This seems like an opportunity to effect changes in the way suburbia is planned and developed. There are a number of new-ish mid-rise mixed use projects throughout the country (eg Avalon in Alpharetta, GA, Legacy West in Plano, TX) that try to create a little density and activity in otherwise very suburban areas. Although these can lack cultural depth and richness, at least they provide a degree of walkability and can appeal to multiple generations.
1
I’m 67 and have always lived in the city and wouldn’t want to be elsewhere. I walk, I have three bus lines downtown, and an 8 year old car with 40,000 miles on it; 11,000 of which were on it already.
I agree housing for older people should be right sized, affordable, and not in the suburbs which are ill served here with any public transportation. Sprawl here is so pronounced that seniors simply become isolated. No thanks.
When will developers recognize that the healthiest living is co housing or co-mingling of age groups in developments like micro housing?
1
We have lived near Golden Gate Park with a tiny view of the ocean and a tinier view of the top 4' of the GG Bridge for 40 years. My wife is 72 and in 3 weeks I will catch up to her. Despite street thefts growing rampantly, coyotes trotting the streets, "immigrants" from New York claiming we should manhattanize (or if from China, mongkokize) our city to make room for them, a civil service about as corrupt as other big cities', we plan to stay in our home. Part of the reasons: droughts are making it tougher to live off the grid, which increase the devastation of wildfires, and we would suffer more from the hyper-corrupt, now-in-receivership Pacific Gas & Electric incompetence up in the hills or in the valleys. Makes living 5 miles from the San Andreas Fault in a home built on 100' of sand feel safe!
3
So boomers are no older than 72, according to this article? When did people born in 1946 cease to be baby boomers? Check your math, you young whippersnappers.
7
Thanks to everyone for these interesting and insightful comments.
They really help me in determining and balancing the factors in my studies, ranking and "BestPlaces" web site.
Here's some advice...
1) Realize that at some point, we all get old, frail, and usually need serious medical care. How available is that where you live currently?
2) A cool hip city is often not affordable in our retirement (unless we've already bought into the real estate market). Find a small town about 30-60 minutes from the city center, making sure that there is good transit for visits into the urban playground.
3) College towns! Anywhere in the U.S., these are usually great places to age. Affordable, energetic, economically stable, progressive, interesting.
Good luck in your search!
Bert Sperling
Portland, Oregon
6
@Bert Sperling Here is another vote for college towns. Some of them have almlost everything an Ok Boomer needs!
3
Your comment " Be careful". What do you mean?
That older people will get in your way or aren't as agile?
Many older people are on the bikes as well.
Watch your ageism.
2
@Victoria Carpenter
I do not worry about the ageism so prevalent in Gen Y and the milleials. I have more money in the bank than most of them ever will.
1
@Victoria Carpenter
I was more thinking that it should be the other way around. Seeing how many boomers are killing pedestrians, bikers, and people on scooters with their SUVs.
1
The wealthier boomers do both. A condo in the city and a place somewhere more pleasant by the shore or in the woods.
6
My wife and I actually just moved into the downtown of a medium-sized, Rust Belt city from a suburb of a different city. We're middle-aged (mid-40s) and our kids are off to college.
We rent an apartment (and selling our old house) and are currently enjoying not having to mow a lawn or shovel snow. We have a ten-minute walk to work (we work in the same building). Still have one car (sold our other one) since our city doesn't have decent grocery options downtown, unfortunately.
We do have the benefit of not having to care about the quality of schools (they're bad in our city) or property taxes (at least not through ownership). But, neither do retired boomers (or boomers that should retire).
We also wonder about cities which have a reputation for high crime rates -- which our city is one. There are certainly areas that feel unsafe, but we do wonder if painting entire cities as crime-ridden falsely makes city living unattractive. Haven't witnessed any real crimes since living here and feel quite safe in our neighborhood and the surrounding neighborhoods. People are friendly enough.
Anyway, say what you'd like about wasting money on rent, but the benefits, so far, have outweighed the costs of our move.
2
Most attractive urban areas have a cost of living prohibitive for all but the wealthy during one's working career, let alone be practical for retirement.
The sane middle ground is to retire somewhere that's still convenient and visit urban areas. Either on day trips or, as a friend who retired to Florida does, on 5 night culture blasts to Manhattan or wherever.
2
The tale of cities providing all of those amenities and activities is presented as if these things are low cost or no cost. But when you factor in enormous rents and mortgages plus the monthly maintenance in those wonderful full service buildings you are taking on enormous ongoing expenses. It does not leave a lot for pricey vacations, holiday travel, theatre and concert tickets, restaurants. If this is what you really desire and if you can pay for it for the next 30 years that is fine. But to present it as if life is an endless smorgasbord of elegant and intellectually satisfying choices in only selected places just leaves out a lot of details.
I live in an area of about 1,000,000 people. There are a lot of suburbs and nearby towns. The city itself is only about half a million. We have huge tertiary care hospitals with excellent reputations and every medical specialty. There are several museums, a zoo, very active and interesting theater groups, a respected ballet, a good symphony. The newish performing arts arena in our city is in the top 10 nationally as far as gross proceeds and top level acts.We have independent cinema and bookstores. We get lots of author talks -at the Pulitzer Prize level and we have several universities. Life here is good and older retired people are active. Transportation is problematic if you can no longer drive. But some neighborhoods are pretty walkable for essentials-if you can take the summer heat. Why move to where it costs 2X or 3X more ?
2
@Consuelo We moved to Dallas two years ago for my job. My partner is retired. He is now so active in social media about theater in the metroplex he has been called an institution. He also substitute teaches regularly. He loves life here which is a pleasant surprise since he came kicking and screaming from Raleigh. That said, we live in a suburban townhouse and drive everywhere. When we consider where to retire it is hard to come up with a place we would prefer. The benefits of a major city but lower suburb costs. Not sure where that puts us on the urban-living scale but it is a combination that is very satisfying.
1
This article compares boomers of a certain age to their predecessors at that age. It doesn't tell us whether the boomers of today who currently live in the suburbs are more or less likely to move to the city as they age, or vice versa. The higher share of boomers in suburbs could just be an artifact of their choosing to live there 30 years ago when they were starting their families, and nothing at all to do with life choices entering retirement.
3
I'm from New York City. I grew up in New York City. I went to college in New York City. I've worked in, or around, New York City my entire working life (over 35 years). I haven't lived in New York City for over 30 years, and have no desire to. I'm close enough to enjoy it (opera, museums, theater), but have no desire to live there.
3
Interesting. My own reason for not living in a large city despite my love of cultural events found there is that it is noisy, dirty and expensive. I prefer the small town atmosphere of my subdivision between two towns, one on the coast with a wonderful beach and the other inland with culture and outdoor attractions.
3
NYT columnists can say all they want, but the fact remains, that people are gravitating toward the city. Maybe it's not the boomers, but the the younger generations, most definitely. Suburbs, championed by the boomer generations, are boring. Yes, it has more space, but just so dull. Everywhere you go, you have to drive. (And boomers don't care about the environmental impact of what their CO2 would do.) Long story short, the boomers really have to move over, and if they want to decamp to Florida, they won't be missed much.
6
@tiddle You seem to forget the first rule of aging. Rule 1: Get old or die. Rule 2: See Rule 1. I hate to be the barer of bad news to you, but you ain't getting better. Like everyone else, you're only getting older. It'll happen a lot sooner than you can even imagine.
2
I guess you don’t like the older people living in the suburbs but tell me this, since the younger generation can’t afford to live there, who will support the economy and all the boring stores and activities you resent?
Grandchildren seem to be a driving force for location. Portland has a mini-industry of people like myself who move to be with grandkids. But 54-72 doesn't get the reality. It would be interesting to see the number combining those over 65 with those older than the "boomers", into their late 70s and 80's, where I expect closer-in locations are more likely. Perhaps self-driving cars may ease the burden of being car dependent in the suburbs, but as we age our driving inclinations go way down.
3
The article omits income, and reasons seniors choose to rent. What percentage of boomers own property mortgage free. Much is missing here.
9
I am 73 and would love to live in a city. As it is I live in a suburb of Chapel Hill. I live here because I cannot afford the high prices in urban areas. The trade off is that I have to drive a car. There is no public transportation and the nearest grocery store is 3 miles away. Thus, there is no walking or subway riding to anything. I am a city loving person but money keeps me frozen out. Most apartments around here have carpeting I have allergies and my body would not be happy pushing a vacuum around on carpeting. When I win the lottery, I'm moving to New York City.
13
@Suzanne Wheat I bought a robot vac to do my floors, though granted that is a new cost, but it saves me a lot of pain. It does well on plush carpet as well as bare floors. I have no solution for high rents, though.
6
@Suzanne Wheat Carpeting aside your situation is almost identical to mine. Nothing is within walking distance for my old legs and driving becomes more perilous each and every day since my reflexes and eyesight are not improving as I age not to mention yard work, cutting back bushes, grass and all that goes with suburban existence doesn't get any easier as the years pass. As much as I love nature, green things and so on it still needs occasional maintenance and there are no long lines of volunteers just drooling to do it for me.
2
@Barbara I've thought of buying a Roomba. It may also serve as a cat toy!
Lots of my friends are in close-in suburbs in nice condos with heated garages underneath a mid-rise building. Lots of services (gym, function room, maintenance, plowing/landscaping) included in your condo fee. Food delivery when the weather suggests you risk orthopedic surgery if you venture out. Nice weather means nice hiking/walking. Easy into the city if you'd like to do cultural things and lower prices for just about everything in the burbs. Nice middle ground that is not exactly in the middle, but feels middle enough to be comfortable.
7
Lived inner city Chicago 50 years. Sold my condo moved rural 2017. Now 70.
Bought cheap house cash.
Very happy here in nowheresville.
See u never...
11
@Lost In America, That would be great, so long as your health keeps up. It might not be so great if you start needing assistance. How far is your nearest hospital from nowheresville?
8
Born and raised in Seattle, spent years living in the east coast, returned to Seattle as parents aged. Now that they are gone I can not wait to sell and get out of here. The city has grown and the cost of living here is prohibitive for my retirement income. As to the urban safety issue, well Seattle is Exhibit A of what goes wrong in a libertarian/uber progressive policy making (by libertarian I mean "let everyone alone and we shouldn't have laws that everyone has to follow). My parents lived in Downtown Seattle and I am so grateful they are not here to see what has happened to their beloved city. Me? Heading to a smaller town that still has urban amenities: concerts, museums, great restaurants, book stores, and bonus, hiking, fly fishing, skiing within minutes of the front door. In Seattle even getting to those kinds of amenities takes an hour if not more and the cost is a shock to the wallet. I'm too old to fight living in this town.
14
@Annie’ Mother
You could be talking about Los Angeles. No one I know or worked still lives the city or the Golden State. Me included. It hurts my heart to see how overcrowded and worn down the LA area has become.
I now live I a rural area that's close to excellent medical options and offers clean air with many outdoor options. It's affordable, safe yet a tad boring, but it's home.
And I grew up in one of the biggest post WWII suburbs so I guess I remain a typical Boomer. OK!
1
We sold our Chicago house and bought a 650 sq. ft. condo in the Gold Coast where we will not need a car. We also built a second home in Santa Fe. We feel luck to have the best of two worlds. The combined cost of both of our places is less than a small unt in Manhattan.
7
Oops! I meant "Boomers," not young people (who are also moving to cities)!
1
Thanks for straightening this out. It's a typical statistical confusion. More young people may be living in cities than in past decades, but given how the population has grown, the number of young people moving to cities could still be a small percentage of the population.
2
I was born and raised in NYC but left to raise my kids in the burbs. I would love to move back but can’t afford to. And I have a good income. Instead we sold our chappaqua home and moved to a condo in Hastings. I feel like the poster child for this article
11
Isn't the tail end boomer age end at (for 2020) 56? I though the accepted cut off year was 1964. I've never seen it reported as past that year. This article gives it another two years. I've seen it debated that it should be considered to have ended around 1961. If you look at the birthrate, that actually makes more sense. Looking at the numbers, there is a very steep drop off of children being born past that year.
3
@FDRT
1959-1961 is correct. See "The American Baby Boom in Historical Perspective," Richard A. Easterlin
American Economic Review, Dec., 1961--the definitive, and celebrated, article
1
Many Boomers with money move into the city after the kids move out. This has led to an overall rise in values that is forcing out....boomers with less money who have lived there for decades.
5
I'm 66 yrs. old and am privileged to own a small apartment in NYC and a modest condo in northwest CT. I had the opportunity, two years ago, to switch my weekday/weekend schedule of Monday-Friday city weeks and rural weekends. I thought (thought ... ) I'd eventually move up to CT. full-time for my last couple decades. It would save money; I'd have more space; I bike and hike; and I know the area. After all, I'd been living in both places for over thirty years.
It took less than three months of the switch to convince me that I'd never (that's 'never') craft my retirement this way. I missed everything about the city and, while I still love the country for all the country things-nature, quiet, beauty, space, pace, convenience, etc.-it is not a good swap.
I know I'm very lucky to even have this choice. And certainly I am giving up some amenities having come to this decision. But for me there was no contest. I'l take the cramped space, fast pace, driven people, annoying crowds, frustrating subways, Fairway panics, and general aggravation of the city any day. The culture, people, diversity, art, and energy are all worth it. When you know, you know.
18
I'm 62, my husband 47, we left Key West for Philadelphia three years ago, and it is exactly what we want. We are in an Italian section of south Philly which has its own unique culture, long term residents, great restaurants, good public transportation, and wonderful neighbors. There is crime, a city government that seems locked in the 1970s, poverty and homelessness, as in any great urban world. We sold the car in Florida and know how to rise the subway into center city. Don't tell anyone, we don't need the attitude queens from NYC messing up our city. xoxo
11
How you gonna return to town when you don’t know how to run open table and can’t find work?
3
@db2 I have been using Open Table out here on Long Island for as long as the app has been around. It's not just City restaurants. And I have an Ebay Store for extra income in retirement. I do quite well. I make my own hours with my store. I can list from anywhere in the World, or at 2:00 am if I choose, sitting in my bedroom watching MSNBC. Regards, a very OK, Boomer.
6
There is an allure to the suburbs for me, but only the density of the greenery, having nearby forests and woods. The suburbs themselves are something I privately deride, rows of environmentally-harmful, often cookie cutter housing, the ugliness of strip malls, and the irritations of car ownership.
We were lucky to have bought our condo in 2008, near the beginning of the mini-RE crash in Manhattan, and before the rise of the luxury market, in a large, quiet, condo overlooking a 3-acre park. I have a 15-minute walk to work. I take long walks on weekends to see how the different areas change or through Central Park, visit museums, and stop at a cafe or two to read. NYC is where we want to be, except maybe in another city, maybe the west coast or in Europe (a bit of fantasy).
Even when my spouse and I are both retired, urban living will likely be our preference, although, as mentioned before, there is always the allure of deep green forest and the outdoors.
12
This article is entirely missing the point that today, 55-year old is more likely to have high school kids than in previous generations and is therefore not moving from a suburban area to a city until kids move out, and the 55-year old is closer to (or at retirement) - all of which happen later now.
37
Cities with low rise neighborhoods are the answer; they're a mix of urban and suburban (minus a lawn). So a ten minute transit ride gets you to the theatre, museum, sports arena, and then you go back to where you live near parks and main streets with lots of shops. That's Toronto, folks.
18
Losing our SALT tax deductions makes the thought of moving to another purchased home in a different community more expensive than our current homes. In CA, Prop 13 allows us to keep our current property tax level when we bought the house. If we moved to the urban area, we would most likely buy a unit the same cost or higher, and then property tax would reset adding tens of thousands of dollars to yearly cost with no ability to deduct against our Federal taxes as the SALT deduction has greatly been reduced. Added to this equation, we are probably the first group without a pension that will live entirely on our 401ks and SS. And don't even bring in the fact the Medicare Part D donut hole just got increased and most of our SS will go to pay for our prescriptions. Us baby boomers either move to a much cheaper area or we stay in place with what we know and many of us have learned to cherish including our current doctors.
26
@Rebecca Prop 13 tax benefits are transferrable to a new property of same or similar price-value. This shouldn't be a reason not to by and move to a new place.
5
Driving is a factor. Where I live, in a small city outside Nashville, there is no public transportation and the nearest grocery store is over a mile away. Ditto for pharmacies, doctor's offices, and so on. Many older people who used to be neighbors headed to adult communities with more services.
8
We are boomers who moved from a 3400 sq.ft. home in Concord to a 1750 sq.ft. condo in Southie 10 years ago. We invested with the intent to age in place for as long as possible. We don’t miss the stairs,constant maintenance, snow shoveling, grass mowing, etc.and the driving we had to do to access almost everything.
We’re across the street from handicapped accessible subway and bus public transport. Our docs are at MGH, 4 stops away. Dental office in the building. Restaurants across the street, 2 supermarkets within a 10 minute walk, one a Whole Foods. Tremendous growth and development since we came. New hotel on the opposite corner, a dozen great restaurants and new CVS are in easy walking distance that is safe even after dark.
Our building is LEED Gold certified with concierge 24/7. We have deeded garage parking, gym, and a half acre roof terrace with 3 reservable gas grills with tables, grass and trees, a community herb garden and a heated lap pool with views of the Boston skyline, with reasonable condo fees. There are bees, birds, and even rabbits living on the terrace.
Our wonderful neighbors range in age from babies to 85 , and are culturally diverse.
There are normal city traffic, siren and airplane noises(Logan is 15 minutes away) but we both grew up in cities and it’s background noise.
And then we have all of Boston’s great cultural and entertainment venues nearby. Live in the burbs? No thanks!
29
Good for you! I hope to follow in your footsteps when the time comes.
4
@Donna Zaremba Amen to all that! I've been a city/suburban hybrid my whole life and always leaned towards city living for all the reasons you listed as convenient in later life. The only difference between you and I is that I figured that out when I was in my twenties.
5
part of the myth here, a tale end boomer/genX family that moved to a city in our 40s, purchasing a duplex with a rental unit to help fund our eventual retirement.
we like our walking score, the arts, the weekend events, the diversity, global food options, and our farmers markets (that the farm community of my childhood still lacks). we will to be car free eventually. an active senior center is 2 blocks away when we are really old.
a serious illness also left us very thankful for the proximity of world class healthcare.
of course SF feels less "urban" than many cities, thanks to her geographical riches.
we have our downtown and neighborhoods, public transportation, traffic, homelessness, and property crime, but we're a relatively safe city with a coastline and a Bayfront and parks with views and our backyard organic garden.
we known we are lucky; the cost of this living is unreachable to most households - boomer or not. our experience is that boomer neighbors sell TO retire and often help their children who can't afford the homes of their childhoods.
we hope to age in place.
we also hope to add another unit to our home for aging family and friends.
7
Same response to @Donna Zaremba, we hope
to follow in your footsteps - making long term real estate choices that will allow us to age in a place that we love
2
Like most everyone my age who lived in the New York city, we can remember when the Bronx zoo was free, when museums were free. Of course things have changed, but they changed far beyond the rising cost of living. It’s become a wealthy Republican town, with a democratic administration.
23
Born, bred, wed and dead in Brooklyn (well not dead yet and the plot is in Queens). My wife was a neighbor in the same apartment building. We are now trying to figure out our next move, maintaining our house is becoming a chore and although I can still easily shovel the snow at 70, it eventually will not be feasible. A move into Manhattan is possible, but the cost of living there has become astronomical. As stated elsewhere in these comments, there really isn't a middle class left in Manhattan. I wouldn't be surprised if the next mayor puts the NYCHA housing for the working poor up for sale.
So these lifelong New Yorkers may join the move out of the city, but still haven't figured out where we would be the happiest.
5
As a boomer who has lived in NYC, Brooklyn and Queens, I never thought I would say I love living in the burbs. But I love my small city, New Rochelle, NY.
As George M. Cohan wrote in his 1905 song about New Rochelle, “45 Minutes from Broadway” (It’s about 25 minutes today)
If you want to see
The real jay delegation
The place where the
Real rubens dwell
Just hop on a train
At the Grand Central Station
Get off when they shout
"New Rochelle."
We have everything here. Peace, quiet, culture, history, parks, diversity, beautiful old homes (and now a few too many new apartment buildings) the Long Island Sound, smart and caring neighbors. We can get in and out of the city lickity split. I never even consult a train schedule because I know the trains run every 20 minutes.
We can’t walk to the grocery store easily from our house (although not impossible), but people in Larchmont next door can easily walk to the grocery. There’s always Peapod...
I hope I can stay in my house, in my small city forever.
12
Born and raised on the UES 50s-70s when I left for LA. I was always thinking someday I’d return to live ( inherited an Apt on UWS) but as time went by the city was not the one of my nostalgic memories. More people, more tourists, more traffic, more noise etc etc . I came to the conclusion that the only reason to return would be if you have to work there . I think it’s a great place for Millineals and other younger generations but I’ll take my suburban home with its accoutrements and the occasional foray to the city on my terms .
3
"Many downtowns are safer and livelier than they were 30 years ago."
oh really?
Seattle has repeatedly sought to curb crime downtown, but hasn’t stopped sporadic violence
"In one sense, the shooting Wednesday in downtown Seattle that killed a woman and injured seven other people was utterly shocking.
"Wednesday’s tragedy was sadly less surprising. Third [Avenue] has long been beset by low-level crime and intermittent violence, with repeated attempts to address those problems never yielding permanent changes."
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattle-has-repeatedly-sought-to-curb-crime-downtown-but-hasnt-stopped-sporadic-violence/
5
@Mary Elizabeth Lease Maybe "many" doesn't include Seattle.
3
Most boomers have done it all by now. While some prefer an urban environment, as we age we need less of it. People who have worked long and hard want to kick back, and some place a little less urban is ideal for that, in my opinion.
12
Boomers not moving back to cities? Of course not. They're filled with millennials.
10
We r 71. Lived in carlsbad ca, decidedly a vacation destination, since 1978. Paid cash to downsize to 950sf 3 yrs ago in a family gated community.....we love it. Most amenities are very nearby. Our careers were fun, paid well. Our retirement income is fine. We sold our previous abode to my daughter and her hubby and two boys. They're 5 min away by car.
We enjoy church life, the san diego symphony, san diego state football and this season's kickbutt basketball team, along with LA clippers, and KC chiefs. Life's great, thank you!😉
8
I never left. I've been in my neighborhood, which is just across the East River from Wall Street, since I was in my 20s, half a century ago.
Has the article author never heard of NORCs—Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities? There are many such here in NYC: buildings where people moved in when they started their families, and never left, as their children grew up and left home.
26
My apartment building in Queens is one such place.
Only wealthy boomers can afford to move to dynamic cities.
19
To each their own. My wife, our first child and I moved to rural western MA in 1983. It was the best decision of my life. Beautiful trails in the woods, swimming in a clean river within walking distance. Reasonably priced skiing at a small resort 10 minutes away by car. Live Metropolitan Opera broadcast in our town hall. A 30 minute drive to MassMoCA and the Clark Institute. Really fresh & really local meat and produce. Two great restaurants within walking distance and many more within a 30 minute drive. Really good local public schools and a choice of several good private schools nearby. And absolute silence except for the sound of snow falling off the roof just awhile ago. We lived in NYC till 1983, but I don't think we ever could again. But as I said, to each their own.
12
I'm 69 and live in what was once a suburb but now is practically part of downtown Los Angeles. Boyle Heights is still a working class community of Latinos and Mexican immigrants, but like every similar area is gentrifying. I'm a working class boomer and I live here in a rent-controlled apartment because I can't afford to live anywhere else in Los Angeles anymore. Where people live in America is primarily governed by income and wealth, secondarily by race, and as long as housing in the US is produced for profit and not for use it will remain largely unaffordable for the majority of working class people, whatever generation they belong to.
23
I live in a suburb of a relatively small upstate New York city. My wife and I have the Finger Lakes to our south and the Adirondacks to our north. We can be anywhere in our city in ten minutes. No traffic.
We have two kayaks and can be on a pristine lake (think Otsego Lake-Cooperstown) in 45 minutes. The idea of living in a big city, notwithstanding its clear benefits, is anathema to us.
The message so many boomers are sending, I believe, is the peace, the quiet, the joy of non-urban living. Experiencing the beauty of nature in all seasons is something for which we are eternally grateful.
Did I mention no traffic?
11
@treabeton
You did not mention Glimmerglass Opera in Cooperstown.
3
@5barris
Yes. One of our great assets. We have our tickets for the upcoming season. We also have the James Fenimore Cooper museum on Otsego Lake and the historic Otesaga Hotel at the south end of the lake.
2
From a tail end Silent Generation member (born 1944): Boredom is a state of mind.
I left San Diego 20 years ago for a small town on the southern Oregon coast. I have access to a library that can get me any book, DVD or other medium I want. I have miles of beaches that I can walk on or fish from within walking distance of an "urban" home that would have cost a factor of 10 more in San Diego. My stereo system and satellite TV provide education courses along with the same cultural enjoyment that the San Diego Symphony and La Jolla Playhouse used to, neither of which I could afford today.
I have social groups of like-mined people with whom to socialize and do group activities.
What I don't have is the noise, pollution of various kinds or the crowds, all trying to get to where I want to go. My life is good in these boonies...
18
I live in an old neighborhood of closely packed houses filled with people of all ages, lots of kids, sidewalks, park nearby. I can get anything I need by walking, biking, taking the bus or train. I call that freedom. Suburbs, nope.
19
@Audie What if you want to visit the countryside? Or what if it's 10 degrees outside?
Car-free life is a jail cell.
4
@Audie - I am walking distance to several parks, several groceries, doctors, two major home centers, and just about every ethnic takeout you can imagine. I have not owned a car in 10 years and get everywhere on foot or bike.
It also comes with prostitutes, their pimps and johns, addicts breaking into everything, gunshots heard at night, police coming to the building once a week for domestic violence (or 9 U.S Federal Agents locked and loaded), along with the sounds of non-stop construction to the point that people had to wear earplugs during the day for three years straight.
At age 61, the thought of just putting a few things onto my mountain bike and heading up into the Cascades to live off of the land becomes more and more appealing. Sure, I would have to contend with black bears, cougars, coyotes, and such but at least they don't stand outside my window hurling homophobic slurs at each other during heated encounters.
10
@Will I have a car and wouldn't want to be car-free. Sorry I gave that impression. I drive out to the countryside and suburbs to visit friends and relatives...most of whom live out there and would never live in the city. But they love to visit.
3
I'm an almost-73-year-old boomer.
-- All four of my grandparents lived in cities their entire lives.
-- My parents grew up in cities.
-- I was brought up in cities.
-- My children were brought up in cities.
-- My (grown) children now live in cities.
One of my children told me how happy s/he was to have been brought up in a city (she was phoning from a suburb....).
These facts do not, of course, change the statistics. But just a warning: please don't assume that all boomers were brought up in and enjoyed the suburbs. For a job 40 years ago I had to live in a suburb for a few years; I hated it and moved to a city as soon as I could.
For what it's worth, all my closest friends from high school and college also live in cities.
I guess we constitute that tiny percentage...or maybe we were never counted.
13
@Robin Cunningham You're still part of the roughly ~18%. The differences are ~22% in 1990 to ~18% now.
4
As a member of the Silent Generation who has always lived in the city, I can only view the scene described here from a distance. But I hazard a guess that -- because of the wholesale move from the cities to the suburbs that occurred in the decade or so following World War II -- today's aging boomers still remember how nice it was to live in the suburbs when they were growing up -- and hope to recapture the magic of their youth.
3
The number of people who actually enjoy city life is very low, but these people, who are heavily white and college educated, are a strong majority among the media and intelligentsia. So we get lots of stories about suburbia being in decline (it's not) or the era of peak car (when in reality public transit ridership is nosediving).
I really think that having our press centered in New York City, and Manhattan no less, leads to some very distorted worldviews.
24
@Will I don't know. "Enjoy" might be a strong word but where do the vast majority of people live (voting with their wallets)? And they're not all white.
I can go either way but since one of my hobbies is astronomy and AP, I prefer to live far away from the lights but there are some cities I love. Some cities are better than others depending on personality, etc.
4
@RamS We are overwhelmingly a nation of suburbanites and most of our cities are highly suburban in nature.
1
1. It's now 56 to 74
2. Only the last half of that group would care if the city is closer to work (and half of that half are retiring early, flush with $500,000 in primary residence capital gains and the gains in 401Ks and IRAs of the Trump market)
3. I don't see 85 year olds that bought a house in Levittown in 1965 rushing back to the South Bronx. I don't see 75 year olds doing it either as long as their grandkids are in Islip
4. The article leaves out what might be the most important dimension: the boomer that moves from Levittown to "urban" Fort Myers to keep more of the baby boomer windfall out of the hands of Cuomo and Trump
6
@Dennis Byron Levittown's population density is 3 times that of Fort Myers. The original Levittown homes were
a mere 750 square feet, smaller than most one bedroom apartments today.
5
Boomers are living in a reality of magical thinking—“I’ll always be this healthy, this strong.” Sadly, natural aging at the least, and increasingly complications from dementia, heart disease, obesity, etc. are confronting people with the reality that how they lived in their 40s won’t be/isn’t possible as they age. In my 50s, I began planning for communal living, etc. as I continue to “mature”....
18
@SomethingElse
In your 50's? Really?
Maybe it's a Western thing but the '50's are no different than the 40's out here.
5
@SomethingElse really? Everyone engages in magical thinking and all generations before us did the same thing. I am in my 60's and while I can see the impact of aging on my neighbors a decade or two older than me, I don't dwell on it.
5
The only reasons to be near a city for me now are medical. Were it not for the lack of specialists in rural America, I might never enter the city limits of any city again.
11
@Joe Runciter
We live in a suburb in upstate New York. When we needed outstanding medical care, we drove to Boston (Dana Farber) in four hours.
1
@Joe Runciter there are many great suburban areas with all the medical services you could want.
1
For four of my first five decades, I was an avid city guy, loosed from my working-class suburb, who escaped to the woods whenever I could. The city, Philadelphia, wasn't New York, but mostly, that was a good thing. It meant that I could afford my own apartment/art studio. I could walk nearly everywhere I needed or wanted to go.
And New York isn't far, so a lot of the avant jazz and experimental music and film I was fascinated with was available either there or in Philly. That is still somewhat the case...but it's a rare trickle now. The same for bookstores (real bookstores), record shops, and the street culture that went with them. All but gone.
This is not to mention the crowded, funky shops filling every gap; the all-night diners, late-night art theaters, small, live-music venues, et al. There was always plenty to do, plenty to fascinate; life in the city was a cornucopia.
Now, when I visit the city, it more resembles a bleached-out coral reef.
The Internet: Amazon. Spotify. Instagram. Grub-Hub. Netflix, et al, have gutted the flourishing place that had been my refuge, my inspiration, my call to participate.
Now, the downtown is somber and un-peculiar. Where there once was liveliness and surprise on every block, at every turn, every day and night, there is now an inhuman calm. Long, grey scrims, printed with populist propaganda images, cover the street level windows of what used to be bustling blocks of human interaction...
Move back to the city? Why would I?
19
DC today has every one of those things you miss about New York and Philly. Maybe you should move here?
3
@Allen You need to visit Brooklyn. Esp. Williamsburg and many other neighborhoods.
1
Once again, "everything (*you think)" you know is wrong".
Wonder why we've read SO many articles about people moving back to cities, and that suburbs are dying. When I do read them, I comment "suburbs don't look like they are dying to me" but the authors and many commenters are insistent.
Sounds like it was more a case of seeing what you WANT to see rather than what is actually in front of your eyes.
Now: extrapolate that to elections....
9
@Concerned Citizen Well, this is a data driven article that supports your intuition. The equivalent of that is the polls that drive articles about elections. And you know what they say.
It's the "Trump will again in 2020" people who're appealing to the anecdotal views. Since polls aren't correct always, they'd get it right once in a while but not always.
1
lets be honest: the healthy ones are in the cities walking all over and the overweight taking lots of meds ones are in the golf cart communities
30
@Zenster
There are plenty of healthy ones living in the country too - just not in golf cart communities. I walk 4 to five miles a day weather permitting. Last winter I went skiing on 40 days. This year I'm up to 15, but there are still two months to go. It's a 1 mile walk to the grocery store. I walk it when except when its raining. I mow my own one acre lawn, and no, it's not a riding mower. I even do some gardening. So please don't tell me all the healthy ones are in the cities.
7
@Zenster - Depends on where you live. Where I live, I am surrounded by out-of-shape obese people who are horrified at the idea of walking a mile to the store and back. They order food to be delivered from places less than two blocks away. And they refer to me as "amazing" simply because I walk or bike everywhere and haul everything back.
Between the hills, the darkness, and the galoshes most folks here don't want to go outside half the year and I can't blame them. Winters in Seattle are like stepping into an old Swedish black-and-white film without subtitles played at half-speed.
My 5-mile walk last night? Cold rain and darkness plus up and down, up and down. The park was pretty empty. I saw half a dozen hard core runners, maybe 6 people on a walk, one dog, and one homeless person. Its one of our largest parks and it was right after work...empty. Not a single bike on the path. Now, if you will excuse me, its back to my film.
1
@Zenster there are healthy ones living in suburbia too. I and many of our neighbors are in this group. Working out, walking up hills, etc. You can keep in great shape no matter where you live.
1
When I was transferred to Philadelphia after grad school for my first job -- downtown/ center city was empty. I bought a house 4 blocks from my office in the heart of the city ... most of my neighbors were young ....gay .. some Jewish. The city was full during the day -- everybody went home to the suburbs. A few years later I was transferred to DC ... I could not afford Dupont Circle (neighbor recommended) .... so I bought a few blocks from the Capitol (yes the Capitol) DC was empty as well. I ended up getting transferred back to Philadelphia before moving to NYC in the mid 90's. Ending up with three urban properties -- all bought cheaply. WHY ? Because no one wanted to live in cities back then .. and ... almost all the older neighbors wanted out. They could not leave because values were too low to move. They were stuck.
I'm a late boomer .. no one older than I would think of living in a city. NYC is different -- it's always different. Now look at DC/ Philadelphia .. they are mobbed and expensive .. very expensive. All youth driven ... until kids come along ... they leave. I sold my DC property to two guys .. I still rent the Philly properties to 20 somethings.
None of my boomer friends live in a city unless they did years ago.
6
The best life is living in the country outside a metropolitan city.
11
Why is the term "Boomers" changed so much during my life?
When I was a kid in the 60's, I asked my step mother what Baby Boomers were and she explained that they were the people born in the years between the end of WW2 1945 and before the Korean War five years later, 1950. A five year period of time when the soldiers returned home from the war, and were eager to copulate, and ended when they had to back to fight a new conflict. This term was not used to describe an entire 20 year generation. It is a wrong description.
People born after 1955 and before 1965 are of the Kennedy Space generation.
7
@Heidi Ng - How do I take any credit for a moon landing when I was 11 years old? The space generation was born during the Depression or earlier. Armstrong was born in 1930, Kennedy born in 1917, etc.
The generation you describe (mine) gave us Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and Starbucks. We are coffee-guzzling geeks who talked you all into hitting the send button while paying $5 for a cup of McDonald's coffee.
1
@Heidi Ng: From one space cadet to another, I salute you, ma'am!
2
"Why do we keep encountering articles about the urban oldster: in Chicago, in Hartford, in Atlanta?"
marketing.
6
Just goes to show, if you starve a generation of decent wages, they can't afford to live in a city, in a single dwelling or to have a mortgage. This says more about wages than it says about Boomers.
13
I simply love New York.
But dear me, while it's dreadfully expensive to visit as a tourist, I have no idea how folks can afford to live there.
10
To Marge Keller: As my sister once said about NYC, “it is a nice place to live, but I wouldn’t want to visit.
6
My entire life I have lived in walking distance to town centers and all town schools from k thru 12. About 0.8 miles from the town green and super great restaurants and shops. When single I lived in the small city of Hartford on Washington street. Walking distance to the capital and Hartford Hospital where I worked. And the downtown area too.
At my age I think we did the best for us. Our northern house is large enough to create an entire caregiver apartment w two private entrances and indoor access to the two floors as well. So we will age and die in place. We plan on no heroics and palliative care when frail and terminally diseased. Our hired help will have a great deal working for our family. In our southern home we have a five room ranch with two extra bedrooms and a bath. So again if we wanted to age in place in Florida we could do that too.
I have helpers in our lives already. I plan on keeping them as they do housekeeping and maintenance and repairs as needed. And the helpers work for me and my extended senior citizen cousins. We figured they could be lifelong assistants. So far it works cuz we are nurses that worked in public health and had to place caregivers etc. Bette Davis said “ aging isn’t for sissies “. She was soooo right !We are active 67 soon to be a 68 yo couple married 46 years. Living close to services and not in a food desert helps.
3
In my 74 years, I’m sure I’ve missed a few things that don’t miss. I missed being a baby boomer by a few years, but it’s not my fault. Born in the Bronx, and lived on west 95th Street until the early 70s when someone was shot in the head, in front of my building over a parking space.
Time to move. So now I live in a beautiful part of New Jersey and a round trip to New York on mass transit costs for seniors about 9 dollars.
Do I miss my one block walk to Central Park to play tennis. Yes. But I can’t play tennis anymore. Do I miss doing street photography and getting published in the New York Times. Yes, but they’ve disbanded the street photography column.
So here in my relatively safe township I bird, been on the library board, belong to the Princeton Astronomy club, have written poorly sold novels and had my poetry published. Boomer or not, life is not over when you leave New York and your bank account is fuller.
17
That is fine for urban and suburban dwellers but quite different for states that are mostly rural. Vermont for example has 61% of the population classified as rural and 65% of everyone over 65 lives in a rural area. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/10/older-population-in-rural-america.html Where we live is classified as a rural county but wouldn't exchange living on our lake for anything urban. With only 4 neighbors, hearing a sound of human activity of any kind is rare with more bear and deer than people. Still, the nearest international airport is less than an hour away and the nearby small community has everything we need including healthcare.
5
Older adults would do well to consider how available public services are and where the nearest hospital is before moving.
31
Don't forget good medical care as you age. Suburbs are fine for that, but rural areas can be a real problem.
Long drives to see a doctor, if you can even find one. Hospitals are not top quality.
10
@akamai, that’s an urban myth about hospitals and doctors.
What isn’t a myth is that there aren’t enough students studying medicine and that will be a national problem.
8
Why no mention of lack of affordability as the main reason more boomers aren’t living in cities?
That is the prime reason.
9
@Jake The number of people who actually want to live downtown (want as opposed to have to) with all the noise congestion and chaos is exceedingly low.
1
The oldest Boomers are now 74.
NYC is a playground for us. You just need to be very comfortable financially to be able to afford to have a good apartment in a doorman building in a convenient neighborhood. Easier said than done. Services within and just outside of your building are always around and you are just a buzz on the intercom away from help, if and when you need it. Public transportation is always possible. You also have the stimulation of the street - not to be discounted. The key, apart from attitude and health, is always money.
26
@Mike Allan my friend just moved to New Jersey from her 750,000 dollar condo. If you leaned to the left, you were in the living room, to the right the bedroom and if you lost 30 pounds you might fit into her bathroom.
6
I'm wondering if autonomous cars will be a reality in time to transport younger suburban boomers after we've stopped driving. What a game changer that would be!
1
Assuming that one's cognitive abilities allow a clear description of the destination.
3
"It's the price, stupid." This is the noteworthy takeaway. As to factors. More and more "urban" centers see ever rising housing costs. Even the crappy ones. Heck, I live near Cleveland. Many of these cities have raised tax rates, created onerous zoning regulations, require labor rule set asides and done about everything possible to ensure sky high development costs. Many of these "urban" centers don't even have urban amenities. Public transportation many be marginal, at best.
So, I would conclude that I'd love to reside in one of the great cities of the world. Here in America, those are few and far between. But, I am not in the 1%.
The other takeaway is that we boomers make these choices because we are not as dumb as we look.
4
This article leaves economic factors that effect this Baby Boomer desertion of urban residence go unrecognized. For Boomers are now the generation of retirees, the elderly, whose retirement income determines where they live. The average Social Security benefit in 2020 is $1,500 a month, a lower amount in previous years. For those Boomers with Social Security as their only source of income it’s serious financial inadequacy that will determine where they live. Which needs to be evaluated in the context of what’s been going on over the last 40 years. The urban gentrification active in America cities, particularly the larger more desirable urban centers, impacting established residential neighborhoods and negatively effecting their affordability for many older people. Here in San Francisco this dynamic has been dramatically displayed in all its various components. Over time San Francisco has transitioned into a city signified by financially affluent individuals in their 20s, 30s. Making for a homogeneous population and cultural environment that in general is inhospitable for older people. But.. oh, yeah... San Francisco does have it’s resident Baby Boomer population. They’re not entirely absent from the city scene. The Boomers that are financially affluent, youthful, fit, and thriving. They can be seen here and there spotted traveling the streets on their bicycles.
4
As Baby Boomers living in the city in the 1970s we thought of ourselves as urban pioneers because we could afford to stay in NYC in the 1980s when our contemporaries in their 30s had to or wanted to leave the city for the suburbs and commune in. It was wildly expensive. Our overpriced 7 room Upper East apartment was and is the cost of a nice house in Greenwich and comparable to a row house on the Upper West Side. We were fortunate that we could afford to live in the country as well. In response to why any one before us could afford the city I would probably say it was “white flight” for the suburbs, NYCs eventual bankruptcy, and even the older building stock on the UWS with 2 entrances being subdivided into 2 still rather large rental apartments that were falling into disrepair. Our apartment (after an initial and during a subsequent recession) was worth three times what we paid for it when I moved to the country full time and is now sells for four times what we paid for it. I am in a county that may have the oldest population in the state. There aren’t enough young people. We feel they are moving to the cities. So I was surprised to see the Baby Boomers are. My grown children are an array of examples: one still in a NY studio, another left a studio for a house in the NY suburbs, and still another returned home here in CT. I am not able to afford to move back to the city. And my house here is worth about the same (plus improvements) that it was over 25 yrs ago.
3
At age 64, I have lived in my Brooklyn apartment for 43 years. Aside from the strenuous stairs in my 4th floor walkup, I love this place and have everything I need within walking distance. I am a book-loving lifelong learner with a private library of 3500+ books. I don't know what I would do without the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, located half a block away from my building. I depend on the Library for the most up to date reading in the sciences, especially biology and evolution. If I lived in the suburbs, I wouldn't have access to such a good library, and I'd need a car to get there. I don't have much money, and I live on practically nothing, so no fancy entertainments or shows for me. I'm happy as long as I'm well supplied with books that take me wherever I want to go.
43
@datnoyd Sounds perfect to me, as a fellow bookworm. Have book, will travel (but only in my imagination.
2
At 63 I'm wrestling with this question. I live in a medium sized city in a single family home close to public transportation. The house is 93 years old and needs one more renovation (central heat and air, siding, windows). Condos with contemporary building systems are in the suburbs. In my case this decision is highly influenced by the location of the building stock.
5
There are urban areas a bit smaller than NYC, Boston and Philadelphia that are good options for Boomers... if that is the life style you want. I live in an intown neighborhood in Atlanta in a house with a yard that I can still maintain age 72. At some point I will need to hire out tasks on the house (things requiring a ladder). I’m a 7 minute walk to MARTA which I take to the airport when I travel. I just retuned from a trip to NYC to see my kids - one in Brooklyn, the other in the Upper East Side - and their partners.
Medical needs, social needs, cultural institutions, sport events, volunteer opportunities - I can reach within a 20 minute drive or have friends assist me. I don’t love the politics of the South - there are too many fearful people here - but, even in areas that have similar politics, I run into “extremists” so they exist everywhere in all political circles (and, imho, are too often the problem).
I have often thought about where I’d move if I left my current home. I’ve yet to find an answer. My “speed” suits me here and has for almost 50 years... for now
9
@Charles
Sounds good.
There’s also, among other places, a very small, quiet, and almost unknown city in Orange County, CA, Aliso Viejo, where seniors can find just about all they need within about 10 minutes of home.
Shopping, movie theaters, a performing arts center, restaurants and parks (23) are within an easy drive or, for some, a short walk.
For those persons of all ages who prefer not to drive, the city participates in an Uber-type shuttle on a demonstration project basis, and tickets are good daylong.
Disabled persons who are unable/unwilling to use that, can make arrangements through a countywide transportation service for door-to-door trips.
The nearest hospital is about 4 miles away, and there are medical clinics, private medical offices and urgent care centers within the city.
There's a commercial airport located about 15-20 minutes away by freeway.
Aliso Viejo is just about evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, but politics don’t loom central there. People gave a decisive thumbs down to Trump.
The climate is Mediterranean, and the city is located right next to Laguna Beach; with the ocean about 10-15 minutes away.
Housing is expensive and mostly of the multi-dwelling type, but far less costly than comparable units in Manhattan.
Crime is extremely low, as Aliso Viejo also ranks as one of America’s safest cities.
Although the population skews young, demographers expect a greater share of empty nesters to move to Aliso in the future.
4
@Oceanviewer
I live in Aliso Viejo and have for nearly 17 years and really love it. Everything you said is true and much appreciated. However there are a few downsides. As the city has filled in with more and more offices and apartments, the traffic has gotten a lot worse on the main arteries. But I don't mind the increase in the people overall while many here are concerned about it. Of all the things you mentioned that are close, it's nice too that we are about an hour by car, (if traffic is decent) from downtown Los Angeles, LAX and the many things that LA has to offer as well as San Diego to the south an hour and a half and a world class wine growing region in the Temecula Valley inland. I really enjoy living here.
2
Somehow the definition of baby boomer has shifted for this article. The baby boom covers 1946 - 1964, which are ages 73 turning 74 this year, to 55 turning 56 this year. The trends may be the same, but let's be accurate in our definitions.
15
@DSW the data used is from 2018 which was stated several times in the article
2
I’d love to retire to Manhattan but as it was, not as it is. With the huge influx of wealth, the artists, actors, writers and odd types, that made the city so vibrant and stimulating, are almost gone. The same thing is happening in all our most interesting cities: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Chicago.
My husband and I go to the city at least once a year and I love it but every year it’s less and less about what’s new and exciting and more and more about museums and shows. I still love going but I no longer want to stay forever.
16
@Greg : I'd adore to move to Manhattan....in the 1920s-1950s! exciting -- full of artists and creatives -- jazz! beatniks! quaint and interesting shops! little bookstores! the Automat!
Everything I grew up seeing in movies and still enjoy in old films. Unfortunately by the time I was an adult in the late 70s, it was almost all gone. It is totally completely gone now.
Nothing left to see, plus nothing I could ever remotely afford to do, eat, enjoy. Tickets to the latest Broadway play? $900 each? uh-uh, never gonna happen.
7
My more senior husband than I live on the borderline between Chicago and a northern suburb, but live in Chicago. We moved from a suburb to our current residence over 40 years ago. We've lived there so long it would be difficult for me to relocate unless it was imperative.
I need familiarity in my life. I complain about the sky rocket increases in our property taxes, utility bills (gas, water, electric) and garbage collection But the other side of the coin is those costs will be there no matter where one would go.
While I cannot speak for other baby boomers and seniors, I realize that stability and consistency are paramount for me. The grand kids and great grand kids all live in the suburbs so we get our fill of that environment enough times throughout the year.
There's something to be said for coming home every day from work and seeing a plethora of birds chowing down and drinking from the multiple feeders and bird bath in the yard, or seeing the buds appear on the many bushes, or being greeted by the cutest 5 yr. old neighbor boy, asking if I want to share his chocolate chip cookie.
My husband and I go for many walks & bike rides in the neighboring cemetery because it's peaceful, quiet and the landscape and flowers are magnificent.
It took us many years to grow into our home environment. We're not looking to uproot anytime soon.
14
A couple of things I don’t see mentioned in this article, but which are major determinants in the choice of location and type of residence for older people are simply practical considerations. If you need to see one or more medical specialist on a regular basis, you need to be close to a major metro area or you’d be out of luck. And as for type of residence, ask, can the boomer in question negotiate stairs? Maintain a yard, shovel snow? Just sayin’ :)
20
I'm a late boomer whose sisters and husband are all GenXers so it is among that generation where I feel most at home. I was raised in the suburbs and chose urban living as soon as I was out on my own. Never wanted to return. Downtown Phoenix is only beginning to feel to me like an actual city, and I've lived here for eight years. My husband and I bought our house in an older neighborhood that borders downtown nearly four years ago. The Boomers I know who don't already own homes seem to be leaving reluctantly because the area has unaffordable. Older housing stock is being upscaled and new construction is in the luxury market. Over $1600 for 450 square feet in some buildings. That may be a deal in Manhattan but not in Phoenix. Unfortunately, what they save in rent or mortgage payments they more than make up for in transportation costs.
7
My experience: wife and I live in West Seattle, and are 66 and 56. We’ve discussed moving on retiring to a warm quieter spot. We’ve lived in our house (soon to be paid off) for 23 years. Our neighborhood is fairly quiet, the house is not too big and one story, the fenced yard is not huge. We realized, after really thinking about it, that every thing we need is here, health care etc, and not having to commute downtown to work (20-30 minutes) gets rid of a major stressor. We know our neighbors and are comfortable. So we are staying put, but planning to get away yearly in January. I suggest my fellow oldsters think hard before decamping for what may be pie in the sky. Because in this day and age, move away and moving back ain’t on the menu!
29
At the age of 62, 10 years ago, I moved from Beverly Hills, where I'd lived and worked since 1976, to Taos, New Mexico, where I now live. For me, a person of reclusive nature, it works very well. In the 10 years since I moved here, I've been to NYC once, L.A. and San Francisico 6 times and London twice where, each time, I found the city experience more than I needed to enjoy myself. As I age I slow and, perhaps I value the study of impermanence that the Mountains reveal, the absence of trends or passing fancies, the noise and the bustle.
26
statistics, what to do with them?
a steady, gradual, linear decline in whatever your number is across three decades ("City-Dwelling Older Adults") is the sign of a structural or demographic effect, not "lifestyle choices of the rich and fatuous."
how many boomers are there now, compared to 1990? i could not find clean demographic data, but my suggestion is that some urban boomers have, you know, died. (note the many references to "leaving this house in a coffin" in the comments.)
and the demographics are clouded by boomer immigrants, which means new arrival boomers may be choosing rural living because they are, you know, less economically advantaged.
but my hypothesis is that you've taken a trend that would almost surely affect any generation of the same age in the same way stuck in the same historical and sociological niche, and stuck it on a specific cohort.
13
@drollere
"how many boomers are there now, compared to 1990? i could not find clean demographic data, but my suggestion is that some urban boomers have, you know, died. (note the many references to "leaving this house in a coffin" in the comments.) "
It's a percentage measurement in the article, not a measure of absolute numbers, so the dead are accounted for.
"and the demographics are clouded by boomer immigrants, which means new arrival boomers may be choosing rural living because they are, you know, less economically advantaged."
Would seem more likely that boomer immigrants join family that I would guess are very urban dwelling (see for instance Flushing or Jackson Heights).
1
The "Percentage of Those Who Choose City Life Varies by Age" goes up very dramatically after the age of seventy. Why? I am not going anywhere and haven't since my fifties. Maybe urban elders just live a little longer on average? I do like Seattle, San Francisco, LA, New Orleans and Chicago but not enough to move and two of three grandchildren are in the Bronx. Aha, Perhaps that is the most influential factor. Were mostly too busy baby sitting.
2
It seems the definition of “urban neighborhood” is based on zip code. I wonder about the growth of centers where denser housing, restaurants and shops exist in generally suburban areas.
These centers, although too small to dominate a zip code, provide urban amenities.
For example, Chicago suburbs have been creating pockets of density, usually by train stations or at older town centers.
I suspect that people who enjoy urban life styles but don’t want to live in the middle of ten square miles of Chicago density (and taxes) find those pockets amenable.
16
We're an early boomer couple that have fortunately stayed in New York City rather than have moved to the suburbs. We were able to afford our coop 16 years ago, but would be priced out of the market today. No car, great (when there's no breakdowns) public transportation and stores within a few blocks make aging in an urban setting more desirable.
17
for California boomers, our fabulous weather is a reason many retire in place. be that urban or suburban. Not too many of us go to rural areas due to the more right wing politics.
22
...and distance to medical services.
4
@karen
Please.
The reason people don't flock to "rural areas" in CA is that those are exclusively located in the very hot interior. And, even in a state that prizes "diversity", those areas are a little *too* diverse for the coastal elites.
4
One baby boomer the country knows very will not be returning from the white house back to NY city but instead settle in Florida. Everyone universally loves NY for a brief visit but settling in NY is a whole new ball game. Baby boomers returning to NY will never find affordable housing, on demand optimal medical care critical for baby boomers, year round moderate climate with abundant sunshine, reasonable taxes or value for their retirement income. Unless a boomer is still working in NY with a high income and comfortable home in a clean location with access to all the areas that make them love NY, it is not suitable for baby boomers to move to when there are so many cities and small towns that where living can be more peaceful and convenient.
13
@Girish Kotwal you obviously don't live in NYC. I do. I am a boomer and while NYC is expensive relative to most other US cities, outside of Manhattan (there are four other boroughs outside of Manhattan that are still NYC) there are excellent neighborhoods to be found that are more affordable. I know this because I live in one. Medical care is excellent. There are many options for public transportation. We have given up a car. Do not opine on a place you clearly do not know.
6
@DSW NYC. No I visit NYC, I would not live there. I am glad you are a happy boomer living in NY and enjoying the good life for a very long time. You are probably not one of those baby boomers who would be trying to make NY their home in recent years. The topic being discussed here is baby boomers (BB) not being drawn to NYC for good reasons.
I am sure more BBs have been driven out of NYC than those drawn to settle in NY. I have no hesitation in discouraging persons I know from moving to NYC.
The last person who I discouraged from moving to NYC with his family, moved from his custom built spacious home in the midwest to NYC anyway, was a doctoral student I mentored. Yes NYC is a city with plenty of job opportunities and he moved 5 jobs but then NYC got to him and he moved to Harvard Med. Sch leaving his family behind in NYC. The sad part was he was found dead in his apartment. He was only in his mid 40s not even a BB. The shock of losing a good friend can result in after shocks.
I wish he had not moved. He would have been still alive had he not moved in the first place or that I had been more persuasive in telling him not to move to NYC. My loving NYC for a brief visit is not the same as anyone making NYC home.
Among 10 leading causes of death for baby boomers around the world, I listed in my book chap on baby boomers is heart failure. If one has a heart attack, time is of the essence. You can have the best medical care in the world only if you can get to it promptly.
2
I moved from a large city to a large town where there is less congestion and traffic but still everything that I need on a daily basis. I am still young enough that I want access to outdoor activities which are more constrained and limited in a big city. Everyone picks what is in their best interest and the city was not for me anymore.
6
Back in 2000, I moved from the exurbs of Boston to Boston, and then, in 2019, from Boston to Philly, where I was born and raised. I love city living, especially the ability to move around without a car. Just about everything is available, and the diversity of the folks here, in combination with all sorts of cultural and entertainment venues, are, for me, the essence of living. Yes, it's expensive to live in the city, but it is worth it.
21
This boomer left a row house in the city for the burbs two decades ago, planning a return when the nest emptied.
Well, the nest emptied, and the boatload of bucks required for city living was available.
The problem?
Now returning to the city would take , not a boatload, but an ocean liner full of money.
Look, this NOT really a problem. We have always distinguished problems of abundance from problems of scarcity. We are more than fortunate.
But the city is now off the table.
35
We moved into an urban condo when we retired but virtually none of our friends followed this pattern. They are used to suburbia, car-driven life, their local friends and organizations, etc. When you are 65, it is hard to change. Their motto is "I am leaving this house feet first".
6
@kramnot: I hear that from my suburban peers, too, but it is not my plan at all. I don't really know whether I'll end up in the city proper, but one thing is for sure: I am done with the big house and driving everywhere. I want a small condo or apartment and a walkable public library, coffee shop, & grocery. Trouble is that I'm not sure my spouse and I are on the same page.
3
Is "urban" a synonym for "city" in this article or something else? Are the close-in suburbs of NYC and DC considered urban for the purposes of this article? As a resident of one of those suburbs, there is still a distinction between here and the city, yet of course it is far different from rural areas. Have the friends who retired and downsized into the city stayed urban or become urban?
4
@Boomer
Yes, this is a thing as well. There are also swathes of Washington DC, especially in Northwest, that are low density and look like suburbs.
1
@The Revionista These are indisputably attractive areas of Washington, close to top notch shopping, medical care, great entertainment, populated by cosmopolitan residents, no more than a half hour or less commute from downtown. It's a very appealing place to live. However, a starter home costs about two million or more.
There are so many boomers, we defy simple categorization.
Some are staying in place, others moving to the city or country.
Some continue to work by choice or necessity.
Some have retired by choice, others have been obsoleted.
Some are well off, others are deeply struggling.
Etc,etc.
24
@Brad
Sociologists at Harvard, Yale, and other universities have showed repeatedly in studies that Boomers share inherent outlooks and characteristics unique to their generational cohort.
Your response highlights a famous trait of Boomers: More so than any other generation, they are very individualistic and loudly insist that they cannot be categorized, even when they can. The question to ask yourself is: "What it is that makes you not want to be categorized? Why do you insist that you're special?"
9
We Boomers are only special in that we have reached this age. No one, at any age, “deserves” special attention. Just as every age has its needs and peculiarities, Boomers also have their challenges. That doesn’t make us special but it does make us unique.
6
@Sandor Whether a boomer was a reader of philosophy or not our entire generation was influenced by Existentialism and in particular Sartre. It was important to live “authentically” even though so many people were doing it in the same way. The authenticity zeitgeist produced a lot of interesting characters and reinvented selves but also a lot of narcissists. You have it right that our notion of defying categorization is a great way to categorize us.
3
Cities have their advantages—for those who care about them. Not everyone cares about museums, concerts, theater and galleries.
My wife and I grew up in and lived in leafy Boston suburbs, we lived in one for over a decade, but have spent the past 25 years in a semi-rural town in New Hampshire. Our second home is more rural: groceries are 20 miles away and the nearest city (a small one) is over an hour away. I can still do most things on the places myself (I’m 70) and pay when I can’t. I can walk or bike ride out my driveway and hike nearby. But for those who have the need or desire to be in close proximity to others there are numerous larger towns and many small cities all over the U.S.
While some readers think NYC is the center of the universe, it is not representative of urban living and is totally warped economically. One of our daughters lived there for a few years. The convenience was nice, but after growing up with a cornfield 400 yards down the street and seeing a sky full of stars every night, she couldn’t wait to leave.
23
@Noley to each their own. One weekend in upstate New York and nothing but the cornfields and the stars and I take the fastest Uber back to New York City with ya know, those museums and concerts and art galleries and broadway theatre and off broadway theatre and comedy clubs and jazz clubs and Improv and every kind of food restaurant and everything under the sun how to classes and and and......
9
If you're a millennial in a livable urban setting, thank a boomer. Boomers would have moved into urban homes at the time they were starting out their life had they been available. Cities in the 70's were mostly not workable or affordable for work or family life. Most importantly the developers did not see an urban market. It's taken 50 years of slow growth for investors to see the economic potential in the children of the boomers, raised by parents who wanted Victorian London but settled for Levittown. Millenials are not hipper than thee, just the beneficiaries of change created by boomers.
30
As a 68-year-old Boomer, I’ve lived most of my working life in a suburb (pop. ca. 100,000). Lately, urban multi-unit living has started to look better. Currently, we are living in Paris for the next 4 months, and part of our thought about the future rests on maintaining a house on 1/2 an acre. All during the fall, I spent every weekend raking, trimming hedges, clearing gutters and generally preparing a large garden for the time we are away. I like the activity now, but will I in ten years, or fifteen? Will I be able to do it? I’m also tiring of dependence on a car, since public transportation in Norman is terrible. The choice of multi-unit properties in Norman is also not very exciting, and with more free time in retirement, I’d like cultural choices that aren’t available in Oklahoma. All of those feelings are reinforced by our experiences at the moment, where cleaning a small suburban house in Ivry without property is relatively easy, where we can walk to the grocery store, and where public transport is (or at least would be, without the labor strike) convenient. Chacun à son goût.
21
@Ockham9 I'm sorry, OMG, Norman, OK, Paris? Norman, OK, Paris? Sometimes OK is just not ok. But than, where are the kids, the friends... enjoy.
1
This boomer lives in a smaller city near a large, important metropolis, and spends winters at a splendid southern coastal town. It took sticking with the same organization that afforded a great pension, health care benefits for life, and long term care insurance I hope I never need. The demise of unions has been one of the sad remnants of the legacy of Ronald Reagan and the Republican Party, history informs.
84
The noise and the crowded everything are major issues to consider staying in NYC. Many people mention close approximate to hospitals etc, have you been to the emergency room lately? There’s always at least a 4-5 hour wait and that’s on a weekday.
10
@Speakup NYC As an older NYC resident, it’s not about Emergency rooms for medical care, but easy access to major medical centers, and excellent Drs. I am so grateful that I can take a cab to medical treatment rather than drive an hour in from the suburbs. At every visit I meet older boomers from CT, NJ and surrounding areas who make a weekly or monthly trip for treatment in NYC, because it’s better here. When you or your spouse become ill, easy access to good medical care is paramount.
9
@PamelaNYC : frankly I'd be astonished if NYC and it's greater Metropolitan area did not have LOTS AND LOTS of hospitals, annexes, satellite offices and so on. They certainly have it in my part of the Midwest!
The idea that the ONLY hospitals are right downtown and "everyone else has to drive for an hour" is absorb in 2020. Maybe in rural West Virginia! not in the Eastern corridor! there's probably a hospital every 10 miles!
If your friends are going that far out of their way for medical treatment….they are making a CHOICE to see a specific doctor but it is not NECESSARY.
And yes, urban emergency rooms are a nightmare. Maybe you can get there in 10 minutes, but you won't see a doctor for 6-7 hours or more.
2
@Concerned Citizen I’ve lived in NYC for 50 years and raised my children here, and never had a visit longer than 2-3 hours in an ER, which is what I’ve waited in other towns and cities. Yes, it’s all about choice - in your drs and medical care and hospital. Urban centers provide it, and that’s important when you have a significant long term illness.
2
Wow. All-this-time, I believed I was a city-dweller.
This Boomer didn't realize I needed to check the 'Neighborhood Density' statistics that stated otherwise.
7
It all depends on what you like to do. Personally, I would die an early death if I had to deal with urban noise, pollution, crowds, and hassle. Give me a trail or beach to walk on, fresh air and water, beautiful views, and peace and quiet and life is worth living.
44
@Zephyr
You are a commenter after my own heart.
Could not agree more with the examples you listed because that pretty much sums up the area my husband and I live in - "a trail or beach to walk on, fresh air and water, beautiful views, and peace and quiet".
9
@Zephyr exactly. I am a boomer who lived in a rural area during childhood. As an adult I then lived just outside cities in the suburbs, normally in rented apartments or townhouses. When I retired I settled in the suburbs, only 10 miles from the city center. I don't like the noise of the city, and I like a parking space when I get home. I also have three other adults living with me so a suburban home is perfect. Three of the adults in our home are artists so we need space to create. I need a studio and a kiln to fire clay, my spouse is a woodworker, bonsai artist and clay artist. My sister is a 2D artist who has her studio in her bedroom. We simply could not live this lifestyle in a apartment in a city - the size we would need would be cost prohibitive. We also love to tend to our large flower beds - another perk of either suburban or rural living. To each his own. I love to visit cities such as NYC, Boston, etc., but I never have a vision of living in one. When our needs change we will probably move into a townhouse somewhere near a city.
3
Do I have to admit I'm a boomer here? Ok, I am. I am an inveterate city-dweller. I live in Manhattan and plan on living here for the rest of my life. I am not native to Manhattan (and weirdly proud of coming from Buffalo) but having lived here for almost 30 years, I cannot imagine living anywhere else. Why would I? I don't need a car, I don't have to fix the roof or mow the lawn (although I do have to pay for someone else to do those things, in the form of maintenance and assessments), I can walk pretty much everywhere and if that becomes difficult, there are buses and subways, whose fare will be half when I reach that age I cannot say without a shudder. Admissions to cultural institutions will be cheaper too. Medical care is right here and so are my friends. I cannot think of a single reason to leave.
But my childhood was not marked by a flight to the suburbs. My cousins, whose was, still live in them. I think that's the story.
22
I'm a baby boomer and live in a suburb approximately 40 minutes of a mid sized city, I would LOVE to sell my condo and move into the downtown urban district but they cost of housing is out of my reach, even if I sell my current home, which is paid off! that's the problem...affordable housing in the cities!
71
@Be Bop We always planned to move back to the city- the main reason we moved out to the burbs was the schools. My husband commuted into downtown Philadelphia for 44 years and for 43 of those years, we just assumed we'd move. But now that he's retired and the house is paid off, we began to think about the reality of daily life in the city as opposed to the fun trips. For us, it's more than affordable (and nicely-sized) housing although that is a big part. It's the little things- we have long-term doctors that would have to be replaced, I've been getting my hair cut by the same woman for 44 years, we'd still need a car for trips to see the Grandchild, trips to the beach, large grocery shopping etc. so we'd need secure parking and pay city car insurance rates. Living in the city, it's full of cute little boutiques but where do you buy socks and underwear? Every city dweller we've asked has the same answer- you have to buy it on-line. If it's pouring rain and I need one ingredient to make dinner, do I want to hop in my car and drive 2 miles to a supermarket or walk many blocks to find it? We just spent 3 weeks in downtown Munich living in an apartment and realized something. At some point, ease and convenience trumps excitement. Plus free rides on Philadelphia's public transit for over -65's has made traveling into town for things much more feasible.
4
I was raised outside of NYC where it was a short train ride to Penn station. I knew the City well as a young person. After graduating from college I was out of the East coast and living in the rural West where I have been for the last 45 years. Don't get me wrong, NYC is great to visit and I have visited major cities all over the world but I love my home in the rural West. I guess all the boomers are different.
8
The suburban lifestyle so fully encapsulates the Boomer mentality: blissfully unaware that its self-serving presence has harmed almost everyone and everything around it, and completely defensive if called to book on its lifestyle. Yes, I can understand why Boomers more than other generations, didn't flock to be urbanites.
10
@KMcNiff I might add that the suburban lifestyle was driven by developers at a time (1950's to 1970's) when there was little or no public awareness of the harm to society. I suspect at the time that buyers were not consciously deciding to harm society.
And now that we are much more aware, we've made our bed and cannot expect individuals to suddenly try to move to the city when most of us cannot afford to do so.
11
It would be more environmentally friendly to return to a kitchen bathtub, I know, but the “greatest generation” (of consumers) led, and I followed. We are still celebrating WWII.
2
@KMcNiff - Love how this all gets blamed on the boomers. The suburbia craze took off in the post-war years. Construction of the first Levittown, in New York, began in the late '40s. Most of the boomers, who seem to be blamed for everything wrong, weren't even born yet when huge suburban communities began being built across the country. Maybe the so-called "Greatest Generation" should be included when looking at trends in relatively recent history.
13
As a 65-year-old Boomer, I love living in Downtown Stamford, Ct. My wife and I live two blocks from the library, movies, and restaurants and clubs. We live a few blocks more from the train station and some great parks, and medical appointments are also all in walking distance. Best of all, it lacks the Lilly white blandness of the surrounding towns! I highly recommend it!
26
It seems as though overnight we became grandparents in our early 60s. We raised our family right in Boston and I am so grateful that we bought our house 30 years ago as our neighborhood has become super desirable to Millennials and we could never afford it now. I'll leave this place in an urn.
10
My husband and I are in our late 60s and live in a downtown neighborhood in Oklahoma City. I’m retired and he is still working. We moved here from the burbs as empty nesters ten years ago, and we love it. My husband is eight minutes from his work instead of 30. We can walk to the grocery store, to bookstore, coffe shops and restaurants. It’s five minutes in the car to see the Thunder play, or to concerts and shows. Our doctors are ten minutes away at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
Oklahoma City has undergone a renaissance in the last 20 years,and it’s a vibrant place full of life. There are many other small cites out there that are still affordable and accessible to middle class seniors. It’s perfect for us.
19
While I am a boomer born in the sticks, during the course of my lifetime I’ve learned that it’s good to have people and services around you.
At 65 I’d love to live in NYC but prices are too high. Fortunately the sticks have been replaced by homes and my nearby town has plenty of services to care for me as I grow older. To live away from towns and people is a self imposed life sentence for those who can stand it.
9
After selling my lovely home in Larchmont,NY that was 3400 SF plus a two car garage and two more driveway spots, plus the basement storage and yard, I can afford an even -trade into a one bedroom apartment in NYC. How is it that the one generation behind me (parents of boomers) were able to trade blue collar queens coops for upper east side two bedrooms?
13
@Joan How is it? Location, location, location.
1
@Joan They did it before the world investor class (REITS, Swiss Pension funds, Blackstone) wanted a piece of Manhattan.
5
My wife and I, both at 70 years in age, decamped the city life living in a town home for a home 250 miles away in a small town, perhaps a suburb of the largest metropolitan area in this part of Utah, for a single family home.
This town has no stores and only a small post office. The nearest stores are 5 miles away.
After living in the city for most of our adult lives we were tired of the traffic, the noise, and the polluted air.
Will we miss whatever “lifestyle” activities? No. Where we now live has its share of activities from hiking, bicycling, and we now live within a 2 hour drive of three national parks with the closest 25 minutes away.
7
@Dan My parents moved from a small city to a vacation/retirement community in a rural area in the late 90s seeking a quieter life. They lasted there two years before selling their place and returning to the city. While my dad enjoyed getting around their community in a golf cart, my mom felt completely isolated. No real library, no shopping, no hospital, no major grocers. They were constantly in their car headed up to the city for everything, and as I had reminded them constantly before they made this move, "when strokes happen, minutes count". Luckily, they were able to sell their house relatively quickly and break even financially, buying a place just a few minutes from my GenX sister who has a house downtown.
2
Years ago when my father could no longer drive a car, he was stranded in his suburban home, the home I grew up in during the 60's. I decided then and there that I would not follow the same path and bought a house with a tidy little backyard near a bus stop in a walkable neighborhood.
People talk about buying a house with a big yard for the kids, but by the time the kids are old enough to actually use that big yard, they get shuttled to play dates, soccer practice, and all kinds of activities that require someone to drive them to another location. So, one parent becomes a taxi driver and the other becomes a groundskeeper to maintain that big yard for the kids who never use it. Good thinking.
83
@een Yep! I will be of retirement age in exactly 10 years. As I type this in our bedroom, I can see the upper floors of Banner University Hospital which sits just a block from my house in the city. If a stroke happens, I'm close to medical care. I currently bike to my usual medical appointment, and the opera, dining, the movie theater, the grocer, the drug store. We own a 2003 Honda Element with very low gas mileage for it's age, and expect it to be the last care we ever own.
3
My mother lives in a state where seniors get annual comprehensive driving tests -- on the road, written and vision. She is almost 90, keeps a car, drives, and plans to continue. If she can drive, I can drive -- especially with the new camera technology.
My parents moved several times after they were retired. It's not as if you are 60 or 65 or 70 and now you have to decide where you are going to live for the rest of your life.
9
@Kay Sieverding: I have watched my parents move several times post-retirement. Just recently, they moved into what will hopefully be their last home in a rural community about an hour from a major metropolis. At 76 & 80, they were completely overwhelmed by the project, and it took a great toll on them even with extensive help. I learned my lesson. My final down-sizing and relocation will happen before I turn 65, and it will be someplace where I can age comfortably, likely a condo in or near a city with excellent public transportation and health care.
3
Another myth is that most Boomers have money, or certainly enough money to afford million dollar studios or 4000 dollar a month rents for "downsized" apartments. Maybe ten percent of them, probably five can even consider it. Half of Boomers have no savings, and only Social Security to live on if not working. Among the other half, the average savings is maybe 100,000 dollars. Millions are stuck in homes that are still underwater from the housing crash, especially if they borrowed on that equity in the heyday of HELOCs. No, I would think that the kind of urban living most Boomers should consider is in some Central and South American cities, even the more affordable European countries, rather than Manhattan. Life is much cheaper in those places. And many have museums and good food, too!
113
@Mike M.
Mexico is next door, right here in North America.
3
Food poisoning may be a problem there for older people with declining immune systems.
1
While I am concerned about eventual loss of driving, my aging feet will not longer take the walking on pavement. No one mentions that but it is a very real issue even with mass transit. And I love to walk but have moved to softer natural surfaces.
That said I am looking at small towns in the EU on good transit because of the current Trump/GOP attacks on Social Security and Medicare.
54
@poslug Glad you mentioned that. I am 75 and have to walk a lot Doctor’s orders. Manhattan sidewalks are unforgiving for old knees!
5
It would be interesting to know what effect the recession and housing crisis had on the increase in the number of boomers who rent.
38
@Nancy I would guess considerable. We short sale a house to move to a larger city with more job opportunities during the recession, renting for several years. Rebuilding financially was easier since we didn't have children AND, unlike so many women I met when I started grad school, didn't divorce. I heard about a lot of marriages that fell apart during the recession. Some might have anyway but I had classmates my own age who had spent time living cars and couch surfing due to job loss coupled with change in financial status after divorce.
4
@Nancy As the article says, the number has increased only because the 56-74 cohort is much larger than the 75 and above cohort... nothing to do with the recession 12 years ago
1
@Nancy That would be interesting.
Wife and I have been mortgage free the minute we retired 12 years ago.
1
Having been raised in New York City, I really enjoy living in the city, close to things you can walk to or take public transportation. Also, near good medical facilities. I have two friends my age (late 60's) who are looking for someplace rural-some of the places they are looking it is a 200 mile drive to the nearest hospital. I'll take the city!
35
The interesting thing with the graph is that except for the 25-34 ranges, the share of city dwellers is falling. It would be interesting to see how this trend differs among cities. My hypothesis is that this is due to many cities failing to keep up with demand. This has driven up housing prices so some boomers probably find themselves sitting on a valuable house that, if they sell, can fund a lot of their retirement provided they move to a lower-cost area.
4
@Pete 'except for the 25-34 ranges, the share of city dwellers is falling'
interesting - I'm not sure how that compares with Japan with the emptying out of remote villages as most move to the cities - or China where the better paying jobs have seen a massive increase in percentage of urban dwellers.
as for moving to a lower cost area - I've read that older mortality is strongly associated with being more than 45 minutes from emergency health care - so those tree-change and sea-change boomers may have a problem in the event of stroke or heart attack ...
7
@Pete It is the financialization of housing and the immense investment demand for housing in NYC that has driven up prices. No city can keep with that kind of "unnatural" demand, to the benefit of those few boomers lucky enough to have owned housing in superstar cities before that globalized demand became a tsunami.
4
@Pete Many cities effectively do not want to keep up with demand. Investors, developers, and ordinary people who already own homes make sure that municipalities will not build enough housing.
Our society is so tethered, in a complex way, to continual growth and rising financial returns (i.e. housing prices rising), that unwinding it will require a shift in how our society works.
3
New York is where I'd rather stay
I get allergic smelling hay
I just adore a penthouse view
Dahling I love you but give me Park Avenue
The chores, the stores
Fresh air, Times Square
You are my wife
Good bye, city life
Green acres we are there
(UGH!)
51
@Cynic Keep Manhattan and give me that countryside.
5
@Cynic
Love this! Only a boomer could recognize the tune to go with it.
6
"Today in cities, for example, you’re more likely to run into a 54-to-72-year-old with your bike or scooter (please be careful!) than you would have in the past." That might be why "boomers" (and anyone else with concerns about pedestrian survival) find urban living less than satisfactory. And that "please be careful" is priceless.
24
It’s simple. We are in better shape now, so our age has actually migrated. You mentioned this, but as a 73-year-old I know this in my bones. Finally, having a 100 acre place out in the Texas Hill country was too much. I am moving to Santa Fe, a mile away from the plaza. But by the time it’s all done, I’ll be 74. Silver sneakers is keeping me young.
32
my wife and I just moved into our retirement home. It is in the same smallish town we have lived most of our lives. When we were younger we dreamed about living in a more urban settings but as we have aged we value proximity to our grandchildren, direct access to the outdoors (hikers pass our house daily on their way up to a small local mountain). Short trips to local businesses and connection to friends we have had since we were children.
These are the things that make a community liveable for older people in our experience.
And any city of the world is just a flight ( or hour drive to the closest city) away so we can experience the pleasures of urban life when we want while spending most of our time in a manageable, age in place, naturally beautiful, mid sized community.
33
I understand the cost of living issue but who says you have to live in one of the hyper-expensive cities? There are a lot of wonderful cities with all of the big city amenities that have a cost of living index right around the national average. I'm an old boomer living in downtown Tempe, AZ and am very happy here. You can live in a very nice two bedroom apartment within walking distance of dozens of restaurants and a great lake front park for around $1,200-1,600 a month. Not cheap but a whole different level than the East or West coast. There are even less expensive alternatives for one bedrooms or living a little further from the action. I love city life and do not want to waste away from boredom in the 'burbs.
23
@Mark J Weinert I live in Tempe, too. Downtown Tempe is no more urban than downtown Moab, Utah, where I lived before. Tempe is a great little city. It's also a university town. Urban it is not.
12
@Mark J Weinert But you need a car! Restaurants and park are great but what about theater, dentist visits, libraries and fitness centers?
3
@Mark J Weinert I am with you! Having lived in downtown neighborhoods in large cities for all of my life (Chicago, New York, Boston), I wanted warmth and nature and moved to North Scottsdale at 65, five years ago. Am surrounded by mountains, clean air, beautiful homes, Native American influences, quiet, sunshine, desert landscapes including the colorful flowers at springtime and native wildlife, with stores across the street and great hospitals a few miles away, I think I found paradise. It can be soul enriching to try something new in one's life.
9
Just bought a condo in Columbus , Ohio. There are cities other than New York where one can escape the boredom of the suburbs and the expense of the East Coast.
75
@Babette. That is so cool. I was just looking at Columbus as an example of affordable urban living after watching Mrs. Maisel and lamenting I could never afford a New York apartment with big windows overlooking city streets. And there's Buckeye football.
16
Baltimore!
5
Richmond Virginia is booming for this reason. It's a great urban city on the east coast, and still very cheap
2
i live in a small town just a short car then subway ride from the city so i can pop in whenever i want for the city vibe, great restaurants, plays, sports, etc. works great for us.
23
I’ve lived in NYC for 50 years and never thought I’d leave. But we just bought a place in Vermont around the corner from our granddaughter’s school. Our children, born and raised here, can’t afford to live here.
New York is no longer for people like us (middle class). It’s for the rich. I don’t recognize the skyline anymore. And I hate Hudson Yards, another tax subsidized haven for the rich, while homeless beg on every corner.
But I had a wonderful time living here. We expect to visit often.
238
We two leading edge boomers finally sold our house in Queens and now are full-time in the country. Sure it's less convenient than the City, but the peace and quiet make it well worth it. No more people above you letting their toilet seat bang down in the middle of the night, no more crying babies next door, no more growling dogs in elevators, no more being stuck in a broken elevator, and the planes passing over are so high you can't hear them (except for military jets), etc. We own several acres instead of a 17' wide yard. If we're still alive when we no longer can drive, there are services for hire and power assist bikes in good weather. We'll cope as many do.
That we moved is a good thing for our old neighborhood. Old people out means young people in, and the neighborhood becomes a family place again where young children can walk to school.
What do we miss? Well, bagels from the City can be overnighted. A good slice-style pizza is harder to find. The couple running the Chinese take-out restaurant in the nearby village have taken a well-earned retirement, and we've found no replacement. I've spent so much time in museums, I no longer care. The only noise I can hear right now is the clicking of my keyboard and the occasional passing car. The fancy grocery store in our old neighborhood doesn't have eggs as good as we get here no matter the price. We're happy.
81
@Froon May we all find such a peaceful haven.
13
@Froon
me too,14 acres and though I have access to free apartment in Midtown and visit regularly I prefer to live in nature .
The most common comment from visitors is how quiet it is as if they almost feel anxious without all the noise. Later my big probalem is getting them to leave as" come for lunch" ends up being an all day visit!
2
I'm 58, and was born and spent most of life life until about 2nd grade in Manhattan (Peter Cooper Village, which seemed like paradise). Much of my life after that was lived in the suburbs of various states for various reasons. But all I ever wanted to do was to get back to NYC (ultimately, that became Hoboken, although I could also be happy living back in the city).
In about 2009 I made the mistake of moving to Florida with my young son--paradise, right? NO. Seven years (during which I spend a lot of time watching reruns of "Law and Order" just to see the locations and sigh) later I high-tailed it back to Hoboken, and I am staying put. You should have seen the stupid smile on my face the first time I got off the 126 at Port Authority and walked through the crowds of Times Square.
It has nothing to do with cars (don't have one) or conveniences, or services for the elderly. Maybe it's just because I happen to love it, and belong here, as I will if and when I'm 80.
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@NGB Ha! I can't stand Times Square. And I was not impressed when I returned to NYC, after a four-year hiatus, to arrive at Hudson Yards.
But the feeling I got when I exited the 2/3 at Wall Street (my old stomping grounds, both professionally and personally) was both intoxicating and profoundly sad, given that I was now merely a tourist.
It may not be my current home, but it will always be my "real" home geographically and emotionally. Good, bad, ugly--no matter what happens when I'm there (e.g., seeing a cat on a leash in Central Park, or sitting and chatting with a random stranger at St. Vincent's Triangle), I feel like I can actually *breathe* and just be me.
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I know at least four older couples who have left New York in the last year or so, and if I thought about it, I could probably think of more. Most have gone to live in Florida. It's cheaper, better weather (not counting hurricanes), cheaper, taxes and everything else in New York are too expensive for what you get, over-regulated, and did I mention cheaper? I personally would never live in such a place full of rednecks and retirees, but everyone I know who can manage it is ditching this money pit of a city and state.
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@Perfect Gentleman Florida health care is not good.
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@Perfect Gentleman
Unfortunately, the 5-6 month summer is Florida is unbearably hot. Stay inside with A/C all the time? No thanks.
But, former New Yorkers can turn Florida reliably blue.
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I'm surprised to see no mention of the people displaced by gentrification. Are we done thinking about that?
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@Karloff Aren't baby boomers pretty heavily responsible for that gentrification, though? Most of the housing wealth has gone to them, and older homeowners have mostly been responsible for blocking new multi-family and affordable construction.
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@reader The older boomers, yes. There is no name for those of us at the "boomlet" end, who did not get the easy job market or the real estate wealth. We're the ones who rent at the age when our parents had a paid-off house.
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@reader In NYC, that is not what has been happening. Nobody is able to block anything - 90% of new construction (of glass towers, usually) happens "as of right", so NIMBYism is a myth here. The problem is that the huge run-up in condo housing prices is a result of the massive investor-class demand for condos as a hard asset component of their portfolios. Can't blame boomers for that.
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I don't see why this would be surprising.
The Boomers were the first generation to grow up with the suburbs. They spent their formative years awash in a culture that glorified the suburbs, at the cities's expense. Boomer culture may have glorified the city, but the Boomers didn't grow up with that, their Millennial children did. Train a child according to the way; even when he grows old, he will not turn away from it.
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@Jesse - You would probably be surprised that a lot of boomers couldn't wait to get out of the suburbs their parents prized so highly.
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@Jesse
You speak as though all the boomers grew up in the suburbs. Maybe true if you were white and middle class. That's not all boomers, by a long shot.
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I suspect if one broke down these stats further to include income, you would see (very) wealthier and poorer boomers heading to or staying in urban areas --- and everyone else in the middle incomes heading to or staying in the suburbs adjacent to cities. Just a hunch though
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@K Henderson Why poor people? I live near a city and poorer people have it harder than most.
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Interesting stats but where's the conclusions. The fact is a great motivating factor for where now retiring boomers live is more the cost of living, which is almost invariably less expensive in non-urban areas (particularly rent). Is this a bad thing, this shift to suburban by boomers? When you look at the statistics of how many boomers will be living exclusively on social security, it makes sense. Boomers have failed to save adequately for retirement, thus the move to cheaper housing, that's the suburbs and beyond. Hey, there are a lot of small towns with most of the amenities you need and cheap rents that will do just fine.
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@Jimmy Boomers are comprised of millions of people. All Boomers did not fail to save adequately for retirement. Some may not have saved, but it's incorrect to assume all Boomers did not save for retirement.
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@Linda I did not say 'all.' I implied 'most' boomers. According to stats 50+% will have only Social Security and a full 80% have failed to save enough. I am one of those lucky enough (and it wasn't really luck) to be in the 20%. I presume you are too.
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@Jimmy I wonder, if you looked at income levels, how many of those who did not save enough could actually have afforded to save very much.
Today, with no almost no-one covered by a real (DB) retirement plan, most people really srtruggle to save enough for retirement.
Somewhere over the last 40 years, a much larger share of the gains from economic activity has gone to the top 20% or maybe 30% of our population. I think this factors-in also.
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One thing many boomers forget? What happens when they can no longer drive? In the burbs, where public transportation is either sketchy or nonexistent, they become housebound and reliant on the kindness of others to take them places. It isn't just inconvenient.... it's humiliating and depressing to completely lose your independence in this way. I saw my father decline very quickly when this happened at age 78. He was a depressed prisoner. Had he lived in NYC with me, he could have hopped on a bus and gone wherever he wanted.
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@Angela I live in the burbs, in PA (originally from Long Island; parents from NYC). There is free/subsidized transportation for people with disabilities and for seniors. These small busses/vans go past my house regularly.
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@Angela : that's true, but once you lose the ability to drive -- because you are old, frail, poor hearing & vision -- you are ALSO too old to run for a bus, stand in a bus shelter in freezing rain or stand ON THE BUS when there are no seats!
If you are too confused to drive, you won't be able to figure out a bus schedule, or get on the right bus -- you will get OFF and not be able to find your destination!
Up to a point, a car is EASIER because you go from your heated garage directly TO your doctor's office or the supermarket -- no long walks to and from a bus stop.
You are not even addressing the risk of FALLS on a bus. My elderly neighbor was badly injured when she FELL on the steep bus steps.
It's a problem of long-standing and nothing new. When people reach a certain age, that "getting around" is difficult -- the answer is often a senior apartment complex or retirement village. Then you do not NEED to get out much -- you get meals, housekeeping -- the facility takes residents on short trips.
In the future...Uber, Lyft, self-driving cars, etc. will change this paradigm.
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So true, Anywhere. When I was in NY a couple of years ago, I noticed the same thing with the subways and also all those stairs. Very hard for those with walking difficulties.
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High taxes keep more seniors from living in the city.
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I see that you are not familiar with Westchester property taxes.
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The trouble I have with a lot of Kolko’s pieces is that he makes very general observations while ignoring cities that are outliers on either end. He presents things as “trends” instead of pointing out that American cities have very different economic, transportation, and housing issues that influence their demographics - and they all look very different from each other. The narrative may hold true in some places but not others.
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It is a big country with 330 million people. You can find examples of almost anything in it. Trend forecasters, most that lived urban lives, saw new examples without understanding the source of increases. They wanted it to be and proclaimed it. No one had data yet on whether people actually moved. The real story was different. In retrospect, someone should have calculated how many boomers you would have in urban areas if the 45-50 year olds simply stayed. Kelko just points out something we should have checked ten or fifteen years ago. It wasn’t rocket science.
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At least around NYC, many of the older suburbs have developed into continuous urban counties. This has been the trend for decades and will most likely continue, particularly as greater density in project development becomes desirable and an economic necessity.
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As I get older I find myself less tolerant of noise and close proximity to other people, so cities have little appeal.
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@Pat I am going in the other direction. I live in an apartment building filled with grad students and mostly enjoy their noises.
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I have lived in several cities - San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Denver, and Atlanta. I recently purchased a home in a small town in coastal Washington where I plan to retire. Not sure how to go about adjusting to the country life after years of urban existence, but I can't wait to find out.
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@Lucien Dhooge
You'll be more than fine moving to the country- you'll make new friends who have also probably moved to your area, try out some restaurants, meet local shop owners, enjoy the beauty of your area, and wonder why you didn't leave sooner!
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It depends on the city and the age bracket. This data is from people 54-72. If you looked at 60-80 the numbers would be more urban.
My neighborhood has become a virtual retirement community. I live in the house that I grew up in, and the street was full of kids back then. My kids are now the only ones on the street. The boomers are the only ones who can afford to buy in my neighborhood, and they are crowding everyone else out. Our taxes are low and appreciation is high, so all the empty nesters (60+) want in.
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@Cousy
In my town, with easy access to public transportation and Boston, the only people who can afford to buy are dual income professionals. It is lifelong residents and older people who are being “pushed out” by astronomic price increases and new luxury condos. I don’t think the newer residents give any thought to this effect.
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@Cousy What "city" in New England do you live in with low taxes? Bangor?
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Agreed, at least in NYC where the majority of people are the next generation down, millennials.
Boomers either want to live in the burbs or retirement areas because it is just too expensive to live in NYC.
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I sold my house in Atlanta and moved to the country where i can either farm or not on my 20 acres when I retire. I am about 67.
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@Ryan Bingham : that sounds absolutely wonderful -- like Heaven. Only wish we could do that.
Unfortunately we live in the Rustbelt, and our home has never really recovered its pre-2008 foreclosure crisis value. We could sell it, but it wouldn't be enough to get us a pup tent and a bunsen burner.
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The Millennials saved the cities and, although they have obvious problems, they have never been better.
I fear that with the move to family formation the Ms will head for the suburbs and reverse the renaissance of the city. Gen Z doesn’t have the demographic weight to make the same impact. It would be disappointing (but certainly predictable) if Boomers didn’t fill in the void.
On the positive (sorta) side, housing costs may go down.
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@dave d
From my experience it was the Millennials who came in and closed down the mom and pop places (like small grocers), replacing them with expensive shops full of "crafty hand-made" stuffs and noisy eateries that all closed too bc they could not afford the new rents. Now it's the homeless who sleep in the doorways of these shuttered places while everybody just Ubers past the endless blocks of cityscape.
How do you figure the M's saved the cities?
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@FerCry'nTears I would say those are corporations, developers, and landlords who have done that, pricing out older places and making money renting to places run by large corporations.
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@reader
If that was so why is it that the large corporations are going out of business too? I think that a lot of old-time landlords found their chance to cash in and did, decimating the neighborhoods. How is it that the M's saved the cities though? There was no market for landlords to behave that way until M's stepped forward to take over these properties. I feel that Boomers have more a sense of community and everybody sticking together for the common good.
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It should be pointed out what statistics don't measure that it was boomer artists who transformed Soho for the uber rich people living there now. It was boomer punk artists and musicians who transformed the East Village and Lower East Side paving the way for GenX and Millennials to over-pay for tiny apartments.
Williamsburg, Park Slope, etc, etc. Boomer pioneers have priced themselves out of the neighborhoods they improved. Somehow I don't see those economic statistics accounting for these social conditions.
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@Dan Howell sorry, no. we came after the Beats, who came after the Jazz kids...
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@Dan Howell
It was always thus. Especially in New York.
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I know this theory is being widely promoted but I agree with the article, it's happening later or not at all. I am in the baby boom, live in the New York suburbs and friends all around are downsizing but only one in the group moved to Manhattan. It's expensive for one, it's hard to have the kids visit (no extra bedrooms) and your friends are still in their houses in the suburbs. Those who are downsizing and retired (not working in NY or can work remotely) are going down south, or to Connecticut for lower real estate taxes. Check back in 10 years, things will have changed.
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@Meighan Corbett : things WILL change because the boomers are -- as noted here -- roughly 54 to 73 today. Do the math. They won't be here in 2050.
But anyone who can prognosticate the future in 30 years....well, good luck. Who could have predicted TODAY? who predicated smartphones or Facebook? who knew all the malls would die in favor of Amazon?
You have to guess, and guesses are wrong at least 50% of the time.
Good luck!
3
I know many who would love to retire in the city but it's just too darn expensive. Unless you are wealthy who can afford to live in DC, in NYC, Chicago, SFO? Rents, taxes, transportation, food. Those on fixed incomes cannot live in these places.
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@Sarah99
Exactly. I did not want to leave nyc, it was painful to do so, but did so because of costs. I was not one of those who had been in a rent controlled apartment for 30 years. I now pay a fraction of what my rent was in the city. And after giving up a $1200 a month garage space on the UWS, the stress of moving my car every day when there was literally no place to put it was going to kill me, especially since I continue to work and did not have all day to tend to my car. As older renters who still have rent controlled apartments die off they will not be replaced. Younger residents able to pay higher rents will do so. As far as I am concerned it was not a choice. It was fiscal survival.
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@Richviews You don't need a car in the city.
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@Sarah99 : You get what you pay for.
NYC is a great place for retirees, such as my wife and me, who can afford to live here or within easy commuting distance.
NYC has 150+ museums, 250+ live theatre venues, 5 zoos, 4 botanic gardens, 33,000+ restaurants (many with authentic foreign cuisine) and several world-class hospitals. As a port city, NYC has numerous neighborhoods with varied immigrant cultures.
The extensive rapid transit system will allow you to ride forever on its 300+ miles of track for < $3 if you don't get off; if you're a senior, it's half that.
For my wife and me, living anywhere else would be like Boredomville.
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