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Guide to Active Adult Communities in North Carolina
Guide to Active Adult Communities in North Carolina
Active adult communities are designed for retirees and working seniors who prefer a dynamic lifestyle in a fun, social environment. These master-planned communities offer resort-style amenities such as clubhouses and pools, as well as lively social and activity calendars
While many active adult communities are age-restricted—which typically means that at least one member of the household must be 55 years or over—others welcome residents of all ages.
Homes Built for Comfort and Entertainment
Single-family, one-story homes are the norm in active adult communities. They can be customized to each household’s needs. Homes usually offer layouts and features that are standard in modern homes. Generally, master suites are complete with a spacious closet and an en-suite bathroom with a walk-in tub. Newer homes also include office spaces for working seniors.
Houses in these neighborhoods are made for entertaining. Open living spaces, large patios, and screened porches make for ideal social gatherings. Visiting friends and family can stay overnight in the guest bedrooms.
Landscaping maintenance is often provided for all residents.
Elevated Amenities for Residents
While many active adult communities operate independently, some are located within larger master-planned residential developments. Both types of communities offer exclusive amenities such as pools and clubhouses.
Workout facilities deliver classes and programs that cater to all fitness levels. Low-impact aerobics and yoga are some of the most popular programs offered.
Those who would rather be outdoors can take advantage of walking trails, parks, and picnic areas. Pickleball courts, tennis courts, and lawns for croquet and softball games are available for athletic residents to use.
Active adult communities may also include services that cannot be found in regular neighborhoods. Residents can walk to onsite restaurants, golf courses, and water features like lakes or ponds. For those who want services to come to them, hair stylists and physical therapists may be available on-call.
Hubs and Clubs for Various Interests
Activity directors help new residents connect with their neighbors. They organize clubs for community members of various interests such as gardening, cooking, and woodworking.
Residents can keep sharp by attending academic classes and visiting lectures in the community centers. Live concerts and film screenings will appeal to those who love performance arts.
Community service clubs are popular, too. Neighbors can organize charities, drives, and other public service events for the community at large.
Idyllic Communities in Ideal Locations
The best active adult communities are located near town or city landmarks. Hospitals and healthcare facilities, for example, are situated nearby. Residents have easy access to physicians and dentists that specialize in senior wellness.
Prospective residents should choose a community that best fits their lifestyle. Some neighborhoods are only a short walk or ride away from bustling city centers. Others are closer to quieter, small-town shops.
Sample Communities to Discover
Compass Pointe
Located on the southeastern coast of North Carolina, only 10 minutes from Wilmington, Compass Pointe is a gated, private community that offers an unmatched resort lifestyle. Every day feels like a vacation where you can relax by our award-winning pool, float along the lazy river, join one of 100+ community clubs, or get some exercise at our fitness center, indoor pool, or golf club. Come see for yourself why Compass Pointe was honored with the 2020 Best Health & Fitness Community and America’s Best Places to Live 2021.
Amenities:
- Private, Gated Entrance
- The Grand Lanai
- Resort Oasis Pool
- Compass Pointe Golf Club
- Clubhouse (under construcion) & Pro Shop
- The Pointe Wellness Center & Spa
- Indoor Pool
- Lazy River
- Tennis & Pickleball Courts
- Recreation Lawn
- Putting Greens
- Latitudes Restaurant and Bar
- Dog Park
- Cardinal Lake with Canoe & Kayak Launch
- Outdoor Amphitheater
- Sidewalks Throughout for Walking and Biking
- Golf Cart Paths Throughout
Future Amenities:
- Club Member Pool & Bar
- Club Member Fitness Center
- Club Member Golf Simulator
Carolina Overlook by Del Webb
Carolina Overlook is Clayton’s 55-plus active adult community by Del Webb in Johnston County. Featuring 10 ranch floorplan designs with options you’ll love, like 3-car garages, flex space, gourmet kitchens, and roomy lofts. We have 7 model homes open daily for touring. There are quick move-in homes available or you can build your dream home and visit the on-site design center to personalize. Resort-style amenities are under construction now – state-of-the-art clubhouse overlooking the onsite lake, pickleball courts, indoor and outdoor swimming pool, lifestyle director, clubs/classes, varsity room, aerobics room, dog park, community garden, walking trails, greenway trail access, and a temporary amenity before the main one opens. We can’t wait to meet you!
Carolina Colours
Carolina Colours brings to life the very best of small Carolina towns-past, present and future. A mere 30 minutes from the Atlantic Ocean, the waters of the Trent and Neuse Rivers converge to surround the vibrant waterfront town of New Bern, NC. Community amenities include the 25+-acre Carolina Lake, a Harris Teeter grocery, parks, trails and sidewalks, an Activity Campus with golf, fitness, tennis, swimming, pickleball and-for those quiet moments-rocking chairs.
Located in New Bern, NC, perhaps North Carolina’s most desired small town retirement destination for the past 25 years, CAROLINA COLOURS offers a variety of living environments and lifestyle choices. While typical homesites are of a size that many modern communities consider over sized, these half acre and larger sites have proven popular and have allowed numerous custom homes to be constructed, giving the core of the community an eclectic but attractive architectural composition, with trees abundant.
With quality custom builders ready to help you design and build on any homesite you purchase and with three regional/national builders constructing dozens of homes for sale that will be ready for occupancy in the summer of 2022, your choices of location within the community are varied. Carolina Colours Realty, located on-site, sells only new and resale properties within Carolina Colours and is staffed with agents that know all there is to know about the many properties and activities within the community and the New Bern area. In this period of high inflation, Carolina Colours still provides one of the best values in the coastal plain of North Carolina for those that want an attractive, planned community with numerous amenities and activities to fit any lifestyle. And for golfers, the Carolina Colours course is widely considered the premier layout in the region.
The Carolina Colours Golf Course has been very well received. The course is considered by many one of the most attractive and fairest tests of golf in the region, with six teeing alternatives allowing players from scratch golfers to beginners the proper challenge, with sufficient variety for those that play four times a week. Unlike many new courses that create a setting, the Carolina Colours course, designed by Bill Love, the long time chairman of the environmental committee of the National Association of Golf Course Architects, fits into a wooded, rolling landscape as though it belongs. Even non-golfers love to ride or walk its paths.
What sets Carolina Colours apart, however, is its incredible sense of community. From Friday night gatherings for drink and food at the Pavilion, the 16,000-square-foot community clubhouse, to seemingly endless scheduled activities, both active and passive, neighborhood gatherings, walking and biking, organized trips and more, the community welcomes newcomers with a smile and an open invitation to join with others as frequently as one desires.
New Bern, North Carolina’s first capital city, has its historical districts and quaint shopping areas right downtown, where the Neuse and Trent rivers converge, giving many an Annapolis feel. With abundant local marinas and the Intracoastal Waterway and Atlantic Ocean only about 30 miles away, water activities abound. And with a commercial airport and close proximity to major highways, New Bern is easy to get to. Once there, the quality of medical care and the numerous regional cultural and festival type events allows for a life that can be as active or inactive as suits any chosen lifestyle.
Get Started
Finding and choosing the right active adult community can be a daunting task. This is where ideal-LIVING can help. Sign up below to receive our complimentary relocation package, which offers tips on how to find a community that suits your needs. In this guide, you’ll discover the top active adult communities in North Carolina, as well as what you can do to get started. Sign up for this free package to take the first step in your exciting journey.
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