Hurricanes prompted some of them to move to Atlanta. Others were drawn by family ties.

But high among the reasons why metro Atlanta's older adult population grew by more than 30 percent between 2000 and 2005 was an influx of people demographers sometimes term halfbacks.

Joey Ivansco / jivansco@ajc.com (ENLARGE)

Kathy and Dave Beach, at their new Sun City Peachtree home, are two of Atlanta's newest 'halfbacks,' people who retired to Florida only to move halfway back north.

Joey Ivansco / jivansco@ajc.com (ENLARGE)

The Beaches along the fairway on the ninth green at Sun City Peachtree.

Joey Ivansco / jivansco@ajc.com (ENLARGE)

The Beaches knew the Atlanta area from visiting Kathy Beach's brother in McDonough. They purchased their Sun City home in December.

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These are retirees who left colder northern climates bound for the good life in Florida, but ended up bouncing back to the mid-Atlantic states instead.

Retired Coast Guard officer Dave Beach says he and his wife, Kathy, are "quarterbacks." The couple last lived in the Washington, D.C. area before retiring to Florida. But they were disappointed in the Sunshine State.

"We found it to be too hot. And the taxes and other situations were getting out of hand," Dave Beach said.

So, the couple scouted for a new home in Tennessee until they heard about Sun City Peachtree.

The Beaches knew the Atlanta area from visiting Kathy Beach's brother in McDonough, and were impressed with the recreational offerings at Sun City. They bought their house there in December.

They are busy exploring the region and getting to know its pro sports teams, as well as getting to know their Sun City neighbors through community activities. And they really like the weather.

"We've liked the milder climate," Beach said. "You get the cool-off you don't get down there [in Florida]."

An Atlanta Regional Commission report on the region's aging population notes that "the desire to live closer to family was the factor most likely to influence where someone would move."

That means Atlanta's strong draw for young workers has also boosted its retiree population as their parents follow them.

Cindy and Dan Hautala now live in Sun City Peachtree near Griffin after moving up from Florida to Sharpsburg in 2004.

"We got hit with three hurricanes in six weeks," Cindy said. "And (homeowners) insurance was outrageous."

The couple was familiar with metro Atlanta after visiting with their son and his family here over the years, so choosing Atlanta was easy and natural.

And if they get a craving to spend time on the beach, the coast is not that far away.

Family ties also drew Sandy and Larry Mekelberg to Dunwoody.

Having spent their lives in Long Island, N.Y., the couple bought a home in Florida in 2005 and began planning their retirement move.

"As soon as we did that, I found out I was going to be a grandmother for the first time," Sandy Meckelberg said.

Drawn by their expanding family here, the Meckelbergs bought a condo at Sterling of Dunwoody in 2006 and never looked back.

They joined the Dunwoody Newcomers Association and filled their calendars with bowling, mah jong and theater, as well as "the average things" like dining and shopping.

"I absolutely love it," Meckelberg said. "I do not miss New York at all."

Pamela Vescuso misses her home in Florida sometimes, but believes her decision to relocate to Del Webb at Lake Oconee in Greene County this year was wise.

"The hurricane situation [in Florida] was so bad," Vescuso said. "But as I aged, I was just more and more fearful of something happening to us."

She and her husband, Larry, initially considered moving to Hilton Head, S.C., but decided that it was just as vulnerable to tropical storms as their Florida home. Their visit to the Hilton Head Del Webb community put them on the company mailing list.

And that's how they got an invitation to preview Del Webb at Lake Oconee. The location was love at first sight for the Vescusos.

"We love Georgia," Vescuso said. "You're still in the South, but no more hurricanes."

The Vescusos are looking forward to their first fall at the lake, a season they didn't experience the same way in Florida.

Deborah Steinberg is keeping one foot in both worlds, with a condo at Villa Sonoma in Dunwoody and a home in Boca Raton.

After her husband died, she bought her Villa Sonoma condo in October 2005 to be closer to her daughter, but also found a community very much to her taste.

"I like that it's very cosmopolitan. I like going to Midtown and Buckhead. I live near MARTA and [Perimeter] Mall," Steinberg said. "It reminds me a little bit of being back in New York."

Through the Dunwoody Newcomers Association, she has made a wide circle of friends she joins for exploring the city and other social activities.

"There's a ton of people moving here to be closer to their children," Steinberg said.

And when she gets a yen for some beach time, MARTA goes to the airport and Boca Raton is just a short flight away.