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As the population ages in the United States, more and more retirement communities are opening up around the country. And as the market begins to become saturated with these developments, community planners are rethinking how to become more competitive by offering a wider array of amenities to entice a larger swath of seniors to spend their golden years there.

Amenities that people will utilize

Many of the individuals moving into senior communities are leaving well-appointed, spacious single-family suburban homes, notes Elissa Gargone, vice president of sales and marketing for the 62 and over Jefferson’s Ferry community in South Setauket, N.Y.

“They still want to have a nice home with a lot of amenities around them so that everything is right there at their fingertips,” said Gargone, noting that Jefferson’s Ferry has studio to two-bedroom apartments as well as two- and three-bedroom cottages.

Many senior developments have clubhouses and community centers that are very underutilized, observes Gargone.

“At Jefferson’s Ferry we do have a large community center where most of our amenities are located, “ she added. “The community center amenities and common spaces are used every day, all day. Residents and staff work together to offer programs and events that are catered to all resident interests.”

Among the amenities at Jefferson’s Ferry are a creative arts center staffed by art teachers instructing in various media, an indoor pool and an expansive fitness center and studio offering about 25 different fitness classes per week and personal training.

“We do all this research to see what seniors want—and they want to live well. They want to be proactive with their health and that means their fitness. They want to have access to fitness classes that really cater to them,” said Gargone, noting that they offer yoga, drumming, dance, strength and balance classes geared to people 62 and over.

There are six restaurants in the community, with different menus and styles of cuisine: some more formal; others more casual. There’s also an outdoor restaurant overlooking a pond.

“Each dining venue is unique to itself,” Gargone said. “It’s going to have that different menu, different look and different feel. So, it’s not where a resident feels like they’re going to the same restaurant all the time.”

A popular spot is the on-site theater, which has a stage and dance floor.

“It’s a large space that’s used every day,” said Gargone, noting that performers from nearby performance spaces come in to entertain residents.

“And some residents here who are musicians themselves will put on their own performances for other residents,” Gargone added.

With more than 5,000 volumes, Jefferson’s Ferry’s expansive library is utilized daily and is run by residents who happen to be retired librarians.

Outdoors, there’s shuffle ball, bocce, croquet, a putting green, walking paths, and raised flower beds that the residents tend.

At Jefferson’s Ferry, everything is easily accessible.

“It’s like a little village that really caters to the current residents and the residents that will be moving in in the future,” Gargone said, adding, “We’re like the ferry that doesn’t go anywhere.”

Part of the downtown community

“Older adults want to stay engaged, whether it’s in social, educational, fitness or cultural opportunities, including remaining active in their broader community, outside the walls of the retirement community,” said Patti Hutton, director of marketing for Residences at Vantage Point in Columbia, Md., a “60-and-better” community with 200 independent living apartments.

To keep residents engaged, Residences at Vantage Point offers a library with multiple book clubs, a movie theater, an array of fitness programs, musical entertainment, seminars and lecture series, gardening, and creative arts, including an art gallery exhibiting residents’ work. Residents can also volunteer in the broader community as well as within Residences at Vantage Point.

“We also are a host site for the John Hopkins’ lifelong learning program, called Osher, so residents can take classes right here on site,” said Hutton, adding that they can also participate in off-site classes at Hopkins’ satellite campus in Columbia.

On-site entertainment takes the form of speakers and musical performances, as well as a resident-led thespian, international folk dancing, and tap dancing groups.

“There’s also a resident-led discussion about topics where residents have a background and a specialty in,” she said.

Situated in downtown Columbia, Residences at Vantage Point is walkable to the mall and Whole Foods.

“We’re under five miles to the hospital, to the community college, to Merriweather Post Pavilion entertainment and an ever increasing array of dining venues around Columbia and Howard County in general,” Hutton said.

Taking advantage of its location–about halfway between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.–the community’s life enrichment team schedules off-site trips to museums, restaurants and different venues around the area.

Residents can participate in the Residents’ Association, which is integral to scoping out the needs of the residents and works closely with the community’s Life Enrichment team to make recommendations about everything from dining to buildings and grounds.

“There’s a lot of interaction with residents and the management so that we always know what they’re wanting for their community,” Hutton said.

Located in a neighborhood of Columbia, Residences at Vantage Point is a part of the comings and goings of the town.

“We have lots of intergenerational opportunities: the kids riding their bikes; the people walking their dogs;” she added. “The pickleball courts behind our building that’s part of the town center amenities.”