Big city vs Small city vs Town for your retirement? (long distance, federal)
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Rural preferably, compared to where the majority of Americans live. I have my sight on a county of 22,000 people with all the basic amenities and a hospital within a relatively short driving distance. I like the fact that wilderness areas are nearby with plenty of lakes within national and state forest lands.
Nearest hospital in one of our rural is 40 miles away... Not exactly feasible to get to the resident in time. So our city community fund raised and got a small Er center built there... The reality is... Some folks have a desire to stay put on the family inherited land... So meet them at their needs... Thank heavens for some staff that made that area their home...
I personally prefer being in a small community... Neighborly and devoid of over regulations. Give me a Mayberry town..
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Originally Posted by Nov3
Nearest hospital in one of our rural is 40 miles away... Not exactly feasible to get to the resident in time. So our city community fund raised and got a small Er center built there... The reality is... Some folks have a desire to stay put on the family inherited land... So meet them at their needs... Thank heavens for some staff that made that area their home...
I personally prefer being in a small community... Neighborly and devoid of over regulations. Give me a Mayberry town..
There is a good thread on this forum; "searching for Mayberry"
IIRC, the Op spent a few yrs in RV and returned home. (Tho found and enjoyed many nice places, but No Mayberry)
My 'retirement relocation spreadsheet' axed my first choices, and DS was very pleased
Most places, even tho nice small college towns in tax free states, were not feasable due to transportation to medical and airports ( I caclulated free fuel (BTDT since 1976)), just the time and wear on man and machine tipped the scales. Another big detriment was illiquid and risky real estate (energy states). During a bust cycle you cannot sell a home, even for a huge loss.
So... I stayed put also, but had to modify portfolio to cover my $14k property tax on a joint I built for under $100k. Impossible to replace view (federally restricted scenic area, no more homes allowed) and we built brick by brick the way we wanted (our design), with lots of built ins and woodwork and interior stone. Too much trouble to build another one this nice, tho we will build a few more investment homes.
In reality I know that I'd be better off in someplace like NYC, where there are more of every kind of person and the chances are you can find someone you'll like or relate to (especially since I'm not quite the norm). Yet even though the small village thing probably isn't real that's what I want.
English TV shows and books do small village all the time and I yearn to live there. The pub where everyone gathers from all the properties around. The town fete's, the women's society and their competitions, the little groups of hobbyists.
Think Doc Martin, The Calendar Girls, The Detectorists. If you have Acorn and watch Agatha Raisin I really relate.
Now if I could just find that place where there is tons of wildlife and a small house with a couple of acres available and affordable.
You have to watch when you move to a small town. Many are far from the fictional "mayberry". The one I grew up in back in PA was really economically depressed. The only people who were well off were the long distance commuters who worked in NYC or Philadelphia, but wanted a big house so they were willing to commute 2 hours or so. There was a lot of crime, unemployment, heroin addiction, etc among the locals. I remember packs of bored kids from welfare families that would roam the streets causing trouble.
I guess for most people the main factors as to where to retire will be attachment to family/social network, land/place, and the biggie, medical issues that require access to a good medical care system that offers specialist care. Everything else pretty much pales into insignificance. The important thing is that every morning you wake up, you feel contentment knowing that this is where you belong, and the fit is a comfortable one!
You have to watch when you move to a small town. Many are far from the fictional "mayberry". The one I grew up in back in PA was really economically depressed. The only people who were well off were the long distance commuters who worked in NYC or Philadelphia, but wanted a big house so they were willing to commute 2 hours or so. There was a lot of crime, unemployment, heroin addiction, etc among the locals. I remember packs of bored kids from welfare families that would roam the streets causing trouble.
I do not recall anyone in Mayberry being 'well off'.
Why would being wealthy somehow define a Mayberry community?
The children ran barefoot all summer, and didn't they have some fur-trappers? That all implies 'economically depressed'.
We both lived in Chicago for our 1st 31 years of life. Moved to central WI and that is where we will stay when we reitre. We have 40 acres and love to garden. 50 pounds of garlic are going in this fall. This past weekend we drove an hour to do some shopping for a change of scenery the same stores are here except for Costco. Friday we went to Pizza on the Farm. We also attended the county fair and yesterday we went kayaking. There are many activities in our area and we take advantage of many of them.
We live within 20 minutes of a great hospital and 2 hours from Madison.
Nearest hospital in one of our rural is 40 miles away... Not exactly feasible to get to the resident in time. So our city community fund raised and got a small Er center built there... The reality is... Some folks have a desire to stay put on the family inherited land... So meet them at their needs... Thank heavens for some staff that made that area their home...
I personally prefer being in a small community... Neighborly and devoid of over regulations. Give me a Mayberry town..
Okay. Time for a joke. Why was Mayberry so peaceful and quiet?
Because nobody was married. Andy, Aunt Bea, Barney, Floyd, Howard, Goober, Gomer, Sam, Earnest T Bass, Helen, Ellie, Thelma Lou, Clara and, of course Opie were all single. The only married person was Otis, and he stayed drunk.
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