Want to Retire Around Younger People? Atlanta Offers Several Options.

By Randall Bloomquist

For decades, retirement housing has largely been built around separation. Older adults move into communities reserved for people 55 or 62 and older, often leaving behind neighborhoods filled with children, working adults and young families. But a growing number of retirees want something different.

They are exploring intergenerational communities where residents of different ages intentionally share spaces, activities and responsibilities. Others are choosing retirement communities connected to colleges, where they can attend lectures, enjoy performances and build relationships with students.

As Jill Terreri Ramos recently reported in The New York Times, the appeal is partly about avoiding social isolation—and partly about making retirement more interesting.

Atlanta does not currently have a full-fledged university retirement community. But the region offers two established multigenerational cohousing communities, while Georgia’s closest college-based option is about 70 miles northwest of the city.

East Lake Commons brings generations together

East Lake Commons, located near Decatur, is probably metro Atlanta’s strongest example of intentional intergenerational living.

The community consists of 67 privately owned townhomes clustered on approximately 20 acres. Homes face pedestrian paths and shared green spaces rather than conventional residential streets. The property includes a community center, organic garden, orchard, greenhouse, pond and substantial protected open space.

Unlike a traditional retirement development, East Lake Commons includes children, working adults and retirees. Older residents are not assigned to a separate building or section. They are part of everyday community life.

That can mean seeing children playing outside, working alongside younger neighbors in the garden or participating in community meals and activities. The design makes casual encounters more likely than they would be in a conventional subdivision where residents drive into garages and close the doors behind them.

East Lake Commons is not assisted living, however. Residents own or rent ordinary homes and must arrange for any medical assistance or personal care they need. Some residences have multiple floors, which could become difficult for people with mobility problems.

Homes are sold by their individual owners and may not come on the market frequently. Prices generally reflect Atlanta’s local real estate market rather than senior-housing rates. Monthly association fees support shared property and activities.

Lake Claire offers a more intimate model

A few miles away, Lake Claire Cohousing offers a smaller and more intensive version of community living. Located between Candler Park and Decatur, the development includes approximately a dozen privately owned townhomes surrounding shared courtyards and a common house. Residents have their own kitchens and private living spaces but also share meals, gardens, tools and community responsibilities.

Its size helps create close relationships, but participation is more than a marketing promise. The community says owners are expected to contribute seven hours of work and renters four hours. Residents collectively manage the property and make decisions by consensus.

That arrangement may appeal to someone who wants neighbors to become an extended family. It may be less attractive to a person who wants privacy, dislikes meetings or cannot perform the expected community work.

Lake Claire is also not a senior-care community. Residents must consider whether a particular home is accessible and how they would obtain transportation, home care or other assistance later.

Because there are so few residences, buying opportunities can be rare. The community maintains a sales and rental page and invites prospective residents to visit or attend a shared meal.

Georgia’s college-based alternative

For the university-centered retirement experience described by the Times, Georgia’s standout is The Spires at Berry College in Rome.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in 2025 that The Spires was Georgia’s only senior living community formally affiliated with a college. It opened in 2020 on the Berry campus and accommodates approximately 330 residents.

The relationship is more substantial than simply placing senior apartments near a college. Spires residents attend lectures, performances and athletic events, mentor students, volunteer and participate in campus traditions. A walking trail connects the retirement community with the larger Berry campus.

The Spires is also a continuing-care or Life Plan community. It offers independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation. A resident can enter while living independently and move to a higher level of care if health needs change.

That security comes with a more complicated financial commitment. Independent-living residents generally pay an entrance fee plus a continuing monthly charge. The community says some contract options return as much as 90 percent of the entrance fee after a resident leaves, although the timing, conditions and amount of any refund should be examined carefully.

Monthly charges cover various combinations of housing, meals, utilities, housekeeping, maintenance, amenities and activities. Prospective residents should request a complete fee schedule and ask how costs have increased in recent years.

The Spires is not in metro Atlanta. Rome is roughly a 90-minute drive from central Atlanta, depending on traffic. That may be too far for someone who wants to remain close to children, doctors, friends or cultural institutions in the city.

Creating a campus connection without moving

Older Atlantans can also create part of the university-retirement experience without moving into a specialized community.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Emory offers in-person and online courses designed for adults 50 and older. Its subjects range from history, literature and politics to art, technology, fitness and retirement planning. Participants do not have to pursue a degree or worry about tests and grades.

Emory, Georgia Tech, Georgia State and the schools of the Atlanta University Center also offer public lectures, performances, exhibits, athletic events and volunteer opportunities. These programs can provide intellectual stimulation, although they do not necessarily produce daily contact with traditional-age students.

Living in Decatur, Druid Hills, Midtown or another neighborhood near a campus can make participation easier. But proximity alone does not create community. A person must intentionally join programs, attend events, volunteer or mentor students.

What to ask before making a move

The potential benefits of intergenerational living can be significant. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says social isolation and loneliness are associated with increased risks of depression, heart disease, stroke, dementia and earlier death. A home that encourages relationships can therefore affect more than a resident’s social calendar.

But “intergenerational” can also be an appealing label attached to a community where generations rarely interact. Before buying or renting, ask:

• Are children and younger adults actually residents, or do they merely visit occasionally?

• What programs bring different generations together?

• Is participation optional or required?

• How accessible is the home if mobility declines?

• Can home-care providers work in the community?

• What are the entrance, association and monthly fees?

• Who decides when fees increase?

• How easily can the home or ownership interest be resold?

• What happens to an entrance fee if the community fails or a resident leaves?

• Is transportation available if driving becomes difficult?

Atlanta’s options remain limited, but they demonstrate that retirement does not have to mean moving to what one expert quoted by the Times called “Elderly Island.”

For some people in the Second Half of Life, the sound of children outside, dinner with younger neighbors, or a conversation with a college student would make life’s next chapter considerably more interesting.