Places you are considering for retirement

[wildcat]

Thanks Sheryl. I found some goodies this afternoon on all 3 islands and some additional info in an old Travel & Leisure

 

[Honkie]

yeah, Italy, countryside, north of Rome, better yet n. of Bologna, 3 months at a time so no messing with immigration.

Fortunately, we are EU passport holders so no worries for us on the Immigration front.

Our presonal favourite is Tuscany, a nice farm house between Florence and Siena would be ideal.

 

[MJ]

Although, I haven't been there yet, I thinking about NM and Albuquerque. It has a low cost of living, inexpensive health insurance. I am told it is very bicycle friendly. I started tracking the weather this summer for Albuquerque. Compare to NYC and even Tucson, it appears to comfortable for me, so far. I rarely see anyone discussing either the state or that city. Am I missing something?

MJ

 

[wildcat]

Crime but I guess you can always move out a little ways

 

[Mr._johngalt]

Crime but I guess you can always move out a little ways

I've spent a lot of time in NM and Albuquerque. I liked it a lot and might
have considered it myself, but I needed big water. Regarding crime,
I have 2 comments. Once I was picking up AMTRAK in Albuquerque
and asked them if I could leave my car at the depot. They told me it was
not a good idea, and that even the employees had frequent breakins
and their vehicles were locked inside a high fence (I left it in a hotel lot).
Also, once you get to the outskirts of town, some parts are shabby in the extreme
(real slums). Add in a pretty high homeless population and I guess I
agree that you should "move out a ways". Everyone seems to love Taos.
Never been there but I'll bet it's expensive.

JG

 

[brewer12345]

Taos proper is not cheap. However, there are lots of areas on the outskirts that are not outrageous. I would also submit that "cheap" is relative. Real estate is somewhat pricy if you are coming from flyover country, but a huge bargain for coastal people. Cost of living is pretty modest.

Santa Fe is even more expensive and , IMO, not nearly as "real." Santa Fe does have an awful lot of stuff to do, though.

 

[sgeeeee]

Although, I haven't been there yet, I thinking about NM and Albuquerque. It has a low cost of living, inexpensive health insurance. I am told it is very bicycle friendly. I started tracking the weather this summer for Albuquerque. Compare to NYC and even Tucson, it appears to comfortable for me, so far. I rarely see anyone discussing either the state or that city. Am I missing something?

MJ

I like Albuquerque and considered it my second choice for retirement city -- for many of the reasons you cite. I ended up back in Arizona primarily because I had lived here for 14 years prior to retirement and I was well conected to the community. DW and I still talk about moving to Albuquerque some day. It's not as scenic and interesting as Santa Fe area, but a lot less expensive. You are high enough in altitude to avoid a lot of the extreme heat Phoenix or Tucson get, but not so high that you get a lot of snow. The city has a lot of character because of the Pueblo and Hispanic culture mix. It makes the New Mexico State Fair a really interesting event. Downside is that the crime rate is relatively high. Also, the ABQ airport is limited in terms of direct access. A lot of destinations require a stop in a real big city airport before you get where you want to go.

 

[wildcat]

I second Taos over Santa Fe but who knows what may happen once the word is out. Hope it doesn't cheapen the experience.

Agree the weather is much more bearable than say So AZ. The culture is a draw. Some people I know relocated there and they love it but miss the rain in some respects if you can believe that.

SG - I have heard good things about Sedona, AZ., any thoughts?

Also know some people that liked St. George, Utah. It is warm. Close to the National Parks in Utah. Built their own airport. Caters to old farts. Lotta golf.

 

[Danny]

Also know some people that liked St. George, Utah. It is warm. Close to the National Parks in Utah. Built their own airport. Caters to old farts. Lotta golf.

Was through it last year....bustling...lots of home building. A possible negative - remember there was concern about nuclear fallout - increased cancer rates because SG was downwind from the Nevada test site when they did atmospheric tests. Radiation still in the soil?

 

[SteveR]

Was through it last year....bustling...lots of home building. A possible negative - remember there was concern about nuclear fallout - increased cancer rates because SG was downwind from the Nevada test site when they did atmospheric tests. Radiation still in the soil?

Life in St. Grorge can be a challenge for some.

1. It is in Utah. If you are not Morman...enough said.
2. It get very hot there in the summer.....100+ most of the time.
3. This spring it became flooded due to heavy snowmelt and rain. Many houses were damaged (be careful if you buy one there).
4. It is in a building boom (read hyperinflation of RE prices).
5. It has great golf and you can play all year if you can take the heat. (But it is a dry heat.....so is an oven)
6. Utah is not a great place for retirees due to high taxes (income, sales, pension, and RE).
7. It is close to Las Vegas ( if that floats your boat)
8. It is close to several National Parks as well as the Grand Canyon.
9. It is in the desert so you have to water the crap out of everything you want to stay green.
10. The nearest major city is several hours away so if you like a variety of cultural activities you may have to drive a long way.

Not trying to influence either way...just the facts from one who has been there.

 

[Heliosagain]

You can check out any hot radiation downwind spots at www.downwinders.org
Helios

 

[sgeeeee]

. . .
SG - I have heard good things about Sedona, AZ., any thoughts?

. . .

Sedona is beautiful. Call someplace beautiful, kiss it goodbye. It has attracted a lot of very affluent people -- the kind of people who fancy themselves to be artists but aren't really. It's run the cost of living up quite a bit. Great place to visit.

 

[Nords]

Was through it last year....bustling...lots of home building. A possible negative - remember there was concern about nuclear fallout - increased cancer rates because SG was downwind from the Nevada test site when they did atmospheric tests. Radiation still in the soil?

After more than 40 years the short halflife stuff is gone and the really long-lived high-energy stuff won't even be detectable.

There's more radioactivity in New England radium-clogged granite or at Denver's altitude than in Utah. But if you were to sojourn in beautiful Hanford, WA I'd steer clear of the salmon...

 

[Brat]

Wildcat, Steve R is right on about St. George.

As much as folks claim that UT is a safe place, it is the only town where I experianced a car break-in while staying at a hotel (and in my former life I was on the road about 15 weeks a year, 26 years.. I had a LOT of exposure).

The canyons are pretty but a visit of a day or two will cover that. 

 

[Cut-Throat]

Utah is simply weird! - I had to join a 'club' to have a drink in a bar in Salt Lake City! - They have the weirdest liquor laws of any place I have ever been. :

This is a perfect example of what happens when you let religion get involved in government!

 

[Danny]

You can check out any hot radiation downwind spots at www.downwinders.org
Helios

SENATORS INTRODUCE DOWNWINDER LEGISLATION - One of the senators is Mike Crapo. Wonder how he pronounces it... http://tinyurl.com/dn7p2

 

[SteveR]

Utah is simply weird!  - I had to join a 'club' to have a drink in a bar in Salt Lake City!  - They have the weirdest liquor laws of any place I have ever been. :

This is a perfect example of what happens when you let religion get involved in government!

Amen Brother!

I live it every day!

 

[wildcat]

I had to join a 'club' to have a drink in a bar in Salt Lake City!  - They have the weirdest liquor laws of any place I have ever been.

I'm out then

 

[Jarhead*]

Utah is simply weird!  - I had to join a 'club' to have a drink in a bar in Salt Lake City!  - They have the weirdest liquor laws of any place I have ever been. :

This is a perfect example of what happens when you let religion get involved in government!

Cutthroat: Texas has quite a few "dry" counties.

My wife and I (after driving 8 hours), stopped in a Motel in Fort Stockton Texas. I found out the only place was a private club. Membership to the club was $20.00.

Had to drink 5 or 6 beers to dollar cost down the price of membership.

 

[bogart]

One of my old Dad's friends used to tell how he always carried a flask of whiskey, in case a snake bit him; he also carried a snake, or so he claimed. I wonder if this system would work in UT?

 

[Michael Moore]

I grew up in ABQ from 5th grade through university (1963-1976).    I still have relatives and friends there.

It has really sprawled out.  Places on the outskirts of town where I used to go dirtbiking are miles and miles inside the houses now.  They are also, from what I've been told, really drawing down the fossil aquifer.  Water is going to be one of the big resource issues in this century, and sooner or later the arid states are going to find they just can't steal enough of it from each other.

I suspect we'll probably stay here in San Francisco, unless once we start traveling a bit we find someplace that we just can't resist.  We both loathe heat (70* in the house sees a formal declaration of heat wave, and the box fan is dragged out) and cold, as well as clammy humidity (funny, three blocks from the ocean and it isn't a problem here, but go to Baltimore or HI or the midwest  . . .).  I've lived in Iowa, OK, LA, TX, NM and north and south CA, and I don't want anything to do with snow.

Yes, the traffic in the Bay Area is getting pretty sucky all weekend long, and you have to know the heavy commute directions and times so you can avoid them as much as possible.  But I don't mind occasionally needing a light sweatshirt in the summer, or occasionally needing a light sweatshirt in the winter. 

Medical facilities are no problem, we've got an adequate public transportation system, and good museums and cultural events.  Last night we went to a club over on the beach and listened (for free) to an assortment of guitarists and drummers trading off playing in an instrumental surf band, and today went to the Tibet exhibit at the Asian Art Museum and then a movie at the Metreon.  We can be in wine country in an hour, and I've got several race tracks I can ride at within a 2.5 hour radius.  My sweetheart does jewelry/lapidary stuff for fun, and the local gem and mineral society clubhouse is literally around the corner from us, as are several nice neighborhood restaurants, Ocean Beach (Nords, you'd like the surfing here, or the Mavericks down the coast a few miles) and Golden Gate Park.  Oh yeah, having no smoking in those restaurants, bars and clubs is REALLY nice.

I sure wouldn't mind not living in a row house, and having more storage/shop space at home would be nice. 

But we've never been the types that have longed to be at the beach/lake/cabin/mountains so there hasn't yet been any "boy, now that we're both FIREd we can finally move to, to, um, where do we want to move to, if we do?" moments.

But if we were to move we'd definitely want to spend some time in all the seasons that the place had.  I'd hate to move to some place that I loved 8 months out of the year, but loathed the other four because the skeeters/black flies/tourists made it unliveable.

cheers,
Michael

 

[MJ]

But if we were to move we'd definitely want to spend some time in all the seasons that the place had. I'd hate to move to some place that I loved 8 months out of the year, but loathed the other four because the skeeters/black flies/tourists made it unliveable.

Not that you need one but if you can afford it, it gives you a good excuse to get away and travel.

MJ

 

[Nords]

Nords, you'd like the surfing here, or the Mavericks down the coast a few miles

Monterey was the best tour we had during our Navy careers. We spent a lot of our time there underwater (SCUBA) and at the Aquarium, and many weekends up north. I like everything about the Bay Area except the traffic & the temperatures...

 

[wildcat]

(funny, three blocks from the ocean and it isn't a problem here, but go to Baltimore or HI or the midwest . . .).

Funny but when I was in HI people from Cali complained about the humidity there They thought I was crazy when I said it felt great. Just having a breeze when it is humid can make all the difference.

 

[rms977]

Cyprus - mediterranean climate, culture, and food!  Sunshine!!! $150k buys you a 72 square meter apartment with a 35 square meter terrace with a Mediterranean view.  VERY low crime, language is Greek and English, law based on British law.  Gas prices less than US right now.  Low medical costs.  Part of EU.  Cars are right-hand drive.

Only bad thing - Russian tourists.  Oh, and the darned problem with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.