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.
Former Central Austinites (who lived here for at least 10-20 years), where did you move to and why?
I realize this question has been asked before. But I can’t seem to find the threads, and I am finally ready to ask it myself now for the first time.
The tl;dr is: Looking for a place like Austin was in the 1980s but slightly less urban. Please don't hate on me for asking this general question, that's why I am giving LOTS of background info below.
I moved to Austin in 1983, after being a full-on urban city dweller my entire life (NYC, Boston, Los Angeles). Living in Los Angeles and driving across the country opened me up to the new reality of mountains and outdoor spaces. Spending a few weeks in Austin in 1982 opened my eyes to a different, slower way of life. With the exception of my first year here, when I lived in a tiny trailer on a lot in “the country” up by 183 and Jollyville Rd. (yep!), I’ve lived in central/east Austin for decades.
Without rehashing the whole hate Austin/love Austin thing, I’ll just say that while there ain’t nothing wrong with change, Austin is no longer the town I signed up for. I’ve changed over the years, too. I am no longer happy with my 1/8 acre lot, for one thing. Even though my new neighbors on our now fully gentrified little street are lovely people, I don’t really want to hear them practicing guitar or chatting outside when I am sitting in my house or yard. Until this year, I spent the past nine summers just outside of Denali Park in Alaska and have really come to value open space, sparse population, and quiet. Wilderness outside my door is pretty great too.
And with climate change, the Austin heat is just getting more and more oppressive. Being gone for nine summers completely ruined me. I can handle the heat, I can handle humidity, but not for 6-7 months, with so many days over 100 degrees.
So what’s a good place for me to move to?
[heh. Just being snarky. I KNOW that’s a totally silly question.]
A little more background info on me before I list some criteria:
WORK NEEDS: I am semi retired, my partner still needs to work some in retail or customer service or something like that, so full-on rural not so great.
CHAUVINIST PERSONAL ATTITUDE ABOUT CERTAIN STATES: Help me let this go, I want to. It's hard to imagine leaving Austin for someplace in Oklahoma or Arkansas or Missouri. It was hard enough to shake the New York City east/west coast exceptionalism to move to Texas in 1982. There may be good reasons why some places would not be a good match but I don't want to rule them out just because I'm clinging to some stupid blindered beliefs.
ENTERTAINMENT/CULTURE: Even before COVID, I had stopped caring so much about being close to restaurants, clubs, etc. (It’s gotten where it's hard to afford them anyway; we all know Austin is not a good place for slackers and low-income people anymore.) But I do like the option of having some varied food available and being able to “go out” to SOMETHING occasionally, even if I have to drive 30-45 minutes. I’m not a big community festival type person, never have been.
SOCIAL ATTITUDES: We are unconventional, very politically progressive individuals with no children. We are also not religious, churchgoers, or Christians. I don’t need to live in a liberal bubble; I’ve actually gotten pretty tired of closed-minded, hysterical liberal preciousness. Traveling around the rest of Texas and other states, I have an appreciation for a live-and-let-live attitude. I used to be (and occasionally still am) an activist, but maturing as I age has made me appreciate the goodness in people wherever it shows itself. That said, I wouldn’t feel happy or peaceful somewhere aggressively right-wing or loudly conservative, where people disliked us just for being who we are.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES: Living outside Denali Park and traveling through the lower 48 and Canada has made me realize that I LOVE being really close to undeveloped land for walking and recreation. While Austin has plenty of access to paddling, hiking, etc. I am not a motivated “let’s pack up the car and go camping!” type of weekender, nor do I enjoy crowded urban trails and parks much. I do much better when I can look up from my computer, stretch, and say “I’m going out for a hike” and come back after a few hours of walking around and not seeing many people. Or meeting a friend at a nearby lake for paddling.
DENSITY: One of the things I liked about old Austin was the breathing room. There used to be empty lots, unofficial open space, etc. I really value that and miss it. Urban parks are great, and state parks you can drive to for planned trips are wonderful, but that's different from having a more organic sense of spaciousness and openness just walking around. Worland, WY was a good example of that (but not good for other reasons).
DEMOGRAPHICS: Everywhere I’ve lived for the past 40 years, there have been Black, Hispanic or Native people (Alaska), or people from other countries around to some degree, and I am really used to that and would like to keep that if possible. I don’t even really care about “diversity” so much. I’d just prefer not to be in a 99% white place. This isn’t essential, it’s a weird race thing I know (as in, what about Asians or Southeast Asians? Do they meet my criteria?) Just saying I like hearing spanish, black voices, native accents, foreign languages and miss it when I go somewhere where that is absent. Also, while I used to think old people were boring and weird, now that I am one I appreciate them/us. I like being around young people too. This isn't crucial, just would be nice.
WEATHER: Summers cooler and/or shorter than Austin summers. Cold and snow is okay if it’s not all winter long. I visited Alaska in January for a couple of weeks and while it was insanely beautiful and really, 38 below is doable with the right clothes, I don’t want to live in a deep dark winter for five-six months. Hot in the summer is okay too, as long as I am not imprisoned inside in the AC 24/7 for four months. 87 degrees and humid at 9:00 PM is just — ugh.
Here’s a general idea of what I am looking for:
2 - 5 acres of land and a smallish house (1000 sq ft give or take) for under $275,000. Closer to $250k would be better. If it was really cheap, then work options would not matter as much.
1 - 2 hour drive to a semi-major airport (not tiny airport)
Tolerant of varied types of people (per "Social Attitudes" above)
Green land, not desert brown (I REALLY wanted to love Albuquerque… sigh.)
Hills or mountains
Rivers or lakes
Easy access to undeveloped areas for walking/recreation
Reasonable number of sunny days (sorry, Pacific Northwest…)
Some local restaurants or venues (beyond meat pies and county fairs) within an hour’s drive
Reasonable cost of living (not too concerned about property taxes and state income taxes, just prices in general)
Not likely to suffer imminent disaster from climate change (hurricanes, flooding…)
I’d consider staying in the Central Texas area but don’t think we can afford it anymore. Bastrop etc. to the east, or Driftwood etc. to the west would be nice but man, $$$$ if you want more than an acre of land! And since it is getting so dense in this whole area, I'd want more like 3-5 acres to have my own "breathing room." And, summers ain't going to get any better here for the foreseeable future, and congestion/traffic is going to worsen too.
Parts of Alaska with more moderate winters (Kenai) seem to meet many criteria for me but it is really expensive to live there. And, the winters are still just too long and dark anyway (my partner is not crazy about winter in general). And, it is such a long trip to get down to the lower 48 to see any friends or family. I do love Alaska, though, if that helps shed any light on possible places for me...
Moving out of the US seems very unlikely and probably too lonely. But a possibility.
So far, my list of places, potential and ruled out includes:
- Santa Fe (too deserty and also to foo-foo)
- Albuquerque (too urban, also: desert)
- Jemez Hot Springs NM (beautiful, harsh mountain winters make winter access challenging, hard to find affordable place with water and I have experienced winter dry cabin life, nope)
- Mancos, CO (harsh winters but haven't ruled it out)
- Taos, NM (too desert but have not ruled it out)
- Fayetteville or Hot Springs, AR (Maybe? Love Eureka Springs but houses too expensive)
- Tulsa, OK (OKLAHOMA? gulp. Maybe? Lovely country there. Never considered living there.)
- Abilene (been there, never considered really exploring to live there. Surprisingly pretty)
- Ft. Collins CO (really know very little about it)
- Colorado Springs (beautiful but maybe too $$ and also, aggressively conservative?)
- Asheville NC (nope, the next Austin)
- Bend, OR (HA I wish. Missed that boat)
- Bellingham, WA (Also missed the boat. Plus, rainy and very very white)
- La Paz, Baja California (getting pricey for Mexico. Also very urban really, and HOT in the summer)
- Many places in BC and even the Yukon in Canada (could brave those winters but hell, no way Canada wants us)
- Modena, Italy, or central Sicily (again -- moving out of the US seems unlikely)
So yeah I am all over the place, figuratively and literally. Whatcha all think? Anyone want to play and throw out a few more recommendations, or share where you moved to when you left?
(I just saw from that other thread that there is a retirement forum. I'll look at that too, even though we're not strictly retired. Maybe I can cross-post without getting busted.)
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,722 posts, read 58,067,115 times
Reputation: 46190
BTDT (had homes in wonderful locations that significantly changed / transitioned into 'tolerable', but no longer 'desirable' places)
Seems you have a liking for NM, and there are still a few choices there in your price range and home desire.
Friends with your interests / background from Hill Country TX just moved north of Santa Fe and south of Chama (Brazos Cliffs area) ~ $200k for home on 1acre
They also looked into Lake Cochiti, (handy to ABQ and transit from SF) ~$240k
Friends also recently bought homes on Lake Buchanan for lower than your range.
I only do TX for winter (PT in winter)
I keep rural props (fully rented out) with a spare cabin / casita for me... in a few USA locations. Been great for the last few yrs (Early retiree with LOTS of travel and energy). Great cash on cash returns, high equity gains and very pretty rural locations with views. (and deductible travel between houses). Plan to be out of this mode by age 70. Will sell TX places by 8 Apr 2024 (Eclipse).
My CO and WA homes have been threatened by fires this month. (that is a tad unnerving)
Will likely add a PT retreat in Spain, Portugal, or Italy (Shared equity in working farm with spare home). Maybe Columbia or Ecuador (low Healthcare costs and mild climate).
Good luck in your transition to a nicer place to call home.
I find small college towns within 1 hr to a significant airport to be a good mix. Ironically... I also look for "US National Lab towns", as they have a very engaged and educated retiree population. Very helpful and active and make for interesting communities. My mom transitioned from Colorado to Las Cruces, NM 15 yrs ago and really has had a pleasant stay. (Bit dry and dusty for me). but... no forests to burn!
Society / values / responsibility has changed significantly, so not sure I can ever find my desired spot. (no barking neighbor dogs 24x7). Dogs are now 'gods' in much of the developed world, where the dogs are for 'show' rather than work. Dogs took the place of kids, but owners can be far more protective and irritating than parents are. Ireland is way over the top on 'dog-love'. (What the USA is becoming). I'm a 'working dog' owner for 60 yrs, but they never wanted indoors... nor asked to ride on airplanes as an ESA. They would be really bummed to not be left at home on the farm to 'care-for-the-place'.
ps... I was also thinking of Hood River / White Salmon (another of my homes). but... 1) pretty white, 2) quite expensive 3) growing fast. 4) very limited land available (National Scenic area controlled by federal gov)
Last edited by StealthRabbit; 10-22-2020 at 01:44 PM..
Hey thanks for these suggestions. I appreciate you taking the time to read and understand my lengthy post.
I like the "US National Lab towns" idea; would not have thought of that. I've done a lot of searching for small college towns but mostly find the ones everyone knows about and are making all the "top ten" lists, or the ones in bitter cold places.
Chama NM and that area looks promising; Greener than most of NM. I did fall in love with northern New Mexico when I first spent time there years ago. Enchanted by the land, mesas, Pueblo history, etc. Since then we've spent a little time in Las Cruces, and stayed with a friend in Albuquerque for a while last fall to explore the idea of living in that area, but it is just too dry. Scrub, sand, rocks... irritated noses...
If I could get past my chauvinism, I'd look into some spots I've heard of in Tennessee. Lush, rivers.. too hot and humid for summer though. Columbia and Ecuador are intriguing for sure but I'm reluctant to throw in with an ex-pat community and I think it might be too isolating to try to stay separate from one.
Oregon in general is full of a lot of "almosts," as is Washington. I love the land there but yes, it's growing and getting more expensive as it grows. Pretty white, too, as you say, although if everything else lines up that isn't a total deal breaker.
Not in a financial situation to get properties around the US the way you have. I know people who did that -- great planning. I was busy not wanting to own a house, then finally getting one and working for non-profits. Didn't even think about retirement planning until a few years ago (eep). I love traveling too but like to have a home base so nomadic house-hopping doesn't sound too appealing. But staying in one place for so long (except for the summers) makes it harder to pick up and leave, too.
Former Central Austinites (who lived here for at least 10-20 years), where did you move to and why?
I realize this question has been asked before. But I can’t seem to find the threads, and I am finally ready to ask it myself now for the first time.
The tl;dr is: Looking for a place like Austin was in the 1980s but slightly less urban. Please don't hate on me for asking this general question, that's why I am giving LOTS of background info below.
I moved to Austin in 1983, after being a full-on urban city dweller my entire life (NYC, Boston, Los Angeles). Living in Los Angeles and driving across the country opened me up to the new reality of mountains and outdoor spaces. Spending a few weeks in Austin in 1982 opened my eyes to a different, slower way of life. With the exception of my first year here, when I lived in a tiny trailer on a lot in “the country” up by 183 and Jollyville Rd. (yep!), I’ve lived in central/east Austin for decades.
Without rehashing the whole hate Austin/love Austin thing, I’ll just say that while there ain’t nothing wrong with change, Austin is no longer the town I signed up for. I’ve changed over the years, too. I am no longer happy with my 1/8 acre lot, for one thing. Even though my new neighbors on our now fully gentrified little street are lovely people, I don’t really want to hear them practicing guitar or chatting outside when I am sitting in my house or yard. Until this year, I spent the past nine summers just outside of Denali Park in Alaska and have really come to value open space, sparse population, and quiet. Wilderness outside my door is pretty great too.
And with climate change, the Austin heat is just getting more and more oppressive. Being gone for nine summers completely ruined me. I can handle the heat, I can handle humidity, but not for 6-7 months, with so many days over 100 degrees.
So what’s a good place for me to move to?
[heh. Just being snarky. I KNOW that’s a totally silly question.]
A little more background info on me before I list some criteria:
WORK NEEDS: I am semi retired, my partner still needs to work some in retail or customer service or something like that, so full-on rural not so great.
CHAUVINIST PERSONAL ATTITUDE ABOUT CERTAIN STATES: Help me let this go, I want to. It's hard to imagine leaving Austin for someplace in Oklahoma or Arkansas or Missouri. It was hard enough to shake the New York City east/west coast exceptionalism to move to Texas in 1982. There may be good reasons why some places would not be a good match but I don't want to rule them out just because I'm clinging to some stupid blindered beliefs.
ENTERTAINMENT/CULTURE: Even before COVID, I had stopped caring so much about being close to restaurants, clubs, etc. (It’s gotten where it's hard to afford them anyway; we all know Austin is not a good place for slackers and low-income people anymore.) But I do like the option of having some varied food available and being able to “go out” to SOMETHING occasionally, even if I have to drive 30-45 minutes. I’m not a big community festival type person, never have been.
SOCIAL ATTITUDES: We are unconventional, very politically progressive individuals with no children. We are also not religious, churchgoers, or Christians. I don’t need to live in a liberal bubble; I’ve actually gotten pretty tired of closed-minded, hysterical liberal preciousness. Traveling around the rest of Texas and other states, I have an appreciation for a live-and-let-live attitude. I used to be (and occasionally still am) an activist, but maturing as I age has made me appreciate the goodness in people wherever it shows itself. That said, I wouldn’t feel happy or peaceful somewhere aggressively right-wing or loudly conservative, where people disliked us just for being who we are.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES: Living outside Denali Park and traveling through the lower 48 and Canada has made me realize that I LOVE being really close to undeveloped land for walking and recreation. While Austin has plenty of access to paddling, hiking, etc. I am not a motivated “let’s pack up the car and go camping!” type of weekender, nor do I enjoy crowded urban trails and parks much. I do much better when I can look up from my computer, stretch, and say “I’m going out for a hike” and come back after a few hours of walking around and not seeing many people. Or meeting a friend at a nearby lake for paddling.
DENSITY: One of the things I liked about old Austin was the breathing room. There used to be empty lots, unofficial open space, etc. I really value that and miss it. Urban parks are great, and state parks you can drive to for planned trips are wonderful, but that's different from having a more organic sense of spaciousness and openness just walking around. Worland, WY was a good example of that (but not good for other reasons).
DEMOGRAPHICS: Everywhere I’ve lived for the past 40 years, there have been Black, Hispanic or Native people (Alaska), or people from other countries around to some degree, and I am really used to that and would like to keep that if possible. I don’t even really care about “diversity” so much. I’d just prefer not to be in a 99% white place. This isn’t essential, it’s a weird race thing I know (as in, what about Asians or Southeast Asians? Do they meet my criteria?) Just saying I like hearing spanish, black voices, native accents, foreign languages and miss it when I go somewhere where that is absent. Also, while I used to think old people were boring and weird, now that I am one I appreciate them/us. I like being around young people too. This isn't crucial, just would be nice.
WEATHER: Summers cooler and/or shorter than Austin summers. Cold and snow is okay if it’s not all winter long. I visited Alaska in January for a couple of weeks and while it was insanely beautiful and really, 38 below is doable with the right clothes, I don’t want to live in a deep dark winter for five-six months. Hot in the summer is okay too, as long as I am not imprisoned inside in the AC 24/7 for four months. 87 degrees and humid at 9:00 PM is just — ugh.
Here’s a general idea of what I am looking for:
2 - 5 acres of land and a smallish house (1000 sq ft give or take) for under $275,000. Closer to $250k would be better. If it was really cheap, then work options would not matter as much.
1 - 2 hour drive to a semi-major airport (not tiny airport)
Tolerant of varied types of people (per "Social Attitudes" above)
Green land, not desert brown (I REALLY wanted to love Albuquerque… sigh.)
Hills or mountains
Rivers or lakes
Easy access to undeveloped areas for walking/recreation
Reasonable number of sunny days (sorry, Pacific Northwest…)
Some local restaurants or venues (beyond meat pies and county fairs) within an hour’s drive
Reasonable cost of living (not too concerned about property taxes and state income taxes, just prices in general)
Not likely to suffer imminent disaster from climate change (hurricanes, flooding…)
I’d consider staying in the Central Texas area but don’t think we can afford it anymore. Bastrop etc. to the east, or Driftwood etc. to the west would be nice but man, $$$$ if you want more than an acre of land! And since it is getting so dense in this whole area, I'd want more like 3-5 acres to have my own "breathing room." And, summers ain't going to get any better here for the foreseeable future, and congestion/traffic is going to worsen too.
Parts of Alaska with more moderate winters (Kenai) seem to meet many criteria for me but it is really expensive to live there. And, the winters are still just too long and dark anyway (my partner is not crazy about winter in general). And, it is such a long trip to get down to the lower 48 to see any friends or family. I do love Alaska, though, if that helps shed any light on possible places for me...
Moving out of the US seems very unlikely and probably too lonely. But a possibility.
So far, my list of places, potential and ruled out includes:
- Santa Fe (too deserty and also to foo-foo)
- Albuquerque (too urban, also: desert)
- Jemez Hot Springs NM (beautiful, harsh mountain winters make winter access challenging, hard to find affordable place with water and I have experienced winter dry cabin life, nope)
- Mancos, CO (harsh winters but haven't ruled it out)
- Taos, NM (too desert but have not ruled it out)
- Fayetteville or Hot Springs, AR (Maybe? Love Eureka Springs but houses too expensive)
- Tulsa, OK (OKLAHOMA? gulp. Maybe? Lovely country there. Never considered living there.)
- Abilene (been there, never considered really exploring to live there. Surprisingly pretty)
- Ft. Collins CO (really know very little about it)
- Colorado Springs (beautiful but maybe too $$ and also, aggressively conservative?)
- Asheville NC (nope, the next Austin)
- Bend, OR (HA I wish. Missed that boat)
- Bellingham, WA (Also missed the boat. Plus, rainy and very very white)
- La Paz, Baja California (getting pricey for Mexico. Also very urban really, and HOT in the summer)
- Many places in BC and even the Yukon in Canada (could brave those winters but hell, no way Canada wants us)
- Modena, Italy, or central Sicily (again -- moving out of the US seems unlikely)
So yeah I am all over the place, figuratively and literally. Whatcha all think? Anyone want to play and throw out a few more recommendations, or share where you moved to when you left?
(I just saw from that other thread that there is a retirement forum. I'll look at that too, even though we're not strictly retired. Maybe I can cross-post without getting busted.)
asians dont tend to value the criteria you listed, so you wont get the diversity if you go rural where there is space. You might as well scratch that off your list (unless you move to an asian country). If you pick a college town, then it would be different.
Arkansas or yeah said no Arkansas .....but with your budget and desire for Green things and mosquitos I think you re stuck with Arkansas but it gets really hot there , oh well..
Check out Roanoke VA - it's like Asheville NC but not nearly so trendy! We love it here.
Medium size metro area (about 300K).
Lots of outdoor opportunities.
Purple politics.
Good cost of living.
Lots of housing options.
Reasonable cultural opportunities.
Reasonably decent airport - and Greensboro is 2 hours away for more options. Dulles and Charlotte a further drive for expanded options.
Perfect four season climate - summer runs its course - winter not too oppressive.
We moved here after many years in the Houston area. SO glad we did!
Check it out...you'll be glad you did. (Yes I am obnoxiously boosterish about my adopted town for retirement, but it checks so many things on your list!)
Quote:
Originally Posted by modemserf
Former Central Austinites (who lived here for at least 10-20 years), where did you move to and why?
I realize this question has been asked before. But I can’t seem to find the threads, and I am finally ready to ask it myself now for the first time.
The tl;dr is: Looking for a place like Austin was in the 1980s but slightly less urban. Please don't hate on me for asking this general question, that's why I am giving LOTS of background info below.
I moved to Austin in 1983, after being a full-on urban city dweller my entire life (NYC, Boston, Los Angeles). Living in Los Angeles and driving across the country opened me up to the new reality of mountains and outdoor spaces. Spending a few weeks in Austin in 1982 opened my eyes to a different, slower way of life. With the exception of my first year here, when I lived in a tiny trailer on a lot in “the country” up by 183 and Jollyville Rd. (yep!), I’ve lived in central/east Austin for decades.
Without rehashing the whole hate Austin/love Austin thing, I’ll just say that while there ain’t nothing wrong with change, Austin is no longer the town I signed up for. I’ve changed over the years, too. I am no longer happy with my 1/8 acre lot, for one thing. Even though my new neighbors on our now fully gentrified little street are lovely people, I don’t really want to hear them practicing guitar or chatting outside when I am sitting in my house or yard. Until this year, I spent the past nine summers just outside of Denali Park in Alaska and have really come to value open space, sparse population, and quiet. Wilderness outside my door is pretty great too.
And with climate change, the Austin heat is just getting more and more oppressive. Being gone for nine summers completely ruined me. I can handle the heat, I can handle humidity, but not for 6-7 months, with so many days over 100 degrees.
So what’s a good place for me to move to?
[heh. Just being snarky. I KNOW that’s a totally silly question.]
A little more background info on me before I list some criteria:
WORK NEEDS: I am semi retired, my partner still needs to work some in retail or customer service or something like that, so full-on rural not so great.
CHAUVINIST PERSONAL ATTITUDE ABOUT CERTAIN STATES: Help me let this go, I want to. It's hard to imagine leaving Austin for someplace in Oklahoma or Arkansas or Missouri. It was hard enough to shake the New York City east/west coast exceptionalism to move to Texas in 1982. There may be good reasons why some places would not be a good match but I don't want to rule them out just because I'm clinging to some stupid blindered beliefs.
ENTERTAINMENT/CULTURE: Even before COVID, I had stopped caring so much about being close to restaurants, clubs, etc. (It’s gotten where it's hard to afford them anyway; we all know Austin is not a good place for slackers and low-income people anymore.) But I do like the option of having some varied food available and being able to “go out” to SOMETHING occasionally, even if I have to drive 30-45 minutes. I’m not a big community festival type person, never have been.
SOCIAL ATTITUDES: We are unconventional, very politically progressive individuals with no children. We are also not religious, churchgoers, or Christians. I don’t need to live in a liberal bubble; I’ve actually gotten pretty tired of closed-minded, hysterical liberal preciousness. Traveling around the rest of Texas and other states, I have an appreciation for a live-and-let-live attitude. I used to be (and occasionally still am) an activist, but maturing as I age has made me appreciate the goodness in people wherever it shows itself. That said, I wouldn’t feel happy or peaceful somewhere aggressively right-wing or loudly conservative, where people disliked us just for being who we are.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES: Living outside Denali Park and traveling through the lower 48 and Canada has made me realize that I LOVE being really close to undeveloped land for walking and recreation. While Austin has plenty of access to paddling, hiking, etc. I am not a motivated “let’s pack up the car and go camping!” type of weekender, nor do I enjoy crowded urban trails and parks much. I do much better when I can look up from my computer, stretch, and say “I’m going out for a hike” and come back after a few hours of walking around and not seeing many people. Or meeting a friend at a nearby lake for paddling.
DENSITY: One of the things I liked about old Austin was the breathing room. There used to be empty lots, unofficial open space, etc. I really value that and miss it. Urban parks are great, and state parks you can drive to for planned trips are wonderful, but that's different from having a more organic sense of spaciousness and openness just walking around. Worland, WY was a good example of that (but not good for other reasons).
DEMOGRAPHICS: Everywhere I’ve lived for the past 40 years, there have been Black, Hispanic or Native people (Alaska), or people from other countries around to some degree, and I am really used to that and would like to keep that if possible. I don’t even really care about “diversity” so much. I’d just prefer not to be in a 99% white place. This isn’t essential, it’s a weird race thing I know (as in, what about Asians or Southeast Asians? Do they meet my criteria?) Just saying I like hearing spanish, black voices, native accents, foreign languages and miss it when I go somewhere where that is absent. Also, while I used to think old people were boring and weird, now that I am one I appreciate them/us. I like being around young people too. This isn't crucial, just would be nice.
WEATHER: Summers cooler and/or shorter than Austin summers. Cold and snow is okay if it’s not all winter long. I visited Alaska in January for a couple of weeks and while it was insanely beautiful and really, 38 below is doable with the right clothes, I don’t want to live in a deep dark winter for five-six months. Hot in the summer is okay too, as long as I am not imprisoned inside in the AC 24/7 for four months. 87 degrees and humid at 9:00 PM is just — ugh.
Here’s a general idea of what I am looking for:
2 - 5 acres of land and a smallish house (1000 sq ft give or take) for under $275,000. Closer to $250k would be better. If it was really cheap, then work options would not matter as much.
1 - 2 hour drive to a semi-major airport (not tiny airport)
Tolerant of varied types of people (per "Social Attitudes" above)
Green land, not desert brown (I REALLY wanted to love Albuquerque… sigh.)
Hills or mountains
Rivers or lakes
Easy access to undeveloped areas for walking/recreation
Reasonable number of sunny days (sorry, Pacific Northwest…)
Some local restaurants or venues (beyond meat pies and county fairs) within an hour’s drive
Reasonable cost of living (not too concerned about property taxes and state income taxes, just prices in general)
Not likely to suffer imminent disaster from climate change (hurricanes, flooding…)
I’d consider staying in the Central Texas area but don’t think we can afford it anymore. Bastrop etc. to the east, or Driftwood etc. to the west would be nice but man, $$$$ if you want more than an acre of land! And since it is getting so dense in this whole area, I'd want more like 3-5 acres to have my own "breathing room." And, summers ain't going to get any better here for the foreseeable future, and congestion/traffic is going to worsen too.
Parts of Alaska with more moderate winters (Kenai) seem to meet many criteria for me but it is really expensive to live there. And, the winters are still just too long and dark anyway (my partner is not crazy about winter in general). And, it is such a long trip to get down to the lower 48 to see any friends or family. I do love Alaska, though, if that helps shed any light on possible places for me...
Moving out of the US seems very unlikely and probably too lonely. But a possibility.
So far, my list of places, potential and ruled out includes:
- Santa Fe (too deserty and also to foo-foo)
- Albuquerque (too urban, also: desert)
- Jemez Hot Springs NM (beautiful, harsh mountain winters make winter access challenging, hard to find affordable place with water and I have experienced winter dry cabin life, nope)
- Mancos, CO (harsh winters but haven't ruled it out)
- Taos, NM (too desert but have not ruled it out)
- Fayetteville or Hot Springs, AR (Maybe? Love Eureka Springs but houses too expensive)
- Tulsa, OK (OKLAHOMA? gulp. Maybe? Lovely country there. Never considered living there.)
- Abilene (been there, never considered really exploring to live there. Surprisingly pretty)
- Ft. Collins CO (really know very little about it)
- Colorado Springs (beautiful but maybe too $$ and also, aggressively conservative?)
- Asheville NC (nope, the next Austin)
- Bend, OR (HA I wish. Missed that boat)
- Bellingham, WA (Also missed the boat. Plus, rainy and very very white)
- La Paz, Baja California (getting pricey for Mexico. Also very urban really, and HOT in the summer)
- Many places in BC and even the Yukon in Canada (could brave those winters but hell, no way Canada wants us)
- Modena, Italy, or central Sicily (again -- moving out of the US seems unlikely)
So yeah I am all over the place, figuratively and literally. Whatcha all think? Anyone want to play and throw out a few more recommendations, or share where you moved to when you left?
(I just saw from that other thread that there is a retirement forum. I'll look at that too, even though we're not strictly retired. Maybe I can cross-post without getting busted.)
Just happened to check the Austin forum tonight and saw your post. Long-time Austinite here - we chose to retire to Colorado Springs four years ago when our central Austin property taxes got too high. Though it still has a reputation for being overly religious and conservative here, we have found that to be an exaggeration. If you want a more Austin vibe, then the downtown/west side is the best side. There are all kinds of people here but I have to say you won't find the overt friendliness that Texans are known for. It is also very white. If I had it to do over again, I would strongly consider the western slope of Colorado over here as we are tired of the big city and I have family connections there. Easier there to escape to the mountains or Utah too. I do worry about fire though. We think about moving back to central Tx but boy has it gotten crowded and expensive and I don't know if we could do the endless hot weather again. Property taxes here are super low. No roaches or mosquitos either. And soon Southwest will fly out of the Springs airport so you don't have to drive to Denver. I have a relative who loves living in Ruidoso NM but I have never been there.
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.
