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Two decades ago the Greatest Generation discovered that the region along the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay was a great place to retire. More recently, Baby Boomers ready to hang up their work clothes and enjoy a leisurely lifestyle in idyllic surroundings began arriving by the dozens. “Born heres” who’ve reached retirement age are proving no less eager to kick back and relax right at home.
The presence of so many seniors in an area once populated largely by farmers and watermen has led to numerous changes to the business climate in the region. Some of the differences are obvious. Retailers are ordering products that seniors want to buy. Restaurants are modifying menus to serve foods that appeal to a more mature clientele, and many have adjusted their hours to better accommodate the lifestyles of these customers. It seems that savvy business owners and organizations are discovering that it pays to cater to a population that has the time (and money) to spend pursuing activities that help keep them young and engaged in their communities.
Nowhere is the shift in focus more noticeable than at the YMCA. “We’re no longer a ‘one size fits all’ organization,” says Mark Favazza, executive director of the Northern Neck Family Y in Kilmarnock. “Our goal is to serve the needs of individuals and families in our local area. Today that means offering a number of fitness activities and wellness programs geared to older adults.”
On any given day you can find seniors on the Y’s indoor courts playing pickle ball, a racquet sport that contains elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. They flock to classes such as Zumba, a peppy exercise routine featuring Latin music. They seem to love the Y’s new “Fit Links” program, which allows them to track their progress on the fitness equipment. “It’s like having a personal trainer in a computer box,” Favazza says. Fitness assessments and health fairs draw crowds of older adults who want to learn how they can remain healthy and enjoy retirement.
As it has all over the country, the growth in the senior population has led to a building boom in retirement communities of all stripes. “Over 55” developments and assisted living facilities have opened in a number of communities, affording seniors a chance to enjoy life while others take care of household chores or provide help to those who need assistance with daily living activities. One of the earliest to open, and still one of the finest, is Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury outside Irvington.
“More than twenty-five years ago several visionaries in our community saw the need for a continuing care facility to serve both the local population and the ‘come heres’ looking for a place to spend their retirement years,” says RWC president Stuart Bunting. The business model has proven highly successful, as people are able to enjoy independent living or receive assistance and even nursing care if they need it without leaving the community.
Of course, not every business has found it necessary to make changes. The menu at Lee’s Restaurant in downtown Kilmarnock “is about the same as it’s always been,” says Jerry Lee, who manages the 70-year old establishment with his brother. The crowd that frequents Lee’s seems happy to patronize a place that serves old favorites. Jerry Lee thinks he knows why. “Folks feel comfortable knowing they can get the same food they did when they were kids.” Maybe that, too, is a way of staying young.
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