The Joy of Possibility
Older adults enjoy rich, fulfilling, and imaginative lives at retirement communities throughout the Philadelphia area.
by Bill Donahue

Nearly anything is possible if we put in the time and effort needed to get to the finish line, whatever the finish line might be. The idea certainly applies to achieving difficult goals such as getting in shape, completing an advanced degree, or writing a novel. The same goes for attaining the kind of life we want, now and into the future, regardless of our age.
 
Translation: You can have a rich and fulfilling life in retirement.
 
Many retirees choose to find fulfillment in the Philadelphia area. That includes those who move here from elsewhere—to be closer to friends and family, to partake in the many offerings particular to the city and its surroundings, and to benefit from living in a part of the world in which they can experience all four seasons.
 
A recent Stacker report highlighted several counties in the Philadelphia area as among the Keystone State’s best places to retire: Bucks (No. 21), Delaware (No. 12), and Montgomery (No. 3). Factors that make them so prized include a low cost of living, excellent health care, and the proximity to various means of recreation, among others. Likewise, Travel + Leisure recently named West Chester, in Chester County, as one of the top 10 best places to retire in Pennsylvania—No. 2, just behind Pittsburgh—while Philadelphia and Swarthmore also earned plum spots (Nos. 5 and 9, respectively).
 
Many older adults prefer to move into a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) or independent-living facility. While such moves require an adjustment, those who make the transition tend to find that life in a CCRC fulfills every criterion—top-shelf health care and wellness facilities, flexible accommodations and first-rate staff, a host of dining options, opportunities to explore, and programs and activities to help them pursue interests they either forgot about or never even knew existed. Residents often realize that if they can envision a goal or imagine a possibility, the staffs at these communities will do everything in their power to make it happen.
 
Top of the Mountain
To some older adults, nothing could be more comforting than “aging in place” in their long-time family homes. Others prefer to pursue a different option in which to enjoy the final chapters of their lives—namely, a retirement community. Such communities offer comfort and security, opportunities to get involved and develop friendships, and other means of enhancing their health and well-being, such as expanding their minds or adopting new hobbies.    
 
The southeastern corner of Pennsylvania has an abundance of CCRCs and independent-living facilities devoted to helping older adults live their best lives, whether they live independently, require personal care, or need specialized support, such as memory care. Some of these communities are routinely ranked among the best places to retire in all of Pennsylvania, or any other state in the union for that matter.
 
Following are some of the top retirement communities in the Philadelphia area. Suburban Life acknowledges the Philadelphia area has many exceptional places to retire and only a fraction of them are represented here.
 
Acts Retirement Life Communities
Brittany Pointe Estates in Lansdale, Fort Washington Estates, Granite Farm Estates and Lima Estates in Media, Gwynedd Estates in Ambler, Normandy Farms Estates in Blue Bell, Southampton Estates, and Spring House Estates in Lower Gwynedd
actsretirement.org
 
Ann’s Choice - Erickson Senior Living
Warminster
ericksonseniorliving.com/anns-choice
 
Arbour Square of Harleysville
Harleysville
trueconnectioncommunities.com
 
Artis Senior Living
Huntingdon Valley, Yardley, and Princeton, New Jersey
artisseniorliving.com
 
Atria Senior Living
Atria Bethlehem, Atria Center City in Philadelphia, and Atria Lafayette Hill
atriaseniorliving.com
 
Brandywine Senior Living
Haverford Estates, Longwood in Kennett Square, and Upper Providence in Phoenixville
brandycare.com
 
Chandler Hall
Newtown
chandlerhallhealthservices.org
 
Cornwall Manor
Cornwall (Lebanon County)
cornwallmanor.org
 
Dresher Estates
Dresher
dresherestates.com
 
Dunwoody Village
Newtown Square
dunwoody.org
 
Eagleview Landing
Exton
eagleviewlanding.com
 
Elm Terrace Gardens
Lansdale
elmterracegardens.org
 
Five Star Senior Living
The Devon Senior Living, NewSeasons at New Britain in Chalfont, and Forwood Manor in Wilmington, Delaware
fivestarseniorliving.com
 
Freedom Village at Brandywine
Coatesville
fvbrandywine.com
 
Friends Home & Village
Newtown
fhvpa.org
 
Garden Spot Village
New Holland
gardenspotvillage.org
 
HarborChase of Wilmington
Wilmington, Delaware
harborchase.com/harborchase-wilmington
 
The Hearth at Drexel
Bala Cynwyd
thehearthatdrexel.org
 
The Hickman
West Chester
thehickman.org
 
HumanGood
The Mansion at Rosemont, Rydal Park & Waters in Jenkintown, and Spring Mill Pointe in Lafayette Hill
humangood.org
 
Independence Court of Quakertown
Quakertown
icquakertown.com
 
IntegraCare
Glen Mills Senior Living, Exton Senior Living, Magnolias of Lancaster
integracare.com
 
Kendal-Crosslands Communities
Kennett Square
kendal-crosslands.org
 
The Manor at York Town
Jamison
themanoratyorktown.org
 
Maplewood at Princeton
Plainsboro, New Jersey
maplewoodseniorliving.com
 
Maris Grove - Erickson Senior Living
ericksonseniorliving.com/maris-grove
Glen Mills
 
Masonic Villages
Lafayette Hill and Warminster
masonicvillages.org
 
Meadowood
Lansdale
meadowood.net
 
Merrill Gardens
Eagleview Landing in Exton, Merrill Gardens at Glen Mills and West Chester, Truewood by Merrill in Glen Riddle
merrillgardens.com
 
Oxford Enhanced Senior Living
Langhorne
oxfordenhancedseniorliving.com
 
Pennswood Village
Newtown
pennswood.org
 
Phoebe Ministries
Allentown and Wyncote
phoebe.org
 
Pickering Manor
Newtown
pickeringmanor.org
 
Pine Run Village
Doylestown
pinerun.org
 
Pleasant View Communities
Manheim
pleasantviewcommunities.org
 
Riddle Village Retirement Community
Media
riddlevillage.com
 
Rosette
Gladwyne
livingatrosette.com
 
SageLife
The 501 at Mattison Estate in Ambler, Plush Mills in Wallingford, Daylesford Crossing in Paoli, and Echo Lake in Malvern
sagelife.com
 
The Solana Doylestown
Warrington
thesolanadoylestown.com
 
Springton Lake Village
Media
springtonlakevillage.com
 
Sunrise Senior Living
Abington, Dresher, Haverford, Lafayette Hill, Media, Newtown Square, and North Wales
sunriseseniorliving.com
 
Symphony Square
Bala Cynwyd
symphonysq.com
 
Bellingham at West Chester
West Chester
seniorlivingbellingham.com
 
Waverly Heights
Gladwyne
waverlyheightsltd.org
 
White Horse Village
Newtown Square
whitehorsevillage.org
 
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, February 2025.