What about amenities, hospitals, shopping, culture? Still, Florida is one of the best states to retire for taxes. Sun City Hilton Head, located in Bluffton, S.C., part of the Del Webb collection, is the largest active retirement community for seniors in the Lowcountry region. Residents sense a feeling of belonging. It’s all great !❤️. We found that there were many communities open to all ages that met our top four criteria and were perfect for an active retirement. One thing is for sure—there is nothing subtle about life in the Villages. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service. On an average national scale of 100, Best Places has Jacksonville at a 66 for housing costs. I went to college in Daytona Beach 1978-1979. Best places to retire in Florida Florida is so big that is likely to have the perfect retirement lifestyle for just about anybody. Read 1 Review. The clubhouse at Mira Bay looks really cool. This is a good choice for those who want a maintenance-free retirement option. If you are passionate about any combination of those things, the Nation’s Oldest City could be a great option for your retirement! There are great restaurants and St. Petersburg offers a much more low-key and relaxed beach experience than Clearwater. Classes at the Lifelong Learning College cover a broad spectrum of topics including real estate, technology, dance, culinary arts, history and many others. Seems perfect to me. This city combines the historic Old Florida feel with vibrant cultural districts to create one of the most perfect atmospheres anywhere. VisitFlorida.com describes Delray Beach as a “small and intimate town with big-city sophistication.”. How to Find Retirement Communities in Florida. Stone Lake isn’t a huge lake, so smaller boats would work best. Residents can also participate in over 175 clubs, leagues, hobbies, and lifelong learning opportunities. With a clubhouse, pool, patio areas, newly opened fitness center and a full time activities director, there is something for every- one in this outstanding community. Every year a new cohort is inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame, with the first inductees coming in 1998. We couldn’t be happier with our choice in making Vero Beach our vacation home for now and our future retirement home. Be sure to bookmark this page and check back often because we are constantly updating this page. The motto of the community is “A Place Patriots Call Home.” Indian River Colony Club is steeped in Military tradition and has mostly former military residents—although anyone is welcome to live there. Wrm. Try Brooksville. In short, it’s not hard to keep yourself busy in Jacksonville for an active retirement. Others have been on earlier lists, or on Forbes’ specialty retirement lists—for example, the best places to retire without a car or the best places to pursue a passion (be it outdoor water activities, dining out or golf) in retirement. Play a round of golf on their 18-Hole Championship golf course, spend a day with your family at the Beach and Swim Club, enjoy a relaxing day at their World Class Spa, stay active by joining the on-site fitness center or walking and biking on the miles of beautiful trails. Once Florida’s best kept secret the secret may be out but this very special town will never lose it’s sense of true neighborhood. The location puts it at the heart of many things, like Mercato, the Pavillion, and only about 15 min from Old Naples. We spent a few hours on Manasota beach while checking out a few new beaches. I was wondering about Mexico Beach and Port St Joe area…. Though Lakewood Ranch is considered a multi-generational community, there are certain neighborhoods that are 55+, such as Del Webb at Lakewood Ranch. Residents also enjoy dining at the onsite restaurants. Retirement communities in Florida have been gaining popularity due to their countless amenities and benefits. It wouldn’t be an active Florida retirement community without some options for golfing. In 2012 the course was voted Best in Tallahassee by Tallahassee Magazine. Polo is an exciting team sport played on horseback with the objective of driving the small white ball into the other team’s goal using a long wooden mallet. #55plus #retirement #floridahomes #topretirementcommunitiesTop retirement communities 55 and older in Florida. 55+ Retirement Communities and Florida Homes for Sale! The city is very nature oriented and the culture is very “old Florida.” You’ll see a ton of traditional architecture everywhere you look. Many communities call their pool “resort style” but the neighborhoods at World Golf Village have a pool straight from a Sandals resort commercial! It’s definitely a unique experience. Keeping that in mind, I wanted to find a retirement community that really matched the authentic nature of the city. The Villages. We shop and dine there often. The community is located in Lauderdale by the sea, a village that borders the resort-focused town of Ft. Lauderdale. Check out exhibits from the Golf legends of the past including tributes to Gary Player, Laura Davies, Fred Couples and others. When you think of Florida, you probably have a Ft. Lauderdale scene in mind: palm trees, tropical weather, hurricanes, beaches and sunshine. Know a great place in Florida that we should consider adding to the list in the future? A lovely modest beach, seven privately owned 5 star eateries, galleries, shopping and beautiful parks. Variety is well defined at Venetian Bay with wide spread appeal. Great restaurants and shopping. We visited Cape Coral in December and really liked the area. Two hours from Orlando and Savannah. Like with almost any retirement community in Boca Raton or across Florida, there are a number of card game groups, and other social activities to partake in like Bingo and Mahjong. They even have lounge chairs set up along the shore of the lake so you can grab a book and enjoy the breeze as it sweeps off the lake and onto the shoreline. It’s nothing too wild, but there is great energy and people are friendly. Cloud is a quiet city that was originally known as a retirement destination for Civil War veterans. 2020 Best Places to Retire in the Orlando Area About this List Explore the best places to retire in the U.S. based on number of retirees, weather, and access to healthcare and entertainment. If we wanted to go to the beach for the day, it took less than an hour. It’s 100 year old dance casino. Your email address will not be published. The main hub of the Century Village community is the community center, which hosts a huge fitness center, 12 tennis courts, and a billiards room. You are right about New Smyrna Beach! Keeping with the maintenance-free theme, there is a city bus that picks up right at the clubhouse in Century Village and drops off at the local “Town Center” shopping plaza. Valencia Grove at Riverland is the newest 55+ community on Florida’s East Coast. While Sarasota is on the smaller side with a little over 50,000 residents, most major music acts come through town. I’ll be house hunting in the spring….I LOVE LOVE LOVE the beach there! Delray Beach is the place where you can find big city culture in a small town environment…which is why so many people have decided to make their homes here. 30 years later, wonderful place. Newcomers or those returning after a significant gap include Charlotte, N.C., Clearwater, Fla., Delray Beach, Fla., San Antonio, Tex., and Winchester. The Villages is the brainchild of billionaire Harold Schwartz. The city is situated near Jacksonville, and with a population of less than 10,000, it … Outside of the city is where you will find the gems—the communities that are just perfect for an active retirement. Pensacola is a town with about 50,000 residents, a world-class naval base, and some of the best medical facilities in the country. Guide to the best gated, golf, retirement, and 55+ retirement communities in Florida. There is an amazing selection of great local restaurants in just about every neighborhood, and baseball fans will be excited to know that both the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins host their spring training activities here. Mira Bay has a diverse selection of homes ranging from the $200’s to $2M. And with all the money you’ll be saving in housing, you can afford to spend more on entertainment. Everything we need is within a few minutes drive. Read This First (2020 Update), Read This BEFORE You Pay For a Flat Fee MLS Service. Inside the clubhouse is a theater that seats over a thousand people! Historic downtown Naples is filled with with high-end shoppes and boutiques. In addition to being a great location for history buffs, St. Augustine is also filled with tons of culture, great shopping, unique places to eat, and two really wonderful retirement communities. Check us out!! I am one and I live there six months of the year. Very, very helpful! Florida Waterfront Communities are among the best places to retire. The Viera VA clinic is close by which is great for military retirees that want to be close to care. Outside of the sport itself, there are tons of fun activities going on game day like picnics, Clydesdale wagon rides and tailgating (yes even the polo crowd knows how to have fun!). We love it because Port Orange is laid back and quiet, while still providing all the amenities one could possibly want. 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