How To Make New Friends At Your Retirement Community

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The key to meeting people and making new friends in a retirement community is the lifestyle /social director. Did you know that the biggest leisure activity for adults 55 and older is watching TV (over 50%) and that less than 25% of adults 55+ participate in sports, exercise or active recreation? To meet new people and get the most out of living at a retirement community you have to get involved.

A Lifestyle Director can help you improve your life and help you make new friends by getting you involved in clubs and hobby groups, organizing dances, parties, picnics, planning trips and similar group activities, which all put you into favorable situations to meet people who share your interests.

You will have the opportunity to experience new things, see new sights, join new activities, develop new skills, feel self-fulfilled, feel healthier, gain more energy, have more fun, and feel more connected to the community. You’ll look forward to having something to do with new friends, but beware of moving into a community without an active clubhouse and social director. You may never meet anyone except the neighbor next door. Retirement is your time to have new experiences, see new scenery and get involved in new activities, or continue enjoying hobbies and activities you’ve already established.

The point is they’re called "Active" adult communities for a reason. They’re a great place to meet new people and make new friends. Most master planned communities have a clubhouse/lifestyle recreation center with many activities. Good communities have swimming pools, exercise facilities, craft rooms, Internet rooms, plus arts & crafts, billiards, card rooms, a theater and social hall. Before you know it, you’ll be spending a lot of time in the clubhouse – meeting friends and enjoying activities with your neighbors, who are close to your age and have similar backgrounds and share the same interests as you.

That’s when the fun begins: card games, golf, dances, tennis, lectures, classes, musical programs, organized outings and trips, Broadway-style shows and professional entertainment groups that regularly visit your community. That’s why you move there – for the fun! And while you’re deciding where you want to move, you might want to choose one that offers a resort-like atmosphere that makes you feel like you’re on vacation all year long.