jjquantz
Full time employment: Posting here.
Hey gang, DW and I have been talking over what we might be wanting in a location once she retires in a few years. So the other night we each, separately, created a list of what we would like out of our home situation over the next 10-15 years (until our early 70's). The good news is that the two of us are pretty much in agreement on what we want. The bad news is that our wants are such that there is no one place that could possibly meet them all. How did all of you go about prioritizing any conflicting wants when you decided on where you would settle in for the long haul?
A brief summary of our discussion follows to give you a flavor of our current discussion:
Home: Reasonable cost for a home (<$250K) that has room for all of our musical instruments (5 keyboards + lots of flutes and stuff). We also would like outdoor space for a garden. Low maintenance and one level would also be desirable.
Local Environment: We would like to live somewhere that is quiet and has walkable access to everyday activities (coffee shop, McDonald’s, grocery). We would also prefer mild winters and would like to have easy access to at least a mid-size airport for travel. Social opportunities with like-minded people and a quality library are important. DW wants "a place where I can contribute something" and access to baseball, major or minor league. She would also like "outdoor things I can do" which would mean easy hikes and biking.
Hobbies/Interests: Easy access to a golf course with a large walking group (OK, just any other walkers). Easy access to museums/classical concerts/opera. I would like opportunities to join performing groups in 16th - 18th century music and DW and I would both like quality classical music singing opportunities (church, university and/or community chorus). Dark skies for astronomy
As you can see, the major conflict is urban vs smaller community. This is something that we have understood about ourselves for almost 40 years. When we have lived in small communities we missed the big city amenities, but when we lived in major metropolitan areas we missed the quiet, the access to the outdoors and the low expenses of a smaller town.
A brief summary of our discussion follows to give you a flavor of our current discussion:
Home: Reasonable cost for a home (<$250K) that has room for all of our musical instruments (5 keyboards + lots of flutes and stuff). We also would like outdoor space for a garden. Low maintenance and one level would also be desirable.
Local Environment: We would like to live somewhere that is quiet and has walkable access to everyday activities (coffee shop, McDonald’s, grocery). We would also prefer mild winters and would like to have easy access to at least a mid-size airport for travel. Social opportunities with like-minded people and a quality library are important. DW wants "a place where I can contribute something" and access to baseball, major or minor league. She would also like "outdoor things I can do" which would mean easy hikes and biking.
Hobbies/Interests: Easy access to a golf course with a large walking group (OK, just any other walkers). Easy access to museums/classical concerts/opera. I would like opportunities to join performing groups in 16th - 18th century music and DW and I would both like quality classical music singing opportunities (church, university and/or community chorus). Dark skies for astronomy
As you can see, the major conflict is urban vs smaller community. This is something that we have understood about ourselves for almost 40 years. When we have lived in small communities we missed the big city amenities, but when we lived in major metropolitan areas we missed the quiet, the access to the outdoors and the low expenses of a smaller town.
That's Cajun country and I think you would stand out like a sore thumb if you have a strong NY accent. The main problem with that area for us is that they really get pounded by hurricanes, and it is a little more "country" than New Orleans.
