"retire in VA" options/advice (Virginia Beach, Hampton: apartment, rentals)

[were-to-retire-wolf]

Hi, All! I recently joined city-data.com [What a great resource this is, BTW!] Although my wife and I still have about 12-15 years before we plan to retire, we don't want to wait too long to start our "where should we retire" project. So ... here we are ... hoping for some "retire in VA" options/advice!

Below are the answers to the questionnaire I found at the top of this forum. Any and all replies/suggestions will be most welcome!


When are you moving? Upon retirement (about 12-15 years from now). (I hope we will have decided by then! )
Where are you coming from? Northeast part of NYC's Queens county
Why are you moving? Looking for lower cost of living: income taxes, home cost, property taxes, etc.
Where will you be working? Not applicable.
Have you been here yet? Not yet.

Will you buy or rent? Buy.
If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo? How much can you spend? Either. Wife would like a yard to do a bit of light gardening. Ideally, we would like to put some money in the bank after selling our house so ... we would like to keep the cost of the new place under 350-400K. Would prefer a place in an area that offers more municipal services (water, sewer, electricity, etc.) than those which can provide fewer.

If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? NA
How much can you spend? NA
Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up? NA

Are you married or single? Married.
Do you have children? Two; but our home will most likely be an empty nest by the time we retire.
Do you prefer public or private schools? NA
Do you have pets? No.
Do you want or need a yard? Wife:Nice to have. Me:Meh.
Are you keeping a car? Yes.
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? Calm/quiet but not too far (less than 30 min.) from entertainment/restaurants/etc.

What do you want to be closest to? Shopping / Basic services
Work
Shopping
Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.)
Nightlife

[Bigfoot424]

While I doubt you'll return and see what was posted (few ever do) I'll throw a few places out.


Leesburg. Bustling area but still plenty of country around it and a fairly close drive into the DC area and close to Dulles Airport.


Charlottesville. UVA is here and it can be a busy place but surrounded by country.


Winchester. Located in the Shenandoah Valley so very close to some beautiful country. Winchester is rapidly growing and is within 60-70 minutes of NOVA and everything you'd need that Winchester may not.

[were-to-retire-wolf]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

While I doubt you'll return and see what was posted (few ever do) I'll throw a few places out.


Leesburg. Bustling area but still plenty of country around it and a fairly close drive into the DC area and close to Dulles Airport.


Charlottesville. UVA is here and it can be a busy place but surrounded by country.


Winchester. Located in the Shenandoah Valley so very close to some beautiful country. Winchester is rapidly growing and is within 60-70 minutes of NOVA and everything you'd need that Winchester may not.

Bigfoot424,

Thanks for the info! I've been doing some research online regarding 'great places to retire' [not just in VA but also in FL, AZ, PA]. Winchester and Charlottesville are often mentioned. I will have to check out Leebsburg. Thanks again!

w-t-r-w

[ersatz]

The 3 cities Bigfoot mentioned are all in northern Virginia, which is more expensive than the rest of Virginia Some other VA options are Virginia Beach, Ashland, Abingdon and Roanoke. In other posts, you mentioned wanting to live within 4 hours drive of NY. In that case, you should check out Delaware. I regularly drive through New Castle County on my way to the Delaware ocean beaches. It is lovely, somewhat rural, and Cost of Living is cheaper than most of northern Virginia. Plus, it's a lot closer to NY.

Try findmyspot (the link does not work if I post it to city data.) Then compare costs using Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed This should give you some good ideas.

[TN Lily]

Charlottesville is Central Virginia rather than Northern Virginia.
I like the Charlottesville airport. Looking at the CHO website, there are three flights to (LGA) New York today.

Abingdon would seem like a nice place for someone who bicycles a lot due to the Creeper Trail. The town looks quite charming. I have assumed that Abingdon residents use the airport in Bristol when they fly commercially.

Good luck to the OP.

[ersatz]

OP -

I made a mistake quoting the original link, as it is blocked. Google the search term "find the best spot to live". Findmyspot is a different site geared to rentals. TN Lily is right that most people think of Charlottesville as Central Virginia. I knew two people who commuted from that area into DC every day, ugg. That's why to me, it seemed more northern. Plus, I've spent a lot of time there sitting in traffic jams, also a feature of NoVA.

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by ersatz

The 3 cities Bigfoot mentioned are all in northern Virginia, which is more expensive than the rest of Virginia Some other VA options are Virginia Beach, Ashland, Abingdon and Roanoke. In other posts, you mentioned wanting to live within 4 hours drive of NY. In that case, you should check out Delaware. I regularly drive through New Castle County on my way to the Delaware ocean beaches. It is lovely, somewhat rural, and Cost of Living is cheaper than most of northern Virginia. Plus, it's a lot closer to NY.

Try findmyspot (the link does not work if I post it to city data.) Then compare costs usingModerator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed This should give you some good ideas.

Um, Charlottesville is certainly not in Northern VA and I barely consider Winchester NOVA. Leesburg is creeping more and more into NOVA but Winchester is quite some distance from the hustle and bustle of NOVA.

[SmokeyCat]

Is winchester va a good place for a retiree? How is the year round weather-snow or humidity? If humid how many months of the yr and avg humidity and temps in the hottest months? How cold in the winter mths? Crime rate? Your opinion of medical services? Good doctors? Is it a walkable city for a senior to get around? COL in your opinion? Please reply if you live in or near winchester. Thanks bunches!

[rvabread22]

Originally Posted by SmokeyCat

Is winchester va a good place for a retiree? How is the year round weather-snow or humidity? If humid how many months of the yr and avg humidity and temps in the hottest months? How cold in the winter mths? Crime rate? Your opinion of medical services? Good doctors? Is it a walkable city for a senior to get around? COL in your opinion? Please reply if you live in or near winchester. Thanks bunches!

I grew up not far from Winchester. Winchester is higher elevation and it gets more snow than other parts of Virginia. Its very hot/humid through the summer early fall months. But if you're looking for Mild winter, I would suggest Williamsburg/Hampton Roads/Virginia Beach

February is the coldest month. Some times snow comes as early as Christmas, but usually its between January and February month.

Winchester is a relatively small city, and its rather walkable. But the winters can be harder there.

Winchester was nice, but its now become a bedroom community for DC commuters. And prices on housing have skyrocketed.

[Bigfoot424]

You make it sound like Winchester gets slammed with snow. LOL. If NOVA gets 3 inches Winchester might get 4, 5 at best. Really very little difference in snow totals for area.