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Last week, we were out of town again. Just like with Hawaii, being out of my home element was difficult on the fitness and diet fronts. On Thursday after preschool, we jumped in the van and headed south to Pam’s parents house in Lincoln, CA.
I had a very active week: I played 5 rounds of golf, went to the gym 1 time, ran 3 times, played tennis 1 time, and went on at least 3 walks with various members of the family. It was a great vacation–relaxing and active–my only complaint was that the kids didn’t sleep well while away from their own beds.
Pam’s parents live in Sun City Lincoln Hills, which is a Del Webb active adult community. I’ve always told myself that I would never live in such a place. There’s a ton of rules governing things from what kind of plants you can plant in your yard, to what you can park in your driveway, to how long guests can stay in your house before being considered “residents.” Oh yeah, and there’s tons of old people who love to blow the whistle on their neighbors. Definitely not for me and my family.
However, there are some pluses to living in a community such as this. The community prides itself on being “green.” It maintains a certain amount of “open space” that can never be developed. Landscaping materials that are drought tolerant are encouraged (maybe required). And there are golf cart lanes on all of the major thoroughfares. Almost all of the residents have a golf cart that they use to get around within Sun City. There are grocery stores, shopping marts, medical facilities, and restaurants all within the community so theoretically, you might not need a car at all.
Everything you could ever need to live an active life is there for you. Gyms, walking trails, golf courses, tennis, bocci, volleyball, softball, and basketball facilities are nearly free for all residents. There are card clubs, knitting clubs, sewing clubs, hiking clubs and countless other clubs full of people who all share the same interests as you. With all of these activities at your finger tips, there’s no excuse for sitting on the couch.
Even though the population of Lincoln has doubled since they moved in, I think Pam’s parents are very happy to be a part of Sun City. I never thought a planned community would be a nice place to live, but I certainly enjoyed my visit and some of the benefits are definitely intriguing to me.
J.D.
4 responses so far ↓
1 elisabeth // May 5, 2008 at 8:47 am
My mother also lives in a “Sun City” (in Texas) and she does like it, and has used the facilities, the swimming pool, etc.
But I wonder if baby boomers will have the same interest in this idea –not to mention the money that’s needed to buy into the concept. I tend to think boomers will want to do more “aging in place” in their own homes, rather than make a retirement move. OR, perhaps those who do move will head for a city or to one of the college towns that are increasingly being touted as great places to retire.
2 Red // May 5, 2008 at 9:33 am
I’m with you, the amenities sound intriguing, but someone trying to control my HOME with that level of oversight goes against my DNA.
3 Andrew is getting fit // May 5, 2008 at 10:31 am
It sounds pretty good to me.
4 Mike // May 6, 2008 at 8:32 am
My parents are considering moving to a community just like this. At first, I was skeptical - the start-up costs are significant and the level of control seems excessive. However, my dad is getting pretty out of shape in his old age, and my mom works at home so she gets almost no socialization.
I’m hoping this type of living situation will help both with their problems - readily available physical fitness and opportunities for socialization.
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