Many of today's affluent seasoned citizens are finding themselves in luxury retirement communities much earlier than they might have anticipated in their younger years. It's not because of pushy children or poor health, rather the gourmet food, attentive service, and lively atmosphere. The retirement age demographic is different in the 21st century than it has been in the past and todays leisure communities are prepared to cater to their needs.

     Retirment living has always had a bit of an image problem. What comes to mind when you think of a retirement home? Exactly. But these days, members of the 55-and-over club can choose to live in age-restricted settings that would be enviable to people of any age, complete with elegant dining rooms, groomed golf courses, pre-dinner cocktails on the veranda, day spas and stretch limousines for trips to the grocery store.

     A good example of this lifestyle are the communities run by Classic Residence by Hyatt. At their Palo Alto residence. Residents can dine in one of the property's three restaurants, attend concerts, lectures and other events on and around the Stanford campus. The residents tend to be intellectually stimulating people who have led interesting lives, including retired Stanford professors and the past heads of major corporations. It's always fun to see who you might run into at dinner.

     Luxury retirement living can be a confusing industry, with a wide range of services and luxuries, a variety of pricing structures and an abundance of catch-phrases. There are active adult communities where you can buy single-family homes and pay homeowners fees to use all the property's many amenities. Apartment-style rentals offer meal service, housekeeping and transportation assistance. Assisted living communities provides 24 hour oversight, including bathing and anything else residents require for maximum comfort.

     With roughly 25,000 independent and assisted living communities across the United States there is a lot of room for the market to grow, especially on the luxury end. Smart companies are scrambling to satisfy the unmet demand for high-quality senior living. It's only been in about the last fifteen years that people have become aware of the profitability of this market and begun moving to meet it.

     When many people think of luxury retirement living, places like Florida, Nevada and Arizona come to mind with their mild climates and plethora of luxury communities. The reality is that about 80% of people retire in the place where they have always lived. As a result, these smart new properties are popping up all over the country and increasing in number.