Forget Florida! Retirees are ditching golf and sun for this unlikely city…as top destinations revealed

Say the word ‘retirement’ in the US, and the dream for many Americans looks the same: swaying palm trees, golf carts, low taxes, and a quiet life far away from freezing winters.

Retirees couldn’t wait to flee regions like the Northeast and its pricey cost of living for the South and West, chasing warmer weather, cheaper housing, and an escape from the bustling pace of city life. 

This often involved moving farther away from children and grandchildren in exchange for more sun and space.

And while states like Florida still draw tons of retirees, a growing number are trading quiet beaches for the bustling streets of the Big Apple. 

New York City and its surrounding metro area ranked No. 2 on a list of the top retirement destinations in the US, according to a new report by storage company StorageCafe. 

The study showed that while affordability remains an issue for New York-bound retirees, the city is still attracting older Americans for its culture, convenience, and age-friendly lifestyle.

‘Being in an apartment building with a doorman, a super, and sometimes a garage is tremendously valuable as people age,’ Joan Kagan, a New York City real estate agent specializing in apartments for retirees, told the Daily Mail. 

‘Now when it snows, people look out the window and think it’s beautiful. They’re not worried about shoveling, frozen pipes, or clearing off the car.’

Kagan also cited the ease of traveling via taxi, the lack of home repairs that would be required at a larger property, and the community provided by neighbors and building staff.

‘Someone is watching out for you. You’re greeted every day,’ she said. ‘Packages are handled. People notice if something’s off. That matters.’

According to New York City’s Department for the Aging, the population of people over 60 in the city increased by more than 12 percent between 2000 and 2010. It’s now projected to grow by more than 35 percent by 2030, meaning 1 in every 5 New Yorkers will be 60 or over.

The agency says New York’s current average life expectancy is 80, a factor that helped land it toward the top of StorageCafe’s rankings.

‘This city actually offers older people a lot,’ Lindsay Goodman, the director of Healthy Aging at the New York Academy of Medicine, said in a report that studied the health aspects of living in cities. 

‘There’s a wealth of arts and cultural opportunities. Social services and health care are a draw, too.’ 

In an October report from US News & World Report, New York City ranked third on its list of the 150 best places to retire in the US.

It found that while New York’s housing affordability score came in at 3.7 out of 10, its healthcare score was a perfect 10 out of 10 — a key factor for aging Americans.  

The metro area counts nearly 6,000 healthcare providers for every 10,000 residents — roughly 36 percent higher than the national average — ranking it 11th nationwide for healthcare access, according to the StorageCafe report. Three of the nation’s top 20 hospitals are also located in New York City.

Native New Yorker and Wall Street Journal opinion writer Willard Spiegelman, who worked as an English professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas for 32 years, said retiring in Gotham was always in the cards.

‘I have never in my life felt lonely in New York,’ he said

The 80-year-old purchased an apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan shortly after deciding to retire in 2020.

‘It’s 580 square feet of heaven on the top floor of the building,’ he explained.

Spiegelman contrasted life in the big city with the isolation he experienced in Dallas and elsewhere.

‘No matter what holiday of the year it is, living in Dallas, you know, driving around on Christmas, you seldom see any human being on the street,’ he said.

In New York, the crowds are part of the appeal.

‘I rather like the idea that nobody knows me,’ Spiegelman noted.

New York City is also making it easier welcome in older residents.

To adapt to its aging population, the city created the Age-Friendly NYC initiative, launching nearly 90 programs designed to promote walkability, recreational sports, and community connection. The program teamed with the MTA to offer subway and bus discounts to allow older residents to remain active and independent without relying on a car.

Retirees can also tap into New York’s unmatched cultural scene, usually at a steep discount.

‘Culture is a huge draw,’ said Kagan, the real estate agent, noting that many of the retirees she sees went to college in the city before moving away to raise families. 

‘A lot of people always planned on coming back,’ she said. 

‘People are actively attending concerts, lectures, and readings. The same is true for museums, theater, and music. You really can’t run out of things to do in New York.’ 

For Spiegelman, he trusts the excitement of living in New York will never fade.

‘If the day comes when I arrive at Grand Central, and I look up at the starry ceiling, and I don’t well up with tears,’ he said, ‘when that thrill vanishes, then I’ll leave.’