Yesterday's featured article in the Chronicle's H&G section was interesting because it was about something you don't often read about (in shelter magazines, anyway) -- seniors moving from the suburbs to the City. Of course, the Gruens were able to move from El Cerrito to a penthouse condo at the SOMA Grand...
Susan Fornoff's article is here.
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Comments (9)
"something you don't often read about" ???
I was under the impression that this is a fairly well-documented real estate trend among empty-nesters. Or maybe just not in SF??
It's so interesting to see MCM in the home of people who were around to see it the first time. I always wonder if they have vintage, or are just being modern.
While I'm not in a hurry for life to be nearly over I sure do wish I had a lifetime of good investments sitting around to fund a purchase like that!
Yeah, it is a growing trend, but also old news [in terms of "something you don't often read about" which, I think, you do, if you keep up with contemporary urban issues]. I'm glad these older folks are choosing the urban life; it seems so much easier to stay independent, mobile, and community-connected in the city.
This is the trend in Denver too.
I worked with a young couple moving from their downtown loft... into a 70s suburban ranch - gutting the whole thing to make it loft-like turned out very cool.
The young Mrs. said that the lofts downtown were full of retired seniors... found it kind of funny.
I guess they're the only ones who can afford the expensive lofts!!!
Good for them. I hope I have managed my finances well enough near the end of my life to be in a similar position.
I can totally see my old apartment from their balcony ... which of course pales in comparison! I certainly hope they have cleaned up that section of Mission St. since I was there (which was only a year and a half ago).
I think it makes a lot of sense for seniors to move in the city. They don't have to worry about landscaping, there's enough space for two, and there're close to everything. Good for them.
I wouldn't be surprised to see shelter mags covering this more in the future, because this is very much a current trend. I don't think it's going to go away anytime soon either, as the baby boomers age. In fact, I read a piece in the Atlantic recently about newer suburban developments turning into ghettos, thanks both to the shift back to urban living, and the sub-prime crisis.