One of the things my H threw out when we moved to the suburbs was my shopping cart. I plan to replace it for when I walk to the supermarket. I also used to use it to bring my clothing to the laundromat when I lived in a two family home without washing machine access. When I moved to the suburbs, my kids were 7 down to 1 (4 of them). I would walk to the local shopping area with the stroller, put some bags in the bottom of the stroller, and tie some to the handles. My 2 oldest kids would bring empty backpacks and I would put a light bag or two into those as well. I also wore a backpack. I have RA and carrying bags in my hands is difficult.
I picked a house that is walking distance of the middle and high school, but not much else. It is great in that I haven’t had to either send my kids on the school bus or let them drive to school since the student lot is a longer distance away from the school than my house, but I really hate the suburbs. Once, my favorite neighbor told me that I would like living in the suburbs more if I gardened. My H laughed and asked the neighbor if she had ever met his wife! The idea of gardening is physically repulsive to me.
I wish I could move to a walkable, affordable community now, but I still have to work.
oldfort…you can opt out of Halloween around here by not turning on your porch/outside lights. Everyone knows that means not to knock on your door for treats.
Before considering the walkability factor you have to consider the whole area’s demographics. If you move to any place you need to be able to fit in reasonably well. This means NO Bible belt for some of us- all the amenities in the world can’t overcome that. Politics and religion play a larger role in our lives than we realize, even if we don’t consider ourselves involved in them. For example, in some places a first question asked is where you go to church- difficult when that isn’t a part of your life and a major part of the social structure. Likewise there was an article in the Tampa newspaper about it being fine to be a lesbian in The Villages as long as you were Republican.
It is hard to walk to the stores unless they carry the products you want. I do NOT want to live in a place like New York City. Horrible to me to have such crowded conditions and lack of green spaces for every household. People can be hired to maintain a yard for those who dislike that.
There is no one size fits all- and at any age. There is also no perfect place. I can’t imagine being without the library system of the big city (the surrounding counties can’t compete) or the diversity of people. We live in the city limits but in the newer, more suburban, area. Tradeoffs. Weather is also one- heat versus snow for one. We weren’t ready for sharing walls et al with neighbors. I imagine a lot depends on what your norm has been.
I too live in NYC, in a neighborhood not far from @oldfort 's but with a completely different “feel.” I live in a large apartment complex. While I am not close friends with any of my neighbors, I do say “hello” and I run into a few of them every day, throwing out the garbage or waiting for the elevator. I know where everyone’s kids went to college and who got divorced and what they do for a living. Mailboxes are in the lobby and it’s rare that I don’t exchange at least a few words with someone when i pick up the mail.
As for Halloween—you can’t really tell if we have lights on from the hallway. We have to sign up if we are willing to do Halloween. We get a flyer we tape to our door. The kids get a list of apartment #s which have agreed. (I get more trick or treaters when my next door neighbor signs up. Parents taking the little ones for just a hour tend to skip floors with just one participant. Trick or treating ends promptly at 9 pm.
I don’t own a car. My offspring took a van to school when little and then the subway/bus starting around age 11. Almost all pre high school ECs were within walking distance and offspring went alone after about age 7.
I love the idea of signing up to do Halloween. When I was a kid in the 60’s, you just went and knocked on door after door. How much more efficient to just go to where you know you will get something…
Physically repulsive - yes, I hate the feel of dirt and grass. When I went to summer camp, I literally threw up the first time they made me walk barefoot in the grass. I was allowed to wear sneakers after that. I tell people that I am allergic, but it’s just so they won’t bother me. Now, I can walk on grass but only in shoes. I would never sit on the grass, even on a blanket. If I can’t have a lawn chair, count me out. I am a city girl, Even Central Park is too country for me. I went to concert in the park once and stood the entire time.
The ambience of an area is definitely key. I want to live in a place where I fit in, politically, economically, religion-wise and the like. I don’t have to be in the majority, but I don’t want to be in an absolute minority. I intend to never see snow again after I retire. I need to be able to walk to shopping or at least have a shuttle or senior type bus service or discount cabs. I want to be near a library, or at least close enough that I can go once a month and load up on books. I want to have access to good healthcare. Being near a college that allows seniors to audit classes would be a plus as well. I would prefer to live in apartment building rather than a private house and I don’t necessarily want to be in a 55+ community.
I would LOVE to live in NYC. My ideal location would be near Central Park (for walking/running). I will never get H to agree and at this point is likely unaffordable. I don’t want to live away from other people.If I need privacy I can just go inside. I really dislike driving anywhere.
I grew up in a small town, our house backed up to the woods and it terrified me. My house now is in a suburbs and backs up to woods and it still makes me uncomfortable.
techmom - Your criteria sounds just like mine. If you figure out where that is, let me know. I don’t find gardening repulsive, but I don’t do it. DH is the gardener in the family. I’m a city kid and it just doesn’t interest me.
I am considering areas like parts of NC, Georgia or Virginia. My H hates Florida. My dream is to spend the first few winters after retirement renting in different communities to see what I like best and then putting down roots. I don’t mind NY in every season but winter. We own a small bungalow in our town and I would keep either that or my MIL’s house (when she no longer needs it) to live in for part of the year, at least at first and then decide if I want to permanently relocate.
I REALLY like some of the older suburbs in Chicagoland that have nice walkable downtowns and neighborhoods (and access to the Metra, the Lake). Uh, just can’t afford it.
@abasket If you find a location that meets all those requirements you mentioned let me know as I would love to live there. I am currently 6 miles from DC. I see these types of communities becoming more common as I feel that people want to spend more quality time with family so living in a location with conveniences and spending less time on the road commuting would be a priority. Living in a place with amenities is nice as you don’t have to do a lot in regards to home and lawn maintenance. Lower utility bills.
It is nice when you can park your car in a garage and when it snows just watch from the window while the snow plows clean the roads and the community hires a crew to shovel the walkways. Our gated community has a gym and a 20 seat movie theatre. Every month there is a happy hour event, book clubs, running meets, and holiday parties. Every few months purple heart trucks are called in as well as shredding services that will take your boxes of papers to shred. It is nice to do a clean up of the closets every few months and be able to donate items without having to go anywhere to do that. We have a community message board where we can post things we want to sell, make recommendations for home maintenance or advertise any services one can provide. For example someone is offering to give personal training sessions at the gym, another person babysitting services, and someone else is providing computer classes. The main advantage in living in these types of communities is convenience and amenities close by. The area is very multicultural so fitting in is never a problem.
I am in my late 40’s and empty nest. I can’t predict what my requirements will be when I am in my 60’s or 80’s but I like one floor living and I think as I get older it will be more of an advantage. The only thing missing for me is a beach. I wish there was one within an hours drive but the nearest one is probably at least 3 to 4 hours away. Another thing I am not really a cold weather person so a place with mild winters would be nice.
Our Portland (Oregon) neighborhood is 1/4 mile to a 200-acre park with paved and dirt trails ((and tennis courts) (and basketball court) (and rentable picnic shelters). And 1/4 mile to one of Portland’s best restaurants, as well as a coffeeshop/sandwich place, an Irish pub, a chiropractor, hair salon, upscale clothing resale, and a cheese shop. About a tenth mile to the closest bus stop. A mile to multiple grocery stores and many more restaurants and other services. We have a house and a decent-sized garden, know and like our neighbors… and plan on staying here indefinitely. (Our neighbors range from 99 (literally) to newborns.)
I would love to live in NYC again. Only this time, in Manhattan.
Growing up, I lived in a borough that had the best of both worlds. My parents house was surrounded by woods and we skated at the frog pond, played in the woods, went sleigh riding at the nearby golf course, etc. I lived on a hill, called Lighthouse Hill that had a real working lighthouse shining out to the NY harbor. Both of my parents worked in Manhattan.
D1 recently bought an apartment in Manhatten not far from where she rented the last few years. We have and do stay there often. It is wonderful because everything you need is close by and everything can be delivered. It is not far from Central Park, the MET or the subway to anywhere else. This summer we stayed at D’s place to babysit our grandcat while she and her partner played in Colorado. We got to know many of the restaurants and pubs in her neighborhood, walk around the resovoir in Central Park, visit the MET rooftop for incredible Central Park views and drinks, take in a Broadway show and visit the 9/11 museum. And her building is full service with a 24 hour door person.
What a wonderful way to spend retirement. Trouble is, it is very expensive. As is going back to my childhood neighborhood.
My Mom lived in a lovely gated retirement community in NJ when she died. H and I considered buying out my siblings to buy the place. It was in a lovely, well maintained community not far from the NJ beaches. But you have to drive evrrywhere to restaurants, grocery stores, etc.
I love both options–city and retirement community. Not at all sure what we will do. Probably no change in current living conditions knowing my H.
@morrismm, I also grew up in that borough…I don’t think anyone has skated on those (no longer freezing solid) ponds in many, many winters. But wasn’t it fun!
I live now in a very near suburb of, and work in, DC. Sold the house and bought the one level living condo with the underground garage…got to watch the last snow storm from the window. I can walk to many restaurants, movie theaters, libraries, farmer’s market, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Metro. Glad to give up the ‘garden’ and outside maintenance.
My block in Chicago has a 99 walk score. The neighborhood is just as accessible to wheelchairs as it is to pedestrians. I see older and disabled people shopping and dining everywhere. It’s great not to have to worry that compromised vision or reflexes would destroy my mobility. (This is hopefully far in the future for me and my husband, but we think about it.)
Maybe living in an urban/walkable community sounds good to readers of the NY times, but that is definitely not the case where I live (rural west). Most retirees here prefer lots of land and living as far away from people as possible! I am much the same way.
^Yeah, I don’t think my parents would go for “walkable,” either. My dad is almost 80 and gets along great, even with chronic leukemia, but my mom, at 78, is having a hard time even walking up and down street curbs.
I think I would like to rent in a few different cities before finalizing where to settle. I have family in San Diego and I love the weather and vibe over there.
I was about 4 when we left New York but it would be nice to experience living in the city but I have heard it is very expensive. There is lots to do but I don’t know my way around on the metro or the area since I don’t live there.
From whomever I know who has moved there, they absolutely love it and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
I have another sibling in Chicago who absolutely loves it and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. He doesn’t own a car and tells me he doesn’t have a need for one. He relies on Uber if needed.