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Top 10 Places for Swinging Single Seniors to Retire
by Emily Brandon
It'snot too late to fall in love again during your retirement years. Infact, now that the child-rearing years are largely behind you, it's theperfect time to find someone you truly enjoy spending time with."You've completed your adult tasks, which are to raise a family andestablish yourself in the community," says Abigail Trafford, author of AsTime Goes By: Boomerang Marriages, Serial Spouses, Throwback Couples,and Other Romantic Adventures in an Age of Longevity. "Onceyou're in your 50s and 60s, you put a premium not on scoring withsomeone, but on connecting with someone and being who you really are."
If you're looking for a new relationshipor at least a crush in retirement, you're in good company.Approximately 46 percent of Americans age 65 and older are currentlysingle, including people who are widowed, divorced, separated, andnever married, according to the Census Bureau. To help you connect withother single seniors, U.S. News consulted Brookings Institutiondemographer William Frey, who determined the U.S. cities with the mostsingle people over age 65. We slimmed down that list with our BestPlaces to Retire search tool to single out retirement havens withplenty of opportunities to meet other singles and fun things to do on adate.
There's a bit of serendipity involved in finding a new loveconnection, but you can stack the odds in your favor. "A new interestwill bring new people into your life," says John Gray, a certifiedfamily therapist and author of Marsand Venus Starting Over: A Practical Guide for Finding Love Again Aftera Painful Breakup, Divorce, or the Loss of a Loved One. Forexample, you might sign up for southwestern cooking lessons or apainting class in one of the country's artistic capitals, Sante Fe, N.M. Or join a gardening workshop or horticultural society at the Memphis Botanic Garden. Many senior centers provide more than just bingo tournaments and affordable lunches. The MilfordConnecticut Senior Center, for example, offers dance and exerciselessons, Tai Chi, conversational Spanish, French, and Italian classes,and computer skills workshops.
Gray recommends taking on projectsand activities that encourage interaction in order to achieve a commongoal. "Try some activity that you are not very good at and ask forhelp," advises Gray. "Men bond with women more easily when they aredoing something to help the woman." Asking for or offering assistanceplaying poker, blackjack, or keno in Reno, Nev., is sure to make both of your pulses race. Afterward, you can relax at a concert, golden oldie review, or comedy show.
Retiring to a college town such as Providence, R.I., or Columbus, Ga.,gives you plenty of opportunities to seek help with your homework or todiscuss the week's reading over coffee. An added perk: college tuitionis often discounted for seniors. For example, Towson Universityin Maryland offers a tuition waiver program for state residents age 60and older who don't work full time. These retirees also get free accessto the library and recreational facilities, as well as discounts tocampus events.
Another great way to meet other singles is to askyour friends to make an introduction. Savor a glass of wine with afriend in Santa Rosa, Calif., situated in an areathat boasts more than 200 wineries with tasting rooms, and ask if theyknow anyone who might be right for you. You might also take a bottle togo and hike the local redwood forests, observe the stars at the SantaRosa Junior College Planetarium, or share a giggle over a Peanuts comicstrip at the Charles M. Schulz museum.
Romance can also flourish in waterfront towns like Boston suburb Quincy, Mass.,which has 27 miles of coastline. For an interlude that's moreadventurous than an amorous walk in the surf, try your hand at scubadiving along the coral reef system in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. You can even explore a sunken ship as you traverse the multicolored aquatic wildlife.
Newlove at an older age could strike at any moment--probably when youleast expect it. Don't shy away from a new romantic adventure. "Datingis one of the most fun, life-affirming, exhilarating experiences thatcan come into your life," says Judith Sills, a clinical psychologistand author of Getting Naked Again: Dating, Romance, Sex, and Love When You've Been Divorced, Widowed, Dumped, or Distracted. "It is being 19 again, but knowing everything you know now, and that is something not to be missed."
Ten great places for single seniors to retire
• Columbus, Ga.
• Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
• Memphis, Tenn.
• Milford, Conn.
• Providence, R.I.
• Quincy, Mass.
• Reno, Nev.
• Santa Fe, N.M.
• Santa Rosa, Calif.
• Towson, Md. |
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发表于 2009-3-6 00:15:00
