Leisure World, Seal Beach, California facts for kids
Leisure World is a gated retirement community located in Seal Beach, Orange County, California.
Construction on the approximately one square mile (2.5 km²) community was begun in 1960 with the first residents moving in on June 6, 1962. This was the first major planned retirement community of its type in the U.S. Today, Leisure World has 9,000 mostly older, retired residents.
The Leisure World in Seal Beach was developed by Ross W. Cortese's development company, the Rossmoor Corporation, which also developed the nearby community of Rossmoor. The same company developed several other Leisure Worlds around the United States, and started, but did not complete the Rossmoor gated retirement community in Walnut Creek, California.
The community has three guarded gates with a private security department that provides traffic enforcement, patrol service and gate control 24 hours a day. Housing consists of one and two bedroom apartments as well as condominiums. Recreation opportunities include a swimming pool and heated pool, a 9-hole par 3 golf course, a well-equipped weight room, six clubhouses, woodworking and art studios, a sewing room, lawn bowling courts, horseshoe pits, shuffleboard courts, ping-pong tables, pool tables and other amenities. There are also numerous planned activities for the residents, including regular dances with lessons. There is a very large number of clubs and organizations as well as religious groups that meet in Leisure World.
The main entrance gate at Golden Rain is for invited visitors without passes. The other entrance gates are only for residents with windshield decals or having resident identification and for visitors with passes.
The community is divided into areas called Mutuals. Each Mutual has an elected board of directors. Each Mutual can have their own rules, regulations and policies of occupancy. In general, the Mutuals adopt similar rules and regulations. Mutual 17 has 3 story buildings operating as condominiums. Mutual 15 has mostly two story buildings with two bedroom units. Mutuals 1 through 16 are one story buildings. Mutuals 1 through 16 operate as individual General Law Corporations. Ownership of the units are in Shares in the Corporation.
Mutuals maintain the original exterior of the buildings and original appliances and plumbing. Changes and or alterations to the apartment are maintained by the resident. The exterior landscaping are maintained by the Mutuals, although the resident has the option of maintaining their own landscaping.
Residents also have access to medical doctors at an on-site outpatient health center with a pharmacy, round-the-clock nurses and other services. However, residents who do not voluntarily participate with the clinic or social services are not subject to welfare checks or other supervision and medical intervention by Leisure World.
Leisure World has its own private library. Leisure World has its own US Post Office.
There are two ambulances stationed inside Leisure World on a 24-hour basis, located at Clubhouse 6. The ambulance service is run by a private ambulance company.
The Orange County Fire Department has a station located one block from the Main entrance gate to Leisure World. The fire station includes an engine truck and a paramedic ambulance. This gives the residents of Leisure World excellent response times by the Fire Department personnel.
The current cable company, Time Warner, has a closed circuit television channel, called the Superwire Channel, within Leisure World. The channel is available to digital television sets with basic cable service on channel 95. Digital televisions with a cable box can receive the Superwire Channel on cable channel 995.
Also available to Leisure World cable channel subscribers is local Public Education Government television channel SBTV-3. It is available on Time Warner Cable Channel 3 and for Verizon FIOS subscribers on channel 37.
Leisure World has its own medical center with full facilities including five physicians, optometry, physical therapy, and a pharmacy available to all residents.
Demographics
In 2019, 9,595 people, with an average age of 74, lived in Leisure World Seal Beach. Slightly more than 60 percent were female. Thirty-three percent of the community’s population was over 80. Fifty-one residents were aged 100 or more. The population density of the development’s 531 acres is 11,560 people per square mile.
Notable People
- Tom Amberry, (1922-2017): At age 71, made 2,750 consecutive basketball free throws to set a Guinness World Record.
- Dee Booher, (1948-2022): Athlete and actor, she skated in professional roller derby before joining the initial cast of Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (G.L.O.W.) as “Matilda the Hun.” She guest hosted The Gong Show 14 times and appeared in Married... with Children and Night Court.
- Joseph J. Healy, (1926-2019): 1970s CEO of Flying Tiger Line, the world’s largest air cargo carrier prior to the airline’s purchase by Federal Express Corporation.
- Luke I.C. Kim, (1930-2015): Founding president of the Association of Korean-American Psychiatrists, he was considered a major figure in introducing how cultural factors influence the treatment of mental illness among Asians.
- Mary F. Lindsley, (1907-1997): A creative writing professor at New York City’s Hunter College for 41 years, she published over 15 books of fiction, poetry and plays. Also wrote as Mary L. Jaffee.
- Kate Pedigo, (1911-2016): A folk-art painter who wrote and published books in three different genres after her 80th birthday.
Images for kids
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The 30-foot-tall globe at the Leisure World Seal Beach entrance
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A healthcare center has been onsite since Leisure World’s founding.
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Leisure World's clubhouses host activities for most of the community's 150 clubs.
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Seal Beach Pier
