Reasons to Retire in Victor, NY

For seniors who are looking for a place to retire in upstate New York, the Ontario County town of Victor is worth considering. The town has nearly 16,000 residents and provides a small-town community feel compared to bigger cities like Rochester. 

Its convenient location, around 16 miles southeast of Rochester, provides residents with close access to big-city amenities, while having the ability to enjoy a peaceful and relaxed environment at home.

The following are some of the top reasons Victor is considered one of the best places for seniors to retire in upstate New York.

1. Entertainment

Right in Victor, there are some major entertainment options for residents. Fun things for seniors to do in Victor include:

• Eastview Mall: The Eastview Mall has more than 150 big-name stores, restaurants and specialty service providers all in a single location. Victor residents know it’s easy to find whatever type of home goods or gifts they’re looking for, right at the Eastview Mall and at other locally owned shops throughout the Downtown Victor area.
• Regal: Speaking of the Eastview Mall, the massive Regal movie theater in Victor shows a variety of new releases and classic films. Movie lovers don’t have to travel far to catch a film on the big screen.
• Historic Valentown Museum: History buffs and museum lovers can visit the Historic Valentown Museum, a site that dates back to 1879 and was a 4-story shopping plaza and community center. Today, visitors can see historic artifacts including re-creations of a general store and harness maker’s shop, a grand ballroom, a music room, vintage agricultural items and other artifacts from local history. The museum periodically changes exhibits to show what rural life was like in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
• Ganondagan Seneca Art & Culture Center: The Ganondagan Seneca Art & Culture Center is another engaging attraction in Victor, as well as a National Historic Landmark. The museum sits on the original site of a 17th century Seneca town and is the only one in New York that’s dedicated to Native American history. Visitors can learn about indigenous Seneca and Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) peoples and see art and cultural artifacts that date back more than 2,000 years. There’s also a full-size Seneca Bark Longhouse that’s fully furnished with reproduced objects and trade goods to show what life was like in the late 1600s for a typical Seneca family. Visitors can also access two signed interpretive trails that provide education about Haudenosaunee culture and history and the significance of plant life in the area.

These notable venues are located right in Victor, giving residents lots of ways to enjoy life in town without having to travel far.

2. Convenient Location

While there are lots of entertainment options in town, Victor’s proximity to Rochester gives Victor residents a small-town environment that’s right by bigger attractions and amenities. Rochester is the third-largest city in New York, so within around a half-hour, residents can arrive at world-class restaurants and arts and entertainment venues. There’s also the Frederick Douglass-Greater Rochester International Airport in Rochester, so Victor residents don’t have far to drive when they need flight travel.

Some of the notable attractions in Rochester that Victor retirees may be interested in include:

• Public Market: Rochester’s city-run Public Market is open year-round each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, except for major holidays. Marketgoers can shop from more than 300 vendors who offer locally grown produce, meats, seafood, eggs, dairy products, baked goods, packaged foods, specialty items, art and crafts. There’s also an abundance of fresh food stands and coffee shops, making the Public Market a great place to go for fresh cooking ingredients and unique homemade gifts.
• George Eastman Museum: The George Eastman Museum resides on the estate of motion picture film and photography trailblazer George Eastman and is the world’s oldest photography museum. Visitors can see some of the world’s oldest film archives, with exhibits containing several million objects on themes like photography, cinema and related technology.
• Ontario Beach Park: Beach lovers in Victor can head to the Ontario Beach Park, a 39-acre park on the shores of Lake Ontario. There’s lots of room to spread out a beach towel, plus attractions like a carousel, boating, food concessions and concerts on the performance pavilion.

Popular attractions like these are all a quick drive away from Victor, but residents don’t have to worry about busy crowds or tourists like Rochester residents might. It’s the best of both worlds when you live in Victor.

3. Four Seasons

From warm summer hikes, to winter skating and skiing, another reason why retirees choose Victor is because the town experiences four distinct seasons. That makes it a great place for those who love the outdoors, with features like:

• 65 miles of hiking trails, with guided and themed hikes offered through Victor Hiking Trails Inc.
• More than 450 acres of parkland in Victor, plus 330 acres of additional parkland within neighboring Boughton Park, with amenities including multiuse trails, an accessible fishing dock with a stocked pond, picnic shelters, tennis and pickleball courts, enclosed lodges, a special events amphitheater and bandshell, canoe and kayak launches, mountain biking trails, athletic fields, a box sports rink, shade trees, benches, flower gardens, a sledding hill and playgrounds
• Golf, with courses including the public 18-hole Ravenwood Golf Club and the three 18-hole courses and one 9-hole course at Victor Hills Golf Club

There are lots of ways to get close to nature in Victor, with wildlife opportunities along the Irondequoit Creek and throughout the area’s woods and wetlands. For seniors who enjoy the changing seasons and who like to explore the great outdoors, Victor is a beautiful place to do so.

Victor Is Also Home to The Addison of Fairways

Retirees may also be interested in The Addison of Fairways senior community in Victor. This independent lifestyle residence, which also provides short-term care options, offers residents everything they could need, right at home. The community provides:

• Housekeeping services
• Laundry services
• Physical, occupational and speech therapists
• Salon and barber services
• Three chef-prepared meals with restaurant-style service each day, plus snacks
• Transportation services

Plus, there’s a fitness studio, a chapel, a library and a nine-hole golf course, all at this pet-friendly residence. Residents can participate in a full schedule of daily programming, featuring hobby clubs, dance and music classes, language classes, games, social clubs and more.

If you’re interested in retiring in Victor, find out more about Senior Lifestyle, or schedule a tour today.