Instapundit links to a New York Times article available outside the NYT paywall, on the subject of whether age-restricted communities are a better choice for seniors. If you've been thinking about the option, it isn't a bad read.
Apparently there's been little research on the subject. Let me share our experience.
The other DrC and I started living in a Nevada 55+ community during the cold half of the year, beginning a couple of years ago. We continue to consider Wyoming home and spend the warm half of the year there.
We have lived in apartments, and houses in small town suburban neighborhoods, rural acreage, and resort-oriented communities. Our new winter place is in one of the latter, it has its own golf course with clubhouse, recreation center, pool, tennis courts, etc.
Our neighborhood is new, but the development has existed for roughly 16 years, and new neighborhoods are still being built. Our neighbors all moved in within the last 3 years and are from CA, IA, CO, NV, etc.
Most are completely retired, a few still work from home, and a couple have found gigs locally just to keep busy. Essentially all are comfortable financially, but I believe none are seriously wealthy.
As "snowbirds" who live here only half year, the DrsC are the exception in our immediate neighborhood of perhaps 12-15 houses. For most this is their new year-round home.
Do we like it? In a word, "Yes." The is the most neighborly place we've lived in 52 years. Most recently, there was a big gathering for Thanksgiving dinner, and birthday parties tend to metastasize into neighborhood gatherings. The other DrC has a new bestie (besides me) and I like her husband. People pop into each other's homes, go out for meals, etc.
We are all successful people, most long married, with similar values, even if not all are Republicans. The outliers are a gay couple, an interracial couple, and a widower, but all get along with no tension of which I'm aware. Some golf, many walk dogs, at this age everybody has medical issues, grandkids are discussed. We have a lot in common.
