| ||
By STEVE LEVINE
Courier-Post Staff
Since 1990, the township's senior citizen population has been it's fastest growing segment, according to U.S. Census data comparing the population by age. Seniors say they' re drawn to Deptford for it's nearness to Philadelphia, good shopping and easy access to major highways, such as the New Jersey Turnpike, the Atlantic City Expressway and Interstate 295.
From 1990 to 2000, the number of men age 65 and older grew by more than 27 percent from 1,237 to 1,572, while the number of women in that same age group grew more than 41 percent, from 1,724 to 2440.
To house them, the township has several retirement and over-55 communities including Lakebridge, which is about 15 years old, and Bridlewood, which was built in the late 1990s.
Township administrator Joseph Picardi said The Heritage, the latest development of single family homes for seniors, is under construction off Almonesson Road. He said a new hospital specializing in the care of Alzheimer's patients will soon be built on Deptford Avenue in the township's Westville Grove section.
Picardi said most of the newer construction over the past 10 years has been on senior citizen housing. Some other projects that stalled in the past have started up again, he said.
"Locust Grove, for instance, will have thousands of units: single family homes, apartments and condos," he said.
Cynthia Richmond, 77, said she and her husband moved to Deptford from Nutley in Essex County about 15 years ago to be closer to their daughter, who had bought a home in Washington Township. The couple lives in Lakebridge, a senior community of 381 private homes off Cooper Road.
She and three girlfriends took part in an exercise class last week at the Lakebridge clubhouse, a popular fixture in the community.
"The location is excellent," Richmond said. "You have the mall close by and the Turnpike is close by if you need it."
Richmond said activities at the Lakebridge clubhouse range from billiards and pinochle to bocci, tennis and swimming.
"There's always something to do," she said.
Doris Walsh, 73, was a longtime Audubon resident who moved to Lakebridge after losing her husband.
"I saw this place one day and bought it the next," Walsh recalled. "It's a very convenient place and we're there to give support to one another in times when we need it."
Faye Salvatore, executive director of the Gloucester County Department of Aging, said the number of senior citizens rose countywide, from about 25,000 in 1990 to almost 36,000 in 2000, the last time the census was taken.
Salvatore said Deptford is especially popular with seniors.
"The township has a shuttle bus to take them to our nutrition site at Gloucester County College," she said. " Seniors can go and eat a nice nutritious meal for a donation of a dollar and a quarter. It's a very convenient town."
Picardi said the township also is popular among younger families.
"Nationwide the population is aging but in Deptford you still have young families moving in," he said. "If you're looking for good schools, excellent recreation facilities and manageable taxes, look at Deptford. We're a full- service community."
| About this issue Deptford: Today & Tommorow is part of an occasional series examining how towns served by Gloucester County Communities have changed in the decade between 1900 - 2000 and what the future may hold.Data from the U.S. Census Bereau was used to make the analysis. |
Today and Tomorrow stories:
- Township becomes community of choice for senior citizens
Since 1990, the township's senior citizen population has been it's fastest growing segment, according to U.S. Census data comparing the population by age. Seniors say they're drawn to Deptford for it's nearness to Philadelphia, good shopping and easy access to major highways, such as the New Jersey Turnpike, the Atlantic City Expressway and Interstate 295. - District adjusts to middle school squeeze
Responding to a big spurt in the number of 10 to 14-year-olds, township school officials have found more space within the walls of 26-year-old Monongahela Middle School. - Programs enhanced for pre-k
Deptford, the county's third largest school district, is making plenty of room for its youngest students although they represent only a small sliver of the entire township population. - Interact promotes cultural harmony
Being biracial hasn't been a burden for Rachael Paynter, a Deptford High School senior. - Some churches grow along with Deptford
Members of two of the township's largest predominately black churches are envisioning growing congregations and expanding facilities in the near future. - Deptford: Profile
Employment statistics; Population; Map