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They do, indeed, exist and I'm with you about lousy local news. We certainly don't miss the sounds of sirens, ghetto birds and gunshots we were periodically treated to from whence we came.
The problem of sharing particulars about a good retirement location, as we define and live it, is that it may attract others and over time, that could change the enjoyable dynamics from which we now benefit.
Selfish, perhaps, but we like things just the way they are.
Just wanted to add to my previous post....thoughts about being where there is either family or longtime friends...
It seems easy to take these for granted and that we can move some place and easily start over after the age of 60. While we may indeed make new golf or ski buddies or new friends through clubs, are they really going to turn out to be the kind of longterm close friends or family we left behind?
My one close friend here, a mile from me, and I were sitting in her living room during the power outage talking about how glad we are not to be going through this alone (and this was just a power outage, nothing like a serious illness). She is a native of here, her family (which often drives her crazy, including her elderly dad) and her friends have lived in this town forever, also natives. Her friends are friends she went to high school with. As a single senior, she is always saying how she would never move away--her family and friends (single or coupled) would do anything for her and vice versa.
I, on the other hand, have had to move often since young adulthood, due to ex's job situation. I was very adaptable, even with kids in tow, and always managed to rebuild my life in the new location. But now, frankly, I'm tired of starting over. I want, at least to a small extent, what my friend has...a feeling of home in the center of any family or friends on which I can build. And I have no illusions about family or friends...I feel now accepting of them in every respect, warts and all....and I hope, vice versa. The world is a tough place for a senior to navigate on one's own. I'm finally learning what's most important to me, better late than never...
neg, I can totally relate to what you said in this paragraph. I too have moved several times in my life and have always adjusted and started over in a new location. Anticipating that I will be alone in the not-too distant future (my husband's declining health), I am now contemplating, for the first time in my life, where I would like to live. It has never been solely my decision. I hope to move only one more time in my life, to a place I hope to be for the remainder of my days.
I think you nailed it on the head....for me, at least, when you said, "The world is a tough place for a senior to navigate on one's own." How did you get to be so wise?
I understand your feelings about keeping your hideaway secret, however many of the small places that are near paradise, could use some more people. You know , its tax dollars to make things run, its enough people to have state of the art medical equipment.... As well most of these little places ( I have lived in a few) need tourist and summer people dollars too keep the quaint little shops open, at lest in Season.
I put things like very low crime, no need to lock your doors,everyone waves as you all pass by, you know things like that. Maybe a little like Mayberry RFD.
Here is another example I went through. I always wanted to live on an island, ( no bridge or ferry) , so I finally did it. sold my big boat and bought a strip of beachfront off the gulf coast of Florida. I bought a small skiff to go ashore and an ATV to travel across the island to my newly constructed beach house.
I only lived there 6 months, during the week , it became lonely being the only on the Island. I never would have thought of that, but it was true! Going ashore in big waves,rain storms, all were a contributor to something that sounded romantic, but became a hassle
The end of this adventure did turn out OK, I sold the Beach house for three times what it cost me to build it!, and, I was only 40 at the time. I guess this was one of my bucket list things, I am glad now that I did it and have the memories. The moral to this story , is sometimes be careful what you wish for. Many of the things I did when I was younger I would not tackle today, yet....you never say no to anything....
I understand your feelings about keeping your hideaway secret, however many of the small places that are near paradise, could use some more people. You know , its tax dollars to make things run, its enough people to have state of the art medical equipment.... As well most of these little places ( I have lived in a few) need tourist and summer people dollars too keep the quaint little shops open, at lest in Season.
I put things like very low crime, no need to lock your doors,everyone waves as you all pass by, you know things like that. Maybe a little like Mayberry RFD.
Assuming that was directed at me, we're rural but not isolated. In fact, a nearby area attracts some eight million tourists a year but at a comfortable distance from us. All the amenities we need and want are within 25 miles, to include state of the art medical. Plenty have "discovered" our surroundings but thus far, the masses have not encroached upon us and those of us here would like to keep it that way.
It's inevitable that this will change over time but topography does not favor a huge influx. Of course, what nature has wrought has little meaning or value to developers who will re-sculpt, over-build and ruin it in time but it will likely take decades. By that time, hopefully, I'll have assumed room temperature.
Low crime? Check! No need to lock up? Check! Everybody waves when you pass by? Check!
One of the things that keep these small places as they are , is distance, weather, and sometimes roads, and ease of travel ( no Interstates). I lived in a place like that, it was almost ideal, and you do adjust. We would make a once a month trip to Atlanta for some culture., the head back up the mountains, we refrained form this practice in the height of summer however. !
The point here is, as you have stated, there are two ways to find paradise.One is hidden away behind all the glitter and noise that everyone seems to be attracted to. The other is , finding a place like I did that WAS 2 hours to the big city, and that was exceeding the speed limit in my Mercedes ! We still had problems when we needed special things, and it was a long ride for Cancer treatments....everything has its limits, and its faults you are willing to over look for the chance to live near paradise, seems we ,all of us,are always a mile shy of that perfect place.
I remember when I worked for the Chamber of Commerce in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Part of my job was to promote our little town and bring tourists and businesses to our area, which is on the way to Yellowstone National Park and Jackson Hole, WY. Our little town was a well kept secret and no one liked that people from California were selling their modest homes for $400,000, and then coming to Idaho to build mansions in our forests. The entire State of Idaho had less people in it than Los Angeles, CA.
I remember when I worked for the Chamber of Commerce in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Part of my job was to promote our little town and bring tourists and businesses to our area, which is on the way to Yellowstone National Park and Jackson Hole, WY. Our little town was a well kept secret and no one liked that people from California were selling their modest homes for $400,000, and then coming to Idaho to build mansions in our forests. The entire State of Idaho had less people in it than Los Angeles, CA.
Poor Californians! They poured into Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada & Arizona driving up prices and forcing their lifestyle onto the locals. No one likes those Californians or the speculators.
Of course, I love California speculators. I saw the bust coming in Arizona and sold my 3 investment homes & 2 parcel of land to those speculators who were still biting at the bit to get into the action in 2004/2005. I walked away with a nice profit but they, on the other hand, got burned bad. I was very lucky.
They have brushed themselves off and are back!!! This time Canadians are leading the pack. They are buying up cheap rental homes for cash. In certain areas there are bidding wars going on once again preventing the average buyer from purchasing a home. Some things do indeed repeat themselves.
Assuming that was directed at me, we're rural but not isolated. In fact, a nearby area attracts some eight million tourists a year but at a comfortable distance from us. All the amenities we need and want are within 25 miles, to include state of the art medical. Plenty have "discovered" our surroundings but thus far, the masses have not encroached upon us and those of us here would like to keep it that way.
It's inevitable that this will change over time but topography does not favor a huge influx. Of course, what nature has wrought has little meaning or value to developers who will re-sculpt, over-build and ruin it in time but it will likely take decades. By that time, hopefully, I'll have assumed room temperature.
Low crime? Check! No need to lock up? Check! Everybody waves when you pass by? Check!
O' and buy the way the Great Smokey Nat. Park, which was 40 miles from my home, attracted over 9,000,000 visitors last year.
We thought we moved to the ideal place. We retired to Florida in 2005 while still in our fifties. After the first few months of marveling over palm trees in the backyard, a crystal clear pool and great winter weather, it started to wear thin. We're from New England but we didn't retire from New England. We lived in various parts of the country for my husband's career since 1997 and we were used to being away from family, friends, and all things familiar. But Florida, with all it's sunshine, seemed so one dimensional to us. It was all about fun.. fun.. fun, or at least it's what it's supposed to be about. We missed the seasons, our friends, our family, northeastern seafoods, etc., etc., so we moved to where we now think is 'ideal'. We're on Cape Cod, MA where the snow usually isn't extreme and it can be 10 degrees warmer than Boston in the winter and beautifully comfortable in the summer. We're able to get into Boston and Providence in no time at all. We're not too far from NH if we want to explore the mountains or ME if we want a different coastal experience. I don't think we'd appreciate having what we have now unless we spent our 5 years in FL. Sometimes fate has a way of turning us around and placing us where we belong. I love the small town feeling we have here on the Cape, I easily tolerate the 10 weeks of tourists, and I love not having to get on a plane unless I want a vacation. Before, we were flying every few months, for holidays, celebrations, and to escape the Florida heat.
We thought we moved to the ideal place. We retired to Florida in 2005 while still in our fifties. After the first few months of marveling over palm trees in the backyard, a crystal clear pool and great winter weather, it started to wear thin. We're from New England but we didn't retire from New England. We lived in various parts of the country for my husband's career since 1997 and we were used to being away from family, friends, and all things familiar. But Florida, with all it's sunshine, seemed so one dimensional to us. It was all about fun.. fun.. fun, or at least it's what it's supposed to be about. We missed the seasons, our friends, our family, northeastern seafoods, etc., etc., so we moved to where we now think is 'ideal'. We're on Cape Cod, MA where the snow usually isn't extreme and it can be 10 degrees warmer than Boston in the winter and beautifully comfortable in the summer. We're able to get into Boston and Providence in no time at all. We're not too far from NH if we want to explore the mountains or ME if we want a different coastal experience. I don't think we'd appreciate having what we have now unless we spent our 5 years in FL. Sometimes fate has a way of turning us around and placing us where we belong. I love the small town feeling we have here on the Cape, I easily tolerate the 10 weeks of tourists, and I love not having to get on a plane unless I want a vacation. Before, we were flying every few months, for holidays, celebrations, and to escape the Florida heat.
I was in Fl. 5 years also. And yes, one of the big annoyances was it took a full day 's drive just to get out of the state ! It was definitely not the real world down there. If I was going to go where its warm in the dead of winter and never leave the US , I would go to Key West,which is not really Fl. its the Conch Republic !
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