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.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,688 posts, read 57,994,855 times
Reputation: 46166
Advertisements
Quote:
Originally Posted by Serious Conversation
I don't want my residence to be much more than ten minutes from groceries, Walmart, family doctor, etc.
This stuff (services?) is NOT what you will be thinking about when you call 911
Depends... on your situation, health, risk tolerance, and assistance / helpers.
You can BUY a lifetime membership to air ambulance services, BUT... only if required... so if First Responder evaluates your need, and calls a ground ambulance and it is a 3 hr RT... you don't get to go via AIR!
for the 'healthy'; The 'fluff' (food, and errands) can be accessible 1x/ week and still be OK. once a month to the bigger stores / (if you really need big stores).
proximity to caregiver is very important. (and your ability to drive for 'rehab')
anything over 1 hr is a burden to family, prefer <10 min.
for the 'healthy'; The 'fluff' (food, and errands) can be accessible 1x/ week and still be OK. once a month to the bigger stores / (if you really need big stores).
I think I'd want access to food more than once per week.
Eating week old grapes, bananas, fish, etc. = no thanks
I agree, there is no correct answer. I grew up about 20 minutes from everything. My mom was a city girl from Chicago area and dad from Southern IL. Very different. Well, I took after my mom. My neighborhood has great amenities walking, pool, playground, dog friendly, etc. As far as grocery, gas, etc, I am about a mile or so away, usually drive, but can walk. Charlotte city limits are like 4 miles away. Love having my private neighborhood, but anything I need is very close.
It is clear that people who are seeking rural or semi-rural living have to consider carefully the compromises to be made about distances to various amenities. And there is no one size fits all. Wouldn't the priority be the stuff we need most often? For me that would be groceries, eateries, library. Then the stuff we only go to a few times a year would be a lesser priority - doctors, dentists, clothing stores.
People who enjoy cooking at home would not need the eateries as often, and people who are always running to doctors would need the doctors more often. (At least I've heard there are people who are always running to doctors, but I've never known any.)
While I love to vacation in rural areas, I am not interested in rural living. So I am blessed with most things within easy walking distance (one mile one-way) and almost everything else wihin easy driving distance (six miles one-way).
anywhere there is no public transportation can be too far if you are unable to drive . that is what turned us off to retiring in the pocono's where we had a 2nd home .
High-speed?? Not in the United States except in the western part of Texas, where the speed limit on I-10 is 80 mph. That's not really "high-speed" either.
In the entire state of California there is no speed limit above 70, although lots of people drive faster than that, including me at age 72. It blows my mind how anyone could consider 70 "high-speed", or how anyone could be "nervous" driving above 55 mph. It's not only a mystery to me conceptually, I find it scary. If someone is nervous above 55 mph, I have to wonder if they are competent to drive at any speed. Remember that Ralph Nader book about Corvairs, "Unsafe at any Speed"? Well, unfortunately, there are drivers like that.
People "hate the merging" on freeways? Well, every time we change lanes on a surface street, there is merging. How is that any different? In point of fact, driving on freeways is easier than driving on surface streets because there is no cross-traffic on the former - everyone is going in the same direction. A little elementary traffic maneuver analysis confirms this.
I sense that you've not reached an age that these issues become a concern. Many of the responses on here are directed to the "aging" concerns of the OP, as well as those commenting.
I am one of those folks that dreads merging onto interstates.....I'm 64....But when I was young and still living in Calif. that wasn't an issue.
It is just pointing out that all things are relative. If you are used to doing something, and continue throughout your life, it isn't a problem. But if you aren't.....or your body ages to the point that it isn't as responsive as your mind....
Yes, minor things when you are younger can become barriers as you become elderly.
Just a comment on the 'merging' theme. Newer interstates (you might call them freeways) in my area of NC tend to have very short on ramps and off ramps. Even I-40 (older) has a few places like this. As a result, drivers are dependent on the courtesy of others watching out for people trying to merge. Without this there would be tons of accidents. As more new people move into the area without this attitude, it will become more and more difficult for all drivers, particularly the elderly with physical limitations (vision, arthritis, etc), to use those routes. So there are two issues, one highway design, and two, highway 'culture' in different areas, that may have an impact. And self-driving cars will only make things worse as people start to assume those cars will 'get out of their way'.
nothing like being able to jump on a subway on a snowy day and just pop in to manhattan for a show or dinner or even a museum .
being able to do things like this are priceless to us in retirement
I agree. I would not be too happy retiring to a rural area or a small town as the culture and activities do not interest me much (i'm not much of an outdoors man) If I did decide I wanted to work a little the wages would be too low to be worth my time.
I sense that you've not reached an age that these issues become a concern. Many of the responses on here are directed to the "aging" concerns of the OP, as well as those commenting.
I am one of those folks that dreads merging onto interstates.....I'm 64....But when I was young and still living in Calif. that wasn't an issue.
EscortRider is probably a bit older than you think. His wisdom humbles me.
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.
