Retirement - Ongoing Activities or Life of Leisure?

More and more Baby Boomers are hitting the "55 years old and older" ceiling, so the lifestyle offered by an active retirement community is growing in attractiveness to them. Such retirement communities enable their residents to live as independently as possible, while including every possible amenity. Apartments, townhouses, duplexes, and single family residences may compose active retirement communities.

Active retirement communities offer a practically maintenance free way of life. This is ideal for retirees who prefer to spend their time on things other than household tasks. The retirement community management will even arrange social, shopping, sporting, or entertainment activities.

For the enjoyment of its retired residents, an active retirement community may be situated near golf courses, or have its own swimming pools, and tennis courts. The management will organize and provide transportation to retirees for day trips to museums, concerts, art galleries, plays, and movies. Residents can also gather to socialize or watch television in the clubhouse.

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development's regulations stipulate that the age-restricted active retirement community must have a resident population with at least four-fifths, or 80%, of its members above the age of 55. The 20% remainder of facility residents must be at least nineteen years old.

Another class of communities, the age-targeted retirement community, is also regulated by the HUD. This retirement community is designed for residents over age 55 who have no minors in their care. Young people and grandchildren are welcome to visit, but are prohibited from becoming permanent residents.

A variety of onsite facilities for the use of its residents is offered by a leisure, or resort, active retirement community. This retirement community emphasizes the social aspect of retirement, therefore making fitness facilities, swimming pools and spas, tennis or handball courts, and an active social calendar available. These communities may even offer classes in arts and crafts, community picnics, outings to local cultural attractions, and their own shuttle service to area grocery stores and shopping malls.

For those who view retirement as the chance to catch up on everything they had no time for during their working years, the active retirement community may be the ideal solution. A far cry from the retirement homes of yesteryear, these facilities are attractive, safe environments tailored to the modern retiree's needs!

Kathy Hildebrand is a professional writer who is easily bored with her "day job" assignments. So, she researches anything and everything of interest and starts writing. Writing about an extremely wide variety of subjects keeps her skills sharp, and gives her food for thought on future paid writing assignments.

More of her research and articles can be found at www.lasertargeted.com/retirement and other sites around the internet.