Sun city az
Are you nearing your retirement? Wondering what to do once you step out of your office? Where to stay? Ask where you could possibly relocate? Well, the answer could be just one- the Sun City at Arizona. Spread across an area of nearly 15 sq. miles, this sprawling city is one of the most popular and sought after adult retirement community. Ask any of the nearly 50,000 residents living in the City and they will swear by their decision to settle here. Socializing, recreation and enjoying life together- these words summarise the spirit of these residents.
Location:
The Sun City is located in the Maricopa county of Arizona about 6 miles away from the city of Glendale. The nearest city is Peoria about 3 miles away while Phoenix is about 15 miles away. The climate here is much warmer than in the north, and there is plenty of sunshine round the year to keep you warm and dry. A 30-minute drive will take you to the beautiful Lake Pleasant where you can enjoy hours of fishing and boating in the serene environs. A 2-hour drive to the north will reach you to Sedona, the spectacular red rock county. Further up and you reach the Grand Canyon. Three hours south and you will enter Old Mexico.
History
The Sun City community was the brainchild of the legendary builder of Phoenix, D.E Webb. Webb toyed with the idea of building an exclusive community for the retired in the mid-1950s. Until then no such community existed any where in the country and Webb was convinced that such a self-sustained community would be a great hit. He acquired about 20000 acres of land in what was then known as the town of Marinette near Phoenix and commenced the construction activities in 1959. This was an ideal location for such a community as it had a warm climate and was surrounded by mountains, canyons and desserts. The community opened to prospective residents on 1st January, 1960 and was a big hit right from day one. More than 200 homes were sold out in the first three days of the inauguration that saw more than 100,000 visitors tour this unique community. In the coming months, more and more visitors bought homes in the community and by the end of 1960 a record 2000 homes had been sold. Sun City had caught the nation?s attention. What really spurred this popularity was the strong-word-of-mouth publicity that the residents spread around. According to the Sun Cities Historical Society, Wendell and Emilie Draser were the first residents to move into their new Sun City home.
Facilities:
The Sun City is a well-contained community in many ways. Most of the necessary facilities and services are available within the community itself. These include
7 Recreation Centres
8 Golf Courses
3 Country Clubs
2 Bowling Alleys
Outdoor and Indoor Theatres
Shopping Facilities
Medical and Hospital Facilities
Dining Centre
Places of Worship
The Community Spirit :
The Sun City is not the only retirement community in the US today. However what really sets it apart from the rest is its strong community spirit. It has always relied on its own residents for all its requirements without any major government support. Most of the healthcare and other services are funded through resident donations. They help in keeping the city clean and also help the county Sheriff in maintaining law and order in the community. The hospitals in the Sun City have one of the largest volunteer forces that help in the day-to-day operation of the health centres. As and when requirement for new services arises, the residents just get together and find ways of meeting it.
All said, the Sun City is an ideal location for post retirement settlement. Even after 47 years of existence, this community is amongst the more popular retreats for senior citizens across the country. The main reason for this popularity is its friendly and active community who live here. A cosmopolitan mix of people from various states as well as from other countries adds to the charm of the place.
For more details, you can write or call Mr. Paul Herrman, Executive Director, Sun City at the below address:
Sun City Visitors Center
16824 N 99th Avenue
Sun City, AZ 85351
Toll Free 800-437-8146, Tel 623.977.5000
Fax 623.977.4224
Email scvc@suncityaz.org
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