<p>thanks everyone for the eastern shore recaps.</p>
<p>one of the things we like about the mountains in colorado is pretty much no bugs. are there any locations…possible retirement areas…on the west or east coast that don’t have bugs…(like colorado)?</p>
<p>You need two things to avoid bugs – elevation and lack of water. I can’t think of any place on the east coast that satisfies both criteria.</p>
<p>I was raised in NYC and now live on an acre of land in suburban Philly. Am interested in being able to live with limited dependence on cars in retirement. Do not want to return to NYC for cost/stress reasons.</p>
<p>criteria:
– sidewalks on which I can walk to the library, some shopping; eager to reduce car dependence
– scenic/aesthetic
– mild climate - mid-Atlantic fine; snow in winter fine but no more harsh that what we have in Philly
– access to good medical facilities
– access to culture (theater, etc.)
– good for gardening (would like a small place to garden, but not as much land as we have now)
– H says it can’t be flat - terrain must have some variety to it
– H wants access to hiking and swimming
– a “presumption of civility” – i.e. no fear of crime when we walk the neighborhood, although of course anything can happen anywhere; where we live now I can leave my door unlocked when grocery shopping
– a community of people who have a mix of ideas (i.e. do not all think the same way about things)
– neither of us is a golfer, so that is not a consideration</p>
<p>^^A river town along the hudson like Tarrytown, New York seem to fit your criteria. They are awesome with sidewalks,restaurants, shops, a nice library. there are some beautiful state parks with a fabulous network of walking trails that go thru farmland, down by the hudson and thru forests. the only issue is that these towns are hilly and the cost odf living is still high because it is new York. with that said, they do have programs for the seniors in the community. The train runs thru there so there is access to Manhattan.</p>
<p>We also want to be able to walk in our retirement neighborhood, have easy access to medical facilities and an airport, have a lively arts/cultural area, have some variation in weather although we surely can do without a bitter cold winter, have access to the mountains and ocean within a reasonable drive, and have an affordable cost of living.</p>
<p>That’s why we’re looking at Winston-Salem. The Ardmore section of W-S has a lot of lovely craftsman style older homes. They are not too big and not too small…and have a lot of character. </p>
<p>W-S fills all of our other criteria. Even when we might need to drive, it’s not all that far to get to anything we might need or want.</p>
<p>NOW…we just have to convince DH’s company to set up a satelite office there and have DH run it!!!</p>
<p>Has anyone considered two less expensive places- one for fall/winter and one for spring/summer. It is common here. NJ-Florida. I plan to haunt my D and stay by her so if she relocated to North Dakota I will be there but would like to go somewhere for the January- March period just to get out of the cold. If I could a different place every year just 3 month rentals, Corpus Christi, Las Cruces, South Carolina, Pensacola etc. I think about trying all of them.</p>
<p>jyber209 - Richmond, VA, which I mentioned earlier, meets many of your requirements. My friend bought a charming older home near the downtown. She is 2 blocks over from the main street, with lots of boutiques, restaurants, etc. She has a nice big yard and put in a garden this year. She teaches at a school a couple blocks from home, so can drive or not depending upon weather.</p>
<p>Thumper - it’s not a terrible drive to Atlanta, either, from W-S! 
And if we end up in Asheville, even better.</p>
<p>Thanks for the suggestions, folks! I will run them past my H.</p>
<p>
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<p>I have a friend who moved to Middleburg, VA and she says there are no mosquitoes. She loves the climate, the landscape, and the interesting people. Of course, it’s not cheap…</p>
<p>jyber, look into Fredericksburg VA, as well. It’s about midway between Richmond and DC on I-95. It meets nearly all of your criteria. It’s not close to swimming unless you want to take a dip in the Rappahannock River, but the rest is all there.</p>
<p>I know everyone is against Florida because of the hurricane threat but I really think you should hear about where I live. (I know, I know, you think I’m biased.)</p>
<p>I live in Sarasota, Florida. Here’s a breakdown by your criteria of why it rules. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>after 25 years in the middle of the country - I want my shore again. dh doesn’t like sand or ocean as much but is willing to live near a beach/shore.
-Sarasota is on the Gulf of Mexico, right below Tampa Bay. We have one of the best beaches in the world, as ranked by the Travel Channel. If your DH is more of a nature person, we have Myakka River State Park and Oscar Scheer State Park. You can see alligators, horses, and all sorts of animals. Both parks are beautiful and very old-Florida.</p></li>
<li><p>want to be near a reasonable sized airport
-Sarasota has its own local airport, Sarasota-Bradenton International. Additionally, we’re barely an hour out of Tampa International, which allow you to fly to anywhere in the country. I’ve flown of TPA to Seattle, Atlanta, NYC, etc.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>don’t want two homes - have already done that and am over it.
-We have tons of house down here from old-style Key West homes to the newly developed neighborhoods. Additionally, Sarasota ha a couple of keys incorporated into the general area. I personally live in Longboat Key, which is mainly condos and upscale houses. There’s also the more popular Siesta Key, which has more cottage style houses. </p>
<p>want access to a reasonable sized city with museums music etc maybe 1 hour or so
-Sarasota is a thriving city. We have a decent downtown area, and we have two large malls. On the museums department we’ve got you covered. We have the world renowned Ringling Museum and the Ca D’Zan mansion. Both GORGEOUS buildings, the art collection is suburb. We have Mote Marine Aquarium, filled with manatees, turtles, dolphins, and even the remains of a giant squid. We’re only an hour away from the Holocaust Museum, the Museum of Science and Industries (MOSI), the Salvador Dali Museum, etc. </p>
<p>don’t want to be so remote that a health crisis is a death sentence.
-We have 2 major hospitals in Sarasota that have been consistently rated very highly nationally. If you should need major surgery or have a health crisis, Tampa and Orlando are close enough to be a choice.</p>
<p>ALSO, I want to say that your grandkids would have a lot to do here too. From the beaches to our proximity to both the Tampa themeparks (Busch Gardens, Adventure Islands) and the Orlando parks (Disney World, Universal Studios, etc.). MOSI, Mote Marine, and the Children’s museum of Tampa are also fun places to take kids. There’s also GWIZ, our local children’s style museum. Recently built, it’s now downtown and it’s a great facility. We’ve recently had the BODIES exhibit and the Journey to the Titanic exhibit about a year ago. </p>
<p>Overall, Sarasota/Bradenton is an amazing area to retire. I urge you to check it out :)</p>
<p>Many years ago DH and I made the slow drive down the East Coast with the idea of looking at where we might want to buy for retirement. We started in NJ (we are definitely shore people), our home, and wandered all through the Carolinas, Georgia, northern FL (Amelia Island), then cut over to the West Coast and ended on Marco Island. I really recommend that trip to get a feel of how different one area is from another. BTW, we are still in NJ.</p>
<p>scout59, please share what you know of Asheville on this thread: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/400807-so-what-do-you-know-about-asheville.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/400807-so-what-do-you-know-about-asheville.html</a></p>
<p>I moved from the Midwest to the Northwest 25 years ago and for many years dreamed of moving back. I no longer want to make that move. I love the NW especially in the spring, summer and early fall. I plan to stay here probably downsizing from our big, three story house. I see H and me buying a small condo near D. If she moves we sell the condo and buy another someplace else. We may also buy a small, turn-key place to stay for part of the late fall and winter seasons.</p>
<p>in retirement, my in-laws kept their home in the midwest but would spend winters in palm springs (golfing). they rented the same condo in palm springs each winter, i believe.</p>
<p>i have heard of other midwestern retirees who go to texas and arizona over the winter months but they keep their midwestern homes. some will buy campers to use for their homes when they go south. </p>
<p>has anyone considered birmingham, al?..it seems like a growing, popular city.</p>
<p>Here is a great article on which states are financially best for retirees. Very interesting reading.
[The</a> Basics – Which states give retirees the best deal? - MSN Money](<a href=“http://moneycentral.msn.com/articles/retire/basics/9838.asp]The”>http://moneycentral.msn.com/articles/retire/basics/9838.asp)</p>
<p>^^^ NJ …yuck - good link</p>
<p>I’m probably in a minority here, but I don’t want to move away from the town/area that I’ve lived in for the last 27 years. I love it and I’ve got lots of great friends and neighbors and all the amenities I need. I wouldn’t mind spending a month or so in a warmer climate, but I don’t want to go anywhere permanently. I’m a midwesterner and like people, so I don’t have trouble making new friends at all. I’m grateful that we can afford to stay where we are. If my kids were far away, I might reconsider but for now, I’m content not to make plans to move.</p>
<p>I know I’ll get laughed at, but I’m going to make my NJ case. We live presently in North Jersey, but have bought our retirement home (and spend most weekends there) near Cape May. The house was very reasonably priced, and the taxes much lower than what’s usually touted for NJ (half what that chart above gave as an average.) We can walk to the beach (Delaware Bay–gorgeous and quiet) or bike to the ocean beach in CM City). We can also walk to the library, stores, PO, etc. Cape May itself has a ton of arty, fun things going on year round. We have water in every direction, so tons of places to kayak (a requirement for us.) We’re near our kids, who at least now have stayed in the state, and other family. NYC is still doable. Summers aren’t usually too hot because of ocean breezes, and winters are much milder than Northern NJ. </p>
<p>We’d move down here in a second if we could find at least one full time job with insurance. Otherwise, we’ll have to wait.</p>
<p>^ It sounds lovely for you, garland. I have been to Cape May several times (D used to perform there once each summer with a PA-based concert band.) and it is charming. You are probably removed from Cape May proper enough not to be overwhelmed by the touristy aspects. You and your H are wise and fortunate to be able to “try out” your retirement location part-time now. Enjoy!</p>