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Thanks for the Greenville info, not too encouraging.
With the hurricanes off the NC coast I would never live there, plus coastal areas that are nice are inundated with tourists. But the storms are enough for me. I heard that Greenville is no stranger to tornados too?
PS, Inland, Cary is nice, just far enough away from Raleigh and very well laid out, though I hear no public transport to speak of.
NewEnglandGirl and Loveautumn. Thank you for your posts. Good thoughts.
One reason I want to move to Cleveland is because no one else wants to. LOL. Portland OR where I live now is bursting at the seams because everyone and their dog appears to want to live here. It has made the place a lot less livable than it was thirty something years ago when I first moved here.
Moving to a place where one knows people is a definite plus. I moved to Portland not knowing a soul and it was lonely. But I can make friends if I move to a place where I don't know anyone. I know how to do it now.
I wouldn't look forward to Cleveland's lousy weather but I have been back to Chicago during the winter so I know how they can be. Actually it's the humid summers I dislike more. But air-conditioning is my friend.
I have a goofy unpopular illness called Sarcoidosis. It really lays me low sometimes. I like the fact that Cleveland has a world-class medical center for the purpose of finding a knowledgeable doctor and for the the prospect of my getting a part time job there. I have years of experience in medical insurance. My friend works at the Ohio State University and she could possibly help in the job hunt too. And I like taking classes.
I love old neighborhoods. I don't care for the new apartment complexes. I love walking neighborhoods and Cleveland has plenty. They also have all the type of entertainment I like. I am not one to sit on a beach in the sun. I would rather be at a museum and there are plenty of them.
Sure I know the bad bits. Getting around during the winter on public transportation is the pits. But I hope I will not have to do that too often if I don't have to work a steady full time job. And I can always stock up on groceries if I know a bad storm is coming.
Cleveland is just one of a handful of places I am going to look at. If the positives outweigh the negatives, that may be my choice. Heck, I know it's not any-body's dream location; it's not even mine but it meets just about all my criteria save for aesthetics from what I have been told. But I can get pictures of scenery if I really start missing Pacific Northwest greenery.
I'm in the same boat as Livecontent, with a chronic pain condition, and yes, it's debilitating and depressing. Like her, I can't even imagine packing up and moving again...it's difficult to even do basic things like walking or standing or even sitting comfortably. Friends and family constantly are trying to help "fix me" with various suggestions, and it gets kind of old....believe me, if I could fix myself, I would. And they don't understand that the pain itself drains me of the energy to go here and there trying different doctors or procedures.
.
Keep trying. There is help out there. I recently switched doctors and finally found some relief from chronic pain. My old doctors had just chalked it up to getting old, but my new one said it didn't have to be that way and changed me to some new medications that made a definite improvement in my life.
I'm not bouncing around, but I'm moving and getting out of bed in the morning and sleeping pain free at night. She gave me a new daily pain reliever and a potent anti-pain medicine for bad days. Best of all, the switch stopped the horrible leg cramps I'd get at night if I tried to be active.
It is a hassle finding the right doctor and the right combination of relief, but it is worth it.
One of the best things I did was buy a "Cuddle Bed" sort of like a feather bed but synthetic. Costco - Up to $10 OFF Ultimate Cuddle Bed® Plus Mattress Topper
Worth every cent. Relieved all the pressure point pain. I stick a couple of comforters under it for a little additional fluff. My elderly cat loves it, too.
Minervah, I do understand your reasoning. One of my options is to retire back to Western NY and nobody is flocking to move there! The traffic is practically non-existent, and has very good medical facilities. The COL is quite a bit less and it would be a less stressful life in many ways in spite of the cold winters. The area is quite beautiful actually, it's just the culture there is kind of parochial. I left so many years ago because I didn't fit in and I don't think I would fit in now either. Maybe I've been in the big city too long.
But my first choice has always been the Boston area. It's really the only place I've ever been where I have totally felt at home, and I'm not even a liberal!
Thanks for the Greenville info, not too encouraging.
With the hurricanes off the NC coast I would never live there, plus coastal areas that are nice are inundated with tourists. But the storms are enough for me. I heard that Greenville is no stranger to tornados too?
PS, Inland, Cary is nice, just far enough away from Raleigh and very well laid out, though I hear no public transport to speak of.
I've lived in hurricane/tornado areas for many a year, seen what they can do, not fearful of death by natural disaster. I want to live where I most enjoy before my time is up and if I am meant to be swept off my feet by the wind, so be it. I once lived in the Kissimmee, (I was 20 minutes from Disney world) an area encompassing both tornadoes and a huge tourist influx. Those are some of my favorite and most nightmarish (not because of the tornadoes or tourist), memories, and I would have returned to the area if it had been feasable back then after healing from an accident. The area I resided in has gone through major changes, so it's not a place I wish to move to now, plus as I said I miss the ocean, another place I live closed to for many years. I might not have left the Jersey Shore area had it not been for the weather. I loved living there, but shoveling my car out of snow beds was tiresome. I always new I was going to leave for a warmer climate. NC is a little colder than I like, but that's only for a short time, so I might manage it a little longer. But Sarasota is looking pretty good to me.
In any event, I've always managed to find places that were nice and not overly crowed at the beaches I went to in Florida. When I lived near the beaches in NJ it did get a bit crowded at times, but you could find quiet streatches. I'm sure I would be able to do the same where ever I chose to move. Not much can deter me from going to the beach other than enviornmental alerts saying the ocean is too poluted. Keeping fingers crossed on this BP castastrophe.
BTW, I was one of those people that thought I would hate Disney World. Just the mere mention of MM made my skin crawl. Well a friend's dad used to get free tickets and after my first visit, I couldn't get enough. I had so much fun. I even took a pic with Mickey.
My dream has always been to live in a warmer climate since I was in my 20's, I made the move while in my 30, but moved back to cold to be near family after a car accident then back to Florida, now to NC for medical reasons. I've never not known the type of area I wanted, just circumstances changed. I'm not sorry, for making the moves, I've learned something about different areas and the native to those areas along the way.
For me the ideal place is near the ocean where the temps rarely if ever drop below 50. When one of my best friend's father found out I was leaving Florida, again, first thing out of his mouth, without a flinch, was, "She'll be back". At the time I didn't realize how true that just might be. There are some things I don't like about Florida, but, the weather and the beaches
Minervah, I do understand your reasoning. One of my options is to retire back to Western NY and nobody is flocking to move there! The traffic is practically non-existent, and has very good medical facilities. The COL is quite a bit less and it would be a less stressful life in many ways in spite of the cold winters. The area is quite beautiful actually, it's just the culture there is kind of parochial. I left so many years ago because I didn't fit in and I don't think I would fit in now either. Maybe I've been in the big city too long.
But my first choice has always been the Boston area. It's really the only place I've ever been where I have totally felt at home, and I'm not even a liberal!
Lots to consider...
New York state = high property taxes
Boston = high COL but prop taxes not as bad as NYS.
Boston has great transportation. Brookline and Newton really nice but .... pricey, really pricey.
I wouldn't be buying so I don't worry about property taxes...and I live in SoCal now so COL is just about the same from what I've seen. But ultimately I do need to find a cheaper place to live....I have to keep reminding myself of that.
Minervah, I do understand your reasoning. One of my options is to retire back to Western NY and nobody is flocking to move there! The traffic is practically non-existent, and has very good medical facilities. The COL is quite a bit less and it would be a less stressful life in many ways in spite of the cold winters. The area is quite beautiful actually, it's just the culture there is kind of parochial. I left so many years ago because I didn't fit in and I don't think I would fit in now either. Maybe I've been in the big city too long.
But my first choice has always been the Boston area. It's really the only place I've ever been where I have totally felt at home, and I'm not even a liberal!
Lots to consider...
As I have said I grew up in WNY, that is Cheetowaga, near the Town Park. I left over 40 years ago, back a few times for very short time, after army and between colleges. Once I saw other places, I then realized that Cheetowaga was not the greatest of places. Buffalo was terrible, as I grew up on the border of the east side--which was the worse area of the city.
Now that area is much worse than when I left. I really never left because of the weather but I cannot return, now, because of the weather with my health conditions.
I have no contact, no relatives in Western New York. All my family left and relocated to Colorado, many decades ago. It really was a good move and not one of us has left Colorado.
I do not think that the cost of living is cheaper in WNY. Groceries, Gas and other items cost the same. Sure homes are cheaper but taxes are just too much. Utilities are cheaper here and surprisingly water rates are less than New York. Traffic is non-existent because the highways were built for a larger population, that left. Now, the smaller population still has the total tax burden for maintenance and upkeep. So, it really is not a positive issue. Older infrastructure in the area is collapsing but still needs tax support.
I do agree that moving where other people are not going; a place that is not a fad; an area that is not well known; or a place that is not a tourist destination makes good sense in evaluating an area to live. There are so many places that are not talked about as much that are great places to be happy.
Unfortunately when you need a job, many times you have to follow economic opportunity. In retirement, you do not have that issue. I think WNY is good place to live as long as it fits your needs. I do not think Buffalo is a good city but there are many small beautiful towns that can give a good quality of life. I believe there is one problem is that an area needs a good core city that provide services and brings up the region and Buffalo is just too decayed.
Sure, I sometimes pine for large water bodies, lush trees and green grass but I now know that it is the result of more water; more water means more snow, more rain, more damp, more humidity--and that I cannot tolerate because of my health problems.
Livecontent
Last edited by livecontent; 05-13-2010 at 06:47 PM..
I hear ya, WNY isn't my first choice my any means, I'm from Rochester...but I do have family (relatives) there, we're not really close but they are there.
I have a few years yet (hopefully) to figure this out but I'm still waiting for that "aha" moment when I know I'm in the right place to retire. I can't afford to make a real big mistake and then have to move again and again. I did that when I was young but doesn't appeal to me now. And I'm finding the thought of moving somewhere all by myself somewhat scarier than I did even 5 years ago.
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I would rather be at a museum and there are plenty of them.
