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The only complaint I have about where we live is the climate. Often drizzly and winter is normally high winds and cold rain. But we travel often which helps. I'd never want to move somewhere warm strictly because of the climate. There has to be more to it like culture, gorgeous scenery, friendly and funny people with laid back attitudes, historical sites, etc.
If we could afford it I'd like to spend 3 months each winter somewhere warm. We can do one month now.
While I can do my water aerobics in Lake Michigan for about 10 weeks a year, I miss having an indoor swimming pool the rest of the year. Knee arthritis means water exercise is optimum. But I knew there was no pool when planning retirement to an island, so I splurged and bought a used Nustep on craigslist which sits in the garage and is used with great enthusiasm on an almost daily basis. Still, when traveling, I always stay at a hotel with an indoor pool, and make a beeline for the pool upon arrival. The trade off is the beauty of looking at the lake all day long, the island sense of community, and the restfulness of filling your days with books and whatever projects you develop for yourself. I don't require a lot of choice for occasional meals out, so am content with a few restaurants, each of which has a few things I like. Internet, a piano, dish tv, and a lovely library with a comfortable reading area fill in any gaps. Snow doesn't seem to matter much when you're retired, don't have to go anywhere, and get dug out pretty quickly anyway. So the upshot is, I guess I miss access to a pool, but don't allow myself to obsess about it, and have tried to work around it.
If you are thinking of retirement in CA here is my opinion: Don't unless you have a very comfortable pension. I live here, I know. The cost of living is high, there are lots of liberals (unless you are one and are ok with it), traffic and ever increasing toll roads, home prices are starting to edge up again, high crime rate, schools lack luster unless you can afford private or chartered, big illegal problem, lots of homeless and welfare recipients, crowded just about everywhere. I have lived here most of my life oh and the Central coast, EXPENSIVE! Home prices really, really high. If you get higher to say Humboldt, Eureka area you get more rainy gray days and lack luster shopping, hospitals. Central CA hot, farmland, so so medical care, lots of illegals. Palm Springs area is hot, dry, your AC costs will be thru the roof, HOT (really, not kidding about that). State of CA not much breaks for retirees but like I said if you have a comfortable retirement lets say over 2 million saved it just might be the state for you as this state does have the best weather in cities such as San Diego but there is high cost of living, crowded and land locked. CA is just too fast paced and expensive for us, if we could afford to stay we might think of central coast but cannot afford to buy a home there.....Any suggestions on good states to retire to that have a lot of walkability like hiking, small town, friendly people and mild winter? Thats all we need
If you are thinking of retirement in CA here is my opinion: Don't unless you have a very comfortable pension... high crime rate, schools lack luster unless you can afford private or chartered, ... crowded just about everywhere. Home prices really, really high... State of CA not much breaks for retirees but like I said if you have a comfortable retirement lets say over 2 million saved it just might be the state for you ... CA is just too fast paced
We also live in CA (husband's family has been here since 1950, and mine since 1975). We have hundreds of native and lifelong Californians in our combined family. I agree with many of the things in your post, but some of them are no longer important to retirees (schools, for instance, which, BTW, are NOT lackluster. There are so many gifted students in our combined family in the last 30 years you wouldn't believe, and we all found great schools for them.)
We do not have "a very comfortable pension". In fact, I would call our retirement income rather low, since we only have one pension and a tiny teeny SS, but we live well. Our assets do not reach 1% of the 2 million you mention, and we have been living comfortably in our (early) retirement since 2000.
High crime rate does not apply to the entire state. There are cities in Southern CA that have been rated among the safest in the country year after year.
Same as crowds and fast pace.
Post retirement, we moved to Italy and lived there for seven years, then moved back to the States to live in CT, SC, and FL. There are good and bad aspects of every place. We have finally found the best location for us: a Southern CA mountain town of 5,000 population (no fast pace, no crowd, no high crime) where traffic is always light except on weekends in the winter when skiers and snowboarders flock in for the snow. We have exceptionally clean air every day of the year. We have beautiful spring, great summer (highest temperature is in the low 80s), gorgeous autumn foliage, and white Christmas. We no longer feel the need to own a house, in fact, we sold our homes and have been living in rentals in the last five years. Our apartment now is in a 62+ complex that is located on the most beautiful street in the city, with a rent control that we could easily afford even if our retirement income is cut in half.
Granted, in exchange for all of that, we do not have a comprehensive hospital in town, only a small one that takes care of the mundane complaints. So, that is our "single biggest gripe". However, there are almost a dozen of comprehensive hospitals 40 miles from us, and in emergency situations, the medical airlift service is available 24/7 and can bring patients to the door of any selected hospital in 20 minutes. My husband just recently received that service, so I am speaking from personal experience.
No, CA is not an ideal state, but there is no ideal place anywhere on earth (after a lifetime of seeing the world, I am convinced of that.) A location is only ideal if it fits all requirements, and it is only ideal to the person with the requirements. In our 60+ years with CA, I can honestly say there are plenty of locations in this state that are very close to ideal for us and our need for a simple and serene life.
Last edited by Ol' Wanderer; 11-10-2012 at 12:32 PM..
Any suggestions on good states to retire to that have a lot of walkability like hiking, small town, friendly people and mild winter? Thats all we need
Boy oh boy do we have lots of suggestions. I suggest looking through some of the threads in the index--you'll se loads and loads of suggestions in there. Of course, everyone has a different idea of what makes a retirement paradise, but you'll probably find something you like in there. Skim through the threads under "Retirement Locations" and under "55 Most Popular Threads" to find the most comprehensive suggestions.
Yes, the central coast of Ca, as matter of fact, down along the coast all have nice weather. But due to two factors, unreasonable high home price and real major quake treat we wont put permanent retirement home there.
Still I think it's easy to manage cold than hot. for instance, in winter we will warm up car in garage first before we head out if we have to leave home for crucial reason. I am not talking about such cold like Alaska!
Your suggestion for NM is very interesting for exploring further, thank you.
For you winter is easier perhaps.I winter or summer we just start the car and air conditiong cools qauckly;no problem with travel really.just what your use to inlidfe style I guess. i spendmore timeoutdoors than I did i Penensyvnnai where m aprents where fro, .I could take the go to work then home too long rouitne my parents relatives lived in Pennesyvannia where they were from.For the young they adapt to anything really as summer was my a favorite time with water sports.
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