In the New York Times article “A Rocking Chair Called Manhattan,” Constance Rosenblum examines the growth of New York City’s elderly population and the city’s appeal to older residents.  The story includes data from Social Explorer and analysis from Social Explorer’s Andrew Beveridge.

• Over 460,000 residents age 75 and over live in NYC, making up 5.6 percent of the city’s population.
• Nearly 100,000 of them live in Manhattan, where they account for 6.2 percent of the population.

Moreover, their numbers are poised to explode. Starting in January, when the first of the baby boom generation began turning 65, a boomer has reached that milestone every eight seconds.

The lingering effects of the recession and the increasing appeal of the city have combined to persuade many older New Yorkers to stay put, avoiding the financial, psychological and logistical costs of uprooting themselves.

“We tend to think of Manhattan as a city largely of the young and middle-aged, but that’s not strictly accurate,” said Andrew A. Beveridge, a professor of sociology at Queens College. “When it comes to old folks, New York is full of them. Their presence undercuts the notion that everyone goes to Florida.”

Of the 10 census tracts in Manhattan with the greatest percentage of residents 75 and older (upward of 9 percent), 6 lie east or west of Central Park. From the white-brick buildings on the East Side to the stately prewars of the West Side, both areas are rich in apartment houses with elevators, doormen and a profusion of neighbors, all prized by this population. Single women, who make up the majority, appreciate the generally safe streets.

For more on older New Yorkers, naturally occurring retirement communities, rent stabilization, roommate trends and government and local programs for the elderly, check out the full article.