Think all seniors want to retire to a simple condo near a quiet beach in Florida? Think again. More and more retirees see the virtues of living in or near a metropolitan area. With outstanding healthcare, cultural opportunities, and restaurants and shopping galore, larger cities have a lot to offer. And as a recent Boston Globe article by Jill Terreri Ramos notes, many well-to-do retirees are looking not to the South, but rather to the Northeast as their ideal retirement destination.
Oranges or the Big Apple?
While the draw of Florida’s warm, white sand is irresistible to some Northerners, others have numerous compelling reasons to move to or stay in the Northeast.
- Family- For those who raised their family in the Northeast, the prospect of leaving adult children or grandchildren behind to move to a warm climate just isn’t an option. For others, adult children may have moved to one of the North’s major cities to began their own careers, and then settled down and started families there. The chance to move closer to those coveted grandchildren can be a huge selling point for some retirees.
- Four seasons- Not everyone wants to sweat year-round. Some people truly enjoy the four distinct seasons to be found in the North.
- Arts, culture, education- Not to suggest that cultural opportunities don’t abound in other parts of the country, but the Northeast region has arguably the nation’s largest concentration of arts and culture. From the great learning institutions of Boston, to Manhattan’s many restaurants, theaters, and museums, the Northeast has much to offer the intellectual retiree.
- Beaches and mountains- Why pick one or the other? New England is one of the few regions of the country where you can go from the mountains to the ocean in roughly an hour’s drive.
Preparing for the influx
In Ramos’ article, she notes that numerous forward-thinking real estate developers in the Northeast have foreseen the region’s selling points and are developing new, higher-end 55+ senior living communities to accommodate the increasing number of seniors who are choosing to retire to that part of the country.
From wine tastings to private elevators to Zumba classes and saunas, amenities can vary greatly from one community to the next, but a few services are fairly consistent among the newer developments being constructed in the Northeast. Nearly all will provide exterior maintenance–including snow removal–energy-efficient construction, and a master bedroom and bath on the first floor for multi-floor residences.
Of course, keep in mind that if you require healthcare services now–or think you may in the future–many of these new communities lack on-site medical support, while others do offer progressive options from independent living to assisted-living and long-term care. This is an important factor to take into consideration with your senior housing decision, and may lead you more towards a community that can provide a full continuum of care.
Prices can also run the gamut in these new senior living communities of the Northeast, with homes in some starting under $200,000, while others can reach upward of $1 million and feature a gated neighborhood with a private library, exclusive clubhouse, and heated pool.
Are you considering whether the Northeast could be an ideal retirement locale for you? Read the full Boston Globe article to learn more about how the North’s newest senior living communities are pulling out all of the stops to attract affluent retirees.
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