18 Unique Retirement Communities for Senior Living
When people think about retiring, there are all kinds of scenarios for their living arrangements. Some choose to live in retirement communities, while others prefer to stay in their own homes. Some may move in with family or even live with a best friend. A new trend in retirement living is residing in a niche retirement community.
What is a Niche Retirement Community?
A niche retirement community is a community that revolves around something specific. It could be for creatives or revolve around academics or even RVs. There are all kinds of niche retirement communities for all different interests. Here are 18 niche retirement communities to check out.
Latitude Margaritaville
If you are a Jimmy Buffett fan, this is your place to live. These communities thrive on the laid-back beach lifestyle and they have three locations:
Each community is for the 55 and older crowd, emphasizing food, fun, music, and escapism. They feature a variety of homes, including conch cottages, villas, and single-family homes, along with amenities like tropical resort-style facilities and a full schedule of activities. Their goal? To provide retirees with a paradise-like living experience!
Fountaingrove Lodge
Fountaingrove Lodge, in Santa Rosa, California, is a community for LGBTQ+ seniors. It offers a welcoming environment full of diversity and a variety of exceptional amenities. These include outdoor spaces with a heated swimming pool, gardens, and courtyards for relaxation and outdoor events. The community also features a movie theatre with complimentary popcorn and a bar and lounge area.
Burbank Senior Artists Colony
If you love the arts, Burbank Senior Artists Colony is where you need to retire. It’s a community in Burbank, CA, designed for independent living in a creative, art-inspired environment. They offer opportunities for seniors to engage in theater, writing, and other creative activities.
University-Based Retirement Communities
These communities are based around colleges and give seniors the opportunity to further their learning. If you love an academic environment, these are some great options for you. Two university-based retirement communities are Kendal at Oberlin in Ohio and Lasell Village in Massachusetts.
Rainbow’s End
If you love to go RVing and the RV lifestyle, this is the community for you. Rainbow’s End is an RV park located in Livingston, Texas, and serves as the national headquarters for the Escapees RV Club. This takes RVing to a whole new level. Seniors can park their RVs and can partake in nursing care, meals, and other activities and amenities. If they want, they can pay for services on a month-to-month basis, but they and their RVs can stay as long as they want. Even years.
Enso Village
Among the landscape of California’s wine country, Enso Village in Healdsburg offers a unique retirement experience. This Zen-inspired senior living community is designed for adults aged 60 and over, promoting mindful aging, environmental stewardship, and healthy lifestyle choices. With plans to expand to a second location in Southern California, Enso Village provides a variety of living options, including independent living, assisted living, and memory support. Residents enjoy amenities like Tai Chi, yoga, mindfulness classes, and a meditation hall, all contributing to a vibrant and contemporary lifestyle.
The Villages
The Villages is a 55+ community located in Florida, offering a dynamic lifestyle with a wide range of amenities and activities. The community features free entertainment every day, including live music and festivals. It’s a welcoming environment for those looking to live an active and fulfilling life in “Florida’s Friendliest Hometown.”
Nalanda Estates
Nalanda Estates is an active Indian retirement community in Florida. It’s a gated community that focuses on a holistic lifestyle, which includes yoga practice and meditation. Amenities include a 7,000-square-foot clubhouse, a fitness center, a theater, a swimming pool, and a Zen garden.
Sun City Peachtree
This community is in Griffin, Georgia, and is the perfect place for sports enthusiasts. It has a state-of-the-art fitness center, pools that are both indoor and outdoor, and sports courts for tennis, basketball, pickleball, volleyball, etc.
Del Webb Lake Providence
Located in Mt. Juliet, TN, this community has a 24,000-square-foot clubhouse, an outdoor amphitheater, and an enormous lawn for events. You can join music clubs and join friends for impromptu jam sessions while still being close to Nashville. This is a perfect community for music lovers!
NoHo Senior Artists Colony
This community is in North Hollywood, California. The community is designed for not only actors, artists, and writers but also for anyone who loves the arts. There is a performing arts theater to enjoy performances and for residents to hone their talents.
Aegis Gardens
Located in Fremont, California, Aegis Gardens adds a touch of international flair to community living. Having served local Asian families for over 18 years, the community features décor with integrated feng shui principles, authentic Asian cuisine, and engaging traditional activities.
The Farm Community
The Farm Community is an intentional community in southern middle Tennessee. Originally the largest hippie commune, it has transformed into a modern ecovillage that truly embodies sustainable living. While it welcomes people of all ages, retirees will find it particularly appealing for its tranquil and harmonious environment. Spanning 1,750 acres, The Farm is committed to nonviolence and earth stewardship, offering a lifestyle that blends permaculture with a vibrant community spirit.
Military Retirement Communities
There are different retirement communities for our service members. Some communities cater to retired military personnel, while others cater to “enlisted” military retirees. This means that they have spent some amount of time in the military but didn’t reach career status. The military camaraderie makes these communities different. Here are a few locations to check out:
- Falcons Landing, Potomac Falls, VA
- Knollwood Life Plan Community, Washington DC
- Vinson Hall Retirement Community, McLean, Virginia
Lake Weir Living
Lake Weir is located in Florida and is a “toy-friendly” community that allows retirees to keep enjoying their RVs, boats, motorcycles, and cars. This community is perfect for active retirees, providing a relaxed lifestyle surrounded by woodlands and lakes.
Nalcrest
This retirement community is specifically for retired postal workers. It is located in south-central Florida. Nalcrest was formed in the 1960s to provide retired postal workers with an affordable place to retire, because of the low wages for letter carriers at that time. In fact, it still is an affordable place to retire because the maximum rent is $520 per month including the home, utilities other than electricity, and maintenance of the grounds.
On Top of the World
This community caters to active adults who want to continue on their fitness journey. Located in Ocala, Florida, it features two recreation centers, fitness programs and recreational activities, and an education center. It also features energy-efficient homes that are in four neighborhoods.
The Palace at Coral Gables
Those who want to continue their luxurious lifestyle will feel at home at The Palace. It features luxurious apartments, gourmet dining, and five-star service. In fact, the George V Hotel in Paris inspired its design.
How to Select a Niche Retirement Community
Now that you know what a niche retirement community is and how to find some, how do you decide on where to live? There are several things to consider.
Pricing
Niche communities are on the expensive side. Most niche communities go by an entry fee model, meaning residents pay between $100,000 to $1 million plus. Of course, this all depends on where the community is located and how big the house or apartment is. On top of the entry fee, people then have to pay monthly for maintenance, taxes, meals, and various services. You will want to do your research and decide if a niche retirement community is something that you can afford.
Make a Budget
Sit down and make a detailed budget before you look. You will need to decide whether you want to rent or buy. Take the time to crunch numbers and really figure out what you can afford. You will also need to figure out if the profits from selling your home will cover your entrance fee to the community and you will also have to plan for monthly fees so you can cover medical care and any other amenities.
Tour Several Times
Visit the properties you are interested in several times. Go at different times of the day and on different days. Talk to the staff and administration. Eat some of the food and go to a few groups that interest you. This way, you will know if it will be a good fit.
Look Into How It’s Managed
Retirement communities can come and go so you will want to do your homework about how a property is managed. Ask about what kind of financial reserves the property has. Find out if it has a board of directors and find out who is responsible for the community’s finances. Ask if the community is a non-profit. If it isn’t, find out who the owners are.
For most people, having a place where they can retire and do “that thing they love” is a dream. Niche retirement communities are a cool way for people to live out that dream of doing what they love. However, there are a lot of things to consider. Pricing, your budget, touring several communities several times to make sure you will fit in, and doing research on how the facility is managed will take time.
Finding the right retirement home isn’t something you want to rush into. This rates right up there with picking the right spouse, choosing the right daycare for your kids, and choosing the right veterinarian or boarding facility for your beloved pets. The only difference is, you’re shopping for your future and where you are going to spend the rest of your days. You want to make sure you are going to pick the best community possible!
So take your time, do your research, and take good notes when you go on tours. Before you know it, you will find the niche retirement community that is right for you and once you’re there, get ready for a new chapter of fun, new friends, and good times.
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Originally published October 17, 2024
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