Senior Living in New York City: Retirement in the Big Apple

New York City is a place most people associate with a young, trendy, aggressive image, where you either catch up or get out of the way. To the rest of the country, New York is filled with impossibly gorgeous models (with their impossibly expensive plastic surgeons) fitness instructors and hardcore stock market brokers. Once you reach 60 you're "old news" and are better off retiring in city with a more relaxed pace-or are you?

New York City is well known for much more than the twenty-something fashion industry and the widespread in-your-face attitude. Think about it: driving is optional, anything you need can probably be delivered right to your door, and there's a senior-oriented activity around every corner. Those seniors who especially love culture and the fine arts will greatly benefit from the discounts and other benefits offered to them through the various museums, concerts and operas found in the Big Apple.

Along with these citywide amenities are a good number of senior-care facilities and other senior retirement centers in the surrounding tri-state area; some of them are located just outside the city, so you can enjoy both a suburban-like atmosphere will all the services found in a metropolitan city.

Close to New York City are a number of CCRCs, or "continuing care retirement centers", for those seniors who need a little bit of help but are still largely independent. While no CCRC is present inside New York itself, several exist nearby in New Jersey, Connecticut and Sleepy Hollow, New York. Queens is currently in the process of opening one, but isn't available yet. Residents in a CCRC pay a one-time entry fee (anywhere from a hundred thousand to several million dollars) and a monthly fee to cover the cost of their care.

The entry fee is determined by a number of factors, including the applicant's age and the location of the facility, and Medicare may cover some of the fee. The minimum age for entry into a CCRC is 62; in general, the younger you are and the less assistance you actually require, the more likely your chances will be of being accepted. If you think a CCRC is the right place for you, look into Kendal on Hudson in Sleepy Hollow or Cedar Crest in Pompton Plains, New Jersey.

The more traditional active senior communities are also present around the New York City area, ranging from moderately priced to the upscale, for those who have no need for medical assistance but would enjoy retiring in a community of like-minded neighbors. Even Donald Trump (Mr. New York himself) has entered the game with the Trump Park Residences near Westchester, New York.

The prices for this active adult community range between five hundred thousand to just a little over a million dollars, which isn't nearly as much as a much smaller apartment inside the city itself would cost. A less expensive option would be the Parkview at Ticonderoga, a series of townhomes between Lake George and Lake Champlain ranging between $140,000-$500,000.

Life in and around New York City is just as accommodating to today's seniors as other, more customary retirement locations have been in the past. For the senior who enjoys city life and doesn't want to forget it simply because they're older, the energetic and trendy New York is an option guaranteed to keep you youthful and healthy.