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I've researched quite a few "college towns" and just came to the conclusion that, well, they are full of college kids! If you rent an apt, then most likely you would be living with college age people, which is a definite negative for me. Too many parties, noise, alot of people in and out, etc. I just don't see alot of blending with older people and college age people...two different universes. In a larger city, it might work better but a small college town with alot of college kids, I don't think it would work for me.
Old is anyone over the age of 35. If its a small town the university employees stick within their own
departments or with their university functions. Businesses and apartments all geared for younger
people and the locals usually live outside the area and socialize with those people they grew up with
and their families. Note: college towns near a larger city like Austin are more open & diverse.
Quality health care is questionable....depends on who you know, where you decide to relocate
and the availability of good physicians that take new patients.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nmnita
University towns can be a great place for retirement, but it depends a lot of what you are looking for. Most university towns offer special classes to seniors over 65, the atmosphere is usually busy and stimulating and yes, medical facilities are often right in the town or very close. The problem with some of the towns, they are more than just college towns, Austin being one of those. It is more urban, partly due to its swear size. I think some of the suggestions that have been made are good ones. University towns are normally more liberal which can be good or bad, depending on how you see things. I don't think I would want to live in one, but I do love living relatively close to one.
Classes open for seniors depends on which colleges and towns. Here not so.
Old is anyone over the age of 35. If its a small town the university employees stick within their own
departments or with their university functions. Businesses and apartments all geared for younger
people and the locals usually live outside the area and socialize with those people they grew up with
and their families. Note: college towns near a larger city like Austin are more open & diverse.
Quality health care is questionable....depends on who you know, where you decide to relocate
and the availability of good physicians that take new patients.
Classes open for seniors depends on which colleges and towns. Here not so.
Totally agree about the availability of classes for seniors. Unless there is a specific program for seniors, such as the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute situated in a college, and plenty of seniors supporting it, don't plan on attending regular classes at a discount (or very much of a discount). Even auditing regular classes is costly. Plus, you are sitting in a room with 25 - 500 18-22 year olds, if it's a regular class. I think it's better to look for cities and areas that have larger numbers of retirees if you want senior oriented classes at the university level, in a lifelong learning institute or department of continuing education.
I live in a town with a major university and I must say that it is very much dominated by the large number of undergraduates. The city revolves around the university, and that means traffic jams on football Saturdays or other sporting events, high prices for everything, and a downtown that is dominated by bars and restaurants geared to students. Cultural events carry high ticket prices for non students. Personally, I would opt for a larger city where the university or college is not the dominant game in town, and where there are more opportunities for meeting other seniors and a greater range of housing options and costs.
I'm born / reared in a college town, and this myth about retirement in a college town is all that is quite frankly very untrue. No need to rehash why. I'm about 50 and retired. No way would I ever want to retire in a US College town. US retirement to me is living in a five star amenities luxury Condo over looking the Ocean within 45 minutes to an LA or SF or Miami. Travel at will, exercise, new hobbies, make new friends, sleep, etc.
I would rather live in a paid for cement Tent in Colombia than a boring retired life in Austin surrounded by immature college kids. Sorry, my opinion. YMMV.
Totally agree about the availability of classes for seniors. Unless there is a specific program for seniors, such as the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute situated in a college, and plenty of seniors supporting it, don't plan on attending regular classes at a discount (or very much of a discount). Even auditing regular classes is costly. Plus, you are sitting in a room with 25 - 500 18-22 year olds, if it's a regular class. I think it's better to look for cities and areas that have larger numbers of retirees if you want senior oriented classes at the university level, in a lifelong learning institute or department of continuing education.
I live in a town with a major university and I must say that it is very much dominated by the large number of undergraduates. The city revolves around the university, and that means traffic jams on football Saturdays or other sporting events, high prices for everything, and a downtown that is dominated by bars and restaurants geared to students. Cultural events carry high ticket prices for non students. Personally, I would opt for a larger city where the university or college is not the dominant game in town, and where there are more opportunities for meeting other seniors and a greater range of housing options and costs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vai Frente
I'm born / reared in a college town, and this myth about retirement in a college town is all that is quite frankly very untrue. No need to rehash why. I'm about 50 and retired. No way would I ever want to retire in a US College town. US retirement to me is living in a five star amenities luxury Condo over looking the Ocean within 45 minutes to an LA or SF or Miami. Travel at will, exercise, new hobbies, make new friends, sleep, etc.
I would rather live in a paid for cement Tent in Colombia than a boring retired life in Austin surrounded by immature college kids. Sorry, my opinion. YMMV.
Thanks.....someone who understands. Ugh, leaving as soon as we can, probably within a year.
Last edited by key4lp; 04-30-2013 at 07:55 PM..
Reason: correction
I'm born / reared in a college town, and this myth about retirement in a college town is all that is quite frankly very untrue. No need to rehash why. I'm about 50 and retired. No way would I ever want to retire in a US College town. US retirement to me is living in a five star amenities luxury Condo over looking the Ocean within 45 minutes to an LA or SF or Miami. Travel at will, exercise, new hobbies, make new friends, sleep, etc.
I would rather live in a paid for cement Tent in Colombia than a boring retired life in Austin surrounded by immature college kids. Sorry, my opinion. YMMV.
A lux condo on the ocean near a great city! Sounds perfect!
Retire to a small college town in Iowa or retire to a plush Condo on the Ocean 45 minutes to Orlando or Miami ?? Hello !! Sure, it might cost a little more but isn't that why we worked hard all those years? For what, to live in Austin Texas ??
Austin is home to UT but Austin is a large city,so I don't consider Austin to be a college town. New York City has a lot of colleges and universities, but nobody consider NYC to be a college town.
Retire to a small college town in Iowa or retire to a plush Condo on the Ocean 45 minutes to Orlando or Miami ?? Hello !! Sure, it might cost a little more but isn't that why we worked hard all those years? For what, to live in Austin Texas ??
Florida? You want to live in Florida? And then you trash Austin, Texas? Totally bizarre.
No, not trashing Texas. I like Texas a lot actually. I'm saying I'd rather live on a Florida Beach in a plush Condo over looking the Ocean 45 minutes from Miami than reside in Austin, Texas. However, if I were 28, married with 2 small kids working the 9-5, then yes I would prolly like living in Austin. Where you are in life, the stage of your life, being married or not, and kids or not dictates your decisions.
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Sure, it might cost a little more but isn't that why we worked hard all those years? For what, to live in Austin Texas ?? 
