Where Have You Have Lived, Why you chose where you live to Retire or Still Mulling

[Ally]

We have lived in Albuquerque, Atlanta, and Texas (various places.) We will probably stay where we are unless our daughter's family, with our 5 grandchildren, move far away. If that should ever happen, we would certainly consider moving nearby. Right now they live 90 miles away, which is close enough to see them 3-4 x a month. We all get along really well.

 

[eytonxav]

I won't list cities as in most states there were multiple ones:

NY, AZ, CT, MA, TX

We will stay in TX for now, as DD is in school here and DS also works here.

 

[kcowan]

I just looked it up and according to what I read Mayne Isl. gets 157 rain days on average. Not sure where you got the 330 without from. Also 7 days of snow. And the highest average summer temp seems to be a low 62.78F

It was some self promotion from their chamber when we were there. It might have been days with some sunshine but they also claimed that they were officially desert from lack of rain! That will teach me to fact-check! Thanks.

 

[brewer12345]

Personally, I doubt I will ever leave Colorado now that I am here. Since you seem to be allergic to winter weather, I would at least take a trip to Malta. I could have wiled away the rest of my days there if I did not have kids and lots of other attachments in the States.

 

[Semiretired2008]

We are in Middle Ga. Ga. is easy on taxes, cost of living is decent (for the areas we care about), health care not to bad, etc. We are looking at South Eastern Ga. (St. Mary's area) - keep the benefits of Ga., closer to Florida for the relatives and be closer to the water / shore... The

 

[FreeAtLast]

I came down here to Florida to finish my degree at U of Miami met my wife here and stayed ever since.

 

[Huston55]

Personally, I doubt I will ever leave Colorado now that I am here. Since you seem to be allergic to winter weather, I would at least take a trip to Malta. I could have wiled away the rest of my days there if I did not have kids and lots of other attachments in the States.

What attracted you to Malta?

 

[brewer12345]

What attracted you to Malta?

I was there on vacation since at the time the Lira was stupidly cheap vs. the USD and I was attracted to the unique culture and the Med climate/lifestyle. We found the lifestyle very much to our liking and the climate was wonderful. I am an avid fisherman when I have time, which Malta offers in spades. And as a history buff with an interest in the Templars and related orders, there was a lot to learn about the Knights of St. John/Knights of Malta. It is sunny 300+ days a year, very cosmopolitan, pretty laid back (especially on Gozo), and for an extremely Catholic place the only place we really had religion pushed at us was when we visited the churches/basilicae/cathedral (fine by me as I am Catholic).

 

[obgyn65]

I have lived in different European countries also before coming to the US a few years ago. When I finally retire, I'd like to spend a third of my time in the US where I have a condo, a third in Europe where I have another condo, and the last third in Central America for missionary activities.

 

[Curiosity]

Kansas City or Lawrence KS

We moved to KC in 2007 from Michigan...and what a surprise! Nice place. Big small town with wonderful restaurants, University of Kansas medical center, lots of sunshine and very friendly people. Great revitalized downtown called Power and Light district...Legends outlet shopping and Kansas Speedway is NASCAR circuit. Best BBQ ever from Jack Stack..try the Crown BBQ rib . Cost of living is reasonable, many new housing developments and brand new shopping areas. It is clean and rush hour is almost non -existent. KC does have winter, and it can be cold...but a 3 hour drive puts you in Arkansas where it is much warmer. This is the place where the "skies are not cloudy all day"... Also University of Kansas is about 30 minutes away if you like to audit classes. I was pretty sure no one would write about KS... Very boring...but only to those that have not lived here.

 

[nun]

I've lived in:

Northern England
London, UK
Boston, MA
Annapolis, MD
Sunnyvale, CA
Boston, MA

My family are in the UK so my ER plans are to move back there to be closer to my mum as she gets older. Other consideration are healthcare, I want access to the NHS as I get older, the lower cost of living and being homesick for the UK.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I've lived in:

Northern England
London, UK
Boston, MA
Annapolis, MD
Sunnyvale, CA
Boston, MA

My family are in the UK so my ER plans are to move back there to be closer to my mum as she gets older. Other consideration are healthcare, I want access to the NHS as I get older, the lower cost of living and being homesick for the UK.

Interesting, the family pull is strong. I am also English born and raised in the London area, but have no intention of moving back. In fact it would have to be on the bottom of my list even for Healthcare (Which is my biggest retirement concern). I do visit on occasion, but the family ties have long departed. Yes I miss the "real" beer . Sense of humour and the general British up beat outlook on life, but I do not miss England as a place to live. America has been very good to us and I would hate to have to leave simply for affordable healthcare. But I may have no choice. Nice to hear someone else has healthcare as a concern.

SWR

 

[DFA]

I've lived (most because of military):

WI, several cities, towns, and villages growing up
TX*2
IL*2
NM*3
Northern FL
Denver, CO (Current)
Okinawa

Did a lot of time in Europe and are considering Ireland, France, Italy, and Germany for retirement, but if they don't work out coming back to USA, not much of a sun worshiper, but also done with snow and HOT.

 

[nun]

Interesting, the family pull is strong. I am also English born and raised in the London area, but have no intention of moving back. In fact it would have to be on the bottom of my list even for Healthcare (Which is my biggest retirement concern). I do visit on occasion, but the family ties have long departed. Yes I miss the "real" beer . Sense of humour and the general British up beat outlook on life, but I do not miss England as a place to live. America has been very good to us and I would hate to have to leave simply for affordable healthcare. But I may have no choice. Nice to hear someone else has healthcare as a concern.

SWR

I've worked my entire career in the US and I suppose if I was still with my ex-wife or had children I wouldn't be thinking of moving back to the UK. In fact I wouldn't be thinking of ER either as my costs would be so much higher. I have some great friends, and love living in Boston as there's so much to do and no shortage of real beer. I have US citizenship, but in the end I'm not American and like you I miss the British sense of humour and general outlook on life. So given the freedom to live anywhere I'll move back to North Yorkshire, probably Richmond as that's close to my mum and I can make sure she's ok and it has a good cultural life and there's some excellent bike riding on the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales.

 

[Bluemoon]

Brooklyn, NY
The Bronx, NY
San Antonio TX (while in USAF)
Centralia, IL (USAF)
Springfiled, MA (USAF)
Holyoke, MA (USAF)
Labrador (USAF)
Newton, MA
Randolph, MA
Sharon, MA
Norton, MA
Queens, NY
Hicksville, NY
Long Island, NY

 

[WhoDaresWins]

Suburb of Pittsburgh, PA-born in a former steel mill town and raised in bungalow Dad built after WWII
New York, NY (Manhattan)--for college and first job
Hampton, VA--tagging after Army spouse
Queens, NY and Nassau County, LI (Syosset)--again for spouse
Columbus, OH--spouse in fellowship training
Monterey, CA--spouse in Army; he was deployed during Desert Storm to Saudi Arabia while I was forced to endure the hardships of Pebble Beach as best I could
Suburbs of Pittsburgh, PA---now living on opposite side of the 'Burgh from where I was born and raised

My favorite place hands-down was Monterey, CA, but where I live now is pretty nice, too. However, something to recommend each place, and there are things I miss about all of them.

 

[W2R]

Where have I lived - - a lot of places, mostly in the southern and western U.S., but I have lived in Louisiana the longest (16 years).

Why I chose where I live to retire or still mulling - - I moved here for the job and within a year or two, decided to never move again. I have moved SO many times and want to stay someplace long enough to feel like I am from there, a sense of home.

After Hurricane Katrina I had to live here in the devastation because of golden handcuffs (and really, I was one of the lucky ones because I still had a home and job). We planned to move away as soon as we could retire, in 2009 for me and early 2010 for him. But by now, there has either been progress in our recovery (finally), or else we are getting used to it. Hopefully the former is the case. In 2011 we put a hold on our plans to move for another five years or so, and then will think about it again and make a more final decision.

If we leave, we would probably go to Springfield, Missouri. We would want a town with population between 50-150K, and with low crime, very very low housing prices, low cost of living, far from hurricane prone areas, a little remote, decent medical facilities, a quiet Mayberry RFD type atmosphere, and of the towns like that, the ones that are the furthest South. Springfield was the best fit of several that met that description that we visited.

 

[Free To Canoe]

Have lived:
SC
TX
MN
CA *2
PA *3

Currently living: Cooksburg, PA

Reason: God, Guns and Groundhogs

 

[truenorth418]

Toronto
Erie, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
Chicago
New York City

Now that I am recently retired I am also considering a move. NYC is fun and my friends are here, but it is so expensive and taxes are high so it is probably not a long term solution. Among the places I am considering for a longer term retirement lifestyle are Austin, TX; Miami; Las Vegas. Seattle has been a consideration since I would prefer a place without extreme temperatures, but the comments about the rainy/misty weather have me reconsidering. I have only spent an extended period of time in Seattle and BC during the Aug-Sept timeframe and it was sunny.

 

[truenorth418]

I would love to live in San Francisco or L.A. for a few years but the high cost, taxes and traffic would get me down.

 

[Marita40]

Grew up in Chicago(land).
Schooling in Grand Rapids MI; Champaign-Urbana IL; and Madison WI.
Taught for a year in Athens OH.
Moved to St. Paul MN 24 years ago for my job and will no doubt retire here.

 

[EllisWyatt]

Washington, D.C.
Carlisle,PA
SD
NM
TX (Corpus Christi, Dallas, Houston)
LA (New Orleans)
Saudi Arabia (Dhahran)
LA
Houston (Part-time)

Similar to W2R, I got transfered to New Orleans. DW loved it, I loathed it. Then we got transfered to Saudi. When it came time to repatriate, was offered several locations, but DW voted for New Orleans. This time, I loved it.After Katrina devastated the area, I think it made us realize how unique and precious the area is, and how much we would miss it if we left.

We always planned on retiring back east, but when I retired (the first time), we just couldn't get ourselves to move up there. The light bulb finally came on for me (DW was already there, of course, and letting me catch up at my own speed) so we put other property on the market.

Bottom line - no family here, just good friends, a unique culture and there are very few places where I can grow such a wide range of fruits and plants, from apples to Satsuma oranges. Life is good.

 

[Nords]

Spouse and I have been talking over our military transfers.

Spouse:
Growing up in "Central" Maryland followed by Annapolis.
Rota, Spain (Navy weather center back in 1983).
Lajes, Azores (another weather center).

Me:
Growing up around the Pittsburgh PA area at three different addresses.
Annapolis.
Orlando (Nuclear Power School back in 1982).
Ballston Spa, NY for shore-based nuclear reactor qualification.
New London, CT for submarine school.
Charleston, SC for offcrews on my first submarine.
Holy Loch, Scotland for submarine patrols.

Together:
Monterey. If only the place was 20-30 degrees warmer.
Hawaii.
San Diego.

Plus portcalls all over Spain & Portugal, England/Scotland, Canada (both coasts), Japan, Guam, Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand.

Hawaii no ka oi...

 

[walkinwood]

We lived in NJ before moving here to Denver.

We loved NJ and the proximity to NYC - the melting pot of cultures and races, the amazing ethnic foods, the museums, music (even street musician are amazing since the competition is so fierce there), plays etc.

Unfortunately, it is also very expensive, hard to get around and not good if you like to do a lot of hiking.

We chose Denver because it is a very accessible city, is environmentally and culturally progressive, has greater access to the outdoors and is sunny! It is also a lot more affordable than NJ. The people are laid back and quite friendly, though most are transplants like us. We plan to stay.

If you haven't been to Denver in the past 10 years, it is worth checking out. It grew a lot in the 2000s and isn't the cow-town it once was. On the other hand, it is no NYC.

 

[nun]

Holy Loch, Scotland for submarine patrols.

.

Hey, I protested there in the late 70s with a group of Japanese Buddhist monks.