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Despite its growth,
Ocala remains a tranquil place (some call it
Slowcala). With a nice little town square,
complete with a bandstand, beautiful mature oak
trees, park benches, charming boutiques and some very
good restaurants, the city retains a small town
quaintness not found in a lot of Florida
destinations. Ocala is a former
winner of the All America City Award (1995), given
by the National Civic League to ten cities each
year, and is also a Tree City USA, a designation
that attests to its commitment to a healthy
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Four hospitals, including Munroe Regional Medical
Center and Ocala Regional Medical Center, are located in
Ocala. Munroe Regional is an award-winning facility
(nine times named as a Top 100 Hospital for cardiovascular care)
and offers the Prestige 55 program, a membership-based
service that provides a variety of health-related seminars,
wellness screenings, fitness programs, social and leisure
services, annual flu vaccinations, eye and hearing
screenings and more for those age 55+. Ocala Regional
has 200 beds and 24/7 emergency care, a cardiac
care center, a joint care center, a neuroscience center, a
women's health center and is the
only approved cancer center in Marion
County.
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Ocala was originally founded as a military outpost during the
Seminole Indian Wars and is located midway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf
of Mexico. Beach activities are
about an hour away, as is Orlando with all of its theme parks
including Sea World, Universal Studios and Disney
World. Golf is in abundance as the Ocala area has
nearly two dozen public and private golf courses. Local
350-acre Silver Springs Nature Theme Park, considered Florida’s
original tourist attraction, teems with wildlife exhibits and is
renown for its unique glass-bottom boats that let guests view
fish, turtles and alligators as the boats glide over artesian
springs that are up to 80 feet deep. The Ocala Civic
Center presents twelve professional-quality,
live productions each season and is one of the largest community
theatres in Florida. Volunteers are welcome!
The Florida Horse Park is the place to watch
Olympic-level international competitions and show jumping and is
an official U.S. Equestrian Federation training site, attracting
national attention and world-class competitors. The
Sun Ocala Winter Circuit brings to town a series of horse-jumping
competitions that 3,500 horses and 7,000 horsemen from around the
world attend each year.
There are several senior centers in and around
Ocala, and Marion County Senior Services (352-620-3501) is a
non-profit charitable agency that provides services, such as
transportation, meals and non-medical, in-home support, to those
55+.
SunTran is the local bus system. Fares are
$1.50 ($.75 for seniors) and monthly passes are $45 and $23
(seniors). The Ocala Regional Airport is a general aviation
facility that offers private and charter flights.
Ocala has two distinct seasons: the dry season (October-May)
and the wet season (June-September). The dry season brings nearly
uninterrupted sunshine with very little rainfall (the Ocala area
is known as the "kingdom of the sun"), and the wet
season brings showers each day. January temperatures
reach into the high 60s, and July temperatures top out in the
90s. Humidity averages 90% in the mornings and
dips to 60% in the afternoons. The last snowfall was in
1989, and interestingly, the city has more
lightening strikes than nearly any other location in the world.
There are drawbacks to an Ocala
retirement. Some residents complain about traffic, but
others say it is nothing compared to larger cities. Crime is
above the national average, and above Florida's average, but most
crimes are thefts. Cultural amenities and
nightlife are somewhat lacking. This is not the place for a
busy, sophisticated retirement, but for retirees seeking a quiet
lifestyle in an affordable location, Ocala is worth a look.
Return
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