We moved in a small, 55+ community 1.5 years ago from a normal neighborhood where we lived for 22 years. Our two story house was too big and the up and down was becoming a burden for DW who has COPD. The 55+ location house is smaller and is 15 years old - The community contains 432 single family homes ranging from 1650 to 2800 square feet in size. The HOA fees are reasonable and cover front yard mowing/trimming, gutter cleaning and fence repair.
It's quiet and boring here (except when the ambulances are screaming up and down the streets). The community center is nice and the activities appear to be geared to the over 70 crowd, of which there are many of in here. We tried participating in some activities, but it was like watching paint dry for me. I'm still very active and don't really communicate with folks that are in wheel chairs and on oxygen. I'm a little sarcastic here, but that's how I feel. Personally, I think we (at least me) feel we made a mistake buying in here at this time in our lives.
Our next door widow neighbor fell over dead in her front yard a few months ago @ 92 years old and there were several other houses on our street where people died or were moved into assisted living or nursing homes in the last year or so. DW doesn't like it when I call our street "the circle of death", but that's what's going on in these places, especially if they have been around for 15 or more years and have an aging population.
Our neighbor on the other side of us is a 78 year old widow who is very nice, but has become a royal pain in the @$$ ever since I fixed a few things on her property. Now I'm "Mr Fixit" to her and she never shuts up when I help her. I guess she is lonely.
There are lots of widows and widowers here as I witness when I walk the dog in the morning and late in the day. Lat week, a house on our street came up for sale and I saw an older woman get out of a car to have a look at it with her RE agent. She had a hard time getting her walker up the slanted driveway. She does not need a house like these.
One thing that surprised me about these neighborhoods is the lack of visitors the residents have. I have rarely seen children visit their parent(s), even on holidays. It appears that about 1/2 the residents drive cars and I see many cars in the garages that never move. You very rarely see anyone outside working in the yard or just puttering around. I seem to be the only one on our street that does things like that.
I'm kind of rambling here, but all of the above is factual and probably true of many smaller 55+ communities. Trouble is, DW loves it here
. It's close to church, the hospital, shopping and her children and grandchildren. For me, I escape to the old neighborhood to hang with some old friends whenever the opportunity arises.
