What Does a “Lifestyle Community” Actually Mean?

When you see new homes advertised these days, the details are often accompanied by terms such as “lifestyle community,” “adult community,” and so on. But what do those terms really mean, and how do you determine which kind of community is right for your situation? Here’s a primer to help you.

What is a Lifestyle Community?

Lifestyle communities aredefined by the way individuals, couples, and families live their lives, engage in work and leisure behaviors, and reflect the way they and others see themselves. While lifestyle choices are influenced by their motivations, needs and wants, it also includes factors such as culture, family, reference groups and social class.

What are the Different Types of Lifestyle Communities ?

• Family communities, which are usually populated by couples with children. Schools, sports activities, and nearby leisure activities are important to this target market.
• Adult communities. These are often geared towards couples and individuals with older or adult children, but who aren’t yet considering their retirement years.
• Resort lifestyle communities, where families of all ages can participate in onsite activities such as watersports, golfing or social and leisure activities.
• Active adult communities. This usually applies to mature adults and younger retirees, who still engage in social activities but prefer to be near to medical and other services.
• Retirement communities – while self-explanatory, this category usually includes a range of sub-categories geared at different levels of retirement.

In some cases, the identity of a community is driven by rules and restrictions, but more often than not it’s simply based on preferences, so it’s important for buyers to choose a community where the majority of homeowners want similar design homes.

10 Benefits of Lifestyle Communities

 

A Social Sanctuary

The heart of every lifestyle community is a vibrant, palpable sense of community. There are numerous opportunities to forge meaningful connections with neighbors who share similar interests and values. From weekly book clubs to impromptu barbeques, the potential for a rich social life is boundless. Such a social sanctuary not only enriches your personal life but can also provide a sense of belonging that many individuals yearn for.

 

Safety and Security

Feeling safe and secure in your home is a fundamental human need. Lifestyle communities often invest in robust security measures, offering peace of mind to their residents. Gated entries, round-the-clock security personnel, and community watch programs contribute to a safer living environment where neighbors look out for one another.

 

Enhanced Amenities

One standout feature of lifestyle communities is the inclusion of extensive amenities like pools, fitness centers, and parks. Residents can enjoy an active lifestyle without having to venture far from home. These amenities encourage healthy living, foster a sense of community through shared experiences, and provide a space for relaxation and leisure.

 

Educational and Cultural Exposure

Many lifestyle communities cater to a wide variety of interests, often providing educational workshops, cultural events, and art shows. This exposure adds an enriching dimension to the resident’s life, allowing them to learn new skills or experience different cultures without leaving the neighborhood.

 

Family-Focused Environment

For families, lifestyle communities offer an ideal environment to raise children. With an abundance of kid-friendly activities and events, children have the opportunity to form lasting friendships and create a tight-knit community from a young age. What’s more, parents can tap into a supportive network, sharing in the joys and challenges of parenthood.

 

Maintenance-Free Living

Tired of weekends spent mowing the lawn or fixing a leaky faucet? Lifestyle communities often provide maintenance services for common areas and even individual homes. This allows residents to enjoy their free time without the burden of household upkeep, a rare luxury in the realm of homeownership.

 

Active Engagement with Nature

Nature plays a central role in many lifestyle communities, with a significant amount of green space and walking trails. This access to nature encourages an active, outdoor lifestyle that is known to have numerous health benefits, including stress reduction, increased physical activity, and mental well-being.

 

Investing in Your Health

Some lifestyle communities are purposefully designed to promote health and well-being. Wellness programs, fitness classes, and even on-site healthcare services are common offerings, making it easier for residents to prioritize their health and fitness goals.

 

Environmental and Cost Benefits

Community living can be more environmentally friendly and economical. Shared resources such as community gardens, tool libraries, and carpooling initiatives reduce individual waste and lower the carbon footprint. Additionally, shared services can lead to cost savings for residents.

 

Supportive Ecosystem

A lifestyle community creates a supportive ecosystem where individuals are invested in each other’s well-being. In times of need, such as illness or personal crises, neighbors often come together to provide support, creating a safety net that is invaluable in navigating life’s challenges.

How to Choose the Right Lifestyle Community for Your Family

New home developments often cultivate a specific image, in order to attract like-minded buyers, which helps achieve harmony in the community and maintain the value of the homes. This practice helps you to identify whether a particular lifestyle community is right for your family. Some factors to consider are:

 

Type of Environment

When you picture your perfect home, what are the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings you experience? Is it calm and relaxing, or do you prefer to see activity around you? Do you want to smell a BBQ cooking, or will the scent of pine needles in the forest rock your boat? And what about sounds – do children playing in the park make you feel serene, or do you prefer silence and the sound of birds in the trees? All these are clues to the kind of environment that will work best for you and others in your household.

 

Work

Whether you work at home or elsewhere (or both) you’ll need to take account of the distance to travel to your premises or clients, or other locations you need to visit in person. For those who work from home, a lot right beside a school playground is likely to provide disturbance during business hours.

 

School

Families with school-age children need to consider various aspects of the community. These include:

• The distance from home to school, and whether transport is available or not
• The safety of the environment, particularly for younger children
• Types of courses and extra-curricular activities offered in schools, compared with the interests of your children
• Availability of day- or afterschool-care, if the adults in the home work.

It’s probably safe to say if you have young children who need to commute to and from school you probably don’t want to live in a mainly-adult community located far from schools, so these factors are all important when it comes to choosing a lifestyle community.

 

Play

Make a list of everything the members of your family do for fun. Do you enjoy spending time in nature? Are you water-lovers who absolutely must live near to a lake? Are you culinary explorers or shopping addicts, part-time film critics or enthusiastic readers? Is nearby nightlife a must? What about medical needs or services such as dry-cleaning?

 

Safety

Safety is paramount. A secure community not only offers peace of mind but also fosters a supportive environment where neighbors look out for each other. Evaluate the community’s efforts towards safety, such as well-lit streets, neighborhood watch programs, and the overall layout that ensures easy access for emergency services.

 

Sustainability

Sustainability and environmental consciousness are increasingly becoming vital elements for many families in choosing a community. Look for neighborhoods that prioritize green spaces, have efficient waste management systems in place, and perhaps, offer community gardens or are located near nature reserves. These features not only contribute to the health of the planet but also to the well-being of your family, offering serene spaces for relaxation and connection with nature.

 

Connectivity

Connectivity and commute times are essential practical considerations. A community well-connected by public transportation, or with easy access to major roadways, can significantly reduce daily travel time, giving you more quality time to spend with your family. Additionally, consider the proximity to your workplace, grocery stores, hospitals, and other vital services to ensure convenience is at your doorstep.

 

Lastly, engage with the community before making a decision. Visiting local events or forums can provide insights into the community spirit and whether it resonates with your family’s values. Engaging with current residents can reveal invaluable firsthand experiences about living in that area.

Compiling a schedule of all these factors and your requirements will help you to determine whether a specific community is likely to work for you.

If you are looking for the right lifestyle community for your family, call us at (865) 966-8700 or email info@saddlebrookproperties.com to see what we have available.