Famous for steel, the first oil find in America, and home to our founding fathers, Pennsylvania is weaved into many of the major events in American History. With the massive steel mills that used to belch black smoke into the Pittsburgh sky and the Philadelphia bankers of yore, many things have changed throughout the history of this state. Currently, Pennsylvania is a growing into a leading retirement destination for the Baby-Boomers who are soon to flood the area due to unique cultural amenities and high-quality cutting-edge medical care. In this article, I’m going to share with you four cities with great retirement communities in PA you might not have considered.
State College PA
State College is home to one of the largest universities in America (Penn State University), State College has all the amenities of a college town and we all know college towns make good small towns. With a football stadium that seats over 110,000 people, fall weekends in State College fill up with alumni and students alike for some of the hottest college football action around. Why would you want to retire to a town full of crazy football fans during the fall? The answer lies in the benefits of a small town college atmosphere. State College retirement communities is full of quant shops, high-tech companies founded and intertwined with the university, and the highly-educated workforce. Many cultural effects abound on the university campus and many traveling shows and concerts make a stop due to the 40,000+ students who share this town.
When school isn’t in session, the town quiets down tremendously and feels almost like a ghost town. This lends itself to walking the downtown area visiting local retailers and restaurants. The campus during summer isn’t terribly hot so you can walk around looking at old buildings and scenic views.
Overall, State College has many of the benefits like shopping and medical care of a bigger city without any of the hassles of traffic and crime that those big cities share.
Pocono Mountain Area
Pocono Mountain Area although not one city in particular, the Poconos region has attracted retirees from all over due to the natural beauty of the mountains and the less than 3 hour drive from Philadelphia and NYC metro areas.
Home to ski resorts and lodges, the Poconos has natural beauty that’s unparalleled in the state. With entertainment ranging from festivals to casinos, there’s a wide variety of activities for the active senior. Lest we forget, as a Poconos resident, you’re only a couple hours away from Broadway shows and the plethora of music in Manhattan, NYC.
Pittsburgh PA
Pittsburgh- with a history full of business characters, Pittsburgh is a uniquely American city full of life, energy, and cutting edge technology.
In the recent past, Pittsburgh suffered tremendously with pollution from the steel mills which have since closed. After struggling for a while to rebuild the economy, Pittsburgh now is full of hospitals, robotics companies, and home to Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh campus. These amenities allow the senior retiree to enjoy cutting-edge medical care very close to home while providing cultural activities and university classes that only a “college city” can provide.
With scenic views overlooking the city from Mt. Washington, there’s also a lot of natural beauty that’s rare in an urban area.
Pittsburgh is also home to some amazing cultural “oddities.” With its own unique accent and sense of community, Pittsburghers are a welcoming people and have that blue-collar charm that’s lacking in some of the major cities in America. With unique restaurants like Primanti Brothers, whose sandwiches have been staples of the Pittsburgh area for over 75 years, there is plenty of food and markets here.
Last but not least, Pittsburgh is home to one of the leading health networks in America called UPMC. With cutting edge research ranging from cancer to sports medicine, they can provide access to 20 hospitals, 400 doctor offices, and an insurance division so your medical care will be covered. Pittsburgh is quite simply a smaller city full of big city amenities which makes it a perfect to look for 55+ retirement communities in Pittsburgh.
Hershey Pennsylvania
Hershey- home to the iconic chocolate factory that would give Willy Wonka a run for his money, Hershey is a small bedroom community that’s just outside the state capital of Harrisburg. With a giant arena that attracts major shows and acts, Harrisburg has lots of cultural amenities that don’t involve gorging on delicious Hershey’s chocolate. There’s a giant theme park called Hershey Park which has lots of unique roller coasters and its own water park. This surely will entertain the grandkids and provide valuable family memories.
One of the other benefits of Hershey as a retirement community in Pennsylvania is that it’s home to Penn State University’s Hershey Medical School. With over 650 doctors and a total staff of almost 9,000 people, you’ll be well-taken care of if you have to make a trip to the doctor.
Overall, Pennsylvania can be one of the best places to retire in the US. With fine medical care, unique cultural amenities for any type of person, and close proximity to major urban areas, look for some of the best 55+ communities in Pennsylvania.
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