Peaceful and Quiet Retirement
When you’ve spent the majority of your life working, the next big step to take is to retire in a safe place where you can take it slow and relax for the rest of your life. Great Neck is one of the best options if you want a quiet retirement in a beautiful suburb. You won’t have to worry about loud neighbors or rowdy parties here. And the whole area is generally considered safe with little to no crime. Police officers make their rounds daily, especially in busier areas.
Easy to Socialize
One of the major benefits of retiring in Great Neck is the close-knit community—practically everyone knows and looks out for each other. It won’t be difficult to mingle since the residents are friendly and welcoming. Moreover, 18% of the population are seniors so you’ll undoubtedly make some new friends here. Plus, there’s a lot of opportunities to meet new people. There’s a senior citizen’s center here as well as adult education classes and art classes you could take.
Fishing
To some, a perfect retirement destination is one that offers adequate opportunities for fishing. Great Neck may not be its own island, but three different bodies of water surround it: Little Neck Bay, Long Island Sound and Manhasset Bay. Depending on how often you go fishing, this might be more than enough. For a simple and casual fishing experience, head over to Manorhaven Beach Park—it’s about 18 minutes away by car. If you’re more seasoned, you’re free to explore the shorelines of the peninsula. There are also a few boat rental services and fishing charters in Manorhaven if you want to go deep-sea fishing.
New York City
Arguably the best reason to retire in Great Neck is its proximity to New York City. There are buses going into the city and there’s a train that’ll take you to Manhattan’s Penn Station in 25-35 minutes. Very few places are better than New York City when it comes to entertainment, attractions and activities. It has some of the world’s best museums, art galleries, bustling markets, observation decks, scenic spots and world-famous landmarks. You would need several lifetimes just to see everything the city has to offer.
Medical Centers
Among the factors you have to consider when picking a place to retire in is whether it’s senior-friendly. According to financial technology company Smart Asset, Great Neck definitely is. They’ve even named Great Neck the 1st-best place to retire in New York and the 12th-best place in the nation. This is because the residents here have great access to medical care. There are over 25 medical centers for every 1,000 residents.
Nightlife
The nightlife in Great Neck is as you’d expect from a suburb. It’s not as energetic as the nightlife in the city, but it’s sufficient if you’re not a party animal. There are bars and pubs in and around town and there’s even a hookah lounge right in the middle. And if you want more options, Little Neck and Bayside are about 15 minutes away. But the real nightlife gem is New York City. It’s probably second only to Las Vegas when it comes to evening entertainment. If you retire in Great Neck, you’ll be able to enjoy NYC nightlife as much as you want. Just make sure to take the train or an Uber home.
Plenty of Recreation Centers
Another reason why Great Neck ranked first on Smart Asset’s Best Places to Retire in New York is the fact that it has 3.75 recreation centers per 1,000 residents. There are tons of things to do at these centers so you don’t have to worry about doing the same two or three activities to get fit, unless of course that’s how you like it. Among the activities offered at the recreation centers are table games like ping pong and pool, volleyball, basketball, tennis, box ball and rock climbing.
Family-friendly Venues and Activities
Great Neck has a wide variety of venues and activities for wholesome fun. There are several parks to choose from for a nice afternoon picnic, and you could take your visiting family or friends to one of the recreational centers in the area if they want to do arts and crafts, play table games or play sports. The Parkwood Sports Complex has all these as well as intermediate and children’s pools.
Asian Food
Great Neck’s dining scene is an eclectic combination of American fare and a variety of international cuisines. But what stands out the most is the huge selection of fantastic Asian restaurants in the area, including Middle Eastern and more specifically, Persian. Asian food in Great Neck is so good and authentic that it’s actually one of the major reasons people move there. Colbeh Restaurant is probably the best when it comes to Persian food. There’s a good deal of Japanese and Chinese restaurants as well, with sushi restaurant Shoshaku being the most popular and highly rated.
Has Everything You Need and More
Great Neck may be a quiet suburb but that doesn’t mean it lacks the conveniences of a busy city. It has everything within easy reach. You can find pretty much every store possible all over town, as well as nail and hair salons, spas, coffee shops, tons of great dining options and more. The peaceful community and the easy access to essentials are a huge part of why Great Neck primarily serves as New York City’s bedroom community. New York City is where people like to work; Great Neck is where people who like working in New York City like to live.