AARP Magazine Names Atlanta No. 1 of Best Places to Live and Retire

When you think about the cities most suited to the retiree lifestyle what comes to mind? The sunshine and shuffleboard of South Florida cities like West Palm Beach? The laid back front porch Southern culture in the Carolina's? AARP magazine wants you to think again. In a press release Monday the magazine, which is the largest magazine aimed at people fifty and older, named the top five cities to live and retire in, and it looks a lot hipper then you may expect.

At the top spot is Atlanta, Georgia. Yes, the town that brought you Outkast is also named the best place for people over 50 to settle down. In the press release AARP Magazine explains, "Atlanta offers abundant volunteer and cultural opportunities. Retirees also appreciate the wide range of housing options." Atlanta's MARTA transportation system also helped it in the analysis which gave extra attention to cities that used public transportation or urban planning to help reduce the need for daily driving. This is especially important for older seniors who may have slower reaction time and eyesight problems that make driving dangerous. But rising gas prices and environmental concerns are enough to make many people who are capable of driving opt to walk instead.

""The places we chose are ahead of the curve in providing services for empty nesters, active retirees, and everyone in between and we're thrilled to recognize them for their efforts," Steve Slon, editor of AARP The Magazine is quoted as saying in the press release. As the baby boomers begin to enter their retirement years a desire for continued life experience and excitement will likely trump the quiet solitude of previous retiree hotspots.

Rounding out the top cities are the Beacon Hill section of Boston, Massachusetts; Chandler, Arizona; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Portland, Oregon. All the cities are applauded for having a spirit of community and ample activities including bike trails and parks. Cities looking to help capture some of the estimated 2.2 trillion dollars that are spent annually by people age fifty and older would be wise to invest in these amenities in an effort to be more attractive places to visit and live. The magazine also singled out four cities that have great potential at making future lists. These "cities to watch" include Austin, Texas; Burlington, Vermont; Mankato, Minnesota; and Travers City, Michigan.

The full article will be available in the September/October issue of AARP Magazine. It will also be available online at www.aarpmagazine.org.

Sources: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/07-23-2007/0004630298&EDATE=