what type of benefits attract you to a city you're considering in retirement? (beach, weather)
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For me it's having lots of visually attractive site-seeing places to visit. Waterfront parks, greenscapes with old trees and pretty landscaping, victorian houses or historic districts to bike, quaint shops to window shop in, and a beach nearby.
Unfortunately, my choices are usually very expensive places to retire. And not that far down the road, it might be that the medical facilities become most important to us. Like Boompa, we may be looking for the best VA hospital facilities nearby.
Practical stuff over aesthetics (but those count too):
Everything I need to survive within a 5-minute drive (in-town): gas station, bank, supermarket, dentist, m.d. even if it's not mine, drug store, Subway, Dunkin Donuts for when I can't control myself, small restaurant, hospital within 10 miles, safe and clean park with cleared paths to walk the dog day and eve and year-round, senior van for when i will need it, senior center for when I want it, public library, post office, things to do like a movie theater and book store, cultural events. A plus: a college campus with things happening.
I can always visit the ocean and mountains when I want to; absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Cultural advantages top my list, although they are not the only thing which is important to me. The world-class cultural advantages of Los Angeles, several long-term friendships, and the great weather were the three factors which made it a no-brainer for me to stay put in retirement. I am a World War II history buff, so a recent addition was of interest to me: The World War II battleship USS Iowa has been moved to Los Angeles (San Pedro Harbor) to be a permanent museum, and in fact it opens to the public tomorrow. Note that I am not claiming Los Angeles is the only place with significant cultural advantages - many other cities have them also.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Proximity to NICE, SMALL, EZ to navigate, & CHEAP International Airport is on my list (I like to be gone more than be home). (while I'm still healthy, or in the future for Medi-vacations to foreign healthcare destinations.
FRESH fruits and veggies
College town,
Cultural amenities (I'm a Chamber & Baroque music nut)
Plenty of IN town parks / quiet space
<20 minutes to 'open space / variety of recreation'
50M Indoor lap pool. < $5/dip
Bike riding access
Good gardening climate and support from Extension service
CLOSE enough to a BIG town (to find PARTS for all my relics that I use daily... 1970's stuff (mixer, sewing machine, cars, motorcycles, 1920's waffle Iron 22 sec / serving )
Some snow for winter 'cleansing' (nice REALLY quiet mornings).
this is a personal matter and we each look for something different: As far as I can tell, the most sought after benefits are: medical facilities within a reasonable distance: cultural life, this doesn't mean top shows everynight, the best museums, etc, but things that will keep seniors active and interested in life: weather that meets their idea of livable; for some that might be the ocean, the cool foggy mornings, the sunny afternoons, etc, for others it is change of seasons with none being too savere, not too much traffic: as we age, whether we like to admit it or not, our reflexes are not as good. Of courss the cost of living is a concern as well. For us, it boiled down to all the above, but mainly we wanted a rural setting to some degree, but within minutes of the conveniences we were used to. We got just about what we wanted, we live in an area with a lot of privacy, with lots that are, normally large and private with forests around us, but we are only about 20 to 30 minutes from good medical facilities, shopping and restaurants. Of course, for many golfing and/or fishing are concerns. They were not for us.
A Church to call home.
Wide, straight and relatively flat streets
Variety of housing stock
Low crime/conservative
College, or University in or near town
Clean
Vibrants arts and cultural scene
Under 50K population
Near (within 50 miles) town/city > 150K < 1mil
Mild winters, hot summers
We wanted a rural location replete with abundant nature yet within a reasonable drive (20-30 minutes) of a town large enough to have decent amenities and small enough to still have a small town atmosphere. We also wanted a southern/midwestern, somewhat conservative populace that was welcoming and hospitable. The proximity of good medical care and facilities was an absolute must. Cultural offerings were necessary.
Sprawl and cookie-cutter housing was out. No little boxes made of ticky-tacky, no crowded, jam-packed developments, no barrios and ghettos and low crime. We required a neighborhood or community with custom houses, no McMansions, and large lots where you had room to stretch, didn't hear your neighbors in their homes and were able to garden and plant vegetables. Privacy fences were a no-no. We like open spaces and the sense of neighborliness they provide. A body of water was a must as were a reasonable cost of living and walkability - not to shopping or entertainment - for exercise.
Weather was a major consideration and we longed to be back in a land of four distinct seasons with none overly harsh. Summer thunder storms, fire flies and cardinals were a plus. Cost of living also factored-in. It didn't have tio be the lowest but it had to be significantly lower than what we were leaving and provide reasonable bang for our bucks in terms of infrastructure and services.
We already had a general geographical area in mind and, thankfully, found all the above, and more, on our first try.
We wanted a rural location replete with abundant nature yet within a reasonable drive (20-30 minutes) of a town large enough to have decent amenities and small enough to still have a small town atmosphere. We also wanted a southern/midwestern, somewhat conservative populace that was welcoming and hospitable. The proximity of good medical care and facilities was an absolute must. Cultural offerings were necessary.
Sprawl and cookie-cutter housing was out. No little boxes made of ticky-tacky, no crowded, jam-packed developments, no barrios and ghettos and low crime. We required a neighborhood or community with custom houses, no McMansions, and large lots where you had room to stretch, didn't hear your neighbors in their homes and were able to garden and plant vegetables. Privacy fences were a no-no. We like open spaces and the sense of neighborliness they provide. A body of water was a must as were a reasonable cost of living and walkability - not to shopping or entertainment - for exercise.
Weather was a major consideration and we longed to be back in a land of four distinct seasons with none overly harsh. Summer thunder storms, fire flies and cardinals were a plus. Cost of living also factored-in. It didn't have tio be the lowest but it had to be significantly lower than what we were leaving and provide reasonable bang for our bucks in terms of infrastructure and services.
We already had a general geographical area in mind and, thankfully, found all the above, and more, on our first try.
you, your wife, my husband and I all had the same overall idea of what makes a good place for retirement and so far we are not, at all, sorry.
I'm still workin on it, and thus I've recently begun the practice of this prayer on a daily basis. I adapted the wording to my own needs from a book that was authored by Diane Stein.
"Dear Mother Gaia. You know who I am and what I truly need. It is my intention and my pleasure to experience your grace and beauty to the fullest of my capacity in this lifetime. I am asking you oh great Earthmother, to assist me and guide me in locationg a place of comfort, joy, safety, and adventure - a place where I can come to know myself, and to know you as my home."
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