Comments on: The Dawn of Sun City http://www.55places.com/blog/the_dawn_of_sun_city Find 55+ Active Adult Retirement Communities Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:21:16 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Bill Pearson http://www.55places.com/blog/the_dawn_of_sun_city/comment-page-1#comment-3 Bill Pearson Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:15:40 +0000 http://www.55places.com/blog/the-dawn-of-sun-city#comment-3 Once again Bill, thanks for the kind comments regarding Sun City; it is a very special place. In reading about this site, i see many of the age restricted communities use the word unique. And, i suspect for them moving from mixed age neighborhoods it is. As i have researched and then compared the original Sun City to others, there are no others built in accordance to what Del Webb did here. As pointed out in another thread on the blog, builders came to realize they were better served when they built in an incorporated area. But those differences go well beyond that. The land deal Webb put together with the Boswell family created a partnership and that saved DEVCO from having to pay land costs up front (as he did in his developments in the 60's in California and Florida). More importantly it gave him the leeway for bigger lots, more golf courses, more rec centers, more churches, more shopping centers and more space for community activities. Because we were unincorporated it fueled the need for residents to take ownership. After nearly 50 years we are still self-governed and self-sufficient. Other than county services, we rely on one another to keep the community running. There are hundreds of organizations and clubs that wouldn't survive if we didn't give back millions of hours a year. And because of that kind of volunteerism, we are one of the most inexpensive places to retire to in the entire country. The Rec Centers of Sun City (RCSC) doesn't spend a dime they don't have in the bank. Yet we have begun replacing the older rec centers that will rival any of the newest developments. Throw in the fact the latest generation of home buyers has often been buying and renovating their homes; Sun City is changing, at least in appearance. Most of us want to cling to the value and the values Webb built into the community. There clearly are more glitzy and far more upscale retirement communities. For my money, we wanted to be able to retire and not be forced to go back to work with skyrocketing costs because we bought in a development where the builder subsidized the amenities and the day he left costs exploded. I would hope anyone looking to retire shop around. Value and values are words that have many meanings. For some it's glitz and glamor, for others it's finding a special place where tradition and a sense of being part of a community is important. Sun City really is about taking ownership and becoming a part of to insure it holds those values in place. Once again Bill, thanks for the kind comments regarding Sun City; it is a very special place. In reading about this site, i see many of the age restricted communities use the word unique. And, i suspect for them moving from mixed age neighborhoods it is.

As i have researched and then compared the original Sun City to others, there are no others built in accordance to what Del Webb did here. As pointed out in another thread on the blog, builders came to realize they were better served when they built in an incorporated area.

But those differences go well beyond that. The land deal Webb put together with the Boswell family created a partnership and that saved DEVCO from having to pay land costs up front (as he did in his developments in the 60’s in California and Florida). More importantly it gave him the leeway for bigger lots, more golf courses, more rec centers, more churches, more shopping centers and more space for community activities.

Because we were unincorporated it fueled the need for residents to take ownership. After nearly 50 years we are still self-governed and self-sufficient. Other than county services, we rely on one another to keep the community running. There are hundreds of organizations and clubs that wouldn’t survive if we didn’t give back millions of hours a year.

And because of that kind of volunteerism, we are one of the most inexpensive places to retire to in the entire country. The Rec Centers of Sun City (RCSC) doesn’t spend a dime they don’t have in the bank. Yet we have begun replacing the older rec centers that will rival any of the newest developments.

Throw in the fact the latest generation of home buyers has often been buying and renovating their homes; Sun City is changing, at least in appearance. Most of us want to cling to the value and the values Webb built into the community.

There clearly are more glitzy and far more upscale retirement communities. For my money, we wanted to be able to retire and not be forced to go back to work with skyrocketing costs because we bought in a development where the builder subsidized the amenities and the day he left costs exploded.

I would hope anyone looking to retire shop around. Value and values are words that have many meanings. For some it’s glitz and glamor, for others it’s finding a special place where tradition and a sense of being part of a community is important. Sun City really is about taking ownership and becoming a part of to insure it holds those values in place.

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