An interesting article, first seen in The Wall Street Journal, surfaced over the weekend in our local newspaper, The Chicago Tribune. In it, the author discussed how urban living appeals to two diverse demographics that you might not think about — Baby Boomers and Millennials, that groups of 20somethings born between the late 1970s and mid 1990s.

Each finds condo and townhome living in our nation’s urban centers appealing — the Baby Boomers favor the wide choices of dining and entertainment — as well as the many cultural attractions — while the Millennials, seeking refuge from the suburban sprawl they typically grew up with, find the nightlife and large groups of similarly-minded peers attractive. Both groups, of course, love the public transportation options, typically rail line and bus, though the relative closeness of everything also appeals to those seeking a healthy lifestyle — or at least those who think they do!

While most urban builders are seeing only a diluted version of the housing crisis that is shaking and quaking their suburban brethren, there seems to be even more reasons now why homebuyers will be returning to our urban areas.

Smart homebuilders might want to study who their developments appeal to and style their sales approach for each demographic. We know of one builder in Omaha, Bluestone Development, who’s rowhomes specifically reach out to Baby Boomers seeking to make 50 the new 20. And their loft home product is so twenty-centric that their online floorplans show typical furniture layouts for units named The Lounge, The Gamer and The Bartender!