Leisure World is the first US city exclusively for the elderly. A self-governing 4-square mile community surrounded by a barbed wire fence, where the average age is 77 and every day is a holiday. Leisure World has 18,000 residents, five swimming pools, golf courses, gyms, a library and its own television station. About 200 community clubs offer everything from bridge to opera, and a synchronised swimming team, The Aquadettes, whose oldest member is 88.
Leisure world is affectionately referred to by some residents as ‘Seizure world’. 42 per cent of Leisure World residents are over 80, and females outnumber males two to one (women live longer than men, on average).
Remarking on elderly residents age and forgetfulness in the kitchen, Leisure World’s PR Terri Quinlan says, “The fire department here is the most active department in Orange County. We keep the ambulance service pretty busy too.”