Do You Yearn to Retire in a Place That Feels Like a Real Community?

We lived in Columbia MD and we couldn't wait to move. There are so many reasons why the model didn't work there. It is really a stretch to call the community walkable or self contained and the bicycle paths are more recreational rather than functional. We mostly drove everywhere to shop and most everyone there worked in DC or Baltimore (long commutes). The housing stock is old (1970s) and surprisingly expensive. The home owners association rules do not allow for expansion or change. The original plans called for an extensive public transportation system but this never materialized (it included a monorail). The schools lag behind and crime rates are higher than the rest of the County. There are many other issues.

I know Columbia, MD and I agree with Lynn. I'm surprised this was put on the list when it definitely does not meet the criteria. We really have to do our homework now don't we !

I used to live just north of Fearrington Village in NC. It is an attractive area and close to Chapel Hill. I enjoyed walking around it once in awhile. However, you would definitely need a car for things like groceries. Unless you like walking over 3 miles on 15-501 to the grocery store. You need to go into Chapel Hill about 8-10 miles for most things. And if you want a "real" mall...it would be further...but who needs to go to a mall regularly, let along in retirement

If you want somewhere near Chapel Hill try Carrboro, NC. All of it isn't walkable, but the section adjacent to Chapel Hill is. Of course, you will find it filled with students, but "regular" people as well. Somebody had to work on campus and at the hospital and live nearby. But less retirement folks.

We visited Nocatee in northern Florida and loved the area but it definitely needs a car or golf cart to travel from the 55+ neighborhood to the town area. Your visiting grandchildren would never leave once they saw the amazing water park in the middle of town! The close proximity to Ponte Vedra beach and Jacksonville for the Mayo Clinic and the super easy airport were also good draws to the area.

Here is a website for new urbanism communities by state: http://www.tndtownpaper.com/neighborhoods.htm

I used to live and work near Columbia, Maryland, and agree – the “new” new urbanism communities are often more walkable than some of the original ones. So, be sure to also check www.walkscore.com. For example, Walkscore shows that Columbia, Maryland has a walkscore of 30; in other words, car-dependent.

Parts of Baldwin Park, FL (I’ve been to a large number of these new urbanism communities) can be very walkable, but it depends on the location. Some areas of Baldwin Park (near Orlando) have a walkscore of 72 (can accomplish most errands on foot); if you live in other areas of Baldwin Park, you’d generally need a car. This is often true of many of these communities – some areas are more walkable than others. Frequently, if you put in an address it will show the walkscore for that specific address. But, you need to take it with a grain of salt. My house shows a walkscore of 0 (I am in a master-planned community), but I can (and do) ride my bike to Publix (2 miles) as well as a number of informal restaurants near the beach, and can walk to the restaurant that is right on the premises in my community.

Besides the ideal of walkability, here are some other hallmarks of new urbanism communities: High-density housing, narrow roads to slow traffic, absence of gates, a mix of housing styles that are close to the street, sidewalks, front porches to encourage the meeting and greeting of neighbors, garages accessed via alleys in the back of the homes, and parks and schools integrated in or close by the community.

This type of community is a good fit for many people. It’s no surprise they are building a lot of them.

Jan Cullinane, author, The Single Woman’s Guide to Retirement (AARP/Wiley)

Jan unfortunately most of the links in your website link does not work. I do not know how old this report is but it seems to be pretty old. I was specifically looking at Charleston, SC.
We would love to find that sweet spot with decent winter weather and a walkable community. We have listed our home for sale and plan on full timing in our Motorhome for awhile. This will allow us to be able to research areas while staying in that area at the same time.
Hopefully, we will find what we are looking for.

Editor's Note: The TND page looks like a terrific resource; we have never seen so many links to TND communities. Unfortunately there were a couple of bad links, particularly for N. Charleston. Most of the links on the page are quite good (Knowing how difficult it is to keep links up to date when places go in and out of business and others seem to change on a whim, we are sympathetic to their task!)

Thanks for this article. This is exactly what I am looking for. Would love to see more on the subject.

I was disappointed because I thought this would be about actual places that are communities identified for people to live in. I'm not interested at all in living in a retirement community. Any place that has golf carts as a primary mode of transportation is of no interest to me.

I retired in December and my Wife and I moved to Big Canoe outside of Jasper, Georgia (after a lot of looking) . All I can say is "There may be as good of places to feel like this -but not too many better". We are building in these mountains and this place has so much to do. The people are so 'great'. And gorgeous doesn't begin to describe it. Really happy with our choice, and it should be considered by anyone wanting a mountain community that is established, debt free and kept looking fresh.

I should have mentioned - Big Canoe is a gated community. It does have older folks-but most are pretty sharp and active. I'm 57 and my wife is 55 and we can't keep up! Someone mentioned walking - the number on amenity is the hiking trails. There are beautiful unpaved "natural" trails, and great blacktoped hiking trails. Small intimate lakes. You drive thru here in the summer, you really cannot see the homes. Anyway-you do the research. We looked in TN, SC -but Northern Ga is great. www.bigcanoe.com

Brickhorse I agree with you. We are not looking for a community of this type either. We are thinking more of the town community also!

Steve or Steve P (same Steve, i'm assuming),
I'm so glad you mentioned Big Canoe. I have been seriously interested in the community for quite a while and plan to visit in early spring. I love that you said the hiking trails are their number 1 amenity. I love the outdoors and want to be surrounded by nature in my next home. But i do have some questions and concerns i'd like to address to you, if you don't mind.
First, does the area and community become a playground for Atlanta folks in the summer? Also, i heard Big Canoe is planning to build a hotel and i see on the website that the Lodge and Swim Club are open to the general public for a fee. How does that affect community life? It seems intrusive. With a hotel you'll have a constant number of visiting guests. Do you have any feedback or input on that for me?
Next, i'm wondering about prices. I'd want a relatively new, private, and somewhat smaller home than those i see advertised. Do you know if it's possible to purchase such a house for under $500,000. (Above my price range, but a nice round figure.) I don't want to look out onto the golf course.
I read that the school taxes are not discontinued for those over 65. Is that possible? It seems like more of a state thing than a community thing, but what do i know?
How do you feel, in general, about the Jasper area? Is it far to get to a supermarket? That's it for now. I send a HUGE THANK YOU in advance.

Author seems to make the same mistake developers of these facilities make: All you need is a place to buy golf clothes and a $100/plate restaurant and you're good. How about a grocery store or a drug store? How about doctors/dentists/optometrists offices? Walking friendly? Really? The main drag is 8 lanes wide plus a median. The average persons house is over 2 miles from even the supposed town center. This is still the same old suburbia- drive your car everywhere.

Steve, can you tell us what the HOA fees are approximately at Big Canoe?

I would have to agree with Ella on opening the Lodge and swim club to the general public. I vacationed at a very expensive hotel in Puerto Rico years ago and they bussed in kids from local areas to use the pools (Summer camp). There seemed like hundreds of them in the pools. We were on vacation and this really ruined part of our day as we enjoy spending time in the pools. They were there several hours, but every day. To me that is a huge turn off to buy a home and have the general public use the amenities. I would not buy a home in that community if that were to happen.

Louise, My husband and i visited Big Canoe this past October. The realtor we dealt with told us that the above is not true. We were only there for several hours and didn't come away with enough insight to make any kind of a decision. The main rounds are pretty twisty-turny; and we saw drivers driving over the center lane. We still wonder about neighborhood walk-ability as i don't recall being shown any side streets. We weren't led to any of the trails within the woods, but saw them only from a car Walking one would have been helpful! We were directed to a hike within the property (7,000 acres), and it was like walking in a state park or forest. There are fewer views than i expected because most of the community is surrounded by woods. The views from the lakes are beautiful. I was a little disappointed by there being no 'town center' other than the clubhouse. For some reason, i had been hoping for an outdoor area where people could stroll, sit down at night on benches lit by outdoor lighting, etc. I think it's nice to have somewhere to go, especially at night, to a place that isn't a restaurant. I live in suburbia now and that's sorely lacking; i guess that's why i had hoped for something different. Perhaps i'm expecting too much!
Jasper is about 25 minutes away on twisty roads, and my husband and i weren't impressed with the town; but that's where you'd go for medical appts., etc. Marble Hill is very close by and has a supermarket. It appears to be more of a shopping area than a town.
Anyway, if you have any questions i'll answer anything i can. However, as i stated, my experience is extremely limited. My best to you!

Ella: Thanks so much for the Big Canoe review. I've been toying with the idea of checking it out. My nephew lives in Hoschton, GA (half way between Atlanta and Athens) so GA is one of my "we'll see" places. Your narrative covers a lot of the things I was concerned about....especially the roads! Another one to cross off the list. I like Athens, but it is a college town which has both positives and negatives (as every place does). In June, I will visit my nephew again and will take a better look at Atlanta and its environs.

So far, St. Augustine FL is #1 on my list.

Big Canoe. Thanks Steve (P.) I took a look at the Big Canoe website - the homes for sale are amazing! I'd like to hear about the climate year round. Appreciate it.
Liz

Stacey, Please don't cross Big Canoe off your list based on what i said about the roads. They are twisty-turny, but wide and not all the areas have a steep drop-off. I don't know how they'd compare to a town's county road; may be much less curvy based on the town/area. I think for those of us who want to live in the mountains, this may not be an feature we can avoid.
I visited St. Augustine almost 50 years ago. Loved it then; but can assume it's not the same place now. Jan Culliane, the retirement author, lives there in a community. You may want to check her out on that! Wishing you a joyful retirement!

Hi Ella,

I live close to St. Augustine but not in St. Augustine. I'm in a master-planned community called Hammock Beach, about a 30-minute drive south of St. Augustine.

Thanks for the update, Jan. Also for giving me the opportunity to learn how to spell your last name properly!!!

Will anyone share the expenses of living in or around Panama City Beach, Florida? I read so much conflicting information. I go there look around and it seems very different and MORE expensive than all the thing published on the net..wind insurance, electric, water, home insurance. We do not mind the bugs, snakes, noise and humidity, they don't cost much.
This site is wonderful!

Realtors can be a wonderful resource, and they are often our first point of contact in a particular place. However, you need to remember that their primary task is to sell a place. Do your homework, see things with your own eyes, and try to talk to people who have no agenda about encouraging you to move to a particular place.