New York/Williamsburg, Virginia

Spring Arbor assisted living, Williamsburg, Virginia

From Williamsburg, Brooklyn to Williamsburg, Virginia. Spring Arbor, assisted living apartments, where my 86 year old father just moved. I went down for a couple of days to get him situated. It was a necessary move, and I am happy with the care offered and the overall kindness of the staff.

But will baby boomers be satisfied with places called Spring Arbor or Shady Grove? Do we all end up in pouffed, faux palaces? Cheesy replicas of colonial mansions that never existed in colonial times? Most of these places are developed by large companies that, presumably, have studied the demographics, and have come to the conclusion that ye olde traditional is what will make the most money.

Is it possible, however, that there are niche markets based on alternative aesthetic models? What about a woody lodge-like environment? An urban village grouped around an internal main street? A modern media-centered complex? And so on.