Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
These responses are a joke.
This person is asking about a retirement area.
None of us intend to retire in Wv.
I'm going to Savannah...for the same reason these people are coming out of Minneapolis-St. Paul.
I'll keep property to visit in the summer, but I won't live here...taxes...taxes...taxes...
I view our repressive taxation as a never ending penalty for my hard work here....
After a person gets out of Wv for a while the mystic wears off.
These responses are a joke.
This person is asking about a retirement area.
None of us intend to retire in Wv.
I'm going to Savannah...for the same reason these people are coming out of Minneapolis-St. Paul.
I'll keep property to visit in the summer, but I won't live here...taxes...taxes...taxes...
I view our repressive taxation as a never ending penalty for my hard work here....
After a person gets out of Wv for a while the mystic wears off.
Actually, I disagree. My wife and I retired to Morgantown because of the great amenities to be found here at a comparitively reasonable price. No place has everything, but retiring to major university cities is a growing trend. I know of several other folks around here who have done the same thing. We have world class healthcare, great athletic and cultural events, University sponsored events and programs for seniors, nice outdoor and recreational venues, good scenery, and the convenience of being near a big city without the hassle of actually being in one right here in the same place. We love it here.
And, although we like to warm up from time to time during winter, it is cheaper to simply rent a place for a few days than to maintain two premises. Absentee ownership presents unique challenges. My family has done that for years, and I am aware of them from their experiences. There are lovely places in Georgia and Florida, to be sure. Savannah is one of my favorites. But those places have their own issues too, such as almost unbearable heat in summer.
No place is perfect, but we have found our corner of West Virginia to measure up very well with any of the alternatives.
After spending more time researching cities here and elsewhere, I'm not seeing an obvious great choice for us. Still some more reading and thinking ahead.
I think the idea of retiring in major uni. cities is a good one!
Thanks for all the suggestions and anecdotes; really helps fill in a better sense of the places.
We are planning to relocate away from Minneapolis-St Paul, where we have lived for many years. Are there cities in your state you would recommend, based on our preferences listed below?
DEMOGRAPHICS
Metro area population of no more than 1.5 million, and probably at least 500 K.
Average to high percentage of population having graduate degrees.
Active humanist / freethinker community ... liberal / progressive.
Friendly folks, more relaxed pace of life than “New York hectic”.
Good public transit system a plus.
WEATHER
Milder winters (cold hardiness no less than 5 [avg annual low down to -20 degrees] and higher is better).
Summers not too hot (optimal heat zone of 6 [up to 60 days/yr above 86 degrees] or less--might go to 7).
Some humidity is okay and better than too dry.
HOUSING
Average cost of living, including housing (3 bedroom, 2 bath ~$200-350K).
A neighborhood pleasant to walk around in, and a lot that’s at least a 1/4 to 1/3 acre (and larger is better).
We’d like to live as close to the city center (10-15 minutes by car or public transport).
LIFESTYLE/ABOUT US
Married couple, in mid-life.
We like gardening, walking in nature, biking, and kayaking.
Nearby science fiction convention(s).
Child-free, so schools irrelevant.
No interest in team sports.
These are ideals, of course, so we expect to be making some trade-offs, but it's better to measure against the optimal, don’t you think?
No, but judging from the utter lack of familiarity with the state based upon the first few criteria, I would venture a guess that this is a blanket post put on 19 other different state's message boards.
The entire state population is 1.8 million. You would have to combine the metros of Charleston, Huntington and Morgantown to get above 700K, and they are the lone examples of urban life and have 200-300 miles between them.
I'm energetically searching the city info on this site. It's very time consuming. Though there's quite a bit of useful data, it's not "packaged" in as user-friendly ways as I could hope for. But I've spent many hours swatting up and getting a pretty good education in the process.
We're a little divided about the population. Though that factor does correlate with some things that are important to us, as usual, there's some wiggle room.
As I stated, I'm fully prepared to make some trade-offs. That's an involved process, and, IMO, anyone who doesn't compare options to their optimal list is making concessions too early.
My primary objective is to find a location that's a better fit with my optimal weather. If I can't improve on that, which is a Top 3 reason for even considering an interstate move, then why bother?
So far, the weather data seem to be indicating I need to focus my lens north a bit.
I'm energetically searching the city info on this site. It's very time consuming. Though there's quite a bit of useful data, it's not "packaged" in as user-friendly ways as I could hope for. But I've spent many hours swatting up and getting a pretty good education in the process.
We're a little divided about the population. Though that factor does correlate with some things that are important to us, as usual, there's some wiggle room.
As I stated, I'm fully prepared to make some trade-offs. That's an involved process, and, IMO, anyone who doesn't compare options to their optimal list is making concessions too early.
My primary objective is to find a location that's a better fit with my optimal weather. If I can't improve on that, which is a Top 3 reason for even considering an interstate move, then why bother?
So far, the weather data seem to be indicating I need to focus my lens north a bit.
Why dont you just visit the cities that you are interested in?
I'm energetically searching the city info on this site. It's very time consuming. Though there's quite a bit of useful data, it's not "packaged" in as user-friendly ways as I could hope for. But I've spent many hours swatting up and getting a pretty good education in the process.
We're a little divided about the population. Though that factor does correlate with some things that are important to us, as usual, there's some wiggle room.
As I stated, I'm fully prepared to make some trade-offs. That's an involved process, and, IMO, anyone who doesn't compare options to their optimal list is making concessions too early.
My primary objective is to find a location that's a better fit with my optimal weather. If I can't improve on that, which is a Top 3 reason for even considering an interstate move, then why bother?
So far, the weather data seem to be indicating I need to focus my lens north a bit.
Figure out what is your optimal weather, and visit cities that fit that criteria. Problem solved. We have virtually every conceivable weather scenario in this country.
Figure out what is your optimal weather, and visit cities that fit that criteria. Problem solved. We have virtually every conceivable weather scenario in this country.
If it were that easy, this wouldn't be such an active forum.
I have been searching and don't find cities that fit our top criteria. I haven't posted some key factors because they are just idiosyncratic enough that I can't really expect others to be aware of those conditions.
Are you aware of continental US cities with:
summer highs seldom over 75
winter highs seldom below freezing
a metro area population > 500K and < 2M
and lots of sunshine
???
If so, you will earn all the 'reputation' I can bestow, my undying gratitude, and any other reasonable request I can grant.
If it were that easy, this wouldn't be such an active forum.
I have been searching and don't find cities that fit our top criteria. I haven't posted some key factors because they are just idiosyncratic enough that I can't really expect others to be aware of those conditions.
Are you aware of continental US cities with:
summer highs seldom over 75
winter highs seldom below freezing
a metro area population > 500K and < 2M
and lots of sunshine
???
If so, you will earn all the 'reputation' I can bestow, my undying gratitude, and any other reasonable request I can grant.
That climate is difficult. Maybe Northern Calfornia or the pacific NW.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
