Senior Living: 3 Reasons to Choose an Urban Location for Retirement

If you’re thinking about retiring soon, you probably have a mental checklist of things you want to try to find in a senior living community. There’s a comfortable climate, access to activities and attractions, and proximity to quality healthcare. It might seem like a challenge to find a senior living community that meets all of your ideal criteria.

Many retirees are finding that retiring in a city meets each of these needs.

The AARP writes that “City life is particularly appealing during the stage of life when you no longer have to consider such things as the quality of schools or the spaciousness of the backyard.” Melrose Gardens, a senior living community in Los Angeles, is situated to allow residents to enjoy all that city life has to offer. By choosing an urban location like Los Angeles], seniors find both thrilling entertainment options and a feeling of safety and care.

 

Here are three reasons urban locations are some of the best for senior living:

Reason 1: Entertainment options.

There is never a lack of things to do in the city. With many distinct cultures packed into one space, finding something new to do is as simple as going to a new neighborhood. Los Angeles, for example, contains 250 different neighborhoods.

Different neighborhoods mean access to never-ending options restaurants, parks, and museums. Walking through a city offers the best people watching. There’s enough to do in the city that those who enjoy golf courses and those who enjoy ski resorts can coexist.

 

Reason 2: Transportation.

In retirement, you may not be able to drive as much as you used to, or you may want to save money from expensive car payments to put toward retirement costs. Cities offer public transportation options ranging from busses to subways to shared rides.

This transportation costs far less than cars. Even Washington D.C., which according to Business Insider has the most expensive public transportation in the country, offers savings of more than $5,000 a year as opposed to the cost of car payments and maintenance.

 

Reason 3: Quality healthcare.

A main priority in senior living is access to quality healthcare. Cities offer more hospitals than rural areas, and many of the top-rated hospitals are located within cities. The UCLA Medical Center is ranked the fourth-best hospital for geriatric services in America.

With more people packed into a dense city, there are more options for in-home healthcare as well. You can interview many people to find just the right caregiver for you.

Costs of City Living

While city living may cost slightly more than suburban or rural living, many seniors find that their choice to retire in an urban environment pays off. While rent may be slightly higher, seniors save money on local entertainment, cheaper transportation, and even better healthcare. Melrose Gardens in Los Angeles understands the perks of retiring in an urban environment. They are able to meet their residents’ needs at home while allowing them a full and exciting life in the surrounding city.

Melrose Gardens Senior Living Community

If you're exploring retirement and senior living options in the Los Angeles region, please contact us for more information about our organization or tour our community.

Works Cited:

Aarp. “Great Places to Retire 2012: Retire in the City, Urban, Nightlife, Art.” AARP, www.aarp.org/home-garden/livable-communities/info-02-2012/10-Great-Cities-to-Retire-AARP.html

https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/ca/ucla-medical-center-6931755.

The Motley Fool. “3 Reasons to Retire in a City.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 11 Oct. 2017, www.businessinsider.com/3-reasons-to-retire-in-a-city-2017-10#1-lower-transportation-costs-1.