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Neighborhood Guides North Carolina Retire to North Carolina and Live In: A College Town!
Neighborhood Guides North Carolina Retire to North Carolina and Live In: A College Town! | Retire to North Carolina and Live In: A College Town! |
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It may seem odd to head back to college during your retirement, but more and more people are rediscovering the joys of living in a college town during their retirement years. No one can deny the feeling of excitement when young people are gathered together, and if that surge of energy isn’t enough, there are plenty of practical reasons to live in a college town. There will be plenty to do. Many colleges have classes geared for older learners, or allow people to audit any class they wish, for a nominal fee. Even if you don’t go to classes, a college town provides entertainment in the form of sports, the arts, and academic lectures. If you are interested in real estate, there are great investments to be had by buying a home and renting it out to college students.
At the NCCCR, you can join in on discussions about spirituality from a number of faith based perspectives, engage in inter-generational classes, help with research on retirement trends, and learn about complimentary medicine such as acupuncture and reflexology. It is a member based organization, run for and by the members. The 1,750 members do most of the teaching and volunteering that keeps the center buzzing with activity. The NCCCR is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2007-2008, and accompanying it is the construction of a new Health and Wellness building on the UNC Asheville campus, which will host a seniors’ area where lifetime wellness courses will be taught including Tai Chi, Yoga, and strength training. The NCCCR is a learning community where the members participate and create together, forming a community of excitement and great personal development. There is no age requirement for the NCCCR. Approximately 20% of members are 59 and younger, while 10% are 75 and older. The NCCCR offers a variety of courses for seniors ranging from practical skills such as computer operation, to fun classes focusing around lawn bowling or sewing. The NCCCR also has seminars in leadership, so if you’re interested in leading the next generation, Asheville is a good place to start. Most of the courses are low in cost and time commitment, so you can get a taste for something you may have always wanted to try without a huge commitment. Classes are held at the University of North Carolina at Asheville’s campus, and the college is one of the country’s best public arts universities. You can visit the NCCR online at http://www.unca.edu/ncccr. Asheville’s cost of living is just slightly above the national average, but the quality of life soars above it. In Asheville you have four distinct seasons and enough snow to make things look pretty, but high enough temperatures to melt it off before it becomes annoying. Asheville is well known for its great restaurants, nightlife, and its arts and music scene. Natural beauty surrounds the city, as well as charming smaller towns. Typically when a person thinks of college and North Carolina, they think of Durham and Chapel Hill, and with good reason. These two cities are home to a couple of great colleges. In Chapel Hill, you’ll find the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. With over 22,000 full-time students, the college has a huge presence in the community. With such a large number of students, Chapel Hill is a great location for an entrepreneurial minded retiree who wants to rent out a home to college students, as an investment. The area surrounding Chapel Hill is known for its high levels of medical care, and prevalence of information technology companies. At the college, there are a number of resources for older learners. The Continuing Education Center (known as the Friday Center) can be found at http://fridaycenter.unc.edu. One of my favorite parts of UNC Chapel Hill’s offerings are the self-paced courses offered by the Friday Center. These courses are considered part-time, for credit offerings, ranging from Art and African Studies to Accounting and Statistics. There are also a number of non-credit, enrichment style offerings. You can visit http://fridaycenter.unc.edu/pdep/index.htm for a list of current and past events offered as enrichment programs. With options ranging from full and part-time online courses to in class courses, there is no reason for your education to stop in retirement. In Durham, you have Duke University and North Carolina Central University. Between Chapel Hill’s UNC branch, and these two schools, you can find some of the best collegiate athletic competition in the nation for entertainment. Both Duke and North Carolina Central University cater to aspiring seniors. The jewel in the crown of Duke’s continuing education department is the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), which is funded by the Bernard Osher Foundation. There are 112 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes across the country, and this Duke branch is known as one of the best, for the range and quality of the courses offered, and the commitment of the community. The OLLI runs three semesters a year, with over 90 courses and activities offered each semester. Most of the offerings are based in the Humanities, ranging from music, literature and memoir writing, film courses based around World War II or the 60’s, art, music, philosophy and religion, but there are also scientific offerings, befitting of an area known for its research expertise. Activities include social groups, band, chorus, dance and many more. Basically, if there’s a group you want to join or even start, OLLI is the place to do it. Participation is what makes OLLI the place it is. Almost 50% of the courses are taught by members, so if you’ve ever felt the urge to teach about your life’s work, you may find a willing audience at Duke. The OLLI center also brings seminars to the retirement communities for those residents who have a hard time getting to the campus. The web address for OLLI is www.learnmore.duke.edu/olli/index.htm, and the main address for Duke’s continuing education department is www.learnmore.duke.edu. North Carolina Central University is a small school of about 4,500 students, but also offers continuing education courses on a non-degree credit basis. The courses range from arts and culture, leadership development, technology, language, computer skills, and topics such as nutrition. You can find out more online at www.nccu.edu/univcoll/uc/coned.html. Both Chapel Hill and Durham have good public transportation systems, making them ideal for older residents who may not wish to drive. With the great medical facilities, close proximity to a major airport, and three great colleges, it’s easy to understand why more and more retirees are choosing the Durham/Chapel Hill area. Many retirees want to live by the beach, and Wilmington has been a perennial favorite among retirees. Well, that is two of my five best college towns in which to retire in North Carolina. Click here for the rest of the article and the other three best retirement college towns. Visit my site for this and many more articles on the best places in North Carolina.              |
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