Retirement Utopias

By Virginia Prescott on Tuesday, May 20, 2008.

Free golf, spotless lawns, dinner menus fixed on early bird prices... and no kids allowed! Members of America’s 55+ crowd are moving their lives and tax dollars to age-segregated "geritopias" in big numbers. And with 10,000 boomers reaching retirement age every day, this "lifestyle" industry is preparing for more.

Writer Andrew D. Blechman went behind the gates of the world's largest age-segregated retirement community in Florida, and came away with a new book, "Leisureville: Adventures in America's Retirement Utopias." He joins Word of Mouth with a suprising look behind the white-picket fence.

We also speak with Tom Anderson, president of the board of Summerfield of Amherst, a retirement community in southern New Hampshire.

(Photo from The Villages in Florida)

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Word of Mouth is all about what's new. Online and on-air, the show looks at our fascinating and ever-changing world, and puts the latest ideas under a microscope. Word of Mouth investigates everything from science and technology, to health and the environment, to new trends in popular culture. The show airs Monday through Thursday at noon and is hosted by Virginia Prescott.