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08-30-2011, 01:56 PM
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#21
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,483
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Packman
When the OP says "walkable", I'm not sure if that means you won't own or drive a car, or if you just want a temperate, outdoor atmosphere to enjoy, say a nice downtown. Livning in a larger city's downtown area is going to cost money.
Another option is Boulder, Fort Collns or Denver. Nicer climate than Chicago (but definately 4 seasons), way more sunshine than the Northwest, very nice walkable downtown areas, and (for Denver) good mass transit. Boulder is a big college town, which means more young people, more activities, and higher cost.
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How about Colorado Springs?
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Consult with your own advisor or representative. My thoughts should not be construed as investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results (love that one).......:)
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08-30-2011, 02:03 PM
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#22
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Administrator
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: N. Yorkshire
Posts: 34,050
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DblDoc
Bellevue?
I'm guessing it will be less of an environmental shock moving here to the PNW from England than it would have been coming from Austin.
DD
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Bellevue - thanks for the correct spelling.
The weather is definitely less of a shock moving there from England, rather than from Austin
__________________
Retired in Jan, 2010 at 55, moved to England in May 2016
Enough private pension and SS income to cover all needs
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08-30-2011, 02:14 PM
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#23
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: near Canadian border and near Mexican border
Posts: 1,142
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Quote:
Originally Posted by omni550
I visited Portland
I've heard that 9 months of the year it can be sort of gray and rainy, so I'd want to check that out before paying any serious consideration.
omni
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On one of my many trips through the area I saw a T shirt with the statement: "Oregonians don't tan, they rust."
__________________
Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered. That's my story and I am sticking to it.
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08-30-2011, 02:27 PM
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#24
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 807
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Colorado Springs is built around the automobile and quite conservative. Harsh winds and cold winters too.
Portland, Bellevue, etc. (I lived in the NW for a decade) are great from mid-July all the way through Labor Day; after that, bring on the sun lamps.
You could add Ashland, Oregon to the short list of candidates as well but it isn't cheap. Otherwise, walkability, good weather, cosmopolitan atmosphere and affordability are a combo I'd say you're far more likely to find outside the U.S., starting with a zillion small towns in France and Italy and, closer and more realistic, San Miguel de Allende and San Cristobal de las Casas in Mexico, Antigua, Guatemala and so on. San Miguel de Allende in particular is like Santa Fe but with far better weather, deeper arts and culture and about a 75% lower cost of living.
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08-30-2011, 02:33 PM
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#25
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: North TX
Posts: 1,799
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We lived the Dallas area and wasn't too bad for the 8 months you referred to. They've also got some rail lines going through town that are convenient to go to the "city". You may look at McKinney or Allen or Plano...rent is very reasonable and you can get around easily via DART rail / bus. NO income tax there...
Here in LA, lots of walkers and quite nice on the weather. The cost of living, well, you know... income tax unfriendly state.
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08-30-2011, 04:38 PM
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#26
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 861
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan
Bellevue - thanks for the correct spelling.
The weather is definitely less of a shock moving there from England, rather than from Austin
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If they like sushi, I Love Sushi in Bellevue was a great sushi restaurant. I miss being a regular there, but I guess my wallet is happier for it, heh.
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08-30-2011, 05:26 PM
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#27
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 18,085
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FinanceDude
How about Colorado Springs?
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Only if you love traffic, fundamentalism, and all things military.
__________________
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."
- George Orwell
Ezekiel 23:20
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08-30-2011, 06:54 PM
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#28
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 13,202
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I cringed when I saw RTP and walkable together. Midpack hit it right.
Charlottesville might be one to consider, not sure if it's urban enough for you, and I don't really know what apartments are like near downtown. In this area I might actually look at Staunton ahead of Cville. It's even smaller, but I have a couple favorite restaurants near a Shakespeare replica theater downtown so I wind up there more often. I'll bet there are a lot of <100K towns like that, that aren't as urban and don't have as many options, but might work well. Given the reality that you may not find anything that matches all criteria, it's a matter of what you are willing to compromise on.
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08-30-2011, 07:21 PM
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#29
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Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarasota,fl.
Posts: 11,447
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pixelville
Cities in Florida, Arizona do not seem like they would fit the bill - maybe I am wrong.
Any recommendations, thoughts, suggestions?
RA
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You should take a look a Sarasota ,Fl. They redid the downtown and it's loaded with sidewalk cafes , jazz clubs & art galleries . There is a very active arts community . Prices in downturn depend on what you want but they are more affordable than other areas . It also has beaches ,boating and all things outdoor . The bad part is it is really hot June to October .
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08-31-2011, 06:56 AM
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#30
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Administrator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 40,583
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brewer12345
Only if you love traffic, fundamentalism, and all things military.
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You mean Coors drinkers? Just don't tell them you brew your own.
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08-31-2011, 08:07 AM
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#31
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Lawn chair in Texas
Posts: 14,183
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Surewhitey
We lived the Dallas area and wasn't too bad for the 8 months you referred to. They've also got some rail lines going through town that are convenient to go to the "city". You may look at McKinney or Allen or Plano...rent is very reasonable and you can get around easily via DART rail / bus. NO income tax there...
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Well, this will be day 65 over 100 degrees, after 40 in a row, ending a couple of weeks ago...
If you live in just the right place, there are "walkable" neighborhoods in Dallas and the burbs, but overall it's car/freeway/tollroad hell...
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Have Funds, Will Retire
...not doing anything of true substance...
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08-31-2011, 08:37 AM
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#32
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Southeast USA
Posts: 548
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brewer12345
Only if you love traffic, fundamentalism, and all things military.
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And Pike's Peak. It's always cool on Pike's Peak. Unfortunately, I get a terrible headache because of the altitude and I can't stay up there very long.
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08-31-2011, 09:09 AM
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#33
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 225
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We moved to the eastern mountain of Albuquerque. Albuquerque gets a little snow in the winter, and a hot day in the summer is 90+. But it's a dry heat! There are plenty of microclimates where the weather is 10 degrees cooler (like the east mountains). Lots of galleries, friendly people, lots of biking and hiking trails. Santa Fe is about an hour north. Easy access to the Four Corners, Arizona and Colorado.
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08-31-2011, 09:24 AM
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#34
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Pacific latitude 20/49
Posts: 7,677
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PaddyMac
We moved to the eastern mountain of Albuquerque. ..Easy access to the Four Corners, Arizona and Colorado.
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Also the Carlsbad Caverns. And Mesa Verde at the Four Corners!
__________________
For the fun of it...Keith
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08-31-2011, 09:34 AM
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#35
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,472
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I've heard that Albuquerque is a wonderful place to retire. Lots to do and a reasonable cost of living.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
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08-31-2011, 10:04 AM
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#36
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 13,566
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As for Charleston, SC and most of the south for that matter, there isn't much focus on walkability. And as noted, if you wanted to walk around, it would be downtown in the historic district, and that is mobbed with tourists.
Weather is nice, hurricanes are not too often, and you can always go to the mountains if you get tired of the beach.
If I was moving south from some cold climate, I'd probably look at Greenville SC the hardest. It is relatively cheap compared to other retirement destinations, has a decent downtown area, and a surprisingly frisky arts community.
But we'd still love to have you in Chucktown, just be aware of the need to mosey on up the highway every now and again during hurricane season.
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“One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching.”
Gerard Arthur Way
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08-31-2011, 10:10 AM
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#37
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,483
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sarah in SC
As for Charleston, SC and most of the south for that matter, there isn't much focus on walkability. And as noted, if you wanted to walk around, it would be downtown in the historic district, and that is mobbed with tourists.
Weather is nice, hurricanes are not too often, and you can always go to the mountains if you get tired of the beach.
If I was moving south from some cold climate, I'd probably look at Greenville SC the hardest. It is relatively cheap compared to other retirement destinations, has a decent downtown area, and a surprisingly frisky arts community.
But we'd still love to have you in Chucktown, just be aware of the need to mosey on up the highway every now and again during hurricane season.
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If DW would go with the idea, I would have no problem uprooting in the next couple years and move to the Greenville area. I think it would be relatively easy (she has 25 years in cost accounting, mainly in manufacturing, and my uncle and aunt live there. My business would be a little dicier, I would no doubt lose some clients that want me to be available and local, but I can run my business from anywhere. We'll see. An added bonus would be that my sons who love baseball and football could play almost year round.........
__________________
Consult with your own advisor or representative. My thoughts should not be construed as investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results (love that one).......:)
This Thread is USELESS without pics.........:)
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08-31-2011, 01:09 PM
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#38
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 465
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Quote:
Originally Posted by W2R
I've heard that Albuquerque is a wonderful place to retire. Lots to do and a reasonable cost of living.
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FWIW, I've been to Albuquerque many times on business trips, and it was always very windy, and therefore dusty. Based on that alone, I don't think my wife and I would like living there.
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08-31-2011, 01:48 PM
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#39
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,472
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IBWino
FWIW, I've been to Albuquerque many times on business trips, and it was always very windy, and therefore dusty. Based on that alone, I don't think my wife and I would like living there.
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Visiting a place often really opens one's eyes to things like this. I have only driven through Albuquerque once, in 1977 (coping with a u-haul trailer that got a flat tire about 20 miles before Albuquerque, and then continuing on as soon as possible). So, I can't really say that I've seen the town at all.
When we were looking for another retirement location, Albuquerque didn't make our "top three" list, for some reason. I've forgotten why it didn't. We did consider it but didn't visit any but the top three.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
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08-31-2011, 04:27 PM
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#40
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 465
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@W2R
Yeah, I agree. One really needs to visit areas mutiple times and during different seasons. FYI, based on my multiple visits, I've found that San Diego has only two seasons; warm and pleasant, and warmer and pleasant.
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