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schools and colleges offer programs to meet the needs of most students, talents and interests. You can also explore new ideas and subjects with classes as varied as creative writing, interior decorating, blogging and bird watching as part of continuing education programs. This strength in adult education contributed to Macon- Bibb being designated an Age-Friendly Community in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities, an affiliate of the World Health Organization. Macon was the first of seven U.S. communities to receive the designation, which signifies areas that try to be responsive to the needs of older people. So it's a great place to live and work. It's a great place to go to school. And, it's a great place to retire. AND LIVING WELL… In a way, Macon itself is like a museum. Sherman's troops left the area almost completely intact during the Civil War. Macon has more than 5,500 structures and 11 districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are architectural examples of Victorian, neoclassical, Renaissance, Greek Revival, Italianate and bungalows. In the past year, historic preservation projects in Macon outnumbered efforts of every other city in the state. The state had 112 historic preservation applications and certifications filed in the year ending in July 2013. Macon was involved with more than a third of them with 42 applications. Savannah, the previous leader in Georgia historic preservation efforts, only had 22 during the same time frame. Credit for this goes to this area that values its architecture and history and, especially, to the Historic Macon Foundation. Historic Macon works to preserve houses and commercial properties in Macon's 14 historic tax districts. Its mission is to revitalize the community by preserving architecture and sharing history. Historic Macon works closely with the College Hill Alliance, a grant function of Mercer University, funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. College Hill is responsible for fostering neighborhood revitalization in Macon historic College Hill Corridor. The Alliance's efforts focus on business recruitment and retention, lifestyle enhancement, and catalyzing commercial and residential real estate development in historic College Hill, an area surrounding Mercer University and connecting to downtown Macon. Contemporary residential developments are available, too, at surprisingly affordable rates compared to state and national averages. Bibb County's median house value is $123,300. That's well under the state of Georgia's median value of $156,400. Affordable real estate is one of the many reasons people choose to relocate here. Another reason is convenient, quality healthcare. With a thriving medical school and three local hospitals, there is no reason to leave the area for superior care. It's all right here. And Macon is 36 l MACON MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY 2014