My kids all live in Lincoln Park or Lakeview like I did once and all love the city life here. Although today is 3 degrees:). I have several friends who have sold their suburban homes and have now moved to the city.
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S lives in Lincoln Park ( no car). Walks, takes public trans, uber, bike in warm weather. We were there recently and there are tons of city dogs!
I could totally live that kind of life.
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@mom2and my intention is to continue renting. For many reasons! And yes I have considered having a nursing student or college student living with me- even if just to open windows, which I cannot do!
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Love this, @abasket!
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Chicago is my primary home and it’s fabulous from May thru October. November and April are sometime tolerable. Sometimes just cold, rainy (or snowy…though not recently) and miserable! I love Chicago in the late spring, summer and early fall… But just couldn’t take the cold months anymore and now go to California for several months.
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You know what they say, “there’s no bad weather, only bad clothing!” 
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We don’t say that in Ca. lol 
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@maya54 - we are in the Twin Cities so it’s much the same. This is our third winter and we have been “escaping “ to warmer places ( including California) for at least a few weeks to break up the winter.
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I agree. Chicago is the best in the Summer. We are trying to decide in retirement if we want to go the condo route and split between Chicago area and some place else. I am leaning towards that. I am tired of being cold all the time for Jan-Feb. Snow isn’t bad the last 4-5 years just the cold I could do without.
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H will never leave Hawaii and I’m not sure whether I will ever either. We are so used to the temperate weather and having all my siblings here. D may move back here as well. S may stay in NYC as both he and DIL seem to love it there. It’s a fun place to visit, but too busy and COLD for us, plus we find the subways and stairs for them challenging.
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We lived in Chicagoland city and suburbs for 40 years. Great city, great museums, great restaurants, great architecture, etc. The one downside, winter every year! One day (after returning from Fort Lauderdale), I woke up to a blizzard and thought, “I don’t have to live here the rest of my life.” Ten years later we moved to San Diego, where we’ve been for almost ten more years.
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My daughter spent 7 years in San Diego and keeps telling me to move there. When people like @FallGirl and others say they “escape” to CA in the winter, are you doing airbnb? Do you own or rent in two places?
I have a new problem: vertigo with a weather-related “vestibular migraine.” I have had this in the past for a few hours but it has been 16 days! The ups and downs in temperature and storms are unusually severe this year. There really aren’t any meds or treatments for this other than stable weather.
Kids are on the East Coast. Hmmm…
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@compmom - this is our third winter here ( we were in the DC area for decades) and so our winter “ escapes” have been different each time. Our S lived in the LA area the first 2 years and we would go out and visit him. Stayed in hotels as we were there less than 2 weeks. We also took a cruise to New Zealand and Australia in Jan 2023. Last winter,in addition to visiting S, I spent time in Mexico.
S has moved to Chicago, but my sister ( we are very close) and BIL moved back.to LA area last year. We were there late December/ early January. We have trips to Maui and Puerta Vallarta coming up.
So it’s been all over the map so far. We do love SoCal and wish it wasn’t so expensive to buy. We have talked about getting a place for a longer time ( VRBO) , we will see.
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Thanks @FallGirl! I am trying to think creatively about all this.
I called my health insurance, which is a state-based Medicare Advantage plan, last month and they told me they would cover me for up to 12 months out of state and would provide a PCP. That was a revelation.
I don’t have a home base right now. I am doing a winter rental in coastal Massachusetts, where I have lived for a long time. I sold my house in 2014. Figuring it out!
I am almost 74, kids are 32-38 now. Time flies!
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I live in San Diego and H and I are leaving this Saturday for our annual ski road trip around the west. Every year for the past 6 years I have tried to get friends from cold regions to come and stay with our cats for the 16 days we are away and so far no one has come. D2 will come watch our cats the first week then she flies to Park City to meet us the second week. My 82 year old mom decided she wanted to come watch the cats the second week and she is really excited for a week at our place. She walks 3 plus miles everyday and she can walk to get everything she needs while she is here. She will have my car to use if she needs it. We have a lovely community pool that is heated in the winter and she is excited to add some swimming while here.
We are going to Europe for 18 days in August so I will need another long term cat sitter then. Maybe we should start a CC home exchange!
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@showmom858 - I love that idea! I would be happy to stay in SD, but unfortunately while I like cats, my body does not! I am very allergic.
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What? I bet ds2 would help you out! Although the gf may mean he wants to stay put! I wish I wasn’t allergic or I would do it.
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@Youdon_tsay - I would love to have him watch them! The gf would be welcome also if she can get away or work remote.
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Let’s file this away for next year!
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If the cats aren’t black fur, we could board them here! It would be so nice to have a cat around again. Unfortunately even though we had an orange and white tabby for 18 years, I am allergic to black fur; also Siamese.
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