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I am planning another road trip this spring and will visit my hometown (Lafayette, IN) for the first time since 1979! I am still considering moving back there when I retire. I miss the four seasons, want less traffic, want to live in a safer area and by being in the midwest, it is easier to drive to many other places in the U.S. Currently, it takes me all day to drive out of Florida just to go anywhere out of state! I will be 62 next month and need to get serious about investigating places to live. I will also visit the area around the Smokies, Lexington, KY.... We shall see!
My client and her husband, a doctor, love it there (they relocated there from Texas). In fact they are building a house. When I see what Lafayette and West Lafayette have to offer, it's sure tempting to think about the Midwest. Existing homes seem most affordable.
My client and her husband, a doctor, love it there (they relocated there from Texas). In fact they are building a house. When I see what Lafayette and West Lafayette have to offer, it's sure tempting to think about the Midwest. Existing homes seem most affordable.
Yes, I am finally going back for a visit. I do not have any family in the area but have kept in touch with a few people. But whether I know many people or not, I know that this is a vibrant, relatively small community with lots of activities, volunteering opportunities and with a lower cost housing and cost of living.
popcorn247: I'm very interested in hearing how your trip goes and your impression. I'm still a few years from retirement, but have checked out Knoxville and the Tri-Cities, in addition to Nashville, and also thinking of looking more into the smaller suburbs around Indianapolis. Would be nice to be situated a little further east of Iowa for travel in later years (I've already spent a lot of time in the western states).
lagal, what did you think of Nashville and Knoxville?
I loved Nashville, though didn't get to see much of the suburbs. Spent most of our time downtown doing the touristy things, but Nashville (downtown and the freeways) has a very clean and organized feeling, old mixed with new. Seems well planned out. Also, the people are so friendly and there is just so much energy downtown. We (my daughter and I) were there on July 4th, in the morning before it got really crowded. I felt very comfortable driving around. We drove in from Kentucky and the countryside was beautiful going into Nashville ... lots of rolling hills. Next time, I would like to check out the suburbs/or towns going further out from Nashville, as I have a feeling I wouldn't be able to afford living closer to the city or its immediate suburbs.
I have mixed feelings about Knoxville. We stayed in a hotel on the west side of town and the traffic was a mess. It just didn't feel well zoned at all. Downtown Knoxville is small but cute and the University is nice. There's a lot of potential in the "Old City," but right now most buildings seem empty. Along the river it was pretty with beautiful old mansions and parks ... old money. We spent more time in the north suburbs and it felt mostly "cluttered/run down" to me, though it was heavily wooded and hilly with a few nice small homes and/or subdivisions here and there. I do wish we had explored more of the west side suburbs ... sounds like that is where most people live with quite a few one-level condos or small homes, though I'm skeptical about the traffic situation. In Knoxville, i would definitely want to live with an HOA. Despite my ambivalence, I still would like to go back and explore more ... next time to Maryville. People very friendly in Knoxville also.
Last edited by smpliving; 03-01-2013 at 07:25 PM..
I'm looking forward to it! Lafayette sounds very interesting too.
Here is a link to an article about the top 10 retirement towns in 2011. Lafayette is #8. Read about Lafayette and click on the links for further information. It is a dynamic place with lots of good qualities. 10 Best U.S. Retirement Towns of 2011 - SecondAct.com
Here is a link to an article about the top 10 retirement towns in 2011. Lafayette is #8. Read about Lafayette and click on the links for further information. It is a dynamic place with lots of good qualities. 10 Best U.S. Retirement Towns of 2011 - SecondAct.com
I hope to be visiting my friend/client this summer.
For those on a small budget, here's a cottage in West Lafayette with 2 baths under $100K ($84K) that looks pleasant to me. Taxes under $1K per year. Hmmmmnnnn.....
I hope to be visiting my friend/client this summer.
For those on a small budget, here's a cottage in West Lafayette with 2 baths under $100K ($84K) that looks pleasant to me. Taxes under $1K per year. Hmmmmnnnn.....
Popcorn, what is the diff between Lafayette and West? Is West more suburban?
West Lafayette is where Purdue University is located. Much of that area revolves around the university....a big campus with lots of activities for the community as well. It is a bit more upscale than on the other side of the Wabash River...where Lafayette is located. West Lafayette does not have much of a 'downtown' area.
Several years ago Subaru decided to build a manufacturing plant in the U.S. They could have built it anywhere......but chose the Lafayette region due to the highly educated, hard working, great attitude of the population in the area. I think this says something positive. There is also lots of agriculture in the area....corn, soybeans, corn, soybeans . Purdue has a fine School of Agriculture and School of Engineering
I hope to be visiting my friend/client this summer.
For those on a small budget, here's a cottage in West Lafayette with 2 baths under $100K ($84K) that looks pleasant to me. Taxes under $1K per year. Hmmmmnnnn.....
Here is a link to an article about the top 10 retirement towns in 2011. Lafayette is #8. Read about Lafayette and click on the links for further information. It is a dynamic place with lots of good qualities. 10 Best U.S. Retirement Towns of 2011 - SecondAct.com
Thank you for the links. Looks like quite a nice downtown and community. I'm very encouraged by the very reasonable housing prices and low property taxes. I just might take a little trip out there this summer and check it out myself ... only 6 hours away.
Last edited by smpliving; 03-02-2013 at 03:35 PM..
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I will report after my trip.
