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Markleeville is an easy 1/2 hour from Carson City. an hour or more from Reno. Plenty of people live in Truckee and work in Reno (we do), or go to school there. Tahoe City is a bit more of a commute, especially in the winter.
I've been putting out feelers in Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and California as possible retirement places for about a month on these forums. It's a great way to learn intimate details about places that are a bit too far away to check out personally on a whim. Every beautiful, idealic place has a wart and that's a fact. Denver suffers from wintertime pollution and too much traffic but the climate and scenery is superior. On these forums, I've learned that the closer to the coast we move, the more my husband's arthritis will be painful. I've learned eastern Oregon and Washington get MUCH hotter in the summer than Colorado. I've learned northern Idaho gets a lot more snow than I like. I've learned California's Sierra is being inundated by, well, people just like me. If it weren't for the mosquitoes and chiggers, we'd probably settle along the Mississippi or Ohio!
I grew up in western New York and have lived briefly in southern PA. Have traveled a little to Florida, NJ, Maine, Palm Springs, San Diego, the mid-Atlantic states, Vancouver, Toronto. Some of you may actually be looking for a country place in NY.
I grew up smack dab in the center of the "snow belt" where Lakes Erie and Ontario send moist, warm air over the cold land to create the white stuff. Now I live an hour south of Buffalo, outside of this belt and we see a pleasant amount of snow, not mountains of it! Here, in Dec-Mar, the sky dumps on you, you live adventurously for a day or two and then the sun comes out and it's all fun. As an adult I view the snow more suspiciously (and have even lost a relative in a snow-related car accident), but I still find it incredibly beautiful. I've lived in Syracuse and Ithaca and briefly in the Binghamton area and they're all similar.
Here's what you get in NY -
great land prices, especially on foreclosures and out a little from towns and cities but within driving distance.
great scenery and change of seasons - while I wouldn't describe upstate NY as "manicured," it has rolling hills, green grass, all kinds of trees, waterfalls, and curvy, picturesque farm land. The change of seasons is refreshing because it teaches you that change is just around the corner and beauty is hidden close by. Farms are going out of business here though and you will not find many idyllic looking ones, I'm afraid.
peace and security - Outside of major cities, most NYer's feel very safe and that they experience a nice pace of life.
plenty of cultural, educational, festive and spiritual opportunities - though many small towns in NY are disappearing, some offer really fun, stimulating things to do. I live in a town with one flashing red light, no grocery store or mini mart, no gas station, but we do have a library, vacation lake, bank, post office, several churches and a fair ground. The next town over has a liberal arts college in it, however, and 1/2 hour away is another with the same. There's stimulation to be found. And many talented, interesting people hole up here.
higher taxes - it's NY state...
cloudier weather - this comes with the moisture that makes everything green. It is literally "remarkable" when we have sunny weather without clouds. Though the cloud formations are strikingly beautiful. We have never rationed water or had water bans here though I might have some browning on my lawn in August for a week or so.
few jobs - You've got to be a specialist, have a good degree, be an artist or computer tech - something to give you edge in your field. Otherwise, live in the cities.
Bug Free - NY has flies and mosquitoes in summer, but one isn't tortured by them as I've experienced elsewhere.
ok schools - I taught in NY public schools for years and have also taught in private and parochial settings as well as on the collegiate level. Though the city schools struggle and NY is very test-heavy and program centered, kids can get a decent education here. I now home school a gifted child and a special needs child and monitor closely what my public schooled child is doing. There are educational choices here in NY.
more irritable, fussy people - this is told to me by my brother-in-law who has lived in the midwest and worked in retail. He says NYer's are not as nice and are more confrontational than folks out west. Maybe so, but I have lots of really nice friends and acquaintances.
In contrast, S. PA had ice and snow but no snow plows and you had to have air conditioning; NJ is just too crowded where I visited; VA was pretty but hot and humid; FL was just way too hot, flat and full of strip malls for me; ME had too many bugs but lots of natural beauty; San Diego was perfect except for real estate costs and sprawl; Palm Springs was too manufactured and deserty; Vancouver was nice (but I was there during 9-11 2001 and could barely focus on the place; Toronto is nice but watch the winters! To those of you who live in these places - there is something I liked about them all. Each winter I do the "grass is greener" search and that's why I poke around on City.Data. As you can see, I'm still living in New York though...
It's been a while since I revisited these forums. Interesting to find something about New York! I actually have some friends that live there, one in Buffalo, the other on Long Island. Both seem to like it. Lately, I've been poking my interest into southern Utah and Colorado's western border. Water availabilty is the biggest western issue and that tempers ones decision. I grew up in the green, forested midwest myself and truly loved it. Thanks for the input!!
Is anyone familiar with the Southern Sierra? Is it down on 395 heading south that the towns of Bishop is on? Is the property down this way as expensive as Tahoe area? Looking for a piece of land for retirement so work is not an issue at this time. Anyone know of this area? Thanks, mrvgs.
Bishop is a fairly small town at the upper end of the Owens Valley, but is the hub of activity for the region, so it offers many of the amenities of larger towns and cities. It has all the basics covered, such as groceries, restaurants, clothing, schools, Pharmacy, etc., though the selection may be a little lighter than most people's preferences. It also has things such as car dealerships and a hospital, as well as a single screen movie theater.
It does not have a multiplex theater, Costco, Walmart, Best Buy, or many of the other big box retail stores. For shopping, you're pretty much limited to the local Mom and Pop type stores and local sporting goods stores, with the exception of K-Mart and one of the major drug stores (Payless or Walgreen, I think), and a Safeway grocery store. For the things Bishop doesn't have, there is a choice of traveling about four hours north to Reno, or about three and a half hours south to Ridgecrest.
Bishop sits at about 4000 feet in elevation, so it gets some snow in the winter, but much less than in the surrounding mountains. It is pretty much a four season town, which makes it an enjoyable place to be, in my opinion.
There are many lakes and streams in the nearby mountains that attract thousands of anglers from all over Southern and Central California. It is also about an hour from Mammoth Mountain ski resort, and is a favorite stop for the recreational traveler. For this reason, it has what I believe to be a higher than average number of good dining establishments.
As for places to live, there are many charming houses in the heart of town, within one or two blocks of Main St. (aka Hwy. 395). A little further west is the Bishop Reservation, home to about 2000 Native Americans. There are the communities of Aspendell and Round Valley to the west and northwest, respectively. To the northeast is the town of Laws, and to the south are the town of Big Pine and the very small community at Keough Hot Springs. All of these are within fifteen miles of Bishop. I can't tell you much at all about pricing, but I've heard that the cost of housing more than doubled in the last few years. I know there are some mobile home parks in the north part of town that are pretty nice, and buying something there would not cost too much. At least one of these parks is a "Senior" park, where my wife's grandfather lives. It is clean and well kept, and the people in the park are quite friendly. He enjoys living there, and feels safe there.
There are some on-line resources available to give you some more information on the area. Try this link for more info:
http://bishopweb.com/index.shtml (broken link)
If I can help in any other way, don't hesitate to ask.
-Joe
Doesn't seem like a lot of people are interested in the Sierra Nevadas but we love the beauty of Lake Tahoe, Yosemite NP, and the villages, passes, and scenery in between. We're curious about what the rest of Hwy 395 offers. Hwy 49 is quaint and picturesque.
We're looking for a small to medium size town that offers some intellectual and cultural stimulation for people who have grown to love big-city sophistication but not the pollution, crime, or traffic. Being retirees, we'd prefer to live conveniently close to good medical facilities, restaurants, bike paths, and decent fishing. Any recommendations?
Big city sophistication? You mean you want a liberal area? Eatern California(Including the Sierras.) is actually very conservative compared to the west.
Grass Valley is cute but a drive out from major medical facilities.
There's a shortage of cardiologists in GV. I worked for a dear couple who were in and out of the hospital in the last two years and they went to Roseville, which is about an hour's drive from GV. You may want to take a look at Auburn which is within about 15 minutes of Roseville. I know someone who bought a lovely property @ Lake of the Pines, where you'd have autonomy and a sense of community as well, if that appeals to you. Good luck!
There's a shortage of cardiologists in GV. I worked for a dear couple who were in and out of the hospital in the last two years and they went to Roseville, which is about an hour's drive from GV. You may want to take a look at Auburn which is within about 15 minutes of Roseville. I know someone who bought a lovely property @ Lake of the Pines, where you'd have autonomy and a sense of community as well, if that appeals to you. Good luck!
Although I haven't been through this area very much, I do remember my last trip through Auburn. I thought it was a beautiful area, but what I remember most was traffic coming to a halt on I-80, as I was heading west towards Sacramento coming from Reno. Up until I reached Auburn, there was only moderate traffic, and it was in Auburn that it became slow and heavy. I don't know if this is normal, or was the exception to the rule, but it's something I'd check into if that sort of thing bothers you.
Eastern Sierra, although not fitting my previous "want" list in every way, still draws my attraction due to its dry beauty with mountains. Similar to western Colorado in many ways. Is water availablity a big issue here? Water in Colordo is like gold and very political. Also, can anyone provide more info on Graeagle? That sounded like a great retirement place, too, although in an entirely different region of the mountains.
Be sure to really do your research before settling into any small town. Do or your spouse have health problems that require special care or frequent doctor visits? Do you have a health problem that is worse in high elevations? Are you up for snow? Can you properly maintain a piece of property in the mountians? If you select a home out of town, I would highly recommend having an old truck with a snow plow on it. Are you up to power outages that could last a few days to a week? Are you able to handle the lack of shopping? The list goes on. Honestly, the inconviences are no big thing. If you are a rush rush kind of person, you will hate it. But if you are laid back and go with the flow kind of person, you will be fine.
I personally love living in the mountians and don't have any plans to return to the city. In 9 years I can tell you we have had power outages lasting more then 48 hours, this is due to lots of things. Snow, forest fires, etc have led to this. I do shopping in the city when I can. If I need something and its not available in town, I use the internet. Its a great place for my young kids, really safe, and lots of outdoor activities.
If you have a major medical problem, you must go to the city for proper care. Our town's ambulances didn't have Defibrillators until 2 years ago. Needless to say heart attack deaths aren't as high as before.
Rural small towns do have some cute fairs, events,etc. But as for culture on a regular basis, its hard to find sometimes. So really do your homework. Something closer to a city might will more then something rural. Also, spend some time in the area before buying, that could make or break the deal. Talk to the locals, most merchants are wonderful in giving advice about the area.
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NY state could be your answer...
Each winter I do the "grass is greener" search and that's why I poke around on City.Data. As you can see, I'm still living in New York though...
