Senior Activities in Decorah? (Des Moines, Indianola: home, college, living)

[irootoo]

Hi! My husband and I are currently considering various small towns for our retirement. We live in Minneapolis, Minnesota right now, and we want to move someplace with less traffic, noise, and crime. We are looking for a place that is quite small, with beautiful scenery and abundant places to walk, hike and bike.

Recently we started looking at Decorah, Iowa, but I simply can't find any information on senior resources, senior activities, etc. In checking out other towns in the Upper Midwest that have similar populations, I have always easily found listings for senior centers and plenty of organized activities available. Looking at Decorah and searching for “Senior Center” or “Senior Activities,” all I have found is a single listing for an assisted living facility. Surely there must be something to do for seniors in Decorah besides church-related activities? We are not churchgoers and while we don't need to be entertained every minute, neither do we wish to be marginalized or isolated. Shall I cross Decorah off my list as a possible retirement location?

[smpliving]

Just a thought ... maybe Luther College would have suggestions (?)

[atler8]

Here is a link to the site for the city of Decorah. There is a "contact us" area there, several subsections & links to other local sites such as for parks & recreation, the Chamber of Commerce, etc.
Decorah is an energetic & beautiful jewel in northeast Iowa. The fact that Luther College is a major presence there ads to the vitality & overall charm of Decorah & the Upper Iowa River is an asset & a rugged beauty.
You might find the town to be like a smaller cousin to your nearby Northfield.
City of Decorah
.

[irootoo]

Thanks to you both, rigizug and atler8! I will take your advice and contact both the City of Decorah website and Luther and see what they say. (It just struck me as so odd when all the other communities we looked at had abundant senior offerings highly visible and accessible online, which Decorah does not.)

I just took a second look at their website (thanks for the link,atler8), and I just don't see anything listed for us elderly folk. As I said, I'll get in touch, but to me it bodes ill when other communities make it so accessible and one does not, and right off the bat it makes me wonder if we would truly feel welcome and/or at home there.

[irootoo]

Hi, just a follow up. As suggested, I emailed the City of Decorah website, and received a very nice and super-prompt email back from the executive director of the Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce. She mentioned a 55+ Senior Community called Vennehjem (which sounds nice but wouldn't work for us as we have two 80 pound greyhounds and intend to have dogs as long as we are able to do so), a Retired Senior Volunteer Program, and a Senior Center that is open for meals and socializing during the week. She also said that there are many retirees in the Decorah area and that many of them are actively involved with the college.

So pretty average offerings, I guess, certainly from the sound of it nothing that makes me think, "Wow, how fun and interesting!" (which is definitely a feeling I have gotten from other areas).

We are planning a visit in April that will hopefully give us a better feel for the place.

[smpliving]

Thanks for reporting back! Always nice to hear follow-up posts. Good luck and let us know what you think of the area.

JMO, but I just don't think Decorah or other small towns in Iowa are quite up to par as being a popular retirement destination ... that may be part of the problem.

[irootoo]

Originally Posted by rigizug

JMO, but I just don't think Decorah or other small towns in Iowa are quite up to par as being a popular retirement destination ... that may be part of the problem.

I think you are right. I can have a blind side where I think that something is going to be a certain way everywhere, and then sometimes I'm surprised when it's not that way. I really liked the friendly tone of the email response I received, and I am going to make sure that when my hubby and I go to visit Decorah in April, I am looking at it with no preconceived notions or expectations that it needs to be a certain way, or resemble any other place.

[golfgal]

Another town to look into would be Pella, IA. I don't know what they have for "senior" activities but there is a college there, it's a cute town with a great town square area, etc. Not sure how small you want to go but it's a place I've thought would be a great place to retire.

[irootoo]

Originally Posted by golfgal

Another town to look into would be Pella, IA. I don't know what they have for "senior" activities but there is a college there, it's a cute town with a great town square area, etc. Not sure how small you want to go but it's a place I've thought would be a great place to retire.

Thanks, golfgal! We have just crossed a couple places off our list, so it's nice to have a new place to investigate.

[Meemur]

Also look into Indianola. It's about 20 miles south of Des Moines. It's a nice compromise because you can live in a small town and still have good access to the amenities of a major metro. Simpson College is there and Indianola holds several festivals during the summer.

City of Indianola, IA > Home