Where Are the Most Innovative Retirement Living Options: 10 Examples

Thanks so much for this article. This is the kind of information I enjoy the most. Hopefully, you will expand on this idea with more locations. I am specifically looking at Virginia, so if anyone of the wonderful people who post here knows of a place there please let me know.

Hi Sally,

Virginia does have some unique communities which we have listed on our site, and two that may interest you are:

A 55+ agri-community near Richmond, Virginia, in Glen Allen,
Chickahominy Falls was Virginia's Community of the Year for 2020.

ElderSpirt is a co-housing community that is built around the concept of helping one another. It's an independent living community that fosters wellness and independence with a mutual support system.

And as you mention, members may have more communities they can suggest.

Another interesting community is Fair Oaks Ecohousing in Fair Oaks CA. It is a multi-generational, earth-friendly cohousing community with a strong green focus located in Fair Oaks, California.

Thank you Jane and John, I will investigate your suggestions. Love to hear more from your readers also.

This is a topic of great interest to me, as well. I hope we hear more suggestions made by people who are aware of these types of communities.

The down side of a 55+ communities is that when your children inherit the house and they are under 55. They would have to sell the house. That might be important to some people.

As to inheriting a unit in a 55+ community, rules differ from place to place. Some allow heirs under 55 to live there, even without a person over that age. Also, some 55+ communities allow a percentage of people under 55 to live there without inheriting. Again, it’s important to actually read bylaws and community policies before buying.

I'm sure CCRC come with many alternatives. The one near us, Galloway Ridge at Fearrington Village allows someone to buy into a private, small single family house with care features (independent living), move into condo-type living and/or assisted living as needed, and on to nursing level care including a memory unit. They are associated with Duke Health and provide truly great amenities.

We didn't choose a CCRC because we have good long term care, want to age in place as long as reasonable and love our home in it's wooded location location. Otherwise, selling out and moving to the CCRC was quite attractive. Everyone needs to choose how they want to live out their years so far as feasible.

I agree with RichPB and will add that as events happen, needs also may change. My aunt and uncle had a lovely lakefront home that they thought would be the place they’d spend all their days, but after my uncle died and after a scary ice storm that cut off all travel for multiple days, my aunt decided that it was no longer the right place for her alone. I hope to have a Plan A, but have the flexibility of spirit and grace to pivot if circumstances change.

Richpb mentioned Fearrington Village near Chapel Hill, NC. It is a good example of a community for retirement that is out of the box. It has single family homes where a mixture of retirees and families with kids live. It also has townhomes close to the center. There are many amenities and clubs. In the center there is an elegant restaurant and hotel, plus a few shops and a great bookstore. Then when you age the Galloway Ridge option is right there with a CCRC. It is the rare community where you can transition for all ages living to end of life without ever having to move.

Touchmark in the West Hills near Portland, Oregon is an option we are looking into. It has a vineyard, greenhouse, indoor pool, and gym. Restaraunt style dining etc. Please check it out and if it meets your requirements let me know. Thanks

RichPB-

I have visited Fearrington Village and found it absolutely delightful and I think I would seriously consider relocating there were I not so happy with my current situation. It’s an absolutely beautiful area with many opportunities to participate in educational, cultural and artistic endeavors. It really has some wonderful options!

Anyone living in Fairhope. Ala area or Osprey Cove , St Mary’s Ga?

Hi Roberta
If you go to Topretirements.com at the bottom of this page, you'll see the drop down menu. There you’ll find State Guides listed where you can search for information on both of your locations.

There are also some links listed at the bottom of this page- check out Adult Communities.
Fairhope and St Mary’s are listed under Alabama and Georgia with several 55+ communities mentioned.

You can also use the search bar under Basic Search to look for any articles in which your areas are mentioned.

Hope this helps!
Flo

PS - We moved your comment about Fairhope and St. Marys to https://www.topretirements.com/blog/great-towns/very-interesting-10-great-towns-for-retirement.html/ , where it might get a better response.

Virginia is a big place. It offers urban, ocean front, remote mountains, and much in between. Which part are you interested in? As with any place, do your homework and visit!

Hi Sandie,
I am from Virginia and have lived all over the country. I am not particularly interested in the lower southwest section like Bristol, or the North Carolina border area but am open to most other parts of Virginia. My main interest is in the innovated ideas that the article mentioned. It is a beautiful state and there are so many areas that are interesting. Hopefully some of the contributors here have some ideas or know of someone who is currently living there. I am hoping to relocate to my home state for my final retirement phase at some point in the future.

Sally,
We live in central Virginia, west of Richmond. Chckahominy Falls, mentioned above, is located near a recently approved project with an arena and other amenities, so you’d have rural aspects close to “stuff”. We are very pleased with healthcare options here. It was one of the reasons we chose to stay here in retirement.
Also, we visited The Village of Providence and Fearington. They are both well worth consideration.

Sandie,
Thank you so much for your information! I have been away from Virginia a while now so anything you can tell me is greatly appreciated. Accessible high quality healthcare is at the top of my list of necessities. We are not so much looking for a 55+ type of community, but more of an age blended situation. Another thing I value is being close to nature, but not far from a good quality grocery store.

This blog provides real people responses that are so helpful and you taking the time to respond is so wonderful, thank you again!!
Sally

Check out Lakeside Apartments in Charlottetsville VA..it has high end amenities, mtns, Lake, beach and the college town of UVA.