiting.
There was in a few places that either had a 30 or 60 day rule on how long they could stay.
Putting a limit on my family time, and children time, was way too harsh.
I needed to know they could come and go as they pleased. Some will say they didn't hear of the rule, but I saw it in print.
Time spent in the pool also would have to be enjoyable and I read often how the 55+ didn't want to have the pool mixed with kids.
Where I live now there is just about 10 to 15 rules. They are fine by me because they are for yard maintenance, junk, and other rules to keep the community nice. No trash...
In fact, no trash cans outside the house unless fenced. That actually looks better so I'm for that too.
There are noise regulations, and that's for the best. There is no blasting stereos, or loud ATV's.
We have a mixture of young and old and that is just wonderful.
The young breath life into me. I enjoy their wide eyed wonder. I've always enjoyed teens and also my exchange students.
I really don't want to play bridge, or go square dancing. I like the newer artists and "some" of the hip songs of this time and place.
Moving forward is always a good option. Staying current, and remaining in our home like our parents all have done, is the goal.
Real world meaning:
yellow school buses roaring up and down the street?
2 working parents driving in and out all day?
skate boarders going up and down the sidewalks all day?
beer cans and teenage parties?
drug users?
ATVs and loud motorcycles at all hours?
Stereo blasting from fixed up Hondas?
gangs and graffiti?
trash?
Well, that may be the reality of your "real world" but I for one have chosen a much better neighborhood than that. What's with the school buses? I have never known any school buses to "roar". Are you saying you sleep during the day time and any traffic on the street is enough to keep you awake?
We used to have a school bus with a loud muffler. But it only came twice a day... and it only went up, never down.
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