Men and Women retiring alone to a new city/state -- where will you go and why? (taxation, climates)

[miruca]

Pacific Northwester's might want to check out the Seattle area forum - fabulous pictures of someone's Seattle weekend.

karcon- for most people the loss of a parent leaves one feeling a bit untethered, as an only child it must be that much more intense even after a year I'm glad you are taking time and I hope you come back with some great elephant stories. fyi - I also have rented for 8 years and am having to make a change this summer with retirement.

I am heading to the Seattle area for the weekend - it sure looks gorgeous there! I plan to get the map out and check out a few little towns in the surrounding area.

[Tesaje]

Originally Posted by newenglandgirl

Today I got a decent offer on my house...not my asking price, so I'll do a reasonable counter-offer, but if push comes to shove....I will take the first offer! I am looking at another house near my sister...not such an upscale area, but still nice and much less expensive house. So this is to let you all know that buyers are definitely out there, and there are many who are living in far more expensive areas than us and who will think that our house is a bargain! Everyone in our generation seems to be downsizing in term of space and cost, and all of our houses are "downsizers" compared with someone else's! So I hope things go thru for me, but in real estate you never know. I just wanted to post this though to give everyone hope that our moving ahead with our plans is very possible!!

That is fabulous news! How encouraging. Maybe Wisteria will have the same luck when she puts her's on the market.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by miruca

...I am heading to the Seattle area for the weekend - it sure looks gorgeous there! I plan to get the map out and check out a few little towns in the surrounding area.

I'm sure you have plenty of suggestions for Seattle area towns, but just to name a few places I've seen preferred
Edmonds, Kingston, Poulsbo, Camano Island, Stanwood have all been mentioned as nice 'retirement friendly' nearby places.

If you have transportation and time, you might check out Wenatchee / Cashmere. I really like the regional transportation options to venture from Leavenworth to Chelan on a regular schedule. The drier weather and ag based economy (nice friendly and helpful people) are added plus'.

[Dancingearth]

Originally Posted by miruca

I am heading to the Seattle area for the weekend - it sure looks gorgeous there! I plan to get the map out and check out a few little towns in the surrounding area.

Procession of the Species and Art Walk is happening in Olympia this weekend. Ya gotta see it. The first year I lived there my daughter and I danced with Planet Percussion.

POSC: Homepage

If you go to Olympia also check out the Farmer's Market --my friend Anne sells pottery there although she might not be there because she's not doing it every weekend. and the Sandman Tugboat--I use to be a docent on the boat.

Olympia Farmers Market local Washington organic farmers, handmade arts & crafts, locally grown plants

Tugboat Sandman

And a really great park for walking/hiking very close to the city.
Priest Point Park (http://www.ci.olympia.wa.us/cityservices/par/parks/PriestPoint.htm - broken link)

Watch out you'll get hooked on Olympia. Awww..I'm so jealous, I want to go. If only I could have handled the rain.

[nancy thereader]

But you are happy in New Mexico, Dancingearth. N'est pas?

[terrilynnb]

This is my first post but I am in a similar situation as many of you. Mid 50s, single after a lifetime of marriage, have been on the central coast of California in the perfect town but can't afford to stay in my home after retirement. I am temporarily in Florida in a lovely area on the water in a darling town and I KNOW for sure that I absolutely do not want to retire in Florida. I can't handle the heat. I'm not afraid of going somewhere that I don't know anyone since I have moved many times and while my husband was along, it was like being alone! I just came to a town in Florida for a few months-long story-but didn't know anyone and I think if you are friendly, it's easy to meet people almost anywhere. I do want a sense of community though and I agree with those of you who say it would be nice to have other women for support and connection. (definitely not looking for a man at this point in my life. That may change someday but it's hard ot imagine right now.) I am loving living alone but the idea of a cohousing type community where everyone has their own space and then common areas sounds great. I have gotten rid of so many of my possessions and it feels wonderful. Want a very small place. I have considered Louisville, Ky, Knoxville and Chatanooga, Tn because I have sisters in Ohio and Nashville so would like to be within a couple of hours of them. But I can't imagine not living on the ocean. The southwest is not an option as I have lived in Tucson and Scottsdale and had plenty of heat and sun. I know a few of you have mentioned Las Cruces but have you ever been there? The only times I drove through, the whole place smelled like the cattle. I would love to hear from any of you who are in Tennessee, Kentucky or the Carolinas as far as how open minded you find people. I find northern Florida is too conservative for me. Also thought about the CArolinas-love Asheville but it is getting pricey and considered Charleston area. I'm going to check out Isle of Palms because I am told it's still lovely but not as upscale as Hilton head. For me,( and it sounds like Wisteria and a few others are in the same situation.) I've just lived in some really wonderful spots and it's going to be tough finding anything comparable-particularly the climate and terrain. I know my priorities are a village or sense of community, no heavy traffic, good air quality, ideally a college town, artsy area, a place where it feels safe to walk at night, within an hour of decent healthcare and airport. Oh, and it has to never go above 75 or below 45-just kidding. (that's like where I live now)
sorry to be so wordy-just wanted to catch up with everyone on where I am coming from and where I'd like to be headed.

[Dancingearth]

Originally Posted by nancy thereader

But you are happy in New Mexico, Dancingearth. N'est pas?

Like anywhere, there are pluses and minuses. I've never had the kind of friends here like the ones I have in WA. So far after one year back, I have one good friend that lives a block away and two old friends from when I lived here before that live an hour away. I just exchanged phone numbers with a guy in the studio who is looking for a group of people to do things with this summer.

Olympia has a much better sense of community but since my daughter had moved to PA and I needed a job and missed the sun, I moved back here. I love so many things about NM but the feeling of community isn't here. I'm trying to create it but it takes time. Someone told me it takes 7 years! Whoa. And the job is very uncertain because of the economyand my new boss is a jerk. But I can't imagine living anywhere else except another city in NM. I love the geography, the cultures, the history, and the arts; not to mention the sense of space with the mountains, plains, and sky. I keep trying to imagine me in PA but I feel closed in just thinking about it.

I think how I feel is part of settling into a new place even though it's not as extreme as the first time I lived here. At least this time I knew where the grocery stores were!

[mmhere]

This is an email I got today from the cohousing people involved with Elder Housing. Grass Valley is about an hour northeast from Sacramento. The book sounds good. Wish I could entice one of these people to help put together a truly affordable project.
ARE WE AUDACIOUS??


"We invite you to join us for this book event on Audacious Aging."**
Members of Wolf Creek Lodge Cohousing

Friday, May 15 - Book Event on Audacious Aging - Grass Valley, CA*
June 24-28 - National Cohousing Conference - Seattle, WA
The Senior Cohousing Handbook, 2nd Edition - Now available!

Friday, May 15 - 7:00pm
Local Cohousers to Host Author,
Nancy Swayzee

Audacious Aging is a collection of stories from national thinkers & visionaries including Gloria Steinem, Andrew Weil, Nikki Giovanni, Howard Zinn, Ram Dass, Dick Van Dyke & Deepak Chopra along with many others. This impressive list includes locals Nancy Swayzee & Patt Lind-Kyle. The book challenges many popular assumptions about aging.

Swayzee is a local neuromuscular & exercise therapist, an author & creator of Whole-Body Breathworks. She teaches that being able to change your beliefs about yourself is audacious. For the last several years, she has been teaching Breathworks brain-based exercises to older adults, ranging in age from 50s to 90s. She will be sharing material from her chapter & signing copies of the book.

A chapter of the book entitled "Aging in Community" describes living in community as part of a national movement to reinvent neighborhood living for people over 50. Members of Wolf Creek Lodge, a local group that has designed their own community in Grass Valley, describe themselves as active adults who emphasize a strong social life, environmental sustainability & "the aspiration to age audaciously". They will have information about their project at the event.

For more information or to register for the event, please contact Nisanda at 530-478-1970 or email at <mailto:info@cohousingpartners.com>info@cohousingp artners.com. The event will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Community of the Mountains, 246 South Church Street, Grass Valley, 95945.

[miruca]

Ah .. Dancing Earth...Olympia looks really nice! I perused all of your links and it looks like my kind of town. If I go there on this trip I'll look for an Anne that sells pottery . If I don't get there this trip I am definitiley going to go on the next "Seattle stop over" .

Janb - I've been to Edmonds and really like it. Thanks for the other suggestions. On one of my trips I think I need to take five or six days and just travel around the area.

terrylynnb - welcome aboard. I agree that I can't imagine not living by the water - and a lake just doesn't do it! It is nice that you have had the opportunity to "try" out Florida. I'm still checking Florida out just because of the cost, the water and the east coast connection - and becasue I have a brother interested in investing there even if I don't. The more research I do, the less i think it is for me, however.

[knoxgarden]

All this talk about seeing elephants (not the pink kind) reminded me of a wonderful book I read some years ago. It's called "They Saw the Elephant" and it's about women who left their homes to head west during the California Gold Rush.
Amazon.com: They Saw the Elephant: Women in the California Gold Rush: Jo Ann Levy: Books
It's a truly remarkable book about some amazing women and their adventures. It would be good reading for anyone who's thinking about starting a new life somewhere else or setting off on their own. It's amazing what these women had the courage and strength of character to do.