May 12, 2008
Retirement in Williamsburg
When they began looking for a place to retire, Jack and Grace Kalberer of Potomac, Md., wanted water, culture, a change of seasons, mild winters and good medical care.
Kalberer, a doctor, retired at 61 after 31 years at the
National Institutes of Health. He was an associate director coordinating disease
prevention in the office of the director. Mrs. Kalberer was 51 then and ready to retire
from teaching high school biology. They moved to Williamsburg in 1998.
Like many who retire to Williamsburg, they had vacationed
in the area for a number of years. But it wasn't their first choice in the beginning. They
also had considered Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Florida, California, Wilmington, N.C. and
Charleston, S.C.
"I happened to notice Governor's Land advertised in
the Wall Street Journal," Kalberer says. "We were on our way down to Wilmington
and Charleston and decided to stop here."
When they stopped, Governor's Land was one house existing,
one under construction and lots of promises. A little more than five years later, they
bought a lot and built a house in the community.
"We are taking advantage of some of the cultural
things," Kalberer says. "We like the outdoor life and attractions in Governor's
Land – tennis, boating. We're learning golf. It's a beautiful canoeing area. The
birding here is phenomenal. We see great white herons, blue herons, ospreys, eagles, king
fishers and everything else imaginable."
As they get involved in the community, they are impressed
by the people they meet. "The level of people who have been attracted to Williamsburg
is pretty remarkable ... four star generals, CEOs," he says. "But they tend to
be pretty low key regardless of the type of life they have led."
The marina at Governor's Land was an added attraction. A
final consideration that wasn't in their original specs was quality dining. People don't
often think of eating out until they move somewhere and there's nowhere to eat except fast
food, he says. "That's a plus around here – there are good restaurants at all
levels. That wasn't in our equation but it should have been."
Copyright © 2008, The Virginia Gazette
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