By Kelly Skinner
When moving to Atlanta,
seniors are inadvertently signing up for backstage passes to the city. Whether
it be a Broadway play, free transportation, a discounted dinner or a cheap pottery
course; by being retired, Atlantans can tap into a little-known resource for
deals and discounts. In a sense, relocating retirees have just scored their
very own golden tickets. With this in mind, KNOWAtlanta has assembled a handy
guide to help community seniors ensure they take advantage of as many of these
perks as they can. Welcome to Atlanta, where the 60-and-up crowd holds the keys
to the city.
Living it Up
Several builders in Atlanta specifically target to the older population by building
homes with floorplans and amenities catering to seniors, boasting features like
wider hallways, rocker-style switches and lower countertops. Multiple senior
living and active adult communities also include a substantial list of amenities
included within their reasonable-rate plans. For instance, PARC Communities
residents enjoy housekeeping, lawn service, property and home maintenance, water,
sewage and trash, laundry, two meals a day, transportation (payment, fuel, insurance
and maintenance), fitness membership and 24-hour emergency response with their
monthly rent payment.
Learn New Tricks in Atlanta
In accordance with an amendment to the Georgia Constitution, the Board of Regents
waives tuition to public colleges for senior citizens (or people over the age
of 62). In other words, senior citizens can attend local colleges and universities
such as Mercer, Clayton State, Kennesaw State University, Georgia Tech and Emory
University for free (excluding supplies, lab or shop fees, application fees
and parking fees). Whether the person chooses to obtain a degree or simply dabble
in a few courses here and there is up to them, all that matters is that they
meet a few standards: The student must be a legal resident of Georgia and be
age 62 or older at the time of registration; they can enroll on a space-available
basis; they must meet all admission requirements including high school and college
records; they must meet additional system, institutional and legislated degree
requirements like a Major Area Exam; and the student may not enroll in dental,
medical, veterinary or law schools.
For seniors who aren’t exactly enthused about reliving the college experience,
a plethora of educational options exists throughout the city at phenomenal rates.
For instance, the Lunch ‘N Learn or Continuing Education classes available
at the Roswell-Alpharetta Seniors Enriched Living organization offer lectures
in subjects ranging from art history and woodworking to Spanish and Shakespeare
for a pricetag of $40. A similar program is offered at Perimeter Adult Learning
and Services (PALS) in Dunwoody.
Fitness hounds can take advantage of programs all across the area with discounts
at gyms, yoga centers and various recreation areas. Of special note are senior-only
facilities like Smyrna’s Aline Wolfe Adult Recreation Center. This exclusive
site is open only to individuals age 55 and older, garnering them access to
their own fitness equipment, exercise classes and a therapy pool.
Ticket to Ride
For those Atlantans looking to soothe a travel itch, the options for travel
clubs and lowered travel rates are almost endless. Life Enrichment Services
provides the Travel-Aires program, which offers members a one-day-or-longer
trip both to locales nearby and far away. Trip prices range according to the
activity and the location. Past examples of trips taken include day trips to
the Southeastern Flower Show and overnight trips to the Peabody Hotel in Memphis.
Local church groups are also a rich resource for finding group travels at discounted
rates as are the infamous Red Hat Society (which has local units all over the
area), The Day Trippers (based out of Fayetteville) and the Decatur Recreation
and Community Services Traveling Keenagers. Meanwhile, for seniors just looking
to make a trip across town or down the street, systems like Cobb County Transit
offer huge discounts in public transportation. (In CCT’s case, this means
a free 10-ride bus pass and the recently added Cobb Freedom Voucher Program.)
Tax Breaks
When Atlanta-based seniors reach age 62, they don’t have to pay taxes
on the first $35,000 in retirement income each year. Starting in 2012, Atlanta
is phasing out state income taxes for seniors with a full exemption slated for
2016. Also, several counties allow for an exemption of the school tax on seniors’
property tax bill.
The Volunteer Spirit
Organizations are always looking for volunteers regardless of age. For those
wanting to get more involved with the city, lending a hand to the community
is a perfect way to make friends and receive a few great perks too. For instance,
the Fox Theatre, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, the High Museum of Art,
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, The Alliance Theatre and The Woodruff Arts Center
all offer volunteer and ushering opportunities. So for the art aficionado, this
not only means a backstage pass to events, it’s also a great way to mingle
with visiting artists and members of the art community.
Animal lovers are welcome to get involved with organizations like the Humane
Society, Atlanta Pet Rescue, Zoo Atlanta and the Georgia Aquarium, among others.
Likewise, service organizations like Habitat For Humanity, Friends of Disabled
Adults and Children, and Hands on Atlanta all welcome senior volunteers to take
part in their events and programs.
Age’s Advantage
For additional information about Atlanta’s senior services, consider the
following websites for further reading:
www.centerforpositiveaging.org
www.shepherd.org
www.scsatl.org
www.aarp.org