Close to paradise

As baby boomers retire, says Lisa Margonelli, they may find what they need in mobile-home communities.

RESIDENTS CALL LIFE at Pismo Dunes Senior Park “Pismodise.” California is a notoriously youthful culture, but eventually the perpetually young get very old. If they’re lucky enough to live in Pismodise, a trailer park on the Central Coast, they can exit its palm-lined entrance, cross the road, amble across the capacious sand of Pismo State Beach, and dip their toes in the Pacific Ocean while contemplating eternity (or a cocktail).

To move into Pismodise you must meet four conditions: Be 55 or older, keep your dog under 20 pounds, be present when guests stay at your home, and be comfortable with what most Americans consider a very small house. “If you need more than 800 square feet I can’t help you,” says park manager Louise Payne, 72, with a shrug. There seems to be some leeway on the dog’s weight.

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