Sun City communities are located across the country, even in not so typical retirement destinations such as Del Webb's Sun City Huntley in the far western Chicago suburb of Huntley, Illinois.
When Sun City Arizona opened its doors on January 1, 1960, the American active adult community was born. Del Webb, the developer behind Sun City, envisioned a different kind of retirement community, one where residents could pursue an active lifestyle among neighbors of their peers. Since that time Sun City has blossomed into a brand of active adult communities which have spread across the nation, bringing the Del Webb vision to new generations of active adults.
The Sun City lifestyle includes more than active socializing. Physical health is supported with state-of-the-art fitness centers and active recreations such as tennis, golf, bocce ball, pickleball and fitness classes. Creativity can be explored through the pursuit of hobbies with art and ceramics studios, woodworking shops, and performing arts groups. Complete wellness is also encouraged by engaging the mind with a wide variety of on-site classes, lecture series and active discussion groups.
While Del Webb’s Sun City communities are often known for their sprawling resort-style living, they actually encompass many different types of settings. There are semi-tropical beach adjacent communities, those located in the high desert, and homes with lush suburban environments. Residents at Sun City Mesquite in Nevada, 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas, enjoy a quiet lifestyle in a setting that attracts many Snowbird retirees. This picturesque community boasts more scenic walking and biking trails than any other Del Webb active adult community.
The original Sun City Arizona, located just outside of Phoenix, has expanded to become one of the largest with over 26,000 residences, and just over two and a half miles away Sun City West is nearly as large with 16,900 homes. Both of these communities provide residents with an abundance of social and recreational amenities. In fact, with multiple restaurants, shopping centers, clubhouses, golf courses, and other activities, each of these communities is very much like its own small town.
On the other end of the spectrum, Del Webb offers smaller Sun City communities, such as Sun City Vistoso, which is located 20 miles from downtown Tucson, Arizona. With only 2,488 homes, this exciting community still offers three clubhouses, an 18-hole golf course, and a wide range of amenities and social clubs. This goes to show that the Sun City lifestyle exemplifies resort-style living, whatever the size of the community.
Though Sun City developments first appeared in Arizona, these fabulous communities are situated in states throughout the country. There are Sun City communities in many popular retirement states, including: Sun City Texas, in Georgetown, Texas; and Sun City Roseville, just outside of Sacramento, California. There are also Sun City communities located in states that are less known for their retirement living. Sun City Peachtree is set just south of Atlanta, Georgia, and those looking to live further north, can find resort-style living at Sun City Huntley in Illinois.
Though many developers have created their own fabulous active adult communities, Del Webb’s Sun City communities are known for their ample social events and exciting activities. At Sun City, residents can expect to find everything they need for rich, active living that supports physical, mental and social health.
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Another awesome synopsis Susan. Perhaps Webb’s greatest strength as an owner/builder was to hire good people and turn them loose. Everyone gives the credit to Del for the original Sun City, but it was really far more the likes of Breen, Ashton, Jacobson, Meeker and Johnson. They had the vision and they made it all work.
I am always stunned when i look back in time and see what they (DEVCO) did. In the 60’s, people did not up and leave the kids. Retirement meant you hung around and played gramma and grandpa and were the ready made baby sitter. The challenge was to make people believe it was okay to want more out of those remaining years.
Their ads were BRILLIANT. One of these days we will get them on line for the world to see (we have them all at the Del Webb Sun Cities Museum). They tugged at the heart strings and made seniors long for something more. They created an illusion and once people came, they realized it wasn’t a slight of hand trick. It was the real deal…a community light years ahead of its time.
Here’s the amazing thing: Webb nor his people could envision what Sun City was to become. In the end, they understood the best thing they could do was get out of the way and let it happen. Residents took ownership and made it theirs. How special is that?
Volunteerism? It is a way of life in any active senior retirement community worth its salt. Quality of life comes from far more than chasing a white ball around a green course. It’s about getting your hands into the clay and molding it to work for you and your neighbors. It’s about giving back, staying productive and being a part of something.
Big? Small? or Medium sized? It doesn’t matter; just find the one right for you and embrace it like it was yours…because it is.