CARY - Five relocated Yankees and a Kansan sat around a table at the Cary Senior Center Thursday morning for their twice-weekly game of poker.

"My company came here for work, and I saw trees, trees, trees," said Casto Changho, 70. "When I came back home, I told my wife we're not going to live in Kansas anymore."

Changho was racking up chips and telling jokes with his five poker buddies - all of whom came to the area to retire and spend time with their grandchildren.

"This is a really nice area, and there's always lots to do," said Tom Coyne, 78, a New Jersey native who has lived all over the country. "I come to the senior center a few times a week if there's a concert or something else going on that's interesting."

In 2000, Cary's senior population was two and a half times what it was in 1990. Between 2000 and 2008, the population of adults ages 65 and older increased by 70 percent.

As the elderly population swells, the town has spent millions to create neighborhoods that consider the needs and wants of all residents, young and old.

And it is paying off in national accolades. The town is one of four communities nationwide recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its investment in active communities for senior citizens. Mixed-use developments with parks and recreational centers are a major reason why the town received the 2009 Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging achievement award, EPA officials said.

"These are popular locations for retirement communities due to their proximity to shopping, exercising and staying engaged," said Kathy Sykes, senior adviser on the EPA's Aging Initiative, which doles out the award. The award goes to communities who have demonstrated excellence in building healthy communities by integrating principles of smart growth and active aging, or when elders regularly participate in structured and unstructured physical activities.

"Our staff is focused on providing all of our citizens with a great quality of life, and we're especially proud of the national recognition our planning and Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources staffs have received for their focus on our seniors," Town Manager Ben Shivar said.

The EPA's Aging Initiative places a premium on these practices, citing the longer life span of most Americans. By 2030, the population of adults 65 years and older is expected to reach 20 percent of the total U.S. population, reaching more than 70 million people.

The Cary Senior Center, located inside Bond Park on Maury O'Dell Place, has quadrupled its courses and activities over the last five years, including art, dance and computer education classes. The senior center serves more than 22,000 elders, including those just looking to play a few laidback games of poker.

"I've been to the senior center in Apex, and I wasn't very interested," said Apex resident Hooker Horton, 76, while dealing a new hand. "Here, I can walk the trails around Bond Lake with my kids."

The town has preserved 2,300 acres of open space, 22 parks and 174 miles of biking and walking trails.

There are several affordable senior housing developments in the town, too. Jeff Ulma, the town's planning director, said those communities are consistently popular because of their physical appearance and low maintenance.

"It's about recognizing that the older demographic is important to our planning work," said Jeff Ulma, the town's planning director.

When the town updated its transportation plan, there was specific outreach to involve senior citizens and learn about what they might want in C-Tran and other transit options.

"They take pretty good care of us," Coyne said.