55+ Communities in Vancouver?

[Jane917]

There is a community in Lacey that offers aging in place housing, from apartments to single family homes. It might be considered rather speedy, and it is too far from Portland for us to consider. Rather than purchase, you pay a one-time lease, then months "rent" which covers much more than just rent. It is a lovely area and is very popular. We have friends who are considering moving there. I don't think there is anything similar in this area. At this point in my life I much prefer to live in a more diversified area and love my neighborhood in Ridgefield. However, I think Panorama is a nice option.

[Farmer15]

No worries, Stealth, as we're getting too old for the big rural acreage thing (been there, done that, and loved it), but fortunately still too young for the senior home. Will check out the towns you mentioned in the drier zones... probably too far from family but considering all options at this point, so thank you... really appreciate all this great info!

[Farmer15]

Jane917, could you please tell me a bit more about homes, life, and access to nice dog walks in Ridgefield? Like you, we'd prefer a more diversified neighborhood at this point in life. Are there any particular places there we should put on our list of things to see when we are out there in March for our first visit?

[Jane917]

Originally Posted by Farmer15

Jane917, could you please tell me a bit more about homes, life, and access to nice dog walks in Ridgefield? Like you, we'd prefer a more diversified neighborhood at this point in life. Are there any particular places there we should put on our list of things to see when we are out there in March for our first visit?

Ridgefield has many trails to connect different parts of town. The goal is to connect all the trails. We have a new dog park, but I have not taken my dogs there yet. In my neighborhood almost every household has dogs. We joke that we know the names of the dogs better than than we know the names of their owners. Ridgefield has a very small downtown. We enjoy our downtown, but access. Out of our services in Salmon Creek. We like the somewhat rural area, but it is. It for everyone. We are the fastest growing town in Washington and one of the safest. All in all, some might call it boring, but it suits us.

No 55+ communities here, but a large population of retired folks. We just passed a hefty school bond in spite of the percentage of residents with no children in the schools. We find it a very family oriented community.

[Farmer15]

Thanks for the info, Jane917. We will definitely check out Ridgefield.

[Farmer15]

Originally Posted by silibran

There is a 55+ community in Gresham,OR. I don't know exactly where it is located, and I don't remember the name. But several years ago I toured a home for sale. It was too cramped for us.

A few years ago I toured Fairway Village homes for sale, and I was frankly not impressed. However, if you love to golf, it might be the place for you. Fairway Village has a community center with a pool and a gym, as well as a golf course. I think some of the homes are too close to SR 14, and there is sound pollution in some of the back yards. And the homes are a bit overvalued for their age, IMO. Many of them have only 2 bedrooms. Some of them, inexplicably have two stories. Many of the residents have extremely high maintenance gardens that require regular gardeners' attention.

However some of the homes are nice, if small. There are several floor plans, and the homes vary quite a bit. Everything is neat and tidy. I think it is a fine place for some people who like to golf; it is also close to SR 14 which gets you to PDX and the city of Portland pretty fast, or as fast as traffic allows.

Good info, Silibran, thank you. I'm wondering how far north of SR 14 does the sound pollution become a non-issue? Is it okay if you are north of SE 35th? Or SE 33rd?