After some Penn State alumni told Penn State President Graham Spanier they wanted to return to their beloved college town, the president decided to build a community that accommodated their wishes.

Now, many retired alumni are returning to State College and living at The Village at Penn State, a retirement community located one mile from Beaver Stadium, said Jill Lillie, director of community relations for The Village.

The apartment and cottage-like homes, which house about 180 people, spans across 80 acres and are leased by the university, Lillie said.

Village residents Ron Coder and his wife Hope Coder said they were the first couple to move in to the one- and two-bedroom apartments at The Village in 2003.

Coder said he chose to return to State College because of his "attachment to the university."

Many of the residents at The Village have a deep-rooted affiliation with the university.

Ron Coder played soccer and met his wife at Penn State. Their four sons all played football at Penn State, and they have a granddaughter who currently attends the university. "We have a lot of very avid Penn State fans living here, myself included," Ron Coder said.

People from around the country are coming back to State College because the town boasts a low crime rate, low cost of living and all the excitement Penn State has to offer, Lillie said.

"It's the whole business of university life that is so attractive to so many people," said Carol Herrmann, president of Pinnacle Development for The Village and a former university administrator.

"State College is a very nice place to live and the university plays a big part in that," Herrmann said.

The trend of retired alumni moving back to their college towns "is really becoming a national phenomenon," said Rodney P. Kirsch, vice president for development and alumni relations.

Duke University, the University of South Carolina and the University of Michigan have built similar communities in response to the popularity of retiring in college towns.

The Village has been open to returning alumni in since 2003 and just finished the last building stage this spring, Herrmann said.

Herrmann added that The Village is not exclusively open to alumni; anyone who likes the idea of living close to a university campus can move in.

"The people that live and work out here at The Village are like one big family," Ron Coder said.

"Every day is a joy. I can't say anything better than that," he added.

Lori Gravish, a kinesiology instructor and wellness coordinator at The Village, said her students teach health, fitness, nutrition and wellness to the residents.

The students are trained in physical therapy and cardiac rehabilitation to monitor the residents' health, supervise their fitness programs and hold special activities for them such as cooking lessons, golf tournaments and hayrides.

"Residents really love to interact with the students," Lillie said.

Ron Coder added that The Village also offers room service for its residents.

"We have people who come in to clean our rooms and make our beds," he said. "And if your dishwasher breaks, all you have to do is call and they will fix it or replace it for you."

Ron Coder said he still likes to attend college football games via the transportation that The Village provides its residents to the stadium.

"I like to keep my sons up-to-date on all of the sports around here," he said.