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In May of 2006, the Texas Department of Agriculture announced their initiative to officially certify communities in the state through an extensive application process. The criteria for this process was extensive through a scoring system which included areas such as; health care services, emergency care, personal safety, public transportation, continuing education, leisure living and much more.
Athens officially became distinguished as one of the first three cities to be officially recognized by the Texas Department of Agriculture as “Certified Retirement Community” on November 15, 2006.
Athens, Texas is retirement ready! Athens is the largest city and the county seat of Henderson County. Athens is a town filled with a great sense of pride on the quality of living that has been established for the population of 12,000. Surrounded by lakes, ponds and woodlands, Athens is only an hour away from Dallas and you need only to step out your back door to enjoy a breath fresh air and the smell of pines.
Home to an extensive medical community, Athens array of medical services is a comparative to those of large metropolitan cities. East Texas Medical Center offers a 117 bed unit , Level III Trauma Center – 24/7 Emergency Care, EMS Ambulances and an Air 1 Emergency Helicopter.
Trinity Valley Community College has been a cornerstone since 1946 and its origin as Henderson County Junior College. TVCC not only offers comprehensive academic programs, but has specifically targeted Senior Citizens with; Savvy Seniors, Senior Discounts, Senior Gold Card and RAS (Returning Adult Students).
Athens Senior Residents never need to worry about a variety of leisure living activities. How about Monday enjoy the day on Lake Athens. This 1520 acre lake features a marina, RV Resort and a restaurant. The lake is known for largemouth bass 3-8 pound range, but has produced a large record of 13.81 pounds. While at Lake Athens, drop into theTexas Freshwater . This facility offers a 300,000 fish aquarium, dive shows, a fishing pond (poles and bait provided), tram rides and a wetland trail. Tuesday enjoy a day of golf either locally at Athens Country Club or choose one of 8 great courses within a 28 miles range or less. If Wednesday you are feeling the need to roll up your sleeves and get busy, try a day of volunteering at Keep Athens Beautiful or any of the other non-profits within Athens. With over a 100 to choose from, pick your fancy from Noon Kiwanis to costume design at the Performing Arts Center. Thursday morning start your day at the Henderson County Senior Citizen Center at enjoy the entertaining Pea Pickers Square Dance Club and then off you go with a picnic basket to the East Texas Arboretum.Enjoy your lunch under an expansive pavilion. Then off for a walk on the 2 mile nature trail laced with winding spring fed streams. Friday morning up you go to the Cain Center for an exhilarating workout. This facility offers a 25 meter indoor heated pool, fully equipped weight room, racquetball court, spa and saunas. The Cain Center is especially retirement friendly offering the following programs: Fitness +, Jazzersize, yoga, lap swimming, “Silver Sneakers Program” and a Senior Health Fair. For lunch drop into one of our quaint dining facilities and plan your weekend. Enjoy a performance at Henderson County Performing Arts Center, a concert from Lakeland Community Concert Series or a great rodeo at the Fair Park Complex….Athens has it all!
Meet Charlie Tea Athens Retiree-
“As I neared retirement from my career in the insurance industry, my wife and I decided we wanted to get away from the traffic and congestion in Austin and retire to a smaller community.
About three years before I retired we acquired a copy of the Texas Almanac and identified about twenty towns in Texas under 20,000 population. Then I started giving my wife gifts for Christmas, Birthdays and Anniversaries, consisting of mini-vacations at bed & breakfast locations in these towns. After a year and a half of doing this, we narrowed our selection to Kerrville in the Hill Country and Athens in East Texas.
For many reasons, we finally selected Athens. The pace is slower, the people friendlier and the cost of living lower than almost anyplace we researched. Certainly, it is less expensive to live here than it was in Austin or what it appeared it would be in Kerrville. In the three years we have called Athens home, we know more people and have a wider involvement in the community than we did in ten years of living in Austin, or Dallas for ten years before that.
We love our home, our neighborhood, and our town.”
Charlie Tea
Athens Retirement Ready Committee's Mission Is To Position, Promote and Support Athens As A Premier Community With A Quality Of Life That Is Unmatched For Retirement Living.
www.athenstxretirement.com
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