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Old 02-05-2015, 09:58 PM
 
Location: Traveling
7,018 posts, read 6,221,064 times
Reputation: 14643

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Quote:
Originally Posted by gypsychic View Post
I am in a neighborhood bordering Sarasota/Bradenton (FL) - bordered two blocks to the west by Sarasota Bay, and two blocks to the east by US 41 - where multitudes of businesses (and bus stop) can be found. The airport is literally almost across the street. It's not what a lot of people think of as a traditionally walkable area, but it mostly is. Within two blocks I have several restaurants, 7-11, my dentist, auto repair, Dollar Store and lots more. If I extend to a mile radius, I pretty much have almost everything. I do drive, and both downtowns are less than 10 minutes (5 miles) away either direction. So I'm pretty happy here.
What's the price range for a 1 bedroom apt? Are there senior low-income based buildings?
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Old 02-05-2015, 10:31 PM
 
13,389 posts, read 6,372,014 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by texdav View Post
I highly doubt if I can't drive; I will be interested in walking a mile. Besides I am more worried abut them moving closer as it seems they are daily almost.
I agree. I think its unrealistic to expect that by 85 you will be able to walk even a half a mile routinely especially sclepping groceries or other packages. Especially, if there's any humidity which rules out the whole east coast and south, heat or even cold or wind.

I see this with my parents. My father is 85 and still drives. He still walks their dog, but every year those walks get shorter and if the weather is bad especially cold I have to go over and walk the dog. And when he is ill, my mother can hardly handle that walk because she has balance problems as well as with her feet and legs sometimes.

I cant really envision living anywhere other than smack in the middle of a town/or city where you could walk at that age maybe down the block to a store.

Best to find places that have everything closeby as long as you can drive and senior or public transportation for when you cant. Frankly, I'm not sure I would want to take public transportation at that age. Between the jostling of commuters and the sometimes unsavory characters better to plan on availability of dedicated senior transportation imo.

So the most obvious place is over 55 places or planned communities. After that, I would look at towns with populations around 25,000 to 40/50,000 that are contained in less than 10 square mile geographical space more or less.
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Old 02-06-2015, 12:06 AM
 
10,829 posts, read 5,393,510 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by biscuitmom View Post
Wow, I'm surprised! Prices are close to that if not higher, for rentals and condos, in many parts of Austin, Dallas, and Houston, TX, and energy costs are certainly higher. DH and I have been looking for a rental in Austin, our upper limit for a condo is $1400 for a one-bedroom +study and we've found extremely limited choices.
I'd always considered San Diego to be a comparatively high COL area compared to Texas, who knew?
I don't know why Texas would be as expensive or more expensive.

Keep in mind that the prices I quoted are minimums. But they are acceptable minimums by my standards.

If you're picky, then you're going to end up paying $1,800 in rent for an apartment, $650,000 for a condo and $1.7 million for a house...or more.

Since I'm giving some "bad news" here, I might as well note the high taxes in California: 8% sales tax, property tax = 1% of assessed value, up to 13% state income tax (but that percentage only applies to the very wealthy; for most people it's much less or even nothing.)

San Diego's city government is a case study in fiscal irresponsibility, as is the state of California as a whole.

The result is voters refuse to pay higher taxes, politicians refuse to stop spending on nonsense, so the net result is an ever increasing number of pot holes in our streets and an ancient water and sewer system that acts up periodically.
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Old 02-06-2015, 01:27 AM
 
Location: Approximately 50 miles from Missoula MT/38 yrs full time after 4 yrs part time
2,308 posts, read 4,099,618 times
Reputation: 5025
Default A slightly different point of view.............

........In two months I'll be 83.....been retired for almost 22 years, right here in this home I built 35 years ago, 11 miles from a town of almost 5000, with a highly rated Hospital, great Vet Hospital (naturally I've got a dog), and all the other necessities to live a normal lifestyle on a piece of property that my late wife and I looked "long & hard" for. I started driving an automobile at age 14 and will continue to drive until I can't pass the renewal test. At present I have "under-my-belt" almost 2 million miles in ALL types of weather, 75% of which has been in the northern states and mountainous country, so driving the 11 miles into town is not a problem.....Having a job that required extensive travel for almost 40 years, has conditioned me to feel very comfortable driving a car under most all conditions and distances.
The reason(s) I will stay where I am for the rest of my retirement include the following:
No possibility of noisy neighbors or traffic noises, & others conditions that would destroy the "peace & quite & soloitude of my present location.
The ability to put the electronic training collar on my dog and let him outside to run free on my 14 acres for about 1/2 hr, twice a day.
The pleasure of looking out any window in my house any day and having a 90% chance of seeing deer, a 75% chance (in the fall & spring) of seeing elk; again in the spring and fall, a 100% chance of seeing wild turkeys; almost every day I can look up in the sky and see two or more Bald Eagles flying overhead in circles; and everyday I can see many, many chimpmunks, pine squirrels, marmots, and at least 30 or 35 different specie of birds......And on rare occasions, an occasional fox, coyote, black bear or badger will decide to "come visit."......In addition having a 40 foot wide year round stream as one of my boundries is a real joy:....the sound in the months when the windows are open is great, the occasional Brown Trout that I catch is a real-plus, and the amount of wildlife, birds and waterfowl that come to drink are a great joy to watch.

So continuing to live where I can't see a neighbor (there is one fine neighbor located 1/4 mile through the woods), drive 11 miles into town, and have the privacy that I feel I deserve and enjoy, .....are worth what some folks might consider "inconviences"!......To live in town "would probably kill me within a year!!

Hopfully the Cell phone I carry and the Medical Alert "Thingy" on my belt and the revolver on my hip will prove helpful if some unfortunate situation arises.

Where else could I live out my retirement years (with the life-style and conditions and desires I have) and not drive my self "nuts" with the frustrations associated with "town-Living?.
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Old 02-06-2015, 06:29 AM
 
Location: Ft. Myers
19,719 posts, read 16,693,310 times
Reputation: 41861
There are a lot of reasons why so many people come to SW Florida to retire. Of course, the warm, nice weather is a major factor, but there are lots of others as well. For example, from my home I am literally 2 minutes driving time from two major grocery stores, several fast food restaurants, a couple of gas stations, and a ton of medical facilities.

We also have more Physicians, Dentists, and other healthcare providers per square mile than a lot of other places, and our medical professionals are extremely familiar with ailments that we get as we age.

From my home I would never have to drive more that 10 minutes in any direction to access almost anything I might need, be it food, shopping, healthcare, etc. In fact, if I didn't want to drive it wouldn't be a far walk either. I work, and I literally put 8 miles a day on my car. Crime is everywhere in the country, but it isn't any worse here than most other places.........I feel very safe when I go out.

There may be other places like this, but SW Florida ain't too shabby.

Don
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Old 02-06-2015, 06:44 AM
 
11,558 posts, read 11,989,819 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by texdav View Post
I highly doubt if I can't drive; I will be interested in walking a mile. Besides I am more worried abut them moving closer as it seems they are daily almost.
Excellent point!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Blondy View Post
I agree. I think its unrealistic to expect that by 85 you will be able to walk even a half a mile routinely especially sclepping groceries or other packages. Especially, if there's any humidity which rules out the whole east coast and south, heat or even cold or wind.

I see this with my parents. My father is 85 and still drives. He still walks their dog, but every year those walks get shorter and if the weather is bad especially cold I have to go over and walk the dog. And when he is ill, my mother can hardly handle that walk because she has balance problems as well as with her feet and legs sometimes.

I cant really envision living anywhere other than smack in the middle of a town/or city where you could walk at that age maybe down the block to a store.

Best to find places that have everything closeby as long as you can drive and senior or public transportation for when you cant. Frankly, I'm not sure I would want to take public transportation at that age. Between the jostling of commuters and the sometimes unsavory characters better to plan on availability of dedicated senior transportation imo.

So the most obvious place is over 55 places or planned communities. After that, I would look at towns with populations around 25,000 to 40/50,000 that are contained in less than 10 square mile geographical space more or less.
Many public transportation rules are that anything you carry on with you must fit on your lap. If you're doing grocery shopping, that means you'd have to purchase only a few items at a time and make many trips.

Climate, climate, climate: if one lives in a harsh winter area, you're not going to walk anywhere when it's snowy or icy outside. Or if it's a harsh summer environment: same scenario.
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Old 02-06-2015, 06:47 AM
 
Location: delaware
698 posts, read 1,047,474 times
Reputation: 2438
it is all about priorities, practicalities, and choosing those things we value more over those we value less. i can understand Montana Griz's desire to remain independent in the area he loves with the lifestyle he values, even though these would not be my priorities over safety, convenience, proximity to medical care etc. i personally feel that, although i may not love being so close to neighbors and not having nature and wildlife in my backyard, so to speak, i don't have the luxury now of choosing those things over those i feel i need to value at least as much .

i have never been what i term, for lack of something better, a "pioneer woman". i like amenities, some cultural offerings , convenience, and although i still enjoy nature, privacy, and having some space apart from other people, i feel i have to consider other needs as well. i also see a need for some sense of community, some social insulation, whether it is organic or invented; that is more difficult in a remote setting.

responses on this board confirm the many differences among us. it is important to know oneself and the life in which we feel we can function as we age; but it seems that all choices involve the loss of other possibilities.


catsy girl
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Old 02-06-2015, 07:39 AM
 
Location: Near a river
16,042 posts, read 21,898,619 times
Reputation: 15773
Quote:
Originally Posted by Escort Rider View Post
What is such a tall order about the common situation of living near a "cluster", as some other posters have so aptly called what I was describing? Did you even read my post? If I did it without even trying, without even having an awareness of it as a goal to be within easy walking distance of almost everything, then how hard can it be? Just look for large supermarkets which have that "cluster" effect together with residential streets a couple of blocks away.

There are no clusters I have seen around these parts. Sure, there are "malls" with maybe a doctor or dentist included. If there are any in NE, I would gladly like to know about them.


I agree with you about one thing, namely your statement "I know I'm being somewhat over-concerned about this". You seem to over-analyze, over-think, and agonize about everything.

Oh come now, don't exaggerate. For some odd reason you insist on seeing my questions as only applying to me. I ask the kinds of questions I do not necessarily for myself, but for others on CD who may want to know, and for a number of seniors I personally know, some of whom are handicapped and are looking for a more functional place to live. One dear friend is specifically looking to leave NE but does not want to be in a place where everything she needs is far-flung. I share with her the comments on this and other threads.

Do you expect to be destitute or near-destitute in old age? If so, it makes great sense to be concerned about driving in terms of its "expense as well, and wear and tear on the car". If not, then it doesn't make sense. But if you want to find a location which will accommodate no longer being able to drive at all, then that's planning for a possibility and makes some sense to me. It's what I did by accident.

Because you happen to live in a nice arrangement (and dig driving) does not mean everyone does. You probably have not had to drive frail elders around (especially in Northeast winters) to supermarkets, drugstores, banks, malls, and physicians the way I and many others have had to do on a weekly basis. If you have, you would know what I'm talking about. In the course of one outing of errands it's possible to put 50 miles on. Someone living in a lovely but really inconvenient location may be fine at age 70 and not fine at all 5 or 10 years later.

Curmudgeon, to whom you were responding above, has to plan his trips more carefully than I do, as he certainly doesn't want to be running for groceries and routine household supplies every other day. But for him, his rural situation is worth it.

Obviously. And yet for so many aging others, it may well become a significant problem.
I occasionally ride the local inter-college bus. The driver helps several frail elderly up the steps to a seat. It is hard to imagine these seniors doing much if any driving. It's not difficult to see why those who are planning a new location are planning for this eventuality. Not everyone is planning to drive to age 100, as you are.
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Old 02-06-2015, 08:10 AM
 
Location: St. George, Utah
755 posts, read 1,112,711 times
Reputation: 1973
Climate, beautiful surroundings, and activities I enjoy are definitely above walkability for me, though in a perfect world I'd have all four.

An active adult community or continuing care center are on our radar--where our mobility needs can be easily addressed by services provided on site.

My elderly aunt takes the bus in her senior community (from her own stand-alone house) at least twice a week, in her nineties, to do her "grocery shopping." She also has a companion/aide coming in a few times a week for help with light housework, the rest of the grocery shopping, etc. What's been difficult for her about living in a retirement community is watching her friends drop off, either dying or losing mobility to the extent that she doesn't see them much anymore. She finds that aspect of her arrangement depressing, but on she presses with her daily life!

I do think that those who do some walking every day before and during their elderly years tend to stay mobile longer--and my great aunts who lived in homes with stairs were in great shape long after their more sedentary sisters had become much less mobile (walkers, limited stamina). So it might be a good idea not to rely completely on the car. Or golf cart, as the case may be!

Giving up driving at some point will be a severe change in most of our lives. I get why people refuse to give it up even when it's obvious they should no longer be driving. I hope I will be sensible about it.
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Old 02-06-2015, 08:33 AM
PDD
 
Location: The Sand Hills of NC
8,773 posts, read 18,295,665 times
Reputation: 12001
I think the OP is very smart to consider what might happen down the road. Living on a mini Ponderosa in the mountains might seem great right now but when the eye site and reflexes means you have to give up driving then what do you do?

Thousands of retired think the "Villages"in central Fl is a great place but the almost year round heat can be a killer to somebody from NE.

Lots of choices so choose wisely.
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