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

[nancy thereader]

Mn2~~~ I wish I knew how to do those photo things. I'm lucky that I figured out how to post a picture in my profile.
Yes, the little towns on both shores of Long Island are all decked out for Christmas. Babylon, where I live has pretty lamp posts with lights and there is a village Christmas tree. It's really very pretty, but it has been so cold with snow, sleet and ice. When I noticed that the Knoxville Christmas shoppers were just wearing sweaters, I was so jealous. The older I get, the less tolerant I am to cold.

[piperspal]

Good morning Ladies!

Thanks for letting me check in w/ you as I make my way thru this most enjoyable thread! I'm right at about pg 64 now. I too grew up in Colorado, and have lived in NY for over 25 years.

I'm still leaning toward TN as my landing spot; with PA, KY, VA & NC not to be ruled out. I have some time to research & visit, as my home won't sell any time soon.

Have noticed that by now Wisteria, you have brought together so many women from all over. Maybe someday you will have a network of communities; some on or by the ocean, some in the mountains... some in the southwest, & some in the southeast. Maybe "timeshare" style communities could be made available to "members" only who barter their homes to one another. Could be a safe way for older women to travel & stay connected.

hee hee....I tend to think big sometimes......

[Umbria]

I think your idea is interesting- I would love to host a gathering once I finally land - I'm looking at CO, but want to visit TN and NM before a final decision. CA would be a consideration, if not for the high cost of living. But, I want to make this happen before I'm too old to care.

Enjoy the holidays - it's one way to give this year a kick in the fanny!!
http://bestsmileys.com/christmas5/2.gif (broken link)

[nancy thereader]

Wisteria Place A Gated Cottage Neighborhood in Shallotte, North Carolina- LiveSouth

Well, girls. Here is our place. Cozy cottages surrounded by gardens and walking paths. And, the name?

.... WISTERIA PLACE !

[ConeyIsBabe]

Nancy... that is too incredible just what we are all wishing for!! I think, it is still in the planning stage and I wonder if it will ever become a reality in today's economy..... still there will be 70 cottages and we all get a chance to own one

I didn't explore the website to look for prices - I'm guessing it will not be too affordable. I have always wanted to live near Myrtle Beach.

But, it IS what we've all been talking about..... kinda

[megonow]

I am 63 and am searching high and low for a good place to retire...retire but still find a good part-time job, not the typical meaningless type of job they try to steer older people into.

I want a liberal, car-free town that has some culture. I know I'm asking for a lot. I'm not wealthy but well educated. I live in Europe now but will have to come back to the States at some point.

someone recommended Ames Iowa or Iowa City...places I never would have thought of.

So, I would like to hear from anyone with advice. I think we should consider buying our own condo building - and sell to other older women in the same boat!

[nancy thereader]

Believe it or not, mego ; we have talked about something like that.

[megonow]

Have you looked into it? buying a building I mean.

I couldn't afford a whole building but it would be great to find
other women who would be interested in it too. We would have
to agree on the building, the price, of course, and set up a condo
association.

We could make it a green and good place to live.

[StealthRabbit]

I've mentioned this place in Portland before, but I spent some time researching, so know more about how they established this, and it seems similar to your desires.
Ecovillage Portland Oregon - Columbia Ecovillage
Columbia Ecovillage
(the social dynamics in PNW are bizarre, but in the link below you will note how popular Cooperatively owned Senior housing is in MN... (where folks grew up with co-ops providing everything from fuel, feed, electricity) if folks mellow out a bit and not jam their polarized social agenda down each others throats, life can go on...)

I am also getting more info on Cooperatively owned housing, right now sifting through some senior focused projects. Senior Cooperative Foundation. I don't envision precisely this model, but more of a hybrid of 'cottage community' + Co-housing + 'aging in place' + integrated into the local community via stores / cafe / health services...

There is some really attractive HUD financing for co-op housing (40 yr Amortization, full equity share, same benefits as conventional mortgage, low fees and interest). I'll let you know what I learn. I expect this process to take a few months, but I'm committed to turning over the rocks to understand what it takes to make it happen. I feel this may be a reasonable housing model into the future. (practical, desirable, and affordable)

I really enjoyed my trip to 'sunshine' last week seeing the historic "missions" around San Antonio, which looked similar to an ideal living arrangement (with the modernization of 150 yrs of progress... like heat and running water, and not being an 'indentured servant' ) The orchards, gardens, irrigation and water driven grain mills and micro Hydro / wind for electricity + passive solar for heat and cool would be real keen. Keep your eyes peeled for some of these for sale in NM !

There are enough heads here to make this happen, and greatly improve on anything I envision.
Currently 20F with 30 mph winds and snow here (left coast of PNW - Very rare) I love snow, but this is getting a bit out of hand... 6ft drifts in several places (like in front of the garden shed that houses the shovels...) At least it is not freezing rain, yet...

[sillygal]

I think I posted on the first or second, or third(I forget now)memory loss already...hehehe! and I cannot believe how far this thread has gone. I read the first 50 pages and just had to stop. One very interesting thread here.......Wisteria, you are what the kids call " the bomb" for starting this......hehehe

Pretty soon enough people have posted, you are talking three people per page that we are developing a little city, and maybe in 5yrs or so we will be a community of 20,000 or so!

I had the experience of visiting a community of shops in a specific area all owned by the owner with gorgeous living spaces up above. They were leaving their shops open as long as they wanted to, and closed to go on vacations. The more people that heard about this community the more that became interested. I myself love closed off streets or blocks, or even downtown areas with historical type buildings that can be converted into housing upstairs.......I find as I get older I spend more time congregating or meeting people in these laid back coffee places with comfortable settings such as couches, and tables all over. Maybe a used book store with the same. I think when I was in some of these squares, I also went into this place that was a coffee house, again comfy furniture that had a piano in it, of course I had to ask but they informed me that so many people gathered there of all these talents that alot of them shared their gifts on occasion. Some just like the enjoyment of doing it, as a hobby and instead of doing this alone, they just came to this coffee shop and brought their guitars, or instruments of their choice and just played, of course this brought in business. It was purely by pleasure, and no cost to the owner, plus they told me, that certain times of the week, for a nominal fee they would have bible studies.. Of course not all want a shop, but can have the building as living quarters and if we get enough people that want just a little part time work or something the employees can be your neighbor or someone in the community. I can't imagine if you can develop a setting similar to pearl street, or somewhere that we can put on the map, hehehe! (stretching it a bit, hey?)or get RandMcnally interested in the area that we wouldn't be lacking for money to stay in business....Of course we would either have to build these places or buy into a historical community that is somewhat burdened economically so we can afford to fix these up at our own taste, and get the word out we exist.

Looking at all the people posting here, like I said if we could find something a community of even 10,000 by lets say 2012 or something. We can just exist off of each other......I guess this would be the same as a share place(commune) but at the same time not, because it gives us the freedom of having our own place, and still generating money independently. For me, this would mean insurance and food. I was thinking even expanding on Jan's idea above, that we could still do this solar thing, only maybe it would be costly in renovating an older place. I don't know!

We would have people that have interests of gardening, for a market of some sorts, maybe a coffee shop, or too with outside dining. Well, the more I think about it the more it sounds like a commune environment......hehehe! But the only thing is being the town, and being able to make our own money and be able to have the freedom of taking off for maybe a month and closing business or even have an employee or someone else in the community to run it for them.

I, myself have been looking into renovating an older, maybe historic building cheap. Only trouble is, I would be alone and wouldn't be able to survive.

I was recently told about Franklin, which is a very expensive city outside of Nashville, as I was venturing there, I decided to make some stops south of there, one of the areas I am not sure of, (hehehe) memory thing again. I believe it was the retirement places rated in RandMcnally called Hendersonville? somebody correct me if I am wrong....But, they are trying desperately to bring back their downtown, and sadly enough, but at the same time surprisingly there was a band their in the square that brought alot of people to the downtown area. I almost cried with the square, I talked to an older gentleman there, that told me they are trying to renovate and bring in outside folks, but just about every business there was for sale, and the prices weren't too bad. Some, I know were historical and some not but of course they were all one or 2 story buildings. Why couldn't a person get into something like that, bring people with outside dining, and such. I mean I am sure that Pearl street has to have been started as such, and look at it now! . I guess I would be afraid to do this alone but if others would do this with me, we could boost the population and it is already popular place for retirees according to Places Rated. Of course the city itself is fixing up the square.....These places are pretty close to Nashville, and somewhat close to (I think) Knoxville....hehe maybe not.

I also found this pleasurable little town outside busy Murfreesboro, again told by a local to visit, I can't imagine there is no more than maybe 1,000 or less people living there, and it was so crowded it was unbelievable......The town had maybe 10 if that stores there with older type siding on them, something like an old western type place with a covered porch.......It had a very good resteraunt I guess because it was packed and standing room only. Also and real old fashioned bar stool ice cream parlor that pretty much held up the entire street of the maybe 10buildings, I even noticed some of them were local residences with signs on the door. I couldn't believe how thriving this place was with this little street out in the middle of nowhere outside Murfreesboro, even the train went thru there right in front of the street, every hour or so. The town was called "Bell Buckle", hehehe!

To me the location of the Hendersonville, cheap as the buildings were, would be perfect climate, it is almost smack dab in the middle of the U.S, well close so for all of us it would be a happy medium, but of course I don't know this....hehehe! Just dreaming here......hehehe! I also think that the more the place starts hopping, of course we already have retirement age people there because of the Places Rated thingy, that we could draw more people in that are middle aged or even close to retirement. And of course with all our interests and experience all of us have....such as aerobic teachers, knitters, potterers and such we could start our own little building.

Of course I am sure others have come up with similar ideas, 829posts is alot to read, so I am sorry if I stepped on someones ideas. I did read Jan's post above, and to expound on her idea, I am wondering if you could renovate an older building to have solar qualities. I am sorry Jan I didn't even look at your links, I got so excited about my idea, just running thru the first 50 posts that I justed got going here......Looking at some of the latest ones after I posted was kinda rushing things a bit ha? eeekkks really for people that already had similar posts.

Ok, well now I have a whole town built, don't I?? hehehe! Guess I totally got really winded, but just reading this thread gets my adrenaline going and therefore very excited. I guess some it, hehehe is pretty unreal expectations, but who doesn't like to dream ha? especially since we are headed for an era of our own ..

Yikes, I hope this goes thru, when I push the button, hehehe I apologize for the long winded post, when I am excited about something I get on a roll........hehehe!

Thank you for listening to my dream! Soon I may be too old to enjoy it. I am just scared that I will fall, or fail to do this by myself.