<p>@abasket (#142): Lexington, KY is one place we’re considering for retirement; haven’t ever been there though.</p>
<p>@2bornot2bivy (#148): We’re living overseas now.</p>
<p>No, Hayden, we haven’t considered Fredericksburg. Just looked on the map, and it’s too far south. We considered Annapolis, though.</p>
<p>[Devil's</a> Playground ~ Amish Rumspringa Documentary: Amazon.ca: Velda Bontrager, Mark Bontrager, Dewayne Chupp, Dylan Cole, Matt Eash, Sally Fisher, Marty Fry, John Groff, Lisa Groff, Andy Herschberger, Joann Hochstetler, Jesse Kaufman, Lucy Walker](<a href=“http://www.amazon.ca/Devils-Playground-Amish-Rumspringa-Documentary/dp/B00007GVM0]Devil’s”>http://www.amazon.ca/Devils-Playground-Amish-Rumspringa-Documentary/dp/B00007GVM0)</p>
<p>Interesting documentary related to the Amish - discussed #155</p>
<p>Isn’t Lancaster near Dover where the big Intelligent Design trial and School Board resignation occurred? Are Dover and Lancaster the same school district?</p>
<p>Interesting thread. H and I have been talking of investing in a second home - be it for vacations or retirement. We can’t make up our mind. H really likes Tampa/St Petersburgh - any good areas to recommend out there? We might need to take a trip down there to scout…</p>
<p>fireandrain: have you considered Northern Virginia? I lived in Arlington when I went to grad school at GW and really liked it there. Alexandria is also quite nice. </p>
<p>I much preferred Virginia as it was easy to get into DC via Metro, and easy to get out of town into the country.</p>
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<p>Absolutely. That’s one of the selling points of our home near Cape May and the Delaware Bay. In fact, we had too many visitors this summer…but I’ll take that over too few. The bay beaches near us are perfect for the grandkids we’re waiting on–small to no waves! And the ocean beaches and CM culture draw the big kids. </p>
<p>My kids grew up spending all their vacations at CM, so living nearby is perfect for getting them to visit!</p>
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<p>Good try…Dover is an hour and a whole different world away from Lancaster! Come check us out.</p>
<p>Parent1986…I don’t know what your deal is…but you’re losing. </p>
<p>The whole taser debate (mostly with yourself posting the last 12 or so posts: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1190999-u-cincinnati-student-dead-stun-gunned-12.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1190999-u-cincinnati-student-dead-stun-gunned-12.html</a>)
and the whole losing debate about testing your own children when the situation might actually call for it: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1208976-drug-test-surprise.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1208976-drug-test-surprise.html</a></p>
<p>Let’s all settle for or aspire to a society that tolerates illicit drug use, without any reasonable testing, and neutralize our police force so that they cannot enforce any laws or protect any law-abiding citizens at risk. Sounds like a recipe for further disaster for our already ailing country…</p>
<p>crizello: Yes, I’ve considered Northern Virginia. Problem is, I’d want to live within walking distance of a metro, and housing prices with that parameter are out of my league (when I do a search on a real estate site for property under my price range, nothing comes up in that area). Also, I’ve heard that the traffic there is even worse than the horrible traffic everywhere else in DC. If I actually start looking seriously to move there, I’ll consider it.</p>
<p>fireandrain - Greenbelt is probably the the nicest of the affordable, close-to-Metro places in the DC area. You can walk to just about everything in the little '50’s downtown, but you’d have to drive to many places. It is more small-town feeling than Takoma Park though so if that wasn’t enough for you, you wouldn’t be so happy there.</p>
<p>“Good try…Dover is an hour and a whole different world away from Lancaster! Come check us out.” CDK</p>
<p>Realtor?</p>
<p>No thanks. I like civilization and developed, sophisticated areas.</p>
<p>It isn’t about losing - that is pretty simple minded. It’s a difference of opinion, and I know mine is right. That is why all those Amish kids can’t survive successfully in the world, as portrayed in the movie. Oppression, violence, and invasion of privacy are losers.</p>
<p>Also, CDK, I didn’t start any of those threads. I responded to the threads posted by others.</p>
<p>If they don’t like my take on the subject matter, well, that is life.</p>
<p>Back to retirement, sorry off topic.</p>
<p>Kauai, anyone?</p>
<p>I’m looking for cultural activities I can participate in, not just attend.</p>
<p>I currently play in a community symphony orchestra and a string quartet, and I’d love to play more when I am retired and have more time.</p>
<p>DW and I really like the Myrtle Beach SC area - the beach is great, stuff is open year round, the winters are mild, I might even think about taking up golf. It does get pretty hot in August.</p>
<p>I don’t know if it will provide me the playing opportunities I want though.</p>
<p>I’d love to buy a brownstone in Brooklyn or Queens and live intergenerationally with our married kids on second floor and a tenant on top floor. Very 1880’s.</p>
<p>NoVA traffic is intense. It is my impression that during the week the commuting traffic is worse outside the beltway than inside. It is so nice to live in a town that has a Beltline and not the Beltway.</p>
<p>I’d love to buy a brownstone in Brooklyn or Queens and live intergenerationally with our married kids on second floor and a tenant on top floor. Very 1880’s.</p>
<p>That sounds great to me.
But realistically, I will be thrilled if they both live on the same coast we do- ( or in the case of the youngest- the same country!)</p>
<p>I live in the MD burbs of DC, and you couldn’t pay me enough to live in NoVa. I think their traffic is far worse than MD! (and I am sure my NoVa CC friends think the same thing about Maryland!)</p>
<p>DH has a one hour, door-to-door commute via the Red Line to his office in downtown DC. If we were to give up the house, I think we would look at a condo in Bethesda, which would cut DH’s commute in half. There is a pretty vibrant life in that area, easy access to the Metro and DC, cultural venues, etc., though it is expensive. I would be very surprised if we could get a 3 BR condo for what we could get for our house (which will be free and clear in ~six years). Not sure I’d want to sink all that cash into real estate, either.</p>
<p>If DH were offered an assignment in Europe in the next ten years, now that the kids are out of HS, I would be pretty game for that, esp. if S1 winds up on the other side of the pond!! There are also some very good grad programs S2 would leap at if we were in say, London. He might even deign to live with us. He’s a good travel buddy, too.</p>
<p>Would like to be within a two-hour non-stop flight of my kids and grandkids. A girl can dream…</p>
<p>My fantasy is the Bay Area – specifically the hills of Kensington/Berkeley/Oakland. It’s got everything: stunning beauty, interesting/lefty/educated residents, great cuisine, great for living with one-car-at-most, great cultural offerings, great medical care, close to some fascinating places to explore. Sadly… it’s expensive. But as long as there are cute tiny houses available for under a million I will allow myself to fantasize.</p>
<p>katliamom, I totally agree on the Bay area, but I’m concerned about always having to drive my car in a place where there is limited parking in the East Bay. Still, I would love living in the area with the wonderful cuisines, the universities, the educated people with liberal leanings. Aaah, dream away. Can’t wait to get out of where we live right now.</p>
<p>Eh, beawinner, there are no problems with parking if you’re taking public transportation or walking! And both are easily done when you’re retired and don’t have to be places during rush hour :)</p>
<p>“I’d love to buy a brownstone in Brooklyn or Queens and live intergenerationally with our married kids on second floor and a tenant on top floor. Very 1880’s”</p>
<p>Much of my family still lives that. I have a cousin with a brownstone in Brooklyn that has been a haven for the next generation trying to make it in NYC. She rents the rooms. She is one of three generations that once lived there, but most have left for parts south. Only youngest seem to want to deal with (their fantasies of) NYC.</p>