Putting The "Boom" In Babyboom
DW sent me an interesting link from Yahoo News yesterday, the article slug is "Farewell to Bingo". Here’s a snippet:
… To entice today’s more youthful retirees, who may be working part time or even full time at a hobby business, (my emphasis) developers are rethinking all aspects of the classic adult-retirement village. They are building what they call active-adult communities for folks as young as 55 in places like Colorado, Michigan and New Jersey to accommodate those who want to stay immersed in the world, even as they step back from some of its daily nuisances. The new developments ensure mobility, with access to mass transit and garages for residents who own their own cars, which make visits to family members or commutes into town easy. They are also offering a stunning mix of activities, including such options as kayaking and skydiving. They include spa-level fitness and wellness centers, college-level academic courses, resort-level concierge services and gourmet dining. …
So I talk often about businesses that seniors and retirees can use to empower their retirement. But one area I haven’t even touched on at all is making retirement itself a business. Across the US and even here in the distant Philippines there are "retirement communities" competing for the dollar of the folks who have decided to end their daily commute to the rat race and live a lifestyle more attuned to pursuing their chosen interests while someone else mows the grass or shovels the walks.
Having both enjoyed and detested my time spent in various establishments with older relatives I see two common points that both attract and repel potential new residents/investors. Actually, there’s only one point, taken in two different ways … such communities are full of old people 
If you’re on the "better" side of 60, as I am (why better you might ask? ell every day I wake up my life expectancy is now longer, something no 30 or 40 yo can say ;-)), there is a certain sense of peace, order and fellowship that descends upon you when all your neighbors are similarly ‘age enabled".
There is also a counter force that I personally feel strongly … until the day I can no longer be physically and mentally active I have no interest in sitting around a card table playing bridge with people who live their life based on who is running for president or how big the Social Security COLA will be in 2008.
There are many of these establishments that want to project a more ‘with it" image than shuffleboard and golf cart-restricted streets. What they need are "with it" advisors and consultants who can "sell" them on new ideas … like computer classes, blogging training, high-speed Internet connectivity in every dwelling unit, local computer techs who make house calls and don’t look cross-eyed at gray hair … or for that matter, classes in how to play online poker and yes, even Bingo (it’s currently hot by the way). I could probably come up with at least 100 more ways to make retirement communities more attractive to seniors who "ain’t dead yet" … and there’s a good chance I am writing right now to an advisor/consultant.facilitator who can make a business out of making things happen.
Anyone got any similar or contrary thoughts to share?
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Thanks for your balanced outlook on life. One of the reasons I chose to live overseas is because I’m sick of the treatment 60-plusers get in the US. Could be just a personal over-sensitivity on my part, but might as well be happy and enjoy life.
I formally retired the third time nearly two years ago … yet, as anyone can see, I’m not really “retired”. The idea of sitting around doing nothing appalls me … doing what I like doing, however, holds a lot of appeal. That’s why I decided to get into this sub-niche. The “babyboomers” are a sleeping giant in my view … and if I’m wrong, I’ll have fun anyway.
Thanks for your insightful comments… and if your knee gets too bad, you can make a business out of organizing “low impact” treks, perhaps
Hey, that looks like a promising long-tail niche. Thanks for the idea. We also have a nature blog. Maybe do some research on low-impact outdoor activities.
We also think baby boomers will be a force to be reckoned with in the web. My mom, 67, has learned to use email only a year ago. It’s a largely untapped and underserved market.
People with a lot of knowledge, time on their hands, and some money to spend on domains, web hosting, and web development services.
Surprisingly, a lot of mature folks are already web-savvy but they still choose to stay with blogspot. That’s why we are surfing the blogspot community. Maybe entice 1 or 2 to come over where the real action is. Hopefully it’ll get the ball rolling.
Anyways, my mom still wears shirts and jeans and refuses to be called retired. She takes care of her body more than I do with mine too. 
He, he… I sympathize with you.
I don’t intend to sit around with old folks playing cards or watching TV when I get old too. That’ll be depressing. 
I mean, the native Americans and other cultures respect older individuals as repositories of knowledge. Why waste the little time I have reminiscing about the past? When I reach 65, I picture myself still blogging away and trekking mountains, if this dammed knee will allow me.