Central Pennsylvania is one of the most bucolic areas of the Mid-Atlantic region, with rolling hills, farmlands, and fascinating towns. The counties of Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, and York are also home to many Amish and Mennonite communities. Their barns, farmers markets, shops, horse & buggy rides, and windmills enhance the landscape around them.
Lancaster County is home to this country’s oldest Amish settlement and its residents are integrated into the towns’ culture, agriculture, and local businesses. Many active adults choose to set down roots in Amish Country because of its peaceful, simple setting and close proximity to Philadelphia, Reading, or Harrisburg. Here are some of the area’s finest 55+ communities.
The Paddock at Equine Meadows – Red Lion
Mid $100s – High $100s
This intimate, 55+ community of new and resale attached homes will have a total of 174 residences when completed. They are sized from 1,310 to 3,000 square feet with two or three bedrooms, two to three-and-a-half baths, and attached two-car garages. These upmarket homes include marble tops in the bathrooms, upgraded kitchen appliances, and front porches. Additional upgrades in some include whirlpool tubs, sunrooms, hardwood floors, and fireplaces. A homeowners association fee provides for lawn care, landscaping, and snow removal.
The Paddock at Equine Meadows features a clubhouse with an exercise room, activity rooms, and a library is in the works. Downtown Red Lion has plenty of shopping, dining and entertainment options, including a grocery store, the Red Lion Model Historical Society’s Train Station, and the Red Lion Tavern. Golden Connections Community Center is minutes away and offers exercise classes, computer classes, crafts, games, speakers, and trips.
Timber Villa – Elizabethtown
Low $100s – High $400s
The small borough of Elizabethtown has fewer than 12,000 residents. It attracts serenity-seeking active adults to Timber Villa, an established community of just 102 attached resale homes built from 1983 to 1999. Its models are sized from 744 to 2,882 square feet with one to three bedrooms, one to two-and-a-half bathrooms, and attached one- or two-car garages. Some of the floor plans feature decks, vaulted ceilings, skylights, and finished basements.
Timber Villa is also close to Harrisburg and is less than five miles from the Susquehanna River. Nearby attractions include Hersheypark and Hershey Gardens, the AACA historic car museum, the Mount Hope Estate & Winery, and Elizabethtown College. Charming downtown Elizabethtown has antique shops, farmers markets, and a pharmacy.
Village Grande at Millers Run – Lancaster
Low $200s – Mid $300s
A stellar Lancaster location, affordable homes, and outstanding amenities are only some of the great features that Village Grande at Millers Run offers. This newer community of 241 resale single-family homes is designed like a country village with mature trees, a stone bridge, and an English garden. There are four spacious models ranging from 1,558 to 2,261 square feet. They have two bedrooms, two or two-and-a-half baths, and attached two-car garages. Some feature dens, breakfast nooks, decks, and master suites.
Homeowners here enjoy spending time at the exclusive clubhouse, which has a fitness center, a billiards room, and a library. There is also a sparkling outdoor pool, tennis and bocce ball, walking & biking trails, and a putting green. Village Grande is just four miles from historic downtown Lancaster, which is overflowing with restaurants, shops, and Amish attractions. Special events and festivals take place year-round here, but it’s one of the best places in Pennsylvania to be during the holidays.
Watson Run – Gordonville
Mid $200s – Low $300s
Situated about 10 miles east of Lancaster and 35 miles from Reading, Watson Run has a rural, pristine setting that promotes low-maintenance living. Started in 2007, it will have 190 new and resale single-family homes when completed. The floor plans range from 1,348 to 2,471 square feet with one to three bedrooms, two to three bathrooms, and attached two-car garages. All of the models have first-floor master suites, while some also have covered porches, family rooms, and walk-in closets.
The property has a private clubhouse with a lounge, fireplace, catering kitchen and activity rooms. Outside, homeowners enjoy walking & biking trails and an outdoor pool. Popular nearby attractions include Paradise Community Park, Tanger Outlets in Lancaster, and Dutch Wonderland, a wonderful place to take your grandchildren year-round.
