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Old 01-16-2013, 04:17 AM
 
Location: Virginia
18,717 posts, read 30,982,268 times
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I'm no expert on north Florida, but based on some things I've read in other threads, it sounds like Gainesville, Jacksonville, and Tallahassee might have neighborhoods near universities that would have what the OP is seeking. Worth checking into, anyway.
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Old 01-16-2013, 06:51 AM
 
Location: Near a river
16,042 posts, read 21,917,236 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rebek56 View Post
FWIW, the city also made the Milken Institute's list of best cities for successful aging. Milken Institute | Research | Publications | Best Cities for Successful Aging=
Thank you for posting this, but I had to laugh out loud at the results. For each location report, the "Nailed It" (advantages) were canceled out by the "Needs Work" (disadvantages), some of which are pretty major (high crime, etc). As all such "studies," it is also geared toward the wealthier American. Places like Burlington, Vermont are pricey. Which goes to show that every place has its pluses and minuses, as if we did not know that, and so these reports seem to me an exercise in futility.

I have come to this conclusion, personally:

- Choose N, S, E, W
- Identify the best areas you can afford
- Zero in on the cities or towns with the best amenities for seniors - housing, transportation, activities
- Get a realtor to find specific housing
- Move in and enjoy life and forget all the options you could have chosen!
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Old 01-16-2013, 01:55 PM
 
5,139 posts, read 8,817,220 times
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Caladium, I didn't know you had retired...congratulations! I'm looking forward to your posts on how it's going and your trips to find a retirement spot. Did you ever go back to Williamsburg?
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Old 01-16-2013, 03:08 PM
 
Location: Near a river
16,042 posts, read 21,917,236 times
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When we read about rated places to retire we are almost always seeing recommended "cities" or sometimes "small metros." This can be very misleading as it omits the whole concept of "towns." There are many fantastic retirement towns that surround certain cities that you would not want to live in due to cost or crime. A half-hour out from many of these cities are truly charming places.

To those who undertake "studies," Knoxville and Charlotteville are considered "towns." I would consider these small cities.

I would be careful about discounting many areas/cities without really looking into what is close by. For cultural amenities and medical, a half-hour drive into the big city is nothing.
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Old 01-17-2013, 05:03 AM
 
Location: Virginia
18,717 posts, read 30,982,268 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by loveautumn View Post
Caladium, I didn't know you had retired...congratulations! I'm looking forward to your posts on how it's going and your trips to find a retirement spot. Did you ever go back to Williamsburg?
We've started looking at houses there, but are taking our time since my husband's still working. If we find the perfect place, we're ok with owning up here and down there, but I'd really rather wait until both of us are retired and free to move. It's a tough call because prices are starting to go up down there, so it might be smarter to buy now. Next trip is in March--maybe I'll post some more photos then.

My actual retirement date is at the end of the month, but I'm already thinking of myself as a retiree. Probably because I'm already transitioning out of the job, mostly just tying up loose ends, finishing projects, and helping the others pack (company is moving and I chose to retire because there's just no way I'm driving an hour to the new location).

Last edited by Caladium; 01-17-2013 at 05:16 AM..
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Old 01-17-2013, 05:12 AM
 
Location: Virginia
18,717 posts, read 30,982,268 times
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Fern, this is exactly the sort of post that I really appreciate! It's very helpful to see where people actually end up going after a long search--I can really appreciate your story because several of those paces were on my list, too. Glad things are going well for you. Maine has a lot of advantages for retirees.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fern435 View Post
Congratulations on your retirement, Caladium! I wish you all the best in your new adventures and a future move.

As you said, maybe the word "best" in the title for the WSJ link was a poor word choice. "Different" would be a better fit. The link mentions an e-book with 30 different stories/locations and the experiences people have had (for anyone looking for recent experiences--I haven't looked at it yet). Budget, preferences, priorities, and trade-offs definitely give a person plenty to consider when making a decision on a location. Having a positive attitude about making the move work is also important (getting overwhelmed or discouraged with the transition is something that can keep people from moving to a new place).

Since you asked, a summary:

We began to look at retirement locations about 6 years before my husband's retirement from the air force. We considered Port Angeles/Sequim and Bellingham, Washington; the Oregon Coast; the Shasta/Lassen area of northern CA; the Rapid City area of South Dakota; Nebraska (we loved living there); upstate New York; New Hampshire; and Maine. I was also interested in Alaska, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Iowa (I have family in MN and Iowa and like the region). I like knowing that I looked at all my options, and the variety in the United States is interesting.

Needs: Inexpensive living, but high quality of life
Reasonable property taxes
Minimal hot/humid weather
Prefer autumn/winter (we like snow)
Plenty of places to kayak and hike
A few acres
Convenient to airport
Under 1 hour to ocean

Maine really fit all our needs; we had always wanted to visit or live in Maine. With the first visit, it felt like we found a place that felt like home. I studied a detailed map of Maine, read online news, and followed real estate listings for 3+ years to figure out what areas would be a good fit.

Inexpensive means different things to each person, but inexpensive shouldn't have to mean settling for a less-than-comfortable community or home. We did not explore urban living, but Indianapolis and Pittsburgh would be two that I would recommend for more affordable city living.

Hope everyone finds the places that makes them content and comfortable in retirement!
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Old 01-17-2013, 06:04 AM
 
9,617 posts, read 6,031,355 times
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CD now offers terrific census data map overlay tools on the front page. There is plenty of criterion that can help you understand things like percentage of college educated, age breakdown, racial breakdown, median income; whatever you are interested in knowing. Just plug in a zip code, city/state and parse away. If you zoom in on the map, then heck you can get down to the block level, if that is really important.

We have used the census map data overlay tool, after 'thinking' we have found a place; as a sort of ultra-verification tool. That, and six different visits that include daily life-type activities, subscribing to the on-line edition of the newspaper. We are 90% sure we have found the place that fits, but we'll see. House on market in 3 months, as we continue to 'settle' into what we think will be the new homeplace.

11/14/15/58/10 = months/days/hours/minutes/seconds until first day of retirement. But, of course my countdown clock is always changing.
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Old 01-17-2013, 06:25 AM
 
Location: Maine
2,489 posts, read 3,386,991 times
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Default Realized that I forgot two very nice places...

We also seriously considered Spokane, Washington State and the area around Traverse City, Michigan (beautiful!). Michigan is a lovely state.
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Old 01-17-2013, 08:12 AM
 
Location: Near a river
16,042 posts, read 21,917,236 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fern435 View Post
We also seriously considered Spokane, Washington State and the area around Traverse City, Michigan (beautiful!). Michigan is a lovely state.
Fern, glad you landed in Maine, which is still very much on my radar screen ~ esp as property taxes escalate here and now our good governor has announced his push for higher income tax (and slightly lower sales tax ). The real estate in my area has picked up 13% so far so if I decide to sell in a few years I probably can. I know many of the areas of Maine have different property tax situations. I still favor Brunswick, home of Bowdoin College and now Amtrak is going through there to Boston! Even if I don't get to move there, it will always be a summer destination, as it's the gateway to the coast. About where are you?
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Old 01-17-2013, 03:11 PM
 
Location: CHicago, United States
6,933 posts, read 8,464,210 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fern435 View Post
We began to look at retirement locations about 6 years before my husband's retirement from the air force. We considered Port Angeles/Sequim and Bellingham, Washington; the Oregon Coast; the Shasta/Lassen area of northern CA; the Rapid City area of South Dakota; Nebraska (we loved living there); upstate New York; New Hampshire; and Maine. I was also interested in Alaska, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Iowa (I have family in MN and Iowa and like the region). I like knowing that I looked at all my options, and the variety in the United States is interesting.
Thanks for the concise description of your 'due diligence' when selecting your retirement location!
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