Ready to Engage

Annapolis, Maryland. Ann Arbor, Michigan. Flagstaff, Arizona. Pinehurst, North Carolina. Walla Walla, Washington. All five towns made Forbes ’ recent list of the top 25 places in the United States to retire, based largely on factors such as cost of living, leisure activities, and quality-of-life measures.  Conspicuously absent from the list were any towns from southeastern Pennsylvania, as were locales in bordering Delaware and New Jersey. That said, Philadelphia’s collar counties had a phenomenal showing in Niche’s recent list of the best places in Pennsylvania to retire, factoring in the number of retirees, weather, and access to quality health care and entertainment. Several Philly-area towns made the top 25: Blue Bell, Haverford Township, Kennett Township, Newtown, Penn Wynne, Rose Valley, Spring House, Wyncote, and Wyndmoor. The Philadelphia suburbs may not be for everyone of retirement age, especially when the vibrant foliage of autumn gives way to the ice and snow of winter, yet many retirees who grew up in the area choose to keep their roots planted firmly in Keystone State soil—to stay close to family and friends, or merely to continue enjoying the many comforts native only to this particular part of the world. Many nonnatives move here specifically for the area’s many amenities, ranging from a world-class culinary scene to abundant cultural offerings to some of the country’s finest healthcare institutions. Of course, the Philadelphia area also has many excellent continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) designed to help older adults make the most of retirement. Each community shares a common goal: to help residents thrive through social engagement, learning opportunities, and wellness initiatives, as well as serving as a launchpad for new adventures. Exploring the Best Places to Retire The southeastern corner of Pennsylvania is home to a wide range of CCRCs and independent-living settings, each committed to supporting older adults, whether they live on their own, receive personal care, or require memory care or other specialized services. Many of these communities routinely earn recognition as leading retirement destinations in the state and across the country. The communities featured here represent a selection of the Philadelphia area’s top-rated options. We recognize the fact that the region offers many remarkable choices for retirees, and the following list reflects only a portion of the options worth exploring. Acts Retirement Life Communities Brittany Pointe Estates in Lansdale, Fort Washington Estates, Granite Farm Estates and Lima Estates in Media, Gwynedd Estates in Ambler, Normandy Farms Estates in Blue Bell, Southampton Estates, and Spring House Estates in Lower Gwynedd actsretirement.org Ann’s Choice – Erickson Senior Living Warminster ericksonseniorliving.com/anns-choice Arbour Square of Harleysville Harleysville trueconnectioncommunities.com Artis Senior Living Huntingdon Valley, Yardley, and Princeton, New Jersey artisseniorliving.com Atria Senior Living Atria Bethlehem, Atria Center City in Philadelphia, and Atria Lafayette Hill atriaseniorliving.com Brandywine Senior Living Haverford Estates, Longwood in Kennett Square, and Upper Providence in Phoenixville brandycare.com Chandler Hall Newtown chandlerhallhealthservices.org Cornwall Manor Cornwall (Lebanon County) cornwallmanor.org Dresher Estates Dresher dresherestates.com Dunwoody Village Newtown Square dunwoody.org Eagleview Landing Exton eagleviewlanding.com Elm Terrace Gardens Lansdale elmterracegardens.org Five Star Senior Living The Devon Senior Living, NewSeasons at New Britain in Chalfont, and Forwood Manor in Wilmington, Delaware fivestarseniorliving.com Freedom Village at Brandywine Coatesville fvbrandywine.com Friends Home & Village Newtown fhvpa.org Garden Spot Village New Holland gardenspotvillage.org HarborChase of Wilmington Wilmington, Delaware harborchase.com/harborchase-wilmington The Hearth at Drexel Bala Cynwyd thehearthatdrexel.org The Hickman West Chester thehickman.org HumanGood The Mansion at Rosemont, Rydal Park & Waters in Jenkintown, and Spring Mill Pointe in Lafayette Hill humangood.org Independence Court of Quakertown Quakertown icquakertown.com IntegraCare Glen Mills Senior Living, Exton Senior Living, Magnolias of Lancaster integracare.com Kendal-Crosslands Communities Kennett Square kendal-crosslands.org The Manor at York Town Jamison themanoratyorktown.org Maplewood at Princeton Plainsboro, New Jersey maplewoodseniorliving.com Maris Grove – Erickson Senior Living ericksonseniorliving.com/maris-grove Glen Mills Masonic Villages Lafayette Hill and Warminster masonicvillages.org Meadowood Lansdale meadowood.net Merrill Gardens Eagleview Landing in Exton, Merrill Gardens at Glen Mills and West Chester, Truewood by Merrill in Glen Riddle merrillgardens.com Oxford Enhanced Senior Living Langhorne oxfordenhancedseniorliving.com Pennswood Village Newtown pennswood.org Phoebe Ministries Allentown and Wyncote phoebe.org Pickering Manor Newtown pickeringmanor.org Pine Run Village Doylestown pinerun.org Pleasant View Communities Manheim pleasantviewcommunities.org Riddle Village Retirement Community Media riddlevillage.com Rosette Gladwyne livingatrosette.com Solera Senior Living Plush Mills in Wallingford, Daylesford Crossing in Paoli, and Echo Lake in Malvern soleraseniorliving.com The Solana Doylestown Warrington thesolanadoylestown.com Springton Lake Village Media springtonlakevillage.com Sunrise Senior Living Abington, Dresher, Haverford, Lafayette Hill, Media, Newtown Square, and North Wales sunriseseniorliving.com Symphony Square Bala Cynwyd symphonysq.com Bellingham at West Chester West Chester seniorlivingbellingham.com Waverly Heights Gladwyne waverlyheightsltd.org White Horse Village Newtown Square whitehorsevillage.org Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, October 2025.