The Villages for Bernie Sanders voters?
November 28, 2023 8:02 AM   Subscribe

An older couple in my family are looking to relocate. They like the idea of The Villages — walkable (or at least not driving-required) communities, lots of people their age, plenty of organized activities — but are wholly unwilling to live in a place where 70% of the residents voted for Trump. What’s out there for them?

Personally I think they should stay where they are, because they know lots of people, but they’re feeling itchy and in the last few years more of their friends have started retiring (either to places like the Villages, which is how this came up — they spent a few weeks there with a friend, or to live near children/grandchildren — this couple does not have grandchildren and probably won’t)

The couple:
- Early-to-mid 70s retired academics
- Lifelong Democrats who are very politically active, volunteer for campaigns, lead protests, appear on their local news etc.
- Mainline Protestants, regular churchgoers
- Budget is not a major factor
- Have family in many major US metro areas — LA, Denver, SLC, Minneapolis, Chicago, Raleigh, DC, Tampa… — I think all things being equal they’d tell you they want to stay in the upper Midwest, but they also hate the cold, so.
- They’re gregarious people who make friends easily, from what I can see

Things they want:
- A house/apartment with 2 or 3 bedrooms and at least 2 bathrooms (they say house, but I think they can be flexible) where all the outdoor maintenance is done for them
- A wide variety of activities to participate in (art classes, music groups, exercise, etc.)
- Proximity to a major airport
- Access to cultural institutions (museums, live theater, universities etc.)
- Sort of in conflict with the last two, “easy” driving (no highways, roundabouts, traffic)

Things I want for them:
- The ability to do most things without driving a car on a major highway (they weren’t like, great drivers in their prime; one of them has limited mobility which is why I love the golf cart situation in the Villages; they are weird about public transportation and probably wouldn’t take it without a “guide” who knew what they were doing)
- The option to age in place/get more assistance if it’s needed (their parents were healthy and independent into their 90s, but you can't count on that!)
- Opportunities for community — they are huge extroverts and I love the idea of a place where there are fifty different ways to hang out with people every day. Like, I think they would love living in a college dorm.
posted by robot inside a grid to Home & Garden (26 answers total) 20 users marked this as a favorite
 
Palm Springs! Lots of older adult communities, my parents live in Palm Desert and there are constant activities in their community. Not a major airport but a very nice airport, and they could Uber to LAX if needed. Bonuses: extremely queer friendly. However, not a place that makes me think "retired academics" as it's not a hub with lots of colleges. But definitely politically active.
posted by lizard music at 8:09 AM on November 28, 2023 [1 favorite]


Asheville, NC is very liberal, very liveable and has lots of retirees.
posted by slkinsey at 8:09 AM on November 28, 2023 [5 favorites]


Latitude Margaritaville?
I have no clue as to the inherent politics of the residents. On one hand, they’re largely well-off white folk, who tend to skew conservative. On the other hand, they would tend to be parrotheads to a certain degree. 🤷‍♀️
posted by Thorzdad at 8:12 AM on November 28, 2023 [1 favorite]


They might look into retirement communities run by Quakers. There are a number in the Philly area and I've heard good things about them. Perhaps there are some in the cities they are interested in?
posted by mcduff at 8:30 AM on November 28, 2023 [7 favorites]


This doesn't get them out of the snow, but there is Kendal at Oberlin. It looks like there are opportunities to be connected to college life.
posted by eckeric at 8:39 AM on November 28, 2023 [8 favorites]


I could be wrong, but I believe the other Kendal facilities also cater to academic folks/communities.
posted by unknowncommand at 8:43 AM on November 28, 2023 [5 favorites]


I have some relatives that seem to have gotten a lot out of downsizing into a freestanding house with all the important rooms on the first floor on a small lot where the HOA takes care of yard maintenance and there’s a ton of walking paths in the neighborhood, including some to a nearby grocery store. It’s not a 55+ community, but it serves a lot of their needs pretty well including having some community events like fireworks and parades and community pools and musical performances. It’s out in the suburbs/exurbs of a midwestern city so getting to shows and museums requires driving, but they only moved about 5 miles from where they were living prior and managed to keep a lot of their social network intact, which seems very worthwhile. And as they get older, they definitely don’t have to drive on highways to live a reasonable life.
posted by A Blue Moon at 8:46 AM on November 28, 2023 [2 favorites]


I feel like active seniors who want this kind of community are in small retirement facilities in cute small-city downtown areas all over the country. Anywhere there's a walkable four-block downtown there are a couple old folks homes with a whole lot of donors to Democrats. Saw them in Palo Alto, see them in the suburbs of Seattle too.
posted by potrzebie at 9:14 AM on November 28, 2023 [4 favorites]


I have a liberal, retired academic relative at The Villages. My relative finds plenty of people to get along with. There are so many activities including meetings like Civil Discourse which attracts freethinking people, book clubs for everyone, a local community garden that feeds locals, and a liberal gay-friendly church.

I have extremely liberal, West Coast, relatives who tried living in Asheville for a few months. They were appalled at the Trump signs that appear just outside of Asheville.
posted by RoadScholar at 9:23 AM on November 28, 2023


Sure, the Villages votes 70% Republican, but that means 30% voted otherwise. That translates to 43,000 liberal thinkers to hang out with.

But if they really don't want to be there, and don't have a climate preference (you didn't mention one), look into WIlliamstown, Massachusetts, or Brattleboro, Vermont. Both places tick most of your boxes.
posted by beagle at 10:02 AM on November 28, 2023 [2 favorites]


The Sun Lakes area or other 55+ areas of Chandler, AZ, and nearby southeast areas of the Phoenix-metro valley? I don't know as much about the specifics of facilities in these 55+ communities but the area checks your boxes of (locally) blue and liberal, proximity to culture, academia, and airport, lots of stuff to do, including especially for seniors, and a golf-cart get around. You can live in Chandler and avoid the freeways. Outside this area, things do get a bit red, but that means one's vote in state and federal elections actually matters.
posted by Tandem Affinity at 10:11 AM on November 28, 2023 [1 favorite]


Is the desire to have a super large retiree community of their peers a la The Villages?

Or to have the convenience of not having to drive and having easy access to activities (fitness, classes) right where they live?

As retired academics, your relatives might enjoy having multi-generational diversity in their activities instead of classes only open to seniors.

Many universities and community college systems offer free or very discounted classes to seniors, non-credit but also credit classes with the general student population. I know a senior in the DC area who takes French language classes at the local community college and loves chatting and interacting with much younger generations.

p.s. I've been curious about options in the DC Metro area and saw these two options in NW Washington D.C. (just north of the National Zoo, which is about a 18 min drive from the bulk of the Smithsonian museums).
posted by spamandkimchi at 10:30 AM on November 28, 2023 [1 favorite]


An older friend of mine is considering retiring to Athens, Georgia; it would tick a lot of these boxes. Wouldn't have airport proximity, though. Generally I suspect college towns are good candidates.
posted by madcaptenor at 11:01 AM on November 28, 2023


I have friends & family at both Collington (Kendal) and Ingleside Rock Creek Happy to answer any questions.
posted by MichelleinMD at 11:57 AM on November 28, 2023 [3 favorites]


Possibly Rossmoor, where a relative of mine is very happy.
posted by dizziest at 12:41 PM on November 28, 2023 [1 favorite]


Aren't cities pretty much ideal for aging gracefully?
posted by Geckwoistmeinauto at 1:13 PM on November 28, 2023 [1 favorite]


Leisure World in the DC suburbs of Maryland (Montgomery County specifically) may be worth looking into. I know it's pretty in-demand and houses aren't necessarily the cheapest (they do have a range of options). They don't offer age-in-place, though, so that might be a dealbreaker.

Montgomery County is solidly liberal and pretty diverse overall.

(I only know friends of friends who live there but my friends have cool friends.)
posted by edencosmic at 2:11 PM on November 28, 2023 [1 favorite]


There's Mirabella at Arizona State which is a high-rise community. Being either near a university or explicitly affiliated with one seems like a wonderful idea.
posted by BibiRose at 2:17 PM on November 28, 2023


> Aren't cities pretty much ideal for aging gracefully?

> Early-to-mid 70s


When scoping out places, factor in driving times to a large hospital. There's medical events that respond well to treatment, but where quick response helps a huge amount.

(A relative of mine now lives close to a major hospital. Before that, they were a couple hours and a difficult drive away when they had a medical event and that caused a negative outcome.)
posted by sebastienbailard at 2:38 PM on November 28, 2023 [5 favorites]


Much like the Oberlin suggestion above, The Pines in Davidson, NC is chock full of Protestant retired academics who want to still be right by Davidson College and in a cozy little town. Not far from Charlotte-Douglas airport. So many Protestants. So much college-town life.
posted by hydropsyche at 4:24 PM on November 28, 2023 [3 favorites]


The Villages, Sun City et al only exist at all because of retirees who don't want their taxes going to things like poor people and schools. So I'd certainly take with a grain of salt anyone living in such places who claims to be progressive.

Pinellas county is near there, has actual beaches, and skews blue.
posted by Ardnamurchan at 5:47 PM on November 28, 2023


Near Raleigh in Chapel Hill Carol Woods is known as a very progressive, inclusive community. It’s also close to UNC and Duke for medical care.
posted by JuliaKM at 3:36 AM on November 29, 2023 [1 favorite]


They should really narrow down walkable vs no driving required. The former implies any progressive city core. The latter implies assisted living communities where most everything for daily life is on a campus.

In a walkable city core or vibrant inner suburb neighborhood, public transportation isn't just the bus or rail where they'd have to use a pass, choose a seat among many, and remember their changes and stops. Sure, it includes access to taxis and private rideshare like Uber/Lyft. But it also often includes scheduled pickups/transportation by municipal transportation agencies for elderly and people with disabilities. In Baltimore, this is super popular and an affordable way to live in a city neighborhood as you age.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 5:28 AM on November 29, 2023


If money isn't much of a concern and they can deal with cold still consider Hanover, NH. Lots and lots of liberal old Dartmouth alum who return after retirement like swallows to Capistrano.
posted by terrapin at 12:00 PM on November 29, 2023


Here to suggest Leisure World in Seal Beach, California: https://www.lwsb.com/

Although it's Orange County, it's just barely over the line from Long Beach, which has a Cal State campus and plenty of cultural attractions. And Long Beach airport is awesome!
posted by acridrabbit at 8:38 PM on November 29, 2023


I am a Quaker who has seen some of the Friends from our meeting move into Quaker-run senior living communities and they seem to enjoy it and be very happy with their new digs. Older Quakers are like the living embodiment of what you’re asking for.
posted by mostly vowels at 9:13 PM on December 1, 2023


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