Retirement

If we are to believe Noah Webster, retirement means “withdrawing from active life.” Not so in the Florida Keys. Our retirees are anything but retiring. Each year, about the time Jack Frost starts whistling up north, the influx of snowbirds to our sun-­kissed islands begins, and the collective pulse of our communities quickens.

Unlike other retirement areas in Florida, our seniors usually don’t keep to themselves in preplanned communities. You’ll find them living in residential neighborhoods and condominiums, RV parks, and mobile-­home villages. Our seniors contribute an added dimension to our communities. They form a much-­needed core of volunteers for many of our public services, including the county libraries, local hospitals, and area schools.

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) accepts individuals age 50 and older into membership, , and some are taking the Florida Keys by storm. These prime-­of-­lifers have taken a career-­course detour, leaving that corporate 9-to-5 (or, more likely, 9-to-9) grind to venture off the track into uncharted territory.

Regardless of age, the retirees in the Florida Keys remain youthful. Our warm, tropical climate is kind to old bones (young ones, too!). The pace of our lifestyle moves to a different drummer—well, more of a reggae beat. Some people even feel we live longer down here . . . and they’re in their 90s. Our energetic retirees enjoy fishing and scuba diving, golf and tennis, boating and bridge. They are active in myriad special-­interest organizations the length and breadth of the Keys. Many pursue artistic hobbies long put on the back burner while the rest of their lives simmered. Some go back to school, developing new skills and honing others.

Overview

At the heart of the retirement community in the Florida Keys are the senior citizen centers, which serve as cohesive units of companionship and support to retirees of all ages and circumstances. The centers were constructed and are maintained as a joint venture between Monroe County and the local chapters of AARP. Membership in AARP is not a prerequisite for most activities of the senior centers, but anyone age 50 or older may pick up an application to AARP at any of the centers. Because our seniors participate in activities based all throughout the Keys, we have organized this chapter by interest group, incorporating all areas of the Keys from Key Largo to Key West.