Real Life Retirement

Best Retiree Job

Las Vegas is a popular city for people who relocate after retirement.  In fact, 25% of the population of the Las Vegas area (including Henderson) is of retirement age.  

Several Sun City communities dominate the retiree scene, but there are other choices.  There are, however, relatively few "snow bird" communities in the Las Vegas area, unlike Phoenix or Florida.  Winters in Las Vegas are cold, not warm.

Sun City McDonald Ranch, also located in Henderson, is somewhat more down home.  It, too, has a community center with pools, game rooms, meeting rooms, exercise facilities, etc.  And it has a golf course which is not as steep as the Revere.  The difference between the McDonald Ranch and Anthem: at a party in McDonald Ranch you would likely hear country and western music, at Anthem, classical music.

Sun City Summerlin, is in the Summerlin master planned community in western Las Vegas.  It is the original Sun City in Las Vegas.  Because it was established about 20 years ago, the streets are tree-lined.  It has four community centers with pools and three golf courses.  It, too, has game rooms, craft rooms, classes, clubs plus  a theater for local and visiting performers as well as a small shopping village in the eastern end.

Sun City Aliante, in the northern Las Vegas Valley, is the newest one.  It is located on flat terrain and has the obligatory community center, which is quite nice, but less opulent than the one at Anthem.  The homes were designed to keep utility bills low.  All landscaping is zero-maintenance desert style.

Sun City Solara, is part of the Anthem complex in hilly Henderson.  The homes are more modest than at Anthem and the community center is identical to Aliante.  Homeowners monthly fee are less than Anthem.

Siena, is a guard-gated retirement village in Summerlin, in the southwest part of Las Vegas.  It has a  beautiful community center and a small shopping village in the heart of the village.  The golf course is a flat one.  The homes are comparably priced to Anthem.

Ardiente, located in the northeastern Las Vegas Valley, has six small parks. All homes are energy star rated and designed for thrifty retirees.  There is no golf course within the community, so the home owners fees are lower.  Two public golf courses are nearby.

El Paseo can be found right across the street from the exclusive Spanish Trail country club.  El Paseo is gated and has a small clubhouse and pool.  It is an older retirement community, built in the days when opulence was not in vogue.  The homes, however, are quite comfortable.  Homeowners fees are lower.

While not an age-restricted community, Desert Shores attracts many retirees.  It is near Sun City Summerlin and has six small lakes.  Boating is permitted.

For information about retiring to Phoenix, click here.

NOTE:  All names on this site have been changed to protect individual privacy.  The stories are real, the names are not.