11 Most Interesting Retirement Communities, Where Out of the Box Thinking Rules
Category: Active adult communities
October 13, 2022 — Retirement communities can be interesting and intriguing places. Although a lot of people think there is only one kind of active adult community: places that offer cookie cutter homes, a clubhouse, golf course, swimming pool, tennis and maybe pickleball. Commonly these retirement communities are restricted to 55+, are located a car ride away from town, and all provide the identical lifestyle. Yes, that does describe many active adult communities (where millions of retirees are actually having the time of their lives), but it is not the whole picture. There are many intriguing communities for active adults that break the mold; offering features, amenities – even an attitude – that can make for an interesting, unusual retirement. They might not be the most popular, but here are 11 of the most interesting communities we came across recently. (Note: Use the Further Reading links at bottom for ideas on many more).
Babcock Ranch, FL. This innovative master planned community near Fort Myers made the news recently because of how it endured Hurricane Ian – with barely a scratch! Build inland and away from the coast, it has a long list of features to keep its residents safe, while being sustainable too. Homes are built extra strong to withstand storm winds, with retaining ponds and specially designed streets to harvest floodwaters. Power lines run underground to minimize power disruptions. It has 870 acres of solar panels operated by Florida Power & Light. Half of the walkable community’s 18,000 acres are devoted to lakes, greenways, and trails. There are many different communities planned within Babcock Ranch, including Babcock National.
Miralon – Palm Springs, CA. This award winning master planned community features modern new homes that blend with its parks, miles of trails, open spaces, and olive groves in a desert location. Amenities include a community garden, dog parks, and poolside cabanas, along with spaces for everything from working out and relaxing, to social gatherings.
Lasell Village – Boston, MA. Designed on the scale of a small New England neighborhood, it is located on the campus of Lasell University. The Village combines the elements of lifelong learning, retirement living, support services, short-term rehabilitation, and long-term care. A focus on living and learning is the defining characteristic of Lasell Village which makes it unique among Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs).
Painted Prairie – Aurora, CO. It says it celebrates the vibrant diversity of its residents and the beauty and spirit of the prairie. The community is made up of walkable and bike friendly neighborhoods, trails and parks, with a future Town Center that will features restaurants, shops, and businesses. There is a variety of home styles including single-family, townhomes and duplexes. Painted Prairie was the Gold winner for Community of the Year
Skyline Country Club – Tucson, AZ. Built in 1962, it is owned by its members. The 59,000 square foot clubhouse was built on the site with the best city views anywhere in Tucson. High in the central foothills of the Catalina Mountains, the beautiful golf course meanders through the hills and valley. Originally a resort, the homes vary in style and location, so it is no cookie-cutter community. Not age restricted, and there are some younger residents.
Rosebud Commons – Pickering, OH. Southeast of Columbus, this 55+ active adult community features 95 luxury rental apartment homes for empty nesters. The pet-friendly community of single-story homes features amenities including a clubhouse with fitness center and common areas.
Bri at the Village – Meridian, ID. Another award winner for Independent Living, it is located next to the 60-acre Kleiner Park. Amenities include a fitness and yoga studio, fitness classes, weekly happy hours, bocce ball and a dog park. The Village at Meridian—Boise’s premier retail, entertainment, and dining destination is located nearby.
Latitude Margaritaville Watersound – Panama City, Florida. Music is at the heart of this Jimmy Buffett-inspired lifestyle. Amenities include a planned bandshell for live entertainment in the middle of the Town Square, along with a Town Center that features a restaurant and entertainment venues. Other amenities include a swimming pool with poolside bar, tennis, pickleball and bocce ball courts, a dog park, and trails. A public marina is planned for the waterfront.
Fountaingrove Lodge – Santa Rosa, CA. Residents in this unique LGBT community enjoy a worry free lifestyle in an active, independent living community. On-site assisted living services assures provision for ageing in place. The luxury amenities are provided in a resort-like setting with beautiful craftsman style architecture.The 10-acre campus includes a Swimming Pool, Orchard, Bocce, Pet Park, and Resident Gardens.
Agritopia – Gilbert, AZ. This unique community was developed on an urban farm, which is now the heart of the community. Comprised of 450 residential lots along with commercial, agricultural, and open space tracts, the tree-lined streets and pathways make the entire project accessible to pedestrians. The farm offers certified organic row crops, fruit trees, and livestock. Residents meet at the community square which has a coffeehouse, farm stand, and a farm-to-table restaurant.
Ludlow Cove Cottages – Port Ludlow, WA. A pocket neighborhood within the resort community of Port Ludlow, located on the shores of the Puget Sound. The 42 cottage style homes include open floor plans and front porches to enjoy the views and vistas. The cottages are designed for Aging in Place with master suites on the main level.
Bottom line: There are many interesting, out of the box thinking retirement communities to choose from. So if you are thinking you want something a little different in your retirement, just look around, ones like these are just the tip of the iceberg. For even more, check out our Advanced Search and look under “Search Communities by Amenities and More” for a long list of not only amenities, but type of community, such as cottage homes, university or religious affiliation, cohousing, new urban, etc.
For further reading:
Comments on "11 Most Interesting Retirement Communities, Where Out of the Box Thinking Rules"
Jem says:
I love reading these lists of different communities. I wish that someone who actually lives in one of them would write to add their thoughts and reviews. They all sound pretty unique. I was very interested to read about Babcock Ranch and since we are going to be visiting the Punta Gorda area next year I would like to look at it, but on the map it looks like it may be a little isolated. Has anyone looked at this development ?
Frances says:
Jem we have also been watching Babcock Ranch. Especially since Hurricane Ian as the homes were not as damaged as others and the electricity is not too much to worry about. It appears they are powered by a massive solar farm.
Roberta says:
Yes Babcock Ranch is way out there but it is beautiful and worth the ride to see it. They have many different neighborhoods and already have a grammar school and high school. Walking paths everywhere and a beautiful lake and a nice restaurant you can go to when you are there. They just opened up their first Publix grocery store which is a big help for the people who live there because it is a long ride to go shopping. They do have a large solar field and you can add additional solar panels to your roof. They also have gas. They were not in the path of the hurricane being very inland. I am sure they had some wind and rain but not like what those of us who live on what we call the beach side of Ft Myers.
Lee Health now has big health clinic there but it is a long ride to any hospital or group of specialists. That will change over time but they have a long way to go to build it out. Lots of people moved there during the pandemic because they could work from home and do not have to drive a long way to work. Definitely worth going there to see it-beautiful setting out in the middle of lots of open land.
carla wolfe says:
We own a condo in Punta Gorda and we have toured Babcock Ranch. The homes and development layout is nice and the little town center is on a large lake where they have some weekend events. For us it is just too remote. It feels like you are in a farming area.
BillyBogey says:
Applaud "Thinking Outside The Box" & while do like WPB area best not adverse to SoCal or Arizona along I10. Do know 2things [& for a Guy; that's good] Am now too Old to SKI Downhill & really do like Warm better!! Just need to K.I.S.S. [this info helps] & make up my Direction by 10/31/23.
Jan says:
Babcock Ranch is about 45 minutes from the airport (Southwest Florida Regional) and 45 minutes to the beach. I visited Babcock Ranch to include in my recently released book, The New Retirement, 3rd edition (2022). First solar-powered town in the United States, and it will have about 50,000 residents when built out, Surrounded by a 73,000 acre preserve. The site was previously used for cattle ranching and tree farming.
When I visited, there were lots of people strolling around the square, an active Farmer's market, and lots of golfers on the course. Plenty of sidewalks and little parks scattered throughout. A variety of price points and over 50 miles of trails. The new high school recently opened (in addition to a K-8 school), and instruction is project-based.
And, it was already mentioned how well Babcock Ranch survived Ian.
If you're interested in a newer, self-contained, ecologically conscious town, close to - but not on - the water,it could fit the bill. Prices range from around $200,000 to more than a million, with a variety of housing styles, and rentals as well. (I am not a realtor nor have any stake in the place, just review lots of communities/areas for my book for those considering different places to live.)
John Brady says:
Winslow Cohousing Group on Bainbridge Island, WA, is a great example of out of the box thinking. There are 30 self-sufficient units and a common house. The all ages community includes townhouses, duplexes, a fourplex, and the Carriage house with 6 flats of varied sizes. For those who like the idea of living close to other people and sharing common elements, cohousing can be a great idea. https://www.topretirements.com/reviews/Washington/Seattle/Winslow%20Cohousing%20Group.html
Jan Cullinane says:
And, how about living on a ship? You' may have heard of the World, but there are other large residential ships under constrctuion, such as Somnio (scheduled to be launched in 2024). This "resdential superyatch" will have 39 apartments starting around $11 million. And, how about tiny homes/micro communities? You could check out Lakeshore in Oxford, Florida. Their tagline: "Live Large, Carry Less." There are also tiny home communities close to Hendersonville and Asheville, as well as Cedar Springs Tiny Village in New Paris, Ohio.
Jan Cullinane, The New Retirement: The Ultimate Guide to the Rest of Your Life (Wiley, 2022)
Jane at Topretirements says:
This comment came from Phil concerning affordable communities:
Do you ever list communities, like The Villages in Florida, in the South West that cost $300,000 or less? It appears to me that you only list communities that exorbitant amounts of money for rich people only.
Phil
Admin says:
Hi Phil
Thanks for writing.
I think you will find that of the thousands of communities we have listed in our site, a good percentage of them could be considered affordable. You can use our advanced searches to screen for lower cost .
This link might also be helpful
https://www.topretirements.com/blog/great-towns/how-to-find-an-affordable-55-community.html/
Thanks for visiting our site
John Brady
Topretirements.com