Disadvantages of moving to your small town dream area

[Charlie&Rose]

Originally Posted by thinkalot

I disagree with your first sentence. In some places it may be hard especially in a small town where everyone grew up together. But in a large 55+ such as The Villages or the original Sun City making friends is a breeze.

I disagree. In large 55 communities, you may know many people, through clubs and sports.....but friends? In large communities, there are just to many people, to fast paced, to get to know people.

[AngelWing]

Originally Posted by Charlie&Rose

I disagree. In large 55 communities, you may know many people, through clubs and sports.....but friends? In large communities, there are just to many people, to fast paced, to get to know people.

But the flip side of that is : with so many people, you are likely to find 1 or 2 that you have something in common with.

[DubbleT]

1. and 2. don't surprise me at all. In fact people in tourist towns are often superficially polite and welcoming specifically because their livelihood depends on it. Living there is a whole 'nother ballgame to just being a visitor.

One thing I'll add is that getting repairs done can be more difficult in a small town or rural area. I have found that tradespeople are more lax about schedules and appointment times, etc. The only thing being in a hurry will get you is high blood pressure.

Also I'm somewhat disappointed to find that my area has been growing at a rate much faster than I anticipated. I'm already starting to feel the pressure of more traffic, longer lines, and more crowded conditions. I feel like I might be squeezed out of an area I had hoped to quietly enjoy for much longer.

[KaraG]

Originally Posted by ehcsrop

Good thread. I opened this because I think I need to move but have no idea where to go. I have had friends (we are all retired) move to a small town only to relocate to be closer to medical facilities.

Of course I understand the provincial thinking one would encounter in a small town. I'm Californian to the bone from the surfer age and I lived in AL for a year. Man did I get flack. The only thing worse would have been if I had moved down from New England. A doctor from Ohio seemed to be doing OK, but he was needed. I was not.

Moving anywhere from CA is asking for pushback so I guess I'll stay. How to downsize here is very tough. It basically means stepping down the financial/cultural ladder. That is not meant to be offensive.

We moved from Orange County to a small town in SC. Surprise surprise we've met many other refugees and we all love it here. My son moved to AL and they also fit right in.

None of us received any pushback coming from CA, so I can't really relate to your experience. Financially we're all in much better shape due to lower cost of living in about everything. Culturally? Not sure what you mean. We do like that our areas now are more diverse (more blacks, more elderly, more diverse income range) than CA.

As with any move to anywhere, you make your new connections and friends through work, school, kids' activities, church, etc.