When you start thinking about the ideal place in which to retire, Largo in Florida could be just what you are looking for. With a population of around 70,000, you’ll find more than 30% of residents over the age of 65 years. If you are keen to belong to a retirement community and are looking for warm weather, sunshine, beaches and a good life, you’ve found it!
Residents of Largo appear to be perfectly happy where they are and often do not feel the need to go elsewhere on vacation. Doesn’t that sound tempting? Imagine living in such a place! Too good to be true? Not really. Read on and you’ll find out more.
Largo is located in the Tampa Bay area, 15 miles away from Tampa and St. Petersburg. The average price of a 3-bedroom house here is just over $ 150,000. You’ll also find condominiums on the beachfront surrounded by palm trees – scene that could quite easily have come straight out of a postcard or picture book.
Unlike Clearwater and St. Petersburg, which have spread out as they have grown, Largo has remained unspoilt, prosperous and old-fashioned in a charming sort of way. The social character of Largo is typical of what most people visualize when they hear the term ‘retirement community’.
Golf courses and parks in Largo are clean and unpolluted, and what’s more, the residents of Largo appreciate the fact and know that they are lucky to have such a wonderful environment. One of the senior citizens even claimed that if Largo’s weather were up for sale as a commodity, it would easily fetch a million dollars!
Generally speaking, the weather here is warm with temperatures varying between 82.5° and 60.5° F. Summers are humid but bearable. It seldom rains and snow remains a distant dream.
With such a large proportion of residents over the age of 65, life in Largo is predominantly colored by the culture of retirement. You’ll find people meeting wherever they can, often in church. It’s fairly easy to meet new people in Largo.
If you’re looking for cultural pursuits, you should visit the Largo Cultural Center where there are popular music festivals. However, major events are held further away in Tampa or St. Petersburg.
Largo is by and large a safe city with a mix of people belonging to different races. There’s not much crime here and because of the different kinds of people living there, you’ll find a wide range of restaurants with plenty of special offers.
If you are worried about your health, you can visit the Largo Medical Center. This is a facility accommodating 256 beds and is located inside the city limits. Apart from this, there are other larger hospitals approximately 30 minutes away.
As for the cost of living, it is lower than the national average. So also is the cost of housing. Golf and softball are popular sports here. There are five golfing clubs in Largo, while many people also anchor boats in the Gulf of Mexico.
The state of Florida charges a sales tax of 6%. However, there is no income tax and any problems with the state’s budget barely affect the residents of Largo. So now that you know what you know about Largo, does it sound like the kind of place you’d like to retire in?
Take a moment to stop and ponder – after all, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.. Wouldn’t blame you if you have a hard time coming to a decision about a place like this! There aren’t many of them – and remember you only live once, so why not go for it!
Be the first to comment