In the 1970s, thousands of retirees from the North East started migrating to Florida for warmer weather and stress-free living.

Developers quickly realized the opportunity and started building retirement communities such as Century Village in Palm Beach.

The Gray Wave of the 1970s resulted in a construction boom in the state; it created a whole new industry of catering to the retired population, and made Florida a key political state.

We have found a beautiful collection of photos by Flip Schulke, who was commissioned by EPA to document the rise of retirement communities in Florida in the mid-1970s. He captured the active lives of retirees in West Palm Beach, Miami and Key West.

From riding bikes to hanging at the pool to playing shuffleboard, retirement in Florida was the epitome of the American dream.