Florida 55 Retirement Communities

Florida 55 retirement communities are constantly springing up across the Sunshine State. This phenomenon is especially prevalent in the Gulf Coast region and the Englewood area is no exception.

These communities do not fall precisely into any category. The only defining factor is age. Simply put, if you are younger than 55 years of age, you cannot purchase a home in one of these communities.

Florida 55 communities can be golf retirement communities, condo developments, manufactured home parks and RV parks.

Florida 55 Retirement Communities

Our family first became aware of 55 retirement communities when my father-in-law purchased a home in Lemon Bay Isles, a retirement community that features manufactured homes. (Manufactured house communities can exist with or without age restrictions on ownership.)

Benefits of Living in a Florida 55 Community

Because my in-laws arrived in Englewood in late October each year and stayed until the end of April the following spring, they soon got to know all of the other regular residents of their retirement community. They developed friendships that lasted for decades.

My father-in-law has passed away but my mother-in-law, who is no longer able to make the trip to Englewood, still receives cards and letters from her friends and former neighbors. These communications provide her with reminders of the pleasant memories of nearly two decades of retirement in Englewood.

Not all of my in-laws’ neighbors were seasonal visitors to Englewood. There were many who lived in the retirement community all year.
socialite clipart

This provided a further sense of security for my in-laws from the perspective that they had friends who could keep an eye on their home while they were away. Most retirement communities have a community center where a lot of social events occur on a regular basis. For instance, my in-laws always planned their trip south so that they would arrive in Englewood in time for the annual Halloween Dance. These age-restricted retirement communities are often much quieter than other vacation communities. The only time that children were in the neighborhood was when someone’s grandchildren came for a visit. (Guess where they would go for trips? Walt Disney World!

Florida 55 retirement communities are often safer than other areas, although Englewood has a reputation as a low crime area.

My in-laws often participated in a community watch program. One night every couple of weeks my father-in-law and one or two other neighbors, would take their turn patrolling the streets of their community for a few hours.

These patrols served many purposes, but perhaps the two most important factors were the sense of security the residents felt and through the patrols my father-in-law made some new friends.

Florida 55 retirement communities make a lot of sense for a lot of reasons for anyone who is contemplating a retirement home whether on a seasonal or a full-time basis. I know that we certainly believe this to be a great option to Enjoy Englewood Florida.

More Accommodation Choices

RV Parks

Florida Retirement Golf Community

Retirement Living in Englewood Florida