Big city vs Small city vs Town for your retirement? (55, community)
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I was wondering what other people think about where to retire, or where they chose to retire. Big city or a small city or a town, instead?
I am leaning toward a city suburb of a big city, after not being able to find (so far) a house in a mid-sized city that I had originally chosen.
What was important to me was nearness to a big city (for medical and services and entertainment), cost of housing, cost of living, amenities in the city I live in (movie theaters, plays, symphony, groups for walking or such, libraries, medical services), and ability to get a yard large enough for gardening & dogs.
We live in a 55+ community next to a small-medium city. Bear in mind that you will never again be as young as you are right now. The appeal of gardening and walking may diminish with age.
I was wondering what other people think about where to retire, or where they chose to retire. Big city or a small city or a town, instead?
It's not a ~one size fits all~ question. You entirely left out those who prefer none of the above.
Can you clarify what it is you're looking for, in terms of responses? Are you just trying to start a discussion in general?
I chose a town, (just north of 7,000 population, and growing), that is about five miles across the prairie farmland to a resort city of about 45,000 population, maybe 60k-65k when you include the adjacent towns.
Small town for the safety and sense of community, the larger town for college, medical, and other amenities. A regional international airport is about 30 minutes away in the other direction.
Only thing that concerns me is the lack of a regional public transportation network. Once I can't drive, I'll have to rely on the 'community' or the church family to get around.
It's not a ~one size fits all~ question. You entirely left out those who prefer none of the above.
Can you clarify what it is you're looking for, in terms of responses? Are you just trying to start a discussion in general?
I was just curious what others decided on and why.
We live in a 55+ community next to a small-medium city. Bear in mind that you will never again be as young as you are right now. The appeal of gardening and walking may diminish with age.
Although I'm a city gal, I come from a long line of farmers. I love to get my hands in the earth. That will never leave me. It's in my blood, as they say. I don't plan on plowing a field with a mule. Just a little veggie garden and a fruit garden, some blackberry bushes. Then some fruit trees that won't need much tending. I'll drop the veggie & fruit gardens after a while, probably. But if my relatives are any indication, I have at least 30 years to go, most of which I'll be in reasonably good health. If I can't, or tire of it, in 20 years, well that's 20 years of doing what I like. In the big city I've had fruit trees. They're no trouble. But they do need space. Hence, the yard. Small veggie and fruit gardens don't need much space.
Doesn't cost much more to pay someone to mow a med. sized yard than a small yard.
I may not need much yard for dogs in the future, since I'll go to small dogs after I lose the two medium sized ones I have now. I may do some rescue work, though.
I enjoy walking. It's part of my life. As long as I can stand up, I can walk. I've been walking almost every day for years. My dogs love it, too.
Gardening and walking and such are not chores or momentary interests for me. They are part of what I do in life. Part of who I am. I've enjoyed those things all my life, since a child. I will never tire of them.
We're going pretty small once we finally settle for retirement. It would be nice to find a small town with a hardware store, grocery store and a library. Plus nearby we need a church that we like. That's about it as far as needs. Anything more, we probably need to be less than an hour from a decent hospital. I don't need a large selection of restaurants. A few mom and pops is all I really need. As long as someplace serves a decent hamburger and a pizza, I'm good. My sons town is about 2000 and his town is just about right.
We're going pretty small once we finally settle for retirement. It would be nice to find a small town with a hardware store, grocery store and a library. Plus nearby we need a church that we like. That's about it as far as needs. Anything more, we probably need to be less than an hour from a decent hospital. I don't need a large selection of restaurants. A few mom and pops is all I really need. As long as someplace serves a decent hamburger and a pizza, I'm good. My sons town is about 2000 and his town is just about right.
You aren't concerned about the number of doctors in your small town? Or are you all planning on driving the hour or so for doctor visits, checkups & such?
Last year we were traveling and my wife had a recurrence of a medical issue. I told her no problem. We can find suitable care. No way...... The nearest hospital with suitable care was a 5 hour drive. That was enough. We drove the 5 hours. She got on a plane and returned to civilization. I could not help but wonder what others who live in those areas do for tertiary medical care. I think they just die.
Somehow subsistence farming never appealed to me. It has always seemed that there were more important things in life than just raising food. Somehow I would like to believe civilization has progressed at least a little in the past several thousand years.
Last year we were traveling and my wife had a recurrence of a medical issue. I told her no problem. We can find suitable care. No way...... The nearest hospital with suitable care was a 5 hour drive. That was enough. We drove the 5 hours. She got on a plane and returned to civilization. I could not help but wonder what others who live in those areas do for tertiary medical care. I think they just die.
Somehow subsistence farming never appealed to me. It has always seemed that there were more important things in life than just raising food. Somehow I would like to believe civilization has progressed at least a little in the past several thousand years.
I don't know what subsistence farming is. But having a few fruit trees and a veggie and fruit garden aren't much trouble, and provide tasty favorite foods at economical cost, and is fun, and a healthy, active thing to do. But if you don't like working in the earth, then it may seem like a chore to you. To me, it's a fun activity with great rewards. I believe in planting only things that are pricey to buy, so that one is doing something that is also economical. I'm frugal, too.
The long line of farmers I come from...they didn't farm just for themselves. It was a business. For generations.
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