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Yes I said the Northern 2/3rds of FLA. It is a big area and I know only of what I have read here are my target areas;
NE FL - JAX beaches, St Johns Co. Ormond Beach or South Daytona/Shores/Ponce Inlet
Central - North west area of Orlando (Seminole Co) or into Lake Co (Mt Dora/Leesburg/Villages)
Central East Coast - Viera/Merritt or Melbourne Beaches
Central West Coast (Tampa area) - Northern Pinellas/Northwest Hillsborough area
There are 15 separate Florida sub-forums on City Data where I'm sure you can get more information about specific areas than you can on the Retirement Forum. And even though areas can seem close on the map - they can be very different. For example - we're about an hour or so north of Ormond Beach - but the areas are very different.
Also - since you said you might be interested in a 55+ community - well that's not - like I said - our cup of tea. But it might be yours. And there are dozens of them in Florida - about which I know zero (except for CDD bonds in places like Nocatee).
FWIW - Florida is a fun place to visit (we've traveled all over the state on both business and pleasure trips for decades). Might make sense to take a couple of trips for look-sees. Once in the winter - once in the summer. Note that I prefer the Atlantic coast because it is a bit cooler with ocean breezes in the summer (but you're basically talking about the difference between 89 degrees and 94 degrees - there's no place here that's cool in the summer - which is why we're going to Sweden at the end of this summer to cool off ).
Just to give this message a connection to this thread - I would look closely at the tax situations in various states in the SE. Florida is about the best state tax-wise for most people with a reasonable amount of income/money. Robyn
Just about every lawyer/doctor/person with more than a few bucks from Florida - Georgia - etc. - owns or rents a summer place there.
I'm not sure what places in Western NC you are referring to with this comment, but to help out the person who was considering Asheville, IMO this is not the typical homeowner there. When I lived in Asheville, I knew every family on my street. It's kind of a friendly place in that way. Every house was owned by a year-round resident. In fact I don't recall knowing anyone who owned a house that was simply a summer house there, although I wouldn't doubt that it happens, especially in some of the outer fringe roads that go up into the hills.
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Originally Posted by Robyn55
That's why the nicer areas are expensive. On my part - I was never inclined to own or rent a place for the summer where I had to make a dinner reservation 2 weeks in advance for a minor restaurant that wasn't much better than a Golden Corral. But that's what you'll get in western North Carolina.
I'll take your word for it that there are restaurants that require 2-week reservations, although I never encountered one. In fact I rarely needed to make reservations at all. I suppose maybe some Prix-Fixe places could have a 2 week wait. Anything's possible, I guess.
As for restaurants like the Golden Corral, you'll find a lot of places like that near the Vanderbilt Estate, just like you find them near tourist attractions in any city. However, Asheville has a lot more to it than the Vanderbilt Estate--don't make the mistake of assuming that what you find near a tourist attraction represents everything a city has to offer.
Like any city, Asheville has a wide variety of restaurants of all types and levels of quality. In particular, western NC attracts a large population of people who are into organic and vegetarian food. As a result some of the best restaurants there are the "new agey" organic places. At the other end of the spectrum I remember having an incredible steak there once, too. The coffee houses are particularly amusing--some are maybe a little too "far out" for some, but try them anyway for the coffee and the scones. Malaprops Bookstore/Cafe has my favorite coffee.
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Originally Posted by Robyn55
There is usually a fair amount of snow/ice storms in the winter (there are also ice storms in the center of NC - I hate the ice storms more than I hate snow). Also - the areas has hills/low mountains - it isn't flat like most of NC. Isn't a whole lot of fun in the winter (unless you like driving on hilly roads that are iced-over).
Different people have different interpretations of the words "fair amount". Asheville does get snow and ice occasionally. However, in the entire time I lived there it didn't snow once. The year after we left, they got one storm which left one inch. Every few years you might get a storm that leaves a foot of snow. IMO that's not something to worry about, but YMMV.
One thing you do get in the weather there is a lot of rain. I don't recall ice being an issue for us, but I do recall the rain getting on our nerves every once in awhile, especially in the summer. On the plus side, of course, rain means the scenery is green and lush and the air is clean. On the negative side, mildew can be a frequent issue.
Regarding hills, the city is surrounded by hills but city itself has plenty of flat areas. Also, these are foothills, not steep hills. If you really, really want a steep driveway I suppose you could find one but most properties won't have one. You certainly don't need to worry that you'll be required to drive in the hills if that's not something you want to do. Most of the city neighborhoods are on flat pieces of land, as are several of the surrounding communities. You can also find hillier neighborhoods if you wish, especially if you go towards Black Mountain.
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Originally Posted by Robyn55
Also - when the Florida/Georgia people who have money leave in the fall - it's basically a somewhat poor trash kind of area (and a lot of places that cater to the summer people with money close down). Robyn
This statement does not apply to Asheville, or for that matter any of the western NC towns I'm familiar with. As stated above, people live in this area year round. It is not a seasonal resort town.
Having said that, I'll note that there are a fair number of people who don't have money in the area. The recession hit Asheville fairly hard, for one thing, and for another it attracts a lot of artists and "new agey" types who disdain being materialistic. Which means they don't have much $$$. The city is an interesting mix. You have this large artistic/new age "anti-materialism" crowd, along with a large population of wealthy retirees (you're likely to be fairly well off if you retire there, since the homes tend to be pricey; as a result country clubs and groups like Junior League and Symphony Guilds are alive and well), along with a strong southern Baptist mix (this is Billy Graham's home), and, of course, the people who have lived there for generations. The various groups seem to get along fairly well (or at least tolerate each other). Like all touristy places, it also attracts a few drifters. In some ways it was the most liberal place I've ever lived as well as the most conservative.
The town is also very connected with it's past. Its glory days were in the 1920s, and much of the architecture reflects that. They are also big on preserving Appalachian roots. They close a street downtown every Saturday night in the summer for a tradition called Shindig on the Green. It's sort of a homegrown bluegrass jam. People come from all the local small towns to jam with each other, and it's a great way to get a flavor for who lived in this area before it became trendy. In some ways Asheville's connection with the past gives it charm, in other ways it can come across as a little bit "backwards" or "old fashioned." It's definitely not "cutting edge" or "cosmopolitan" if that's what you're seeking.
We enjoyed Asheville and found it an interesting place to live. At the same time, it's not a place we'd consider for retirement. That's a reflection of us, however. We're beach people.
And you are quite right - you know more about what you want than anyone here. Which is why this thread is a little silly.
I said I know more than you do about where I want to retire. Comments like "you have to get off this beach fixation" rub me the wrong way, which is why I said that. However, knowing what sort of community I want to live in is not exactly the same thing as knowing more than anyone here!
Sorry you don't like my thread, but I've found it very interesting and learned quite a bit about several areas that might (or might not) be good for retirees. I don't know much about the coastal areas in NC, that's why I asked. I appreciate all the comments from people who have shared their knowledge.
...We enjoyed Asheville and found it an interesting place to live. At the same time, it's not a place we'd consider for retirement. That's a reflection of us, however. We're beach people.
I too have zero interest in Asheville or any other part of western North Carolina - for anything - including a vacation. And it's certainly not part of the coastal Carolinas (the subject of this thread). So let's move on. Robyn
I said I know more than you do about where I want to retire. Comments like "you have to get off this beach fixation" rub me the wrong way, which is why I said that. However, knowing what sort of community I want to live in is not exactly the same thing as knowing more than anyone here!
Sorry you don't like my thread, but I've found it very interesting and learned quite a bit about several areas that might (or might not) be good for retirees. I don't know much about the coastal areas in NC, that's why I asked. I appreciate all the comments from people who have shared their knowledge.
Nothing wrong about this thread. But you seem unwilling to do any personal homework. Especially in terms of taking trips to various places that might (or might not) work for you - even for a few days. And then you criticize people who disagree with impressions you've gleaned solely from reading stuff on line.
We are all very different people. What works for Curmudgeon wouldn't work for me - and vice versa. And perhaps what works for either of us wouldn't work for you. I know that we did a lot of work (including look-sees) finding a place that worked for us - Curmudgeon probably did as well. We rented for 6 months after we moved before we decided to stay and build. You seem to think that if you write and receive 100's of messages - you'll get it right on the first try without ever looking and living in a place. I reckon it's possible - but I wouldn't hold my breath. Robyn
But seriously I know how hard it can be to find a place. You can only do so much research online. If I had the time I would be road triping it. Here are the places I'd be interested in visiting (based on my extensive reading and online research;
Myrtle Beach
Charleston
Hilton Head
St Johns Co (Ponte Vedra down to St Aug)
Ormond Beach
Space Coast
Northern Pinellas County/Western Hillsborough Co (Tampa Area)
Seminole County (Orlando Area)
Nothing wrong about this thread. But you seem unwilling to do any personal homework. Especially in terms of taking trips to various places that might (or might not) work for you - even for a few days.
<sigh> The baloney just gets deep and deeper. OK, I'll bite. Let's start with the claim that I'm unwilling to take trips to the various places that might or might not work for us. Odd thing to say, considering:
1. I just returned from a trip to Orlando and St. Augustine, the express purpose of which was to learn about the area for our retirement. I discussed touring the area with a realtor, and discussed seeing the homes in Marsh Creek. You participated in the thread where I discussed it, so it seems odd that you've forgotten this. Would you like the link?
2. On the Williamsburg thread I've discussed how we had just returned from a weekend visit at a 55+ community in Williamsburg earlier this year and have another trip planned for later this month. I can provide links for this too, if you'd like.
3. On this thread I talked about making multiple visits to Shelter Island and I believe earlier in this thread I mentioned three trips made to Rehoboth Beach/Lewes to check out communities there.
hmmmm, that doesn't sound like being unwilling to travel to me. In fact, I'll bet that's more travel to check out retirement communities than anyone else on this forum did this year. So much for that little bit of baloney. Now, let's consider the other half of your claim that I'm unwilling to do research.
1. The fact that I started this tread shows an attempt at research. Asking questions about a city on a city-data forum is definitely doing research on that city.
2. Just in case that's not enough, here are additional examples of research mentioned in this thread (so you should have seen them since you're participating in this thread):
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Originally Posted by Caladium
I went to a retirement expo today
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Originally Posted by Caladium
In looking through city-data's demographic pages, I found the following about Topsail Beach:
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Originally Posted by Caladium
Thanks, and yes I agree that City Data (and internet forums in general) are a good resource but certainly not the only place I'm doing my research. I'm not a big fan of most of the books and magazine articles, however--as a person who has worked in publishing I know that many of those lists and books get influenced by $$$ (or sometimes the author's personal taste or where his family lives). That's why there is a lot to be said for comments from a variety of people on a forum who don't make money from posting their opinions, and who don't have the same backgrounds or live in the same types of communities.
And these are just the things I mentioned in this thread. So.... looks like this claim that I don't do research is just another BS accusation. Getting a little tired of this. By the way, as long as we're pointing out baloney, here's another little bit from this morning.
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Originally Posted by Robyn55
IIRC - I got the impression about your budget from some postings of yours in the JAX forum.
Nice excuse, except here's my post from the Jacksonville forum about looking for a retirement home there.
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Originally Posted by Caladium
We want to be within a mile or two of the beach, preferably in an area where we could walk to the beach. We are avid walkers, but would need a neighborhood with sidewalks or trails. Housing budget would be $350,000-400,000 (with some leeway if needed) and we're fine with a condo.
Yes, I can see how you got the impression that our budget was "$200 K max"
[SIZE=2]Calidum - just move to St Aug and get it over with already ha ha[/SIZE]
LOL tempting, it's true. But to be honest right now Gloucester is kicking St. Augustine's butt. When we go down next week I'm kind of tempted to just make a leap and get this one dockside condo we saw last time. I suppose we could use it as a vacation place until we actually retire. It's a tempting thought, that's for sure. Probably not a smart idea, but a tempting one. (OTOH, we still haven't made our trip to NC. Gotta give everyplace a fair chance before taking that plunge. It's only fair...)
Not to much talk about the Beaufort, SC area, so I will throw in my 2 cents worth. Love Beaufort, small town with quite a few amenities including a community college and a branch of the University of SC. Downtown area is historic and quaint, caters more to the tourists with art shops and gift shops, but there are some very good restaurants in town. Just outside of town you will find Lowes, Walmart, Belks, Penney's, Best Buy,and my favorite TJ Maxx. For additional shopping Hilton Head/Bluffton has everything else you would need.
Decent hospital in town, which is currently doing some expanding.
Close proximity to Charleston and Savannah for day trips or airports.
On both islands there are quite a lot of full time residents. But living on the beach (or near) you will always run into renters on vacation. Both islands are private with gated access.
Good luck with your search.
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