<p>Don’t have time to read the whole thread, but in doing college/grad school visits, we have found two areas we like. One is Austin, Texas; the other (most recent) is Greenville, S.C. We just saw Greenville while S was auditioning at Furman. It has a lovely downtown area that has most everything you could want entertainment/recreation wise, but is small, compact and not overwhelming. There appears to be a thriving art/music world that is well supported by the locals.</p>
<p>We went to a show at Furman called “Furman on Broadway” that was just excellent (all by students - orchestra and vocalists), and it was a sell out, attended from what we could tell by not only students/faculty, but also lots of locals and families. That same night there was an on campus play and a recital, and the campus was just packed with people attending all three events.</p>
<p>This is a smallish community of about 400,000 with everything H and I are looking for, but without all the heat and traffic of Houston, plus nice countryside and seasons. We haven’t investigated housing costs, taxes and that stuff. But they do have Michelin’s north american headqrtrs and a BMW plant that makes a roadster H says he wants as a “retirement car”.</p>
<p>Costs are still very low and the economy is very strong. It’s considered the successful part of SC as it has moved on beyond the textiles and other dying industries.</p>
<p>cgarrett – No, I moved there when I was just fresh out of high school in AZ. I lived at Orchard Ave and Sunset Cliffs. When we were there a year or two ago, so much of where I used to walk had fallen off into the ocean but they still build those big fancy houses right by the cliff. My dh and I had our first date at the movie theatre there in Ocean Beach…long, long ago.</p>
<p>Although not officially retired, not working either.
Planning to move from NJ to NC this year. Going on a house hunting trip next week, concentrating on the Lake Norman (Huntersville) area.</p>
<p>I too will be retiring to coastal NC in a few years to what has become known as the Inner Banks, the small inland towns on rivers and sounds on the mainland side across from the OBX. </p>
<p>Novelisto, have you been to Southport,NC? It’s a nice town, not on the beach but on the river.</p>
<p>We’ve been investigating various areas for a few years - basically after 30 years in the midwest I WILL live in a warm weather area! With or without my husband. If I hadn’t already decided, this winter would have been the straw that broke the back.</p>
<p>Criteria include a large body of water nearby, a large city nearby, temperate climate, lots of vacation spots within one day’s drive, decent restaurants and shopping, an active Jewish population, and social opportunities. California, especially southern CA, seems to fit the bill completely. After much research, we investigated Irvine. We were able to check it out last fall when DH had a business trip in the LA area. Loved it - could easily see us there. That’s it, as far as I’m concerned! (UC-Irvine was just the icing on the cake.) Costs are high, but location location location. Just the idea that you can run down to Laguna Beach for brunch…take the train to Old Town San Diego for lunch…zip down to the beach to watch the sunset…stroll the shops of South Coast Plaza… :D</p>
<p>DH feels the lots are somewhat small and the houses a little too much like condos so he’s not totally convinced. I say let’s try it out and see if we like it! DS is a sophomore; my goal is that by the summer after his junior year we will be actively engaged in planning the move.</p>
<p>You might also want to check out (if you haven’t already) Dana Point and San Clemente - both between Irvine and San Diego but coastal towns. Not cheap, but they have that location thing.</p>
<p>It was so nice out today in San Diego that I had to put the top down in my old car to drive home from work. </p>
<p>Packmom – We are planning to take a trip in the Southport area this summer…if nobody dies in the meantime (we’ve got an elderly lady who is now bedridden.) I want to check out towns on both sides of the ICW. As long as I’m closer to water than I am now (3 hrs +), I’ll be happy! My dh loves scuba, sailing and beachcombing and there’s plenty of that. My dd is interested in marine archaology as a career and there’s a center for the study of it really near by. Who knows – maybe she’ll wind up living near us instead of us moving closer to her! </p>
<p>Marilyn – San Clemente is beautiful, even when it’s dry. I also love the Carlsbad through Del Mar area…I still have a relative or two in that area. You can find some excellent views without paying sea-side prices.</p>
<p>Cool - some more ideas. When DH said he wasn’t sure about Irvine I told him to pick out a place. He said San Diego - I said OK by me!!!</p>
<p>Are there many synagogues down the coast? We currently live in an area where there’s only one within about 10 miles in any direction and were hoping for more options.</p>
<p>I have quite a few Jewish friends in San Diego and have never heard about a shortage of synagogues! I also have friends who have a vacation place in Oceanside (San Diego County), where costs aren’t quite too high yet. I love Dana Point (Orange County) and Carlsbad (San Diego), but they seem more expensive…same with Encinitas (San Diego), which is a cool little beach town… You’ll just have to visit in order to decide!! Irvine (Orange County) is a nice well-planned city as well. I wouldn’t go any further north, however, or east for that matter.</p>
<p>Good luck!! I love San Diego…no big bugs or high humidity, although the ocean is usually too cold for me. Still, there a tons of parks along the coast since it’s generally not permitted to build on the beaches there.</p>
<p>Ummmmm…San Diego, Irvine, sound sooo nice. Just the names make me think of warm Sunshine and the blue skies…while it’s 32 degrees outside with wind chill and temps dropping by the hour here in the NE.</p>
<p>Two more inches of snow last night - DH out of town - snowblower with a clutch problem so only works about 4 minutes at a time…may see the ground again by April…I am ready to move RIGHT NOW!!! At least it will be above freezing for a day or two before the next whammy. I think I’ll go look at my screensaver of Santa Cruz again </p>
<p>Plan right now is to work for another 10 years (or less; oh, please please please, let it be less!), and then move to Croatia or Slovenia. Hope to teach ESL part-time for some extra cash, and travel. Will probably keep whatever house we own at the time (perhaps this one, perhaps another) and rent it out. After some years in Europe (and, if I can talk H into it, Asia), we’ll probably return to the US. Ideal would be to have a lake place in or near Ithaca NY for the summers and another place almost anywhere else for the winters.</p>
If I hadn’t already decided, this winter would have been the straw that broke the back.</p>
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