Does my dream retirement place exist? (55, weather, communities, dump)
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I'm looking for a 55 plus community where they will allow you to have a vegetable garden in your back yard, and with lots large enough for the garden. Maybe a third to a half acre would be fine. I'd like the 55 plus community for the companionship and the amenities (i.e., indoor pool), but a garden is important to me: my favorite hobby.
I've been to a Sun City community where they had garden plots in a separate area, but that's not a great substitute for having your own back-yard paradise. In spite of months of on-line research, I haven't found a single community like I want in any state.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Weather / Climate / geography Zone? (Indoor pool leads me to think COLD climate)
Amenities to include "Age-In-Place"? (AIP)
Urban / rural
Need Hospitals / Colleges / Airport / Cultural activities?
There are many communities w/ large shared gardens, as well as large lots (semi rural), but indoor pools I have not seen except in AIP
Let us know what you find. I would love an indoor pool, especially a 50m one.!!! As it is, I have to travel out-of-state to swim in a 50m pool (~30 min away). We HAD a nice 25m pool but local politicians who don't swim much voted the financing down.
I want a senior village on acreage with cows and sheep and shops and large gardens / fields. I plan to build my own. I will put it near a pool, but will not have one on-site that I need to maintain. (BTDT)
mild Tennessee climate + Senior housing is pretty big. Uplands is a very low key (non fancy) place http://www.uplandsvillage.com/
I moved into a senior community 55+ building, and didn't like the "companionship," myself. It's basically a very small town with lots of nosy, bored old people with nothing better to do than pay attention to your business. Of course, you might love it.
My thought was, why not find yourself a nice home of your own with your backyard, that is in a town that has a thriving senior community? You can go visit them, get involved in activities, volunteer....
and then go home, away from them all LOL!
Another reason I wouldn't like these communities, is I hate HOA's. Had a condo and BTDT. And in a 55+ community, not only will you have the usual HOA control freaks, but they will all be retired with plenty of time on their hands to patrol the property and get into your business.
Maybe that stuff wouldn't bother you, but I'd personally really hate it.
I'd say look for a town/city with the types of activities you like, then buy your own place. And go meet people who volunteer, join groups, etc.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,712 posts, read 58,042,598 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe
,,,look for a town/city with the types of activities you like, then buy your own place. And go meet people who volunteer, join groups, etc.
Add...
Buy your own place with room / zoning to expand and bring in your friends!
It is really nice to garden together, (share tools / time / interests / skills / seeds / meals),
I'll come!
I have a king-sized tiller, many antique garden tools, Cider Press, pruning and grafting skills, orchard ladders, HUGE food drier, ~30 dozen canning jars... I even have a canning kitchen on wheels (stove / pressure cookers / driers / strainers...) BTW.. also a Master Gardener / Composter / Preserver and many yrs in 4-H
I'm jealous of your canning kitchen on wheels and your driers, etc. I bought myself a canner last year for Christmas, and have really enjoyed getting back to canning. I always enjoyed doing it when I was young. My friends often got together to can.
In fact for dinner tonight I had my homemade/canned chili I made months ago.
I have to admit, I'd love to get together with people to can, but wouldn't want to do a group garden in my own yard. If they flaked on me, there I'd be looking at the mess in my own yard ha ha.
Or, even worse, they'd be wanting to come drop by unannounced constantly.
It's easier to go visit people than to get rid of visitors.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,712 posts, read 58,042,598 times
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1) rule... If you don't want company...(help with your garden)
don't put your garden in your own yard.
I keep a large enough acreage that garden can be remote from house (and even have it's own entrance / driveway)
The OP mentioned they wanted to be in a 'community' to nurture relationships. so... that was my premise.
YM(social need)MV.
Myself... can be totally independent and live as a hermit, very content; or... can deal with 'drop-ins'. (and 'live-ins' if necessary). L-I-F-E has worn off a lot of my rough edges.
I will have to say that I was really impressed at a 93 yr old aunt who was gonna fetch me some rubarb. She got to thinking her neighbor's was a different variety and better for traveling, so she walked over and took some of the neighbor's rhubarb. It was an entire block with all backyards joining but NO FENCES. Perfect! (for my tastes, tho I have never lived in a city / neighborhood). If I have guests, and need extra garden stuff we fetch from the neighbors too. We don't have to 'ask' . We all repay with extra kindness and service. (We take each others trash to the dump free of charge) We 'rotate' without a fixed schedule. Ends up costing us each a trip every month or 2. ~$2.50 + 20 minutes round trip and sorting our neighbor's recycle.
1) rule... If you don't want company...(help with your garden)
don't put your garden in your own yard.
I keep a large enough acreage that garden can be remote from house (and even have it's own entrance / driveway)
The OP mentioned they wanted to be in a 'community' to nurture relationships. so... that was my premise.
YM(social need)MV.
Myself... can be totally independent and live as a hermit, very content; or... can deal with 'drop-ins'. (and 'live-ins' if necessary). L-I-F-E has worn off a lot of my rough edges.
I will have to say that I was really impressed at a 93 yr old aunt who was gonna fetch me some rubarb. She got to thinking her neighbor's was a different variety and better for traveling, so she walked over and took some of the neighbor's rhubarb. It was an entire block with all backyards joining but NO FENCES. Perfect! (for my tastes, tho I have never lived in a city / neighborhood). If I have guests, and need extra garden stuff we fetch from the neighbors too. We don't have to 'ask' . We all repay with extra kindness and service. (We take each others trash to the dump free of charge) We 'rotate' without a fixed schedule. Ends up costing us each a trip every month or 2. ~$2.50 + 20 minutes round trip and sorting our neighbor's recycle.
I'd go nuts there with no fences. (so would my dogs, but they'd love it). The first thing I dealt with when the house got put in my name was a FENCE. Not some wimpy little fence but a six food one all around the back yard. The garden section is sectioned off in a fence too.
Maybe its regional but my whole life we had solid fences and it was your little world and I like it that way. I'm getting the shade/privacy cloth to cover the fence with when its warm enough to go out there too. Its rather boring now with the tree looking so sad. Its dead leaves are still mostly on the tree. Mine is the only one with a fence on this side of the street. Nobody cuts across my yard from the alley now either. My one dog is VERY smart (and the puppy is going to be a fair challenge in that department) and has figured out how to get out the gate despite the lock so there will be some kind of wraparound lock on the back now. Grrrrrrrrr
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