How about The Pacific Northwest for retirement?

[nancy thereader]

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I believe the OP already lives up near those latitudes so she is already used to the dark of the year. I'm further south and still have about 3 months where I never see my home in the daylight except on weekends. The cloudiness in the Pac NW might be an issue for some people (30% of the available sunshine in the winter months). A mitigating factor might be that when retired, you are not spending all the daylight hours inside in an office. It has got to be different when you are retired and your time is your own.

Yes. For sure, it is different when you do not have to go to work. Right now, I leave & return in the dark for the of Jan. month anyway. But, not for looonnnggg.........

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by nancy thereader

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Yes. For sure, it is different when you do not have to go to work. Right now, I leave & return in the dark for the of Jan. month anyway. But, not for looonnnggg.........

You'll love Portland, the rain / gray gets old, and it does help to have 24 "free" hrs / day as hard as it is to believe... we have 4 days of sun forecast for NEXT WEEK !!! - get that!!! January !, and we usually have to wait for June - Yippee

a BAD internet habit will help too...

The LONNGGG summer evenings with free concerts almost every night in July / Aug are worth a bit of winter blues... + the free Weds 11AM Chamber Music NW rehearsals at Reed College, right across from the Rhodie Gardens (great place to picnic after rehearsal). Lots to do, pack your bags and put on your running shoes, only a few short months left!! (CMNW would be a good gig to 'volunteer' usher, for free concert seats, and meeting nice folks, call ahead and get on their list!)

Oh, the long evenings at the beach are nice too, especially in Sept and Oct, great sunsets!

Leaving PDX on occasion helps too ($38 flights to Sacramento).

I will probably be leaving, as 26 yrs has been enough for this "prairie kid", but... that doesn't mean it isn't right for you, Hope So, ..and I do think you will like it; worse case, move an hour east, or 4 hrs south, or somewhere else!! You gotta try things!!

Take Flight !!!

[nancy thereader]

thanks, janb. Would you mind explaining these initials (for an uninitiated) ?

(CMNW would be a good gig to 'volunteer' usher, for free concert seats, and meeting nice folks, call ahead and get on their list!)

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by nancy thereader

thanks, janb. Would you mind explaining these initials (for an uninitiated) ?

(CMNW would be a good gig to 'volunteer' usher, for free concert seats, and meeting nice folks, call ahead and get on their list!)

sorry...
as per the referenced paragraph - CMNW = Chamber Music North West

here is a link
Chamber Music Northwest

They really are great concerts with visiting artists with broad backgrounds. (volunteers are nice group also...)

I still remember the great concert in the 1980's from tickets our company offered as a corporate sponsor... so... 25 yrs later.. I finally am enjoying again (most years were spent working 'social suicide - swing shift').

[nancy thereader]

Thanks, jan.

[somwhathip]

Hi Nancy,
i agree with all of the comments about Portland, it is a pretty neat place. Medford is nice too, a bit more rural. I love Bandon (on the coast), but it is small. Coming from Long Island you might also consider Eugene, home to the University of Oregon. I have pasted in part of the review i wrote from my Topretirements.com site about Eugene:

....."As a retirement community Eugene offers small town charm combined with big city sparkle. It has a thriving and eclectic arts scene along with unsurpassed natural beauty. Its slogan is that it is “The World’s Greatest City of the Arts and the Outdoors”...

The city, birthplace of Nike, is famous for its extensive park system, which includes many bike and running trails. The university gives the community a decided liberal slant and cultural boost. There are several developments aimed at retirees, ranging in price and in amenities. Some of the active adult 55+ communities here include: Cascade Manor, the Eugene Hotel, and SongBrook.

Active adults coming from larger west coast cities will find real estate to be relatively inexpensive by those standards. According to the National Association of Realtors the median sales price of a single family in 2007's 2nd quarter was $241,000, a 5.8% increase over the comparable 2006 period. Property taxes would be $2000 on a $200,000 house."

Hope that helps

[nancy thereader]

I I sure will check into Eugene. The real estate prices sound amazing . And, a small city also is what I am looking for. I will have to check that out on my map . Portland can be kind of expensive .

I guess I would want an over 55 place (townhouses) . Otherwise , as a newcomer, I would never meet a single person. I am that reticent.

Thanks for your help !!!

[StealthRabbit]

wide variety of housing options in Portland, You'll have to get out and about to try a few locations on.

For ez access to stuff going on, I'd look to the downtown / 'uptown' areas for a cheap apartment as the students leave in spring, then after a summer of getting to know the place, I'd find something in a favorite area. I think there will be some significant bargains in rents and purchases as the RE market re-adjusts. Lots of folks speculated on investment 'lofts' in NW Port, and they will need renters to keep from losing them. One survey I saw estimated a 13% drop in PDX RE next yr. I would guess a diligent shopper will find a 20-30% bargain.

Eugene (~2hr south) is also quite nice, and not so urban.

Roseburg (~3hr south) is nice too, lots of 55+ and much better weather, but less culture. It does have a community college for a bit of variety and offerings.

You just need to get out here and check it out!!

maybe you can nab some of the $89 One-way fares I've been using on SWA for a spring weekend. I recommend the weekend BEFORE Mothers Day. and a visit to the Rhodie Gardens (it is an annual 'destination' on Mother's Day, but it is often a tad late)
Portland Parks & Recreation :: Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden

[nancy thereader]

Thanks, jan. You have been very helpful.

[Grammy Linna]

rent first and check out what area you like. I have lived in Woodburn (high school), La Grande (college), Creswell, Klamath Falls, Scapoose,and across the river in Vancouver.

Each area had its pros and cons and yes, I am a very good packer.

Make sure your body can handle the overcast days. Give it a shot, if you don't like it, there are a bazillion other places to live and explore. best of luck