A Pretty place to live in retirement (married, husband, restaurant)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I really think there is much less sense of community and neighborliness in an area where many people are short-term visitors.
This. I discovered, after I had bought a home in the beautiful tourist town, that the majority of home owners were seasonal residents. I enjoy peace and quiet and privacy, so it wasn't the fact that they weren't there much of the time that was the problem. The problem was that when they WERE there they were in vacation mode. They also expected town services without wanting to pay taxes or participate in the teeny local government in order to GET those services.
Environment is very, very important. I just learned that it is not the only important thing.
We chose to live in a place where we are happy. Plain and simple. If you have friends, hobbies, scenery, whatever, as long as you are happy, that is the most important place to be.
Good looking surroundings make life so much more livable.
We have ten acres that was my share of the home place when our parents passed it on to us. We had always thought we would sell our home and move back there when we retired. Retirement came and decisions were made by us. We are still living where we were planted and now really appreciate it. We are paying taxes and holding onto the acreage in case we might need to grow our own vegetables, etc. but for now we are enjoying our neighborhood where we raised our children. Advantages here are better medical, old and new friends and being almost in the center of North and South Carolina. This gives us many places to go and many things to do. Pretty good weather with four seasons although winter is not harsh.
Maybe you missed the part of Burkmere's post where he said it was a good thing we all had different likes. I don't think he meant his response to your preferences as a personal attack, or even a criticism of your choices. I'd see it as a "different strokes for different folks" kind of perspective. We are all glad you will be happy at your choice of retirement location, it shouldn't be otherwise. But it's not everyone's preference, and that's a good thing too. It'd get mighty crowded out there if we all joined you looking at those whales and turtles.
I live in Vermont. More cows than people, no billboards on the interstate, miles of back roads to enjoy. The only thing I miss is the ocean (grew up on Long Island) but could never afford to live near a beach, so this will have to do.
It all has to be balanced to find the place that meets as many of your desires/needs as closly as possible. Some can be compromised to some extent. For us the big requirements were that our new home had to have (in no particular order): Low COL and taxes, good climate, scenic beauty and outdoor recreation. If it didn't have all 3, it was not even considered for the short list.
I live in Vermont. More cows than people, no billboards on the interstate, miles of back roads to enjoy. The only thing I miss is the ocean (grew up on Long Island) but could never afford to live near a beach, so this will have to do.
I have a friend in Asheville. I've never been, but it looks beautiful. That's a bucket list trip!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Since we are posting photos
