Active retirees looking for best place in Texas (San Antonio, Austin: real estate, home)

[lindaf]

We are retired but very active and like all a bigger city offers (restaurants, theater, etc.). But we also like a small town feel.

So where in Texas can we find some of the big city amenities, with a small town flavor, where you feel you can get to know everyone and be very involved in the community? We'd also like it to be green and pretty! Are there
places like this in the great state of Texas??

[neddy]

Kerrville in the Hill country.Nice green place fairly close to SA.

[caendaniels]

Marble Falls. 45 minutes WNW of Austin, in the heart of hill country. Located on the Colorado River and just down from Lake LBJ. The largest constant level lake in the hill country. Give it a look, it has most everything.

[210]

I'd second Kerrville. It's "the" place for active retirement in Texas.

[ripley]

I know a couple who had lived in various places around the country but decided to retire in Tyler.

After moving around during working years from Los Angeles, CA; to Jacksonville, FL; to Longview, TX; to Long Beach, CA; to Plano, TX; to Evansville, IN; and then to Fontana, CA; they too decided Texas would be their retirement home.

They wanted a city big enough to have a college, good hospitals/physicians, volunteer opportunities, good shopping and restaurants, and nice options for movies, plays, concerts, etc.

They visited Plano/Allen/McKinney, Conroe, Kingwood/Humble, Nacogdoches, Lufkin, Kerrville, Bryan/College Station, Longview and Tyler. Tyler won hands down.

They have found a good church, unlimited volunteer opportunities at schools and non-profits, moderate cost of living, good weather, beautiful trees, the azalea district, and all the items listed in their original search criteria.

Tyler has big city feel in a small town environment. Can get a little busy sometime, but many nice areas close to Tyler and off the beaten path.

Tyler is also in a good location for travel with Highways 64, 69, 271, 31, 155, I-20 and others running through. Local airport is good for connecting flights, and DFW is only a couple hours away for domestic and international flights.

[janea]

Kerrville appears to be a wonderful small town with a flourishing local art/performing art community. IT is about 45 miles from San Antonio and about 100? from Austin. The country is beautiful and the real estate is very reasonable. To Lindaf, my husband and I are going there at the end of this month to buy a home so we can retire there. Please fee free to contact me. I spent 10 years in summer camp in the Hill COuntry as did my daughter. We know it pretty well.

[jdomazet]

I live in Portland - across the bridge from Corpus. Lived in this area all my life, and are moving to the Hill Country. You have the beaches, golfing, fishing, etc here - temps are from 80's in spring to high 90's in summer. Humidity, but constant breeze helps with temps.

[Marlow]

If you like doing things around the water--boating, fishing, birding, surfing, sailing, windsurfing, etc. you could look at Corpus Christi. The cost of living is reasonable and there are a few "big city" things to do. There's a symphony, two small ballet companies, community theater, minor league baseball and hockey and an auditorium and arena that attracts some big artists and acts. The downside is that it's brutally hot in the summer and the local politics are sort of screwy. I'd be happy to try and answer any questions you have.