OT: "Best" places to retire (assuming you can)

[DaddyChoc]

damn 3 grand... *

 

[OneTrickPony]

When you look at mortality rates, obesity rates, smoking, etc., southern states are also unhealthier than the rest of the country. So, cheaper than the rest of the country - but also not as educated, and unhealthier.

When you retire to a Southern State, is it a requirement that you have to start smoking and eating beignets and bacon wrapped meatloaf ? Also, I don't think less expensive equates to uneducated no more than expensive equals educated.

I know...they make us eat all that fried chicken...!

 

[geordi]

I have 137 days to go. I've decided on the west coast of Ireland. Unfortunately, my wife has decided on Charleston. See you there, Geno-ista.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

My family(sons, dils, grandkids) are here in CT…so here I happily remain. We have 4-season family LakeHouse in The Berkshires, so instead of moving south or west we have voyaged north…interesting how life is what you get while you are planning what you want.

 

[Icebear]

For years my family has traveled north. In retirement my folks went north to New Hampshire every winter sharing an off season cottage near Lake Sunnapee. They didn't ski but love snow and the local restaurants and the quiet pace of life.

Do whatever one enjoys.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I am here helping him get settled, flying home on Tuesday 5/21. Once he gets the internets tomorrow he will have just about everything he needs...an apartment, furniture, new bank accounts, a California driver's license and a job - which, of course he had before he got here. Yeah, the prices are ridiculous - he is paying a little under $3,000 a month for a 685 square foot apartment. It is a new construction in an area with just about everything within a couple blocks including a Cal train station so he doesn't really need a car . It is a very nice apartment in a great area, but I have a hard time with knowing he is paying over three times what our mortgage is for less than half the size of our house.

My sons live in Orange County and NYC, both of which are too expensive for me. Prices in Irvine (OC) start at over $500K for a bungalow. Prices in NYC are "something point something," as in $1.4 (million).

 

[meyers7]

Yeah, the prices are ridiculous - he is paying a little under $3,000 a month for a 685 square foot apartment.

Needs a roommate. Fast.

 

[meyers7]

For years my family has traveled north.
Do whatever one enjoys.

Never, ever understood that. Just makes no sense.

 

[Bestiarius]

One thing about living in Southwestern Connecticut is that wherever you go to retire, it seems inexpensive. Having spent time in lots of different places, I've learned that I like a climate that has 4 equal seasons. Connecticut fits that bill. A big disadvantage of living in an expensive area is your kids can't afford to live in the town they grew up in. When the average house price is well over $1 million, most starting salaries will mean moving away. But, many of these kids make contacts and eventually land jobs that provide big salaries that allow them to boomerang back after 10 or more years.

I loved San Diego and Hawaii is heaven on earth, but the lack of change, just one beautiful day after another, gets boring to me, but boring in a good way I suppose. I'd rather get exercise chopping wood for a stove than joining a health club.

 

[UConnChapette]

Needs a roommate. Fast.

He doesn't want one. He is making the choice to pay higher rent for a nice place and have less discretionary income. Ah, to be young and naieve again. One of his Georgia Tech roommates is living in the same complex - coincidental, not planned at all, so if they decide they can't afford to go it alone they won't have to look far for a compatible roommate.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

As said above, it is all about what each person wants. Here in AZ, I do miss the shore, but was perfectly happy avoiding hurricane Sandy and the aftermath. I also don't miss the high cost of living.

We spent many a happy 4 to seven day vacation in Chester, Vermont (usually during leaf peeping season) - quiet, relaxing, charming - but never had the desire to deal with the snow. OTH, there were lots of folks up there who would have been devestated without snow to deal with.

So far, we are quite happy here in Tucson, and have been here just over 2 years. If that changes, so be it, but I don't think it will.

 

[Bestiarius]

As said above, it is all about what each person wants. Here in AZ, I do miss the shore, but was perfectly happy avoiding hurricane Sandy and the aftermath. I also don't miss the high cost of living.

We spent many a happy 4 to seven day vacation in Chester, Vermont (usually during leaf peeping season) - quiet, relaxing, charming - but never had the desire to deal with the snow. OTH, there were lots of folks up there who would have been devestated without snow to deal with.

So far, we are quite happy here in Tucson, and have been here just over 2 years. If that changes, so be it, but I don't think it will.

Love the Sonoran desert. Tucson is a great place.

One thing this thread illustrates is how lucky we are to live in a country that is so diverse and free that everyone can find a place to live in peace and happiness.

 

[MilfordHusky]

One thing about living in Southwestern Connecticut is that wherever you go to retire, it seems inexpensive. Having spent time in lots of different places, I've learned that I like a climate that has 4 equal seasons. Connecticut fits that bill. A big disadvantage of living in an expensive area is your kids can't afford to live in the town they grew up in. When the average house price is well over $1 million, most starting salaries will mean moving away. But, many of these kids make contacts and eventually land jobs that provide big salaries that allow them to boomerang back after 10 or more years.

I loved San Diego and Hawaii is heaven on earth, but the lack of change, just one beautiful day after another, gets boring to me, but boring in a good way I suppose. I'd rather get exercise chopping wood for a stove than joining a health club.

Hawaii has seasons, but the variation is rather minimal. The highs in the winter are about 78; in the summer, about 88. December-February or so is the rainy season and also whale-watching season.

San Diego has more variation, but less than much of the U.S. They had a lot of winter days this year with a temp range of 38 to 55. Their rainy season is about December-February as well. Early summer can be cool (60's) with the marine layer known as "June gloom." Late summer through early November are often in the 70s and 80s. The occasional Santa Ana winds drive the temp to 100+ with painfully low humidity.

As most BYers know, the temp range in the Nutmeg State is about from -10 to plus +102 each year. SD's range is about 40 to 100. Conn. probably has more days in the 90s. DC does, for sure.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Saturday Night at 11:30pm you can have a home in all 50 states with that 550 Million jackpot

 

[warbler1055]

Our kids are here so CT is our choice. They are UConn alumni so that helps.



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[AZHuskiePop]

Surprised by Az low rating
My factors were:
I already had family there
High property taxes in Ct
Weather
330 days of sunshine help with depression
Schools are not as good as Ct but That's not a consideration for me
One factor which is never mentioned is the availability of housing without stairs. Try to find something in Ct.
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[RockyMTblue2]

Oh well, here goes: Sold the pricey suburban hacienda in F'field CTY over a decade ago and landed in SW Montana.

Miss: Good bagels. Good Italian. Even fair oriental of any nationality. Cheap air travel. Social/ethnic diversity.

Don't miss: Needing an interpreter to get a cup of coffee (yeah, I know how that sounds).

Like: Walking out on the deck and seeing 5 mountain ranges. Big Browns. Big Rainbows. Big skies. Big trails. Big waters. Wild life not pests - part of the scenery. Having 147 antelope bunk in your backyard in a snow storm is a hoot. Pretty women with long legs and easy smiles. Polite children!

 

[MilfordHusky]

Oh well, here goes: Sold the pricey suburban hacienda in F'field CTY over a decade ago and landed in SW Montana.

Miss: Good bagels. Good Italian. Even fair oriental of any nationality. Cheap air travel. Social/ethnic diversity.

Don't miss: Needing an interpreter to get a cup of coffee (yeah, I know how that sounds).

Like: Walking out on the deck and seeing 5 mountain ranges. Big Browns. Big Rainbows. Big skies. Big trails. Big waters. Wild life not pests - part of the scenery. Having 147 antelope bunk in your backyard in a snow storm is a hoot. Pretty women with long legs and easy smiles. Polite children!

You list pretty women with long legs and easy smiles second to last? He'll with the wildlife, go for the wild life!

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

One thing that Rocky mentions above is missing good bagels, italian and oriental.

This is a common complaint if you leave the NY area, I don't think there is any area quite like it.

- Bagels are a lost cause, although the Breugger's chain is decent. Some flavors are actually good.
- Bread is often an issue in some areas - my in-laws in Tucson complain endlessly. We are fortunate in Tucson to have "Beyond Bread" which is a bread bakery / restaurant that does some wonderful breads.
- Some of the Italian is fine, it is PIZZA that is impossible. Have found 3 restaurants (so far) with edible Pizza, but none of them - even the one run by transplanted Long Islanders - duplicate New York area pizza.
- Asian is difficult - my wife was astounded to find that "duck sauce", a condiment she likes to use, just doesn't exist out here. In NJ, you always got packets with take out. PF Chang's is a very tasty chain Asian restaurant, but it isn't NY / NJ Chinese.

 

[UConnChapette]

One thing that Rocky mentions above is missing good bagels, italian and oriental.

This is a common complaint if you leave the NY area, I don't think there is any area quite like it.

- Bagels are a lost cause, although the Breugger's chain is decent. Some flavors are actually good.
- Bread is often an issue in some areas - my in-laws in Tucson complain endlessly. We are fortunate in Tucson to have "Beyond Bread" which is a bread bakery / restaurant that does some wonderful breads.
- Some of the Italian is fine, it is PIZZA that is impossible. Have found 3 restaurants (so far) with edible Pizza, but none of them - even the one run by transplanted Long Islanders - duplicate New York area pizza.
- Asian is difficult - my wife was astounded to find that "duck sauce", a condiment she likes to use, just doesn't exist out here. In NJ, you always got packets with take out. PF Chang's is a very tasty chain Asian restaurant, but it isn't NY / NJ Chinese.

Come to the Bay area of California if you want vast selections of wonderful Asian cuisine. By the hotel I am staying at there is Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, Indian, and Vietnamese. Second most prevalent is Mexican. Real, authentic Mexican...not the americanized On The Border stuff. Bagels, sadly, are hard to find. But I don't need them anyway. Seafood, especially crab, is also plentiful. And forget about donuts. Dunkin Donuts shops are non-existent, and haven"t seen any other chains for that matter. Starbucks, though, are everywhere

 

[OneTrickPony]

Come to the Bay area of California if you want vast selections of wonderful Asian cuisine. By the hotel I am staying at there is Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, Indian, and Vietnamese. Second most prevalent is Mexican. Real, authentic Mexican...not the americanized On The Border stuff. Bagels, sadly, are hard to find. But I don't need them anyway. Seafood, especially crab, is also plentiful. And forget about donuts. Dunkin Donuts shops are non-existent, and haven"t seen any other chains for that matter. Starbucks, though, are everywhere

Instead of bagels, you have real sour dough bread in San Francisco...not to be confused with your local variety...

 

[Icebear]

Also, hard to find anywhere outside New York and the Northeast is real Irish soda bread.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

Different strokes eh!!! Hard for me to imagine food being any type of criterion for where we retire...guess I am an outlier. As I have said...it is all about my family and where they live.

 

[OneTrickPony]

Also, hard to find anywhere outside New York and the Northeast is real Irish soda bread.

You can say that again...went to Meehan's in Atlanta the other day, and they tried to pass off cornbread...sheesh!

 

[Icebear]

I love me some Irish Soda Bread for breakfast.