This sounds like a sales pitch.
I can see the timeshare connotation, but to me it sounds more like something Disney might have created or the movie set for "The Stepford Wives".We have never been there and know no owners or tenants, but it always as had a sort of "Timeshare' ring to us.
No problem. You might want to stop by the “Hi, I am…”forum here and tell us a little about yourself and any other interests you might have.Sorry, not intended to be a sales pitch. I will stop answering questions about it.
+1If you like the suburbs and planned communities when you are working/raising kids/etc, I imagine these super senior centers would sound fabulous. To those of us who ran screaming from anything resembling suburburbia and convention, they would be a prison not unlike Stepford Wives.
Give me a few hippies and colorful drunks at the local bar instead of a world where everyone looks like me.
I can see the timeshare connotation, but to me it sounds more like something Disney might have created or the movie set for "The Stepford Wives".
But to each his own - paradise isn't defined the same way by everyone.
l2ridehd said:Sorry, not intended to be a sales pitch. I will stop answering questions about it.
The last time I visited Ashville, I took a snapshot of a typical Ashville House. The Biltmore.I just visited Asheville, it was on our short list. It's beautiful and fun, and if we move to NC (thinking Triangle), I am sure we will visit often. Too small for us, and too liberal, but the vibe downtown can't be beat. Almost like a mountain Berkeley, Boulder, Portland, Haight-Ashbury - places I like to visit, but would never live. I realize there's also a wealthy retired conservative crowd in Asheville too, but I noticed the city council recently had to debate whether they were socialists or not...sounded like a split decision.
check6 said:After traveling for the airlines I have found Minneapolis to be my favorite "affordable" city to live in. Parks are second to none of all the towns in the US. Several lakes in uptown make you feel like you are in the country. Also one of the safest biking cities in America. All parks interconnect by bike paths.
Problem is you need a second home for the winters, but from late April to early November it is perfect.
DH and I have been FIREd (occasionally freelance) for 3 years. In our 40s, no kids. We want to move out of the Chicago area to something a lot less cold. But at the same time, it should be culturally (& intellectually) active, diverse, urban/city-living and a very walkable neighborhood (close to restaurants, theaters, galleries, etc). And, of course, not a very high cost of living and preferably low income taxes . Willing to spend around $1500-1800 for 2bed/2ba rental.
Does such a place exist?RA
I'll go one step further and say in my search so far the most interesting urban areas seem to be in states or cities with a long history of liberal majority legislatures. But the best of them are prohibitively expensive for us at least, and almost all of them seem to be in states I'd be afraid to relocate to as their the most fiscally unsound (CA, NY, OR, IL, NJ, MI, AZ, NV, WI, FL, RI, etc.) which can only mean higher taxes/fees and maybe less govt spending/services. I'm starting to think we need to find a crunchy conservative city/state and just visit the interesting areas.To be sure there are indeed bigots everywhere...but one can get a sense of a place by looking at the local scene politically--and you have to decide how you feel living in a place that chooses to have that kind of political leadership. In some places no particular political stripe will be dominant--it will shift back and forth. In others the dominant political atmosphere is quite evident. And it makes no difference whether you personally are a political person or not...it will have an impact on the area's atmosphere and your lifestyle including taxes or even what days the stores are open.
This is not to say one is better or worse--just as with everything different strokes for different folks.
It's hard to find a state that does not have 2-10 cities and larger towns that would not keep an open-minded person occupied happily for a lifetime. People are not dull; where there are people there is interest, unless of course one's ideas of what is interesting have been formed by travel brochures and magazines.I'll go one step further and say in my search so far the most interesting urban areas seem to be in states or cities with a long history of liberal majority legislatures. But the best of them are prohibitively expensive for us at least, and almost all of them seem to be in states I'd be afraid to relocate to as their the most fiscally unsound (CA, NY, OR, IL, NJ, MI, AZ, NV, WI, FL, RI, etc.) which can only mean higher taxes/fees and maybe less govt spending/services. I'm starting to think we need to find a crunchy conservative city/state and just visit the interesting areas.
Note I said the "best of them." I've lived in San Antonio & Dallas and visited all the others. If not for the weather I'd love to live in Austin, but it's gotten more costly than other cities in Texas. But again, based on my experience there is no city in Texas that can come anywhere near matching New York, San Francisco or even Chicago in terms of culture, restaurants, etc. No contest. And NY, SF & Chicago are already outrageously expensive and in states that seem almost certain to increase taxes even further - I wouldn't touch any of them with a 10 foot pole. But there's more to it than interesting people IMO.It's hard to find a state that does not have 2-10 cities and larger towns that would not keep an open-minded person occupied happily for a lifetime. People are not dull; where there are people there is interest, unless of course one's ideas of what is interesting have been formed by travel brochures and magazines.
The one thing to avoid in my opinion would be weather that you hate, and also tight communities that have little inmigration, especially of people in your age group. Pretty ugly to be essentially locked out of the life of your chosen home.
A conservative fiscally sound state with plenty of appealing cities and towns would be Texas, though the recent really bad weather down there might give one pause. Austin is not the only attractive spot in Texas, Dallas and Forth Worth have really appealing areas, as do Houston and San Antonio and El Paso and smaller places with universities, like Denton.
The same is true almost anywhere.
Ha
And I wanted Uma Thurman, but she wouldn't give me a discount.Note I said the "best of them." I've lived in San Antonio & Dallas and visited all the others. If not for the weather I'd love to live in Austin, but it's gotten more costly than other cities in Texas. But again, based on my experience there is no city in Texas that can come anywhere near matching New York, San Francisco or even Chicago in terms of culture, restaurants, etc. No contest. And NY, SF & Chicago are already outrageously expensive and in states that seem almost certain to increase taxes even further - I wouldn't touch any of them with a 10 foot pole. But there's more to it than interesting people IMO.
For another example, moderate weather and reasonably COL are factors for us. We are currently focused on Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill. To me Chapel Hill is far more appealing than the other two, but Chapel Hill is noticeably more expensive and noticeably more liberal. They seem to correlate to some extent from my research so far, but maybe I'm kidding myself? Believe me, I'm still looking...
I've been meaning to post and ask forum members what experience or knowledge they have of this location-Dunedin, FL. Seems like this thread is as good a place as any.
It's near Clearwater Beach, Fl on the gulf coast. I've read some very positive things about it but, would be very interested in hearing about first (or second) hand experiences.
We stayed there at the Best Western on the water. Very nice. Not as hectic as places further south. The Toronto Blue Jays have their practices there.I have only been to Dunedin a few times but I absolutely love it . Quaint city , great location and lots of gorgeous older homes . It is above Clearwater near Tarpon Springs .The traffic is pretty heavy there but once season comes it's pretty heavy almost anywhere in Florida.