For many retirees, especially those searching for a retirement location that offers the opportunity to combine life in a small university town with a passion for golf, the Auburn / Opelika region on the eastern edge of Alabama, may be a great choice.Although Oliver Goldsmith penned the phrase “Sweet Auburn! Loveliest village on the Plain” years before the founding of this small town, it has been said to be an appropriate description of this charming community, where each yearcolorful azaleas and magnolias are welcome harbingers of spring.
Here, one has ready access to the educational and cultural facilities afforded by being near AuburnUniversity, while at the same time living near some of the best golfing facilities to be found in the Southeast.
In fact, one publication has gone so far as to describe Auburn as “… the perfect blend of community, university and tradition…” designating it“…a small dream town, offering high quality of life to all residents.”Marked in recent years by rapid growth, Auburn is currently the fastest growing metropolitan area in Alabama and the nineteenth-fastest growing metro area in the United States.Although the municipality itself has a population of only about 50,000, the surrounding market area, including Opelika and nearby Columbus, Georgia, encompasses a population approaching 276,000.
Like many college towns, Auburn’s recognition as a retirement center is largely beingspurred by the thousands of university alumni who are drawn by the schedule of athletic events, as well as the ongoing program of cultural and artistic activities that add to the overall quality of life for the area’s residents.Perhaps most notably, Auburn is home to the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, which maintains a collection of primarily 19th and 20th Century American and European art, including works from a number of prestigious American artists such as Jacob Lawrence, Ben Shahn and Georgia O’Keefe, as well as an impressive collection of works by Dali, Renoir, Picasso, Chagall and Matisse.
Hamilton Gables offers the perfect place for an active, fun-filled retirement.Experience the excitement of living in a small college town in this new neighborhood of two and three-bedroom homes, complete with clubhouse, fitness center and pool.
Adding to the cultural scene in Auburn is the Telfair Peet Theatre, which offers a series of plays and musicals each year, ranging from classical to modern productions andincluding five productions September through May, summer dinner theatres and the annual autumn haunting of the theatre.
From an architectural standpoint, the area remains a jewel of historical preservation, with more than fifty examples of Greek Revivalist and Victorian structures in Auburn and historic Downtown Opelika enjoying a return to the center of life for the community following a major renovation project that has restored the buildings and streets into a beautiful revitalized shopping district with a turn-of-the-century flair.
The excellent quality of the health care facilities is a major factor in the region’s high ranking as a place to retire. With hundreds of physicians located in Auburn and Opelika and the presence of East Alabama Medical Center (EAMC), a 352-bed acute-care regional referral center with an active staff of 132 physicians, located in Opelika, the health needs of area retirees are more than adequately met.Retired military personnel appreciate the fact that they have easy access to the army hospital in nearby Fort Benning, Georgia.
Seniors who plan to spend a great deal of their retirement on the fairways are certain to appreciate both the quality and quantity of the golf courses available to them in and around these sister cities. In fact, Golf Digest, in a 2005 survey of the best cities for golfers nationwide, selected Auburn / Opelika as the top American metropolitan area for golf among all cities, regardless of size.
Perhaps the best-known and most spectacular of the local links is Opelika’s Grand National Golf Course, one of the collection of golf resorts included in Alabama’s renowned Robert Trent Jones Trail. Altogether, in addition to the 54 holes in this facility, there are more than 100 more holes of beautiful golf available to retirees at very reasonable rates.And for those who desire the exclusiveness of a private club, there are several top notch layouts in the vicinity, including the challenging Martin’s Mill Club, with fairways carved out of the rolling terrain and native hardwoods of the Alabama hillsides.
Non-golfers will also find plenty of opportunity for outdoor recreation in and around Auburn and Opelika.In Auburn, the city has created an impressive network of bike trails, as well as 16 parks with numerous multi-use trails and several lakes.For those who prefer water sports, LeeCountyLake is a great fishing hole, and LakeSaugahatchee, adjacent to the Grand National Golf Course in Opelika is a favorite spot for canoeing. Boaters and waterskiers can head to nearby LakeHarding or LakeMartin.
Just a short one hour drive away in Pine Mountain, Georgia is CallawayGardens, an award-winning, 14,000-acre gardens, resort and preserve nestled in the southernmost foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
Retirees seeking to escape harsh northern winters find the area’s winters to be very mild by comparison with average highs between 55 and 60°F and average lows between 35 and 40°F.Autumn and spring are normally very comfortable, although summers can be hot and muggy.Since Auburn is less than 250 miles from the GulfCoast, tropical breezes and storms can impact local weather conditions.
