Kernersville, North Carolina
We took a #RetirementRoadtrip to Kernersville, North Carolina. Its a pretty little town in north central North Carolina, right off I40, not far from Greensboro. We flew into Raleigh Airport, so we had a lovely drive through the rolling hills. Fall is in its full glory in North Carolina. The foliage was a magnificent array of oranges, yellows and reds. The landscape here in south Texas is flat as a tortilla, so I was a little nervous driving up and down the hills, but by the time we got to Kernersville I had adjusted. This is North Carolina, so it does get cold, and then warm again. It was about 65 degrees when we landed, but got down into the mid 30’s that night.
Owl’s Trail at Caleb’s Creek
My plan was to visit 3 commuities in Kernersville, North Carolina, but as it worked out, I was only able to visit 2 of them. The first community was Owl’s Trail at Caleb’s Creek. I did my research online, and I liked what I had read. I knew the community was still under construction. Unfortunately, I thought it was further along than it actually was. Phase 1 had some lovely homes and more still under construction. The community is nestled into a hillside with mature trees lining the entrance to the community.
I was hoping to see the Village Center, the pool, and the shops for the community, but I was about 6 months too early. Right now, the Village Center is stakes in the ground, and the pool is a freshly dug hole. The shops will be built where the grey structure is now.
Although I timed my visit to Owl’s Creek 6 months to a year too early, it appears the community will be quite nice once it is complete.
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Gateway Place
Gateway Place is an active adult apartment community for residents 55 and older. However, just from spending a little time there it was clear the average age of residents is significantly older. It is apparently quite popular, and there is a waiting list for the 2 bedroom units. In fact, Gateway Place is so popular that they are considering changing the age requirement to age 62 and older. There are 108 units, including 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom floor plans.
The buildings are wheelchair and scooter accessable. There’s a fitness center and hair salon on site. Utilities are included in the monthly rent. Restaurants and a pharmacy are within walking distance. Several restaurants are in the shopping center next door. Downtown Kernersville is only a few blocks away, but probably too far for most of the residents to walk.
Each building has a balcony on the 3rd floor for use by all building residents. Just inside the balcony is a lounge where residents gather to visit, play cards or put together puzzles. The residents we met were very friendly. Everyone we met say the residents all look out for each other. Given that the residents are all senior citizens, this gives them and their loved ones an extra level of comfort and security.
Kernersville is not quite suburban but not quite rural. There are definitely some rural areas, but its close enough to Greensboro to be considered an outer suburb. Downtown Kernersville has charming shops and restaurants, including a cat cafe. There’s also an abundance of restuarants and shops on the main drags that run through the town. I didn’t see any “big box” stores in Kernersville, but they were only a short drive away over in Greensboro. The people were friendly. I didn’t get run off the road once, and I frequently was not sure where I was going. I hate using my GPS, so I make alot of wrong turns. 🙂 The landscape is lovely, hills, trees and country roads. Overall, Kernersville would not be a bad choice for retirement.
