Sitting at the southern tip of the mouth of Tampa Bay, there is a spot akin to somewhere over the rainbow. It's here, in Palmetto, Fla., you'll find the Palms of Manasota, which, according to the literature, is ''America's First Gay & Lesbian Retirement Community."
Walking through the manicured, greenery of Phase I in late December, signs of gaiety in the neighborhood are nearly as rare as children. Occasionally, there is the telltale equality logo from the Human Rights Campaign stuck to a bumper. Is that a queer-rainbow sun-catcher on that neighbor's patio? The gay flavor of the Palms is not in its trappings, but in its residents. Like Al Usack and Ed Kobee.
Together for 18 years, Al, 75, and Ed, 70, moved from the D.C. area to Florida about two years ago. They've made a comfortable home for themselves in this gay enclave. With an aesthetic mildly reminiscent of The Golden Girls, the couple have decorated their home with mementos of rich lives. From their living room with its cathedral ceiling, they have a view to the community's central pond. As retirement goes, this looks awfully comfortable and peaceful. The cost? Base price for one of these airy, lakeside, two-bedroom, two-bath homes is $279,900, plus the $310 monthly association fee.
''We are here primarily because this is the gay retirement community,'' says Al, adding that he's tried to raise the community's gay profile a notch with a rainbow flag at the entrance. So far he's met with resistance. Still, the two don't seem bothered by low-key living.
http://www.metroweekly.com/feature/?ak=2062
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