Tomorrowville
Forget the cruise to forever and decades of shuffleboard. The new retirees want family, health, wealth, great culture and doctors within walking distance. And, they want it now.
By Pamela Martineau | From October 2007
Community Comments
Leinberger says communities across the nation should plan ways to allow residents to walk to entertainment, retail and work. It’s not just good for the mind and body; it’s good for global warming, he says. “Our research has shown that in most of the metropolitan areas we’ve looked at, 30 percent to 40 percent of households want a walkable urban lifestyle, but the amount of supply is only about 5 percent to 10 percent.”
MEET THE RETIREES
Ravi Arunachalam, 55, is a poster child for Tomorrowville’s new retiree. A resident of The Club, Arunachalam moved to Roseville from the Bay Area. He moved to the Sacramento area for a job — he still works full-time for Coca-Cola Co. — but also because one of his children goes to Sacramento State. He chose to live in an active adult community because he wants to be part of a tight-knit neighborhood. He believes the Sacramento region will afford him ample opportunity to do part-time management consulting.
“I don’t think I’ll ever retire completely,” says Arunachalam. “I always like to be involved in something. It’s too boring not to be involved.”
Arunachalam says he chose The Club over a traditional Sun City because residents of The Club are more lively. “Sun City people, they are much older and most are totally retired. Pretty much after 6 p.m. or 7 p.m., you don’t see a soul out there,” he says. “We wanted to be much more engaged. Here we get together for bocce ball, book club, potlucks.”
Beverly Bebb, 68, moved into The Club in March. She and her husband moved to Roseville from Southern California to be near their two daughters and grandchildren who live in Roseville. She baby-sits the grandkids regularly and is looking for volunteer opportunities.
“It’s just fun to be around (the grandkids), and it keeps you younger,” says Bebb. “We go to all their soccer games and swim meets.”
Susie Hanagan, a nurse, moved to The Club from El Dorado County, where she raised her kids, in part because Kaiser is building a new hospital in the area. She plans to work there part time when she leaves her current job. She also loves the multigenerational aspect of the project, while being within an hour’s drive of her children. She doesn’t yet have grandkids.
“We couldn’t see ourselves in a sea of 7,000 gray-haired people,” says Hanagan. “If we want to see children, all we have to do is walk down the block. There’s a school, there’s parks. We want to see life around us.”
Continued...Prosperity Icon: Mind
Category: Retirement
Tags: living, senior, tomorrowville, retire
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Community Comments
October 02, 2007
For us, it came down to lifestyle. We found our piece of paradise. We now live where others vacation. Mild temps, fresh air, less traffic, low crime. Public transit is free, the state parks are free, the library is open seven days a week.
We have the requisite requirements of civilization: Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Home Depot, supermarkets and fast food. Along with forests, pastoral valleys and lonely back roads.
No, I’m not telling you where I live. I don’t want you to move here. I’ll share my photos, though, at www.eyepubs.com. Take a look, and you’ll see what I see every day.