Where Should I Live? (Warm Winter, Restaurants) (best city, apartments)
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Retirement is almost upon me and I'd better start planning!
I don't want to move permanently, just get a second home. Since I'll be leaving it empty half the year, I'm hoping for a condo/townhouse, and that rules out lots of areas which really only have single-family homes.
I live in Vancouver and am spoiled with wonderful restaurants--that'll be a must. I'd like the neighbourhood to be walkable, with a Main Street atmosphere, not car-centric. I'm a well-educated gay man, so anything too rural or redneck will not be terribly suitable Oh, and I really want warm winters (i.e. 14 Celsius highs in January, or 55 Fahrenheit or higher) as that's the point of leaving.
It would be great if a decent condo went for $200K, but I'm okay up to $300K.
So: which Neighbourhood in which City has
warm winters
walkable streets
a Main Street atmosphere
a creative, educated population
great restaurants
condos or townhouses
Bits of Southern California (e.g. Pasadena, Santa Barbara) look great, except for the price. Can I get all of that at a reasonable cost elsewhere in the U.S.?
Sure, just a 1 bed condo would be fine, though I'd be happier with 2 bed 2 bath. I'm imagining more walks outside in the warm winter sun, volunteering at the local museum, etc., rather than holing up inside through the grueling Dec/Jan and needing extra inside space--so in a pinch, for the right place, a 1 bed would do.
hmmm I think that your best bet would be downtown San Diego, Old Town Scottsdale, Downtown New Orleans, or Midtown Atlanta. I've only lived in scottsdale so I can only comment on that, but I've been to all three other cities and all match your criteria, although I'm pretty sure that Atlanta gets colder than 55 in winter lol.
Scottsdale, AZ, mainly around the Old Town area (Sc should suit you just fine. Its expensive, but not nearly as bad as SoCal. Its got a great nightlife scene, tons of restaurants, and lots of outdoor activities to enjoy during our mild winters. Be warned, there are several nights a year where we can get to around freezing temps, but most nights are in the 40-60 degree range.
Retirement is almost upon me and I'd better start planning!
I don't want to move permanently, just get a second home. Since I'll be leaving it empty half the year, I'm hoping for a condo/townhouse, and that rules out lots of areas which really only have single-family homes.
I live in Vancouver and am spoiled with wonderful restaurants--that'll be a must. I'd like the neighbourhood to be walkable, with a Main Street atmosphere, not car-centric. I'm a well-educated gay man, so anything too rural or redneck will not be terribly suitable Oh, and I really want warm winters (i.e. 14 Celsius highs in January, or 55 Fahrenheit or higher) as that's the point of leaving.
It would be great if a decent condo went for $200K, but I'm okay up to $300K.
So: which Neighbourhood in which City has
warm winters
walkable streets
a Main Street atmosphere
a creative, educated population
great restaurants
condos or townhouses
Bits of Southern California (e.g. Pasadena, Santa Barbara) look great, except for the price. Can I get all of that at a reasonable cost elsewhere in the U.S.?
Thanks,
Ash
I think Savannah would be a great option, which unlike many of the other options provided so far actually has a creative, educated population and definitely the walkability you desire with downtown historic neighborhoods offering Walk Scores in the high 70s and 80s. The average high temperature in January is around 61 degrees with plenty of sunshine.
An up and coming city is Pensacola FL. Actually anything in the Florida panhandle would suit your needs but Pensacola is less touristy than its neighbor Destin. Lots of new great restaurants, very chill atmosphere. It's beautiful. Hot and humid in the summers and warm ( though we do have some cold days in the winter they are short lived). We have a very nice little accessible airport with plenty of connections to the big cities. It's an awesome little city!
Someone already mentioned Phoenix metro and I will bring it up again. You're going to find the California vibe here but for a cheaper price. I'd recommend Old Town Scottsdale as others have already suggested. Another potential location would be Tempe, which is a few miles south.
Tucson is another great option. I would suggest looking at apartments near Downtown. DT Tucson is a bit more lively as it's close to it's bar scene (DT Phoenix is not necessarily close to Mill Ave. or Old Town) and all the art galleries on 6th and 6th. Tucson is also cheaper. If you live near DT or the University you can take the light rail which runs every 10 minutes during the day and I believe drops to 20 at night. I find Tucson to have more a creative, liberal vibe than it's bigger brother 2 hours north.
I strongly suggest living near 4th Avenue or DT here in Tucson as you'll find that "Main Street" vibe you are looking for. Other areas of Tucson... Not so much.
Las Vegas of course. Loaded with Canadians escaping the winter.
Pretty much the best city on the continent for entertainment and food.
Pretty well meet your price point.
If your older one of the Sun Cities. If younger one of the communities convenient to the strip.
You can find neighborhoods that are locally walkable...but don't get fished in. None of the SW US cities are walkable. We built them to have a car and you cannot get around it. Pretty much true of the eastern sunbelt as well anywhere warm is auto based.
Take a look got to be a few ten thousand of your country men already here in January.
Winter in CA is mild along the coast, but it's our rainy season, even in southern CA. My friends in WA and Canada go to Arizona, where it's mainly dry and sunny in winter. I could list towns that you might enjoy in CA, but I don't think you'd find the winter weather you want, at least not in a non-drought year. Remember all those stories about mud slides in southern CA happen in the winter after torrential rains.
I love the idea of Savannah. I've always wanted to go there.
I lived in Nashville for several years a long time ago, and we vacationed in the Destin, FL area. It's beautiful, but I was surprised at how redneck it was there. So, if you consider that area, you should check that out. For some reason, I didn't expect the locals to talk with southern accents. I guess my idea of FL was formed by Miami Vice lol.
At the mention of FL, though, I thought of Miami. Would be great weather-wise, lots of great food, should be lots of condos, not sure about highly-educated population in general, but I bet you could find your niche there.
I think New Orleans would be too cold.
And by the way, I moved to Mexico for a year, and advise you against buying property there, in case it was in the back of your mind. Buying property there is a can of worms. I could tell you stories.
Of all of the places mentioned, I'm leaning towards Savannah for you, though, as far as meeting your list of criteria. I think that's the best suggestion so far.
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