Where do you want to live once retired?

I'll probably regret it later in life, but I'm thinking of finding a colder climate (I'm from Texas). Haven't decided where however

Ideally would like to have two homes one in Europe/Mediterranean one in the US or Canada

I planned ahead and moved to my retirement place in my 30s. No regrets.

Florida.

Menton France. The possibility will rely on inherited money that as yet is vague.

North Carolina

North Carolina is not the place to go if you want to move for a warm climate. Warmer than New England, but not warm.

Its on the border with Italy and is quiet with a pleasant enough climate. I would like rooms with sunny windows facing south. but West would be OK, perhaps.

The problem with France is that it is currently occupied by the French.

Another Connecticut resident that will head back to southern Maine on the coast. I bought the house last year and the winter was barely different than Connecticut - just a little longer perhaps. Doing weekends there and will increase my time every couple of years until I am ready to retire fully.

That is funny but not fair R9. French people are lovely for the most part.

Yes. I was planning on French speaking North Africa but that's not going so well. Sidi-Fredj in Algeria faces North West over the sea so the sunsets are Ok.

I often go back to a house I have in Oahu only to realize I like LA better. If I were to leave, it would be somewhere close like Palm Springs.

I live in Chicago and always thought I would move somewhere warmer when I retired. (Less than a year away.) But I finally realized there's too much here culturally and socially which I don't want to give up permanently, including great theater and music venues, dependable public transportation, excellent healthcare options, great architecture along an amazing lakefront and, depending where you chose to live, affordable housing in a relatively gay friendly / gay tolerant environment. I can't see ever giving up all that, especially as a single older gay man. So I'm staying here - despite the winters, big city crime, high drama local politics, etc - and will take advantage of having access to two major airports frequently offering low cost flights to warm destinations during the colder months. And being in the center of the country means there's multiple attractions within a day's drive, and car trips are on my to-do list when I retire.

Anywhere but New England. The winters are terrible. CA would be great but it’s so fucking expensive.

I used to enjoy New England winters when I skied a lot, but I haven't done that recently. So while I don't mind snow in Dec-Feb, I'm over it by then. The other problem w/ New England is that summers used to be pleasant, where you just had to tolerate a week or two of really hot temps. But recent summers the heat/humidity has been for most of the summer (even into September). So you get *maybe* a couple of decent spring months and a couple of decent fall months. And the other eight months kind of suck.

And r16 our last winter was 6 months long. As you said, summer is unbearably humid. I’d say there is probably a month of good weather per year if that. 11 months of shitty weather per year! I need to get out of here.

R17, where would you want to go? I'd like to stay East coast so I'm not too far from family. But I don't think I'd like Florida or Georgia's all that much. Maybe Virginia or North Carolina.

I was just in Menton France in late May. Highlight for me was a walking tour of the Old Château Cemetery. Some interesting people buried there! Worth that walk up that steep hill.

Going to move to northern Thailand. Already own a 2 bedtime, 2 bath, kitchen and massive living room condo and will be paid off this December. Complex has a large pool and impressive gym and free WiFi too.

North Carolina has a moderate climate, with four distinct seasons. Summers can be humid, but nothing like Florida. Winters can be bleak at times, but nothing like New England. The good thing is both seasons are relatively short, with long, glorious falls and springs interspersed.

The reason I will never move to North Carolina is the blatant hostility to LGBT community, which has often been discussed in DL.

If there were no crime and political stability, Cape Town South Africa. Glorious weather and beauty.

I stayed right here in southern Calif. after I retired, but I'm thinking about going somewhere that's less hot in the summer and with less traffic.

It would be awesome to turn the Carolinas blue with retirees.

South Texas

My husband wants to go to Florida (Sarasota) but I'm not sure I can tolerate the summers there. We can't afford to be snowbirds so we'll have to choose one place for retirement. I think at first it will be more of a relocation vs. retirement as I hope to continue working.

Not sure how the above poster will swing Menton, France-- is he/she American? Would love to hear more about this.

The problem with North Carolina is that it is filled with North Carolinians.

Here op

I am retired (early) and I too am happy staying in Chicago, though I am accustomed to spending a few months in Grand Cayman the last several years. I have considered relocating there permanently, as it is quite easy for me as a British subject, but think for now three months is enough.

Edinburgh, Scotland is where I want to live when traveling becomes more difficult. Mild all year long with some periods of rain, but I'm okay with that. I've been staying there a couple months for the past three years. It feels like home to me.

Maine so my depression can worsen and I'll kill myself before I get old and senile.

For only the most discriminating gays ...

Hubby and I have set our hearts on San Jose Costa Rica. It's tropical, but at altitude so it's not oppressively hot.

It's affordable compared to any desirable locale in the USA.

You can be at the beach in a couple hours.

It's peaceful and has a stable government.

It has an excellent healthcare system.

It has natural beauty up the wazoo.

Downsides: property crime, the rainy season, it's not the most culturally happening place in the world.

We have about 15 years to go, so I'm hitting the Duolingo Spanish lessons and saving my pennies.

But when I think about it, Florida is full of retirees and it’s not blue.

If I have the means, I will become a snowbird. Live in the inland Pacific Northwest February-November, Palm Springs December January. I expect to have a working retirement, which in my profession means working during the school year, otherwise, I'd go to Palm Springs December-March. I have SADD, so the dark gloomy winters of the Northwest, with the double whammy of very limited hours of daylight and constant clouds and precipitation are psychological hell for me. A little dose of sunlight in winter makes all the difference. But summers in the NW cannot be beaten, at least anywhere in the US, so it wouldn't make sense for me to summer somewhere less pleasant.

In a retirement community so no family needs to look after me when I get old. My in laws who are getting on in years “retired” to a remote location in Maine. No talk of future plans and I’ll rather get divorced than look after that old hag.

leaving KC to Leelanau County, Mich. BRRR!!!!

I will snowbird somewhat once established up there. Partner wants pets and chickens and such, so I said "hold down the fort"!

Now that india has decriminalized gay sex I am thinking of moving to the mountains there.

I am moving to Menton and keeping my place here also. Thanks to the person who originally mentioned Menton. I love it and a studio apartment can be had for less than 200K.

Now I'm concerned because we have narrowed our list down to Hendersonville, NC--for the 4 seasons, close to Asheville, etc. We're both 65, good health, everything paid for, coming from LA--is North Carolina really that hostile of an environment?

Santa Fe is great but pricey. Punta del Este Uruguay is also great and has a real city life and good weather most of the year, and very little crime.

My partner has Canadian and British citizenship, so we'll likely live in one of those places and get free health care.

We just bought a house in the center of France, probably 5 years to go before retirement. Will stay there 6 months of the year, we haven’t decided where we’ll downsize to here in the US for the other 6 months. Probably somewhere in New England so the flights to France are shorter. New Hampshire is supposed to be good for retirement.... Any suggestions?

R43 ...or summer on Lake Champlain in Vermont or New York and then you could drive to Montreal to fly to France which is practically a shuttle, esp. in season.

We moved to Oregon 27 years ago. We retired (early) in Portland five years ago. We love it here but travel in the winter. The last two years we went to Australia, this year we are going to Palm Springs then probably to Europe in the Spring.

My plan was Seattle (current location) and winters in Palm Springs. But Seattle is becoming increasingly filthy and crowded, so I may move to another part of the PNW or maybe the upper Midwest.

Portland's my promised land. The most moderate weather in the country, and considered the 2nd most gay-friendly city after SanFran.

Small town. A simple place with some acreage.

OP funny you say that because I know 3 people who have moved to NC over the last year after they retired. I live in Michigan so they like the warmer climate. One of the people was a coworker who has never been to NC before.

Chapel Hill-Durham

Where in MI, r49? I'm from Midland, but moved 35 years ago.

R47 Moderate? Not always

Orlando but i need to do more research.

Why would anyone want to move to Europe? There's nothin' but a bunch of foreigners over there.

If people don't like where they are living right now, why don't they go ahead and move versus waiting for retirement? I don't understand spending your whole life establishing yourself in one place, having friends, knowing where things are, etc., and then, when you're old, you give it all up and start all over again somewhere else. Traveling I understand; moving, not so much.

[quote]Where in MI, [R49]? I'm from Midland, but moved 35 years ago.

Grand Rapids

If I had to live in Michigan again I would probably pick Grand Rapids, but you get a lot of snow there.

[quote]If people don't like where they are living right now, why don't they go ahead and move versus waiting for retirement? I don't understand spending your whole life establishing yourself in one place, having friends, knowing where things are, etc., and then, when you're old, you give it all up and start all over again somewhere else. Traveling I understand; moving, not so much.

I have a job that I like (at the moment) that I would not be able to do remotely. But if I decide to retire in a couple of years for my mental & physical health, work would no longer be a factor in where I live.

R55, jobs. You choose the best place to live that's closest to where you work.

There are a few states that hit the sweet spot of not taxing retirement benefits. Florida and Arizona are the warmest (I want warm, considering I've lived in the NE all my life. I'm sick of the winters!),

Both states are full of deplorables but I like Tampa and Sarasota. Yes, they are unbearably hot in the winter and might be hit by hurricanes in the fall, but they are strong possibilities right now.

So tired of the east coast winters and they to last forever now, Palm Springs would be a dream.

I'm already reading the local papers of my goal city, Orlando.

Wouldn't a gun be a faster suicide, R62? Why would anyone willingly move to Florida? It is beset by hurricanes and tropical storms annually, seemingly. Even when not, it is all swamp land and humid.

If I were Florida bound, I would choose St. Pete's, St. Augustine, or Miami Beach before Orlando. Orlando seems to have all the very worst aspects of FL, without any of the cool parts.

Graceland

The weather is going to shit everywhere it seems. I don't mind the winter season at all, but would prefer a milder Southern France/Italy/ Spain type of winter when I retire. Living in DC it feels like we get about 5 -10 nice days a year. You know those perfect days? They are so rare on the east coast.

Bainbridge Island, WA

There are only two ways to get there from Seattle/the crime-ridden mainland: ferry or a two-hour drive. Very affluent (Blue), mild climate, remote, old-growth forests, space, yet only a 30-minute ferry from Seattle. Because of the limited access to this Eden, no crime.

North Carolina is fine as long as you stay in the blue areas. Dem gov now.

Bisbee, Arizona.

Monaco

My partner and I have both retired over the past 4 years. We live in Madison, WI and plan to stay here. This city is one of the few truly liberal, progressive and gay-friendly cities we would ever want to live in. Plus, we love winter, so it's all good!

I grew up in the Bay Area and live in San Francisco, but I'm with R14 for all the same reasons. There's no point in leaving. Our house is paid for, Proposition 13 keeps our property taxes affordable, so high housing costs are not an issue. We love the moderate weather and city amenities and proximity to friends and family in the Bay Area. We could cash out of the house and buy a McMansion elsewhere, but that's not our style. The only reason to leave would be if we are no longer able to physically manage the stairs. In that case I would be looking for a condo in the City or nearby.

The idea of pulling up stakes and moving to an entirely new region where we know no one doesn't appeal to me at all. We would have to give up everything we know - our doctor, dentist, hair stylist, favorite restaurants and shops - and start over as strangers in a strange land. A lot of other states resent Californians coming there, so there's that, too. Not to mention that moving itself is a gigantic pain in the ass.

I knew a guy that retired to central Michigan. He said he had lived in the south long enough and wanted a cold climate.

Except when it isn't R71

I could have written R72. Moved north to Sonoma County from San Francisco 30 years ago and don't know where else I'd go now. It was hard enough moving 65 miles from home, I don't like to be too far from family. I like to imagine myself living in different places, but realistically, can't see myself making the move. Places I dream about, though, are farther north in CA, maybe Arcata; or places in Oregon like Portland, Astoria, or the central Oregon coast. But, I can hardly get my family to visit from the Bay Area, I can't imagine them visiting me anywhere else very often and I have elderly relatives nearby who require tending.

Plus, I'm already retired and really love where I live. It's not as culturally diverse as San Francisco but the LGBT community is integrated into the larger community and has large communities of its own. if I want museums, music, etc, SF is just a little over an hour away. The weather is good here, too, and the ocean not far away. Yeah, we have fires and earthquakes but those are usually very rare events.

I have to agree with R35, PNW in the summer and Palm Springs in the winter.

I’m lookig at Ecuador or Mexico. Both have a lot of promise. Ecuador dollarized some years ago, so it’s much more economically stable for american retirees. Mexico is pretty convenient and despite current tensions, is home to more than a million americans who live there full time. Health care costs are low with high standards, generally equal to the US. Where you are drives quality of life, just like anywhere else. But in both countries, you can live comfortably on under $2000 per month.

I won’t be retiring for another 20 years but my partner and I - after much discussion - have pretty much decided that we will stay in Brookkyn. We have the whole city to keep us stimulated and we both love food: cooking and eating out. Besides this city seems custom built for old farts. Movies, museums, parks, world-class hospitals, etc.

Winters don’t bother us. We just hygge the fuck out with reading , cooking, etc.

As long as we’re able, we will travel a lot ...spend a few months in different places.

City of Cavalier, ND

My mother has a condo in Sarasota and it's nice there. Florida without the rednecks.

In case you're wondering what the hell R78 was talking about, "Hygge (pronounced hue-guh not hoo-gah) is a Danish word used when acknowledging a feeling or moment, whether alone or with friends, at home or out, ordinary or extraordinary as cosy, charming or special. ... You can't buy a 'hygge living room' and there's no 'hygge foods' to eat."

Otherwise, great post. I would love to retire in Manhattan or Brooklyn.

R9's "quip" is as lame today as it was in 1841 (when R9 was just a whippersnapper).

In my dreams I'd want Kyoto, Japan. In reality it'll be somewhere in the US southeast, assuming I can afford to retire.

Must be nice to retire??? Tell us your stories.

R64, i want Orlando because i want to live at R28.

R40-- Asheville is quite nice. Liberal and tolerant. The moment you leave its boundaries, you are in the deep south where being just stupid means you're the brightest kid in the class. So if you move there, you can never leave unless it's to go far away.

Cool R62, if Disney is your bliss, follow it. I just never got bit by the Disney bug. I had a neighbour who had worked for them; he detested all things Disney. The only thing he liked about having to go there was a LeCreuset outlet nearby. As a VIP, the company shipped all his spoils home for free.

I can’t imagine retiring overseas. Seems like a time you want comfort not constant challenge. I will stay in NYC which is ideal for ease of access to everything, great medical care, fantastic food delivery, kneeling buses, stimulation. No desire to move to the middle of nowhere and watch the grass grow or to another country and navigate eveything as a foreigner. And the idea of having to travel back and forth as I get much older is wholly unrealistic.

Winston-Salem

Tampa here, moved from NYC. It’s a great city to pre-retire in, the summers are hard if you’re an outdoorsman. I may summer in Boston next year at my mom’s! 😩

Sorry but why the fuck would anyone retire to central Fla? Talk about the a shithole. Seems very reductive.

[quote]Menton France. The possibility will rely on inherited money that as yet is vague.

Kill off the competition and all of it shall be yours...

I like central Florida, except the weather. Lots of hot Dominicans and Ricans

The Isle of Lesbos, of course!

The Disney luxury development is nice. I'd move there and work to make the state blue.

I want to live far away from people.

Palm Springs is great. Older men. No children. Beautiful.

I really wanted St. Paul, but I've turned into an e-bike nut and Midwestern Winter turns my hands into clawed Madonna man-hands that throb.

They're a very polite people who care - but not a lot.

What about the summers, r97?

I feel like the old woman who lived in a shoe was onto something. Maybe not a shoe, but I'd definitely look into a cave.

Southport, CT from May to Thanksgiving, then a little house in Gulfport, FL for the winter. I'm a cheap guy who has always loved within my means, but I bought both houses a long time ago. St. Pete is such a great spot with great beaches and lots to do.

I hope to be a Snowbird. Will spend most of the year in my home state of Michigan with family, then move to Florida (or some other warmer state) during the miserable winter months.

Palm Springs most realistically. I am debating buying a second property there in a few years when my student loan for law school (substantial monthly payment that is more than my mortgage) is due. My only concern is that I have no way of predicting what neighborhoods will be like in 20 years when retirement is retirement. How do I know my investment won't be in the worst neighborhood in town by then? Secondary concern is maintaining a property 400 miles away (we are in SF) until then.

In my dreams, Andalucia. I don't know that I'd be up for relocating to a new country in my 60s, however. It is paradise though. Beauty in all shapes and forms all around. Very much like Southern California without the horrible traffic, overpopulation, outdated infrastructure, or time-consuming status/image rat race.

I would only leave CT to buy somewhere cheaper, I'd rather die than move south of Maryland. AZis too hot. I may end up in south county RI or else somewhere much cheaper in the Midwest (Pittsburgh, Cleveland) so I'll have money to rent somewhere warm for a month or two during the winters. I have another 10 years to figure it out.

[quote] I was planning on French speaking North Africa but that's not going so well. Sidi-Fredj in Algeria

Why r12 would you knowing go and live in a place so utterly dysfunctional? Where nothing fucking works. One that has been torn apart by two internal wars within recent memory? And where gays are imprisoned and beaten. Are you a masochist?

Yes we take for granted of efficiency and easy access to everything in the US. I believe that would be the hardest part of living abroad in a place like Africa or the Med.

I've fantasized about owning two homes to shuttle between during seasonal changes, but I wonder how you handle the practicalities of the empty place. Do you have to hire somebody to check on things? AirBnB it out?

I'm 49 and just moved from San Francisco to the city where I was born in on the southeast coast of MA. I am a year away from early retirement.

I plan to live here for 10 to 15 years and then move to Portugal (I've got dual citizenship.)

If Florida elects DeSantis over Gillum, I'm not interested in Florida anymore.

I'm really liking south county Rhode Island lately..

Why would anyone want to move away from New York, retirement or otherwise?

St. Louis, MO - North side.

R37 here. I am going to edit this. We will now only spend 6months and a day in Leelanau County. We will probably spend remaining time in Palm Springs. The relentless cold and gray skies for 6months in MIch. would wear me down, I have decided, but summers( and the fringe seasons) are PERFECT. ( I would challenge the above PNW guy to a "summer- off"!)

Clearwater, FL

Detroit, MI

Bogalusa., LA!

Durbam

probably a sidewalk.

I would like to stay in Chicago but spend some portion of the year in Sicily. It need not be the winter. I can handle the cold and the heat in Sicily, especially in July and August, can be overwhelming, even for native Sicilians.

I think renting from Jan-March in a warm climate is a good idea. Don’t need to own 2 places. And then you are not committed to anything - or worrying/paying upkeep on 2 places. I love April -December in the Northeast - Spring and Fall are beautiful. But the older I get, the more I like to get away from the cold in the depths of winter. Even 1 month would be enough I think. Maybe Colombia - from what I hear, it’s the new hot spot.

Asheville

Durham

R116 is that you Jared?

R113 Leelanau County is beautiful but PNW summers are better. No humidity and no mosquitoes. I grew up in Michigan and spent summers in that area.

I will keep my homes in Canada and southwest Florida, and buy another in Tuscany.

No votes for San Miguel de Allende in Mexico? Supposed to be an expat retirees paradise. My mother was considering it but she passed before she had the chance.

[quote]I had a neighbour who had worked for them; he detested all things Disney.

Same.

Arizona. Spent lots of time there with family, so I know my way around. Ideally, Scottsdale or Paradise Valley in the winter, and if the summers get to be too much (but it's a DRY Heat! lol) then head north to Oak Creek Canyon or even Flagstaff for the summer. We have friends that live in Scottsdale, and have a summer home up in Flag. Others live in Tuscon year 'round.

A nice thing about being in PHX in the winter is you can enjoy warm weather one day, and drive up to Flagstaff and snow ski the next. Though by the time I retire I doubt I'll be doing much skiing, but you never know. At least you can drive 2 hours north and be amongst snow and evergreens if you need a break from desert and cactus. I love the dry climate and there's lots to see and do both indoors and out. I feel at home there and that's attractive too.

I will likely move back to my hometown (Memphis, TN) when I retire. My family is there and the cost of living is still low.

I was looking at Orange County, FL, but the influx of Deplorable Boomer snowbirds, proliferation of ugly tract homes, overpopulation, and climate change issues have scared me away from the Sunshine State. Maybe Florida will become a decent place to settle once the great Boomer die-off begins in earnest in the 2020s. Unfortunately, by then, this Gen Xer will likely be to old to relocate.

I know, I know. Tennessee has its issues too, but most of the Memphis-based Deplorables stick to their enclaves in North Mississippi and the East Memphis suburbs.

My dream is to find a place with a decent cost of living that is relatively free of Deplorables.

Any takers for a small town in Vermont? Like Manchester? Thinking it would be beautiful for summers, fall, holidays.

I have arthritis so I will live somewhere hot and dry.

R87, The Le Creuset Outlet in Flemington, NJ, ships free, too. I think they all do.

I'm staying in the area I've always lived, in eastern PA. Equidistant from Philadelphia and NYC, with all four seasons, festivals, farmers markets, 9 colleges (2- and 4-year)/universities in a short radius, minor league baseball and ice hockey, even a major casino. Superb and abundant medical facilities.

Bangkok

My husband & I sold our house in Brooklyn, NY and retired to Hawaii. We rent a small apartment (think pied-à-terre) in Manhattan. We spend May/June and November/December in Manhattan and the rest of the time in Hawaii. When not in Manhattan, we Airbnb the apartment. We use a company that manages Airbnbs to oversee all of the responsibilities. Our goal was to cover our expenses when we weren't there, but even with the 25% management fee, we cover all of our NYC expenses for the year.

R124 we are actually on a little peninsula jutting out into GTB and it creates its own micro climate with daily north breezes. You can see the humidity clouds building up across the bay over the mainland in the afternoons. It can be 90 in Traverse City at 75 at our place, refreshingly cool. I went to W. Wash. University in Bellingham and was a lifeguard in college and had LOTS of rain days off. But I know many LOVE it ,so to each his own! Neither MICH or PNW would be my cup of tea in winter at this point in my life.

A home on a river about an hour away from Seattle. Quiet, lots of trees, lots of privacy, the sound of the river at night, gorgeous summers, and near enough to the city to take advantage of what it has to offer.

R124, I grew up in Michigan and spent summers in Traverse City. I live in Portland, OR now and love it but I do miss morel hunting.

R126 San Miguel de Allende is beautiful with great restaurants. I studied Spanish there 15 years ago. The crime rate has increased rapidly there recently, with expats as the victims. I would avoid Mexico entirely.

I am heading to Spain - the south. I am going to start in Seville ( a city that I have visited a few times and love). 2 hours from the nice beaches. Spain has not recovered from the recession and has high unemployment. This has resulted in Spain being very affordable (outside of Madrid and Barcelona). I work remotely and plan to move there long before I retire.

Health insurance is inexpensive there and there are no "deductibles" .

Unlike Latin America, Spain has a very low crime rate and cities are clean. I just can't face years of trudging by mounds of garbage and that is one of the main reasons I am avoiding Central and South America.

For current or future ex-pats:

What happens to Social Security and Medicare, if you live overseas (or in the Americas)?

How easy, permit-wise, is it for an American to buy a house in France, Italy, etc.?

R140, you can have your social security ckeck direct deposited to a checking account. Medicare is only good in the States.

I used to think I wanted to retire to Kauai in Hawaii BUT I was talking to people there and they say the medical care is really bad in Hawaii and when you get older you need more doctors. I guess I'll retire to the Cedars Sinai parking lot.

R5, Menton is a really good choice. Cheaper than some of the other spots in the south of France, and great weather. They have a big Citrus Festival, celebrating their warm weather and citrus crops, I. Late Fen. - early March. Kind of Mardi Gras-esque.

There isn’t much of an organized gay scene in Menton, but there definitely is in Nice, which is about a half hour to 45 minute drive south. And of course, close to Monaco and not too far from San Remo.

Tucson, AZ

[quote]I'm a cheap guy who has always loved within my means,

I’ve always loved within my means too. No hustlers who charge more than $130 an hour for me!

[quote]If Florida elects DeSantis over Gillum, I'm not interested in Florida anymore.

There are hundreds of other reasons to avoid Florida.

[quote]they say the medical care is really bad in Hawaii and when you get older you need more doctors.

Hawaii has always been at the top of those "Best Medical Care in the US" lists, R142. Hawaii is especially good with providing services to allow you to live at home right up to your final days. And the population in general have great respect for seniors

Perhaps your friend meant that for complicated illnesses where you need to be hospitalized or near the best specialist, that you would need to go to Honolulu.

[quote] I would love to retire in Manhattan or Brooklyn.

That's where I am and that's where I'll stay.

We live in a comfortable Manhattan apartment, no stairs from the street, elevator, doorman, close to the subway, etc. There is so much to do and see here and most of it I never get to do and see because I'm working full-time.

In the dead of winter, I would definitely consider Seville, like R139. Unfortunately our building does not allow Airbnb so I'd have to foot the bill for an empty apartment, but New York is really unbearable for only a couple of months (Feb and March).

In a big city, you can have anything delivered to your front door. We have friends who talk about decamping for places like Wilton Manors and Las Vegas, both of which I find deadly dull.

I plan to 'age in place' and leave this apartment feet first.

R33 - I live NEAR San Jose Costa Rica and moved here when I retired at age 55. I would never live in the city, although there are some nice high rise condos being built (Los Yoses), and establishing their very own urban living spaces in the neighbourhoods they're situated. . Still the suburbs like Escazu, Santa Ana, Heredia, are the locales most ex-pats move too. Grecia/San Ramon are also popular ex-pat locales, and I like the more rural feeling there. The area in and around San Jose is known as the Central Valley. And I do recommend living here, rather than the coastal areas. Yes, they're fine for 3 to 5 days, but soon get dull, and stay hot. Since I live at such a high altitude, it's actually to chilly at times. I need supplementary heat in my casa.

Moving here is not for everyone - I now have permanent residency, and find myself feeling like a tourist when I go back up to Vancouver. I'm very comfortable here, and feel I've adapted well, even though my Spanish is terrible. You need patience, and a high tolerance for things being done 'the Tico way'. Do not expect it, or demand that everything be like it was 'back home'. Adapt, or move 'back home'.

It's also gotten much more expensive in the eight years I've been here, but no where near the outrageous costs of living in a city like Vancouver.

Yes r147. That's what surprised me. The man I was talking to had skin cancer and he said he had to fly to Honolulu to get care. Another woman had some problems during pregnancy and she'd have to fly to Honolulu too. But they did say insurance includes your flight.

So maybe I can go to Kauai. Thanks for the info!

I'm in Ohio, and will remain in Ohio. At least I own my own home. I've always made Ohio wages, so my savings and investments will keep me afloat, but if I followed some dream of mine and moved to New York or California, I'd be wiped out in a few years. I don't spend time fantasizing about things that can't happen.

R150 they run air shuttles between the islands. They used to even give discounts to state residents. No big whoop to jump 20 minutes to Honolulu

R148 My aunt still lives in Manhattan in the Village and she's 89 and walks everywhere. I will see her next week for dinner. You couldn't pull her with wild horses out of there.

R148, I, too, would like to stay in New York after retirement but my fear is that I won't be able to afford it. The city is just so expensive and getting more so with each passing day. I love Manhattan and enjoy being here most of the time, but I'm thinking if I can't maintain a decent lifestyle here (and by decent, I just mean comfortable, not extravagant), then not sure where else I would go. But as far as where I would like to stay, this is it.

Still looking for that perfect apartment, though. I'll know when I find it.

r40 - North Carolina is great. It was a solidly purple state when I moved here a decade ago. The "Triangle" which is represented by 3 universities Duke, UNC, and NC State in Durham, Chapel Hill and Raleigh is a great area. We are in the top five areas of the country with college graduates and PhDs. We had democrats in the Governor's mansion for over 100 years. We had a Republican for one term (former Mayor of Charlotte) and now we have a Democrat as Governor again. Redistricting caused much of the mess were are in now as the map favored Republicans.

Asheville in the mountains and Wilmington (more mixed) are blue as well. Like other areas of the country our farming and rural areas are solidly Republican. Please come down and join us. It is great here. BTW - I am a former Bostonian. Come help us turn purple to blue.

London. It has everything I need and want. At age 60, virtually all transport throughout greater London is free. The senior concession at the box office is a way of life. I'm American, but I hold another citizenship that gives me the right to reside there. It's expensive, but I live modestly here and would do the same there. All my money would go to season tickets to everything.

[quote] At age 60, virtually all transport throughout greater London is free

I never knew that about London. I checked it out and you have to be a resident of London, but what an amazing deal if you are one!

I was looking forward to my reduced-fare $60 a month MetroCard but the thought of free transport has my mind reeling.

North Carolina is a little like living in America in 1962. There are some lovely campuses and beautiful towns but... once you leave those places, it's dreadful. Moving to NC is basically saying, you can't go more than 10 miles from your house, ever, or you'll be squealing like a pig.

On top of that, the republicans have mastered the political game so well through gerrymandering that there's no way that state can ever come out of the dark ages for decades.

Whatever you do, DO NOT move to NC.

R158, I thought the gerrymandering was about to be undone in NC.

If we do as planned, we'd have a main house in Palm Springs or similar, and live in a cooler area for 4-5 months of the year.

But depending on US government policies and direction, we may also choose to leave the US and settle in Europe.

In Rivendell (also known as Imladris).

I was considering Puerto Vallarta since so many gays have moved there, but I didn't like it when I visited a few months ago. I'm hoping to retire in 3 years so these posts are giving me additional places to consider. I'm not partnered so moving to another country all by myself is scary, but I'm still interested.

R162, what are you looking for in a new location?

Speaking of transportation discounts -- in L.A. County, if you're 62 and over, you can ride anywhere that Metrorail and the Metro bus system go, during off-peak hours, for 35 cents one-way. And an all-day pass is only $2.50.

R163 Thanks for asking. Somewhere I can look out over the water from my condo, not a large city, and at least a gay bar or two.

R165, what kind of climate and how much would you pay for the condo?

I want to live in a penthouse on Fifth Avenue. I'll probably end up living in a basement apartment in the Bronx with aisles made of piled up newspapers.

Take me to the Ozarks in Arkansas

I'm thinking Svenborgia would be nice.

I’m Moving to Winston-Salem. I fell in love with the place and its near downtown.

I would rather stay where I am than move to NC. No way.

Raleigh or Cary

[quote] I was considering Puerto Vallarta since so many gays have moved there, but I didn't like it when I visited a few months ago.

I enjoyed my brief visit but couldn't imagine living there.

I hate the cold so I moved to Florida in my 30s. As you get older, the heat kind of scares you.

Yes DL. Please stay away from NC.

Say North Carolinians

We want to keep in mind that the temperature of places closer to the equator is going to be rising over the next few decades until it's almost unbearable in places like Atlanta, and even cities to the north of Atlanta will feel like Charleston in the summer now.

[quote]I was looking forward to my reduced-fare $60 a month MetroCard but the thought of free transport has my mind reeling.

Philadelphia offers its seniors free transport as well, and I actually like the city, though it would never appear on my top 10 retirement locations list.

My requirements are:

No humidity

No snow

No excessive heat.

This kind of limits me to coastal California, I guess.

R179, have you checked out Oregon and Washington?

The Australian Outback.

Right where I live now, the Jersey shore. It's expensive but we love it. I bought a nice, 2 bedroom, ocean-view condo in 1992 for $90K and we recently did a total renovation on it. I hate the winters in Jersey but our families and all of our friends are here. 75 minutes from NYC and I get to watch the sun rise over the ocean.

I'm in Connecticut. Don't really have plans to retire anywhere. My condo is paid for and it only costs about $600 per month to live. Wouldn't mind living somewhere warmer during the winter months but won't have enough income for a second home.

r180 It snows in those places.

R184, I live in Portland and don't own a snow shovel. The few times a winter that we get a storm we just ride it out, it melts fast. We get a lot of grey days though and a lot of rain.

I'm in CT too. I'm torn. I've lived in New England my whole life, and there's a lot I like about the area, and there's comfort to being around places I know. But the thought of being in better weather and cheaper cost of living is a huge attraction. Plus CT is going down the shitter financially, so there's a sense of wanting to escape the seemingly inevitable new taxes and tolls the state is contemplating.

The thought of actually packing up and moving makes me want to pull my hair out. But if I retire, I might welcome the opportunity for a new project to spend my time on.

Latin America. I have a growing shortlist. In Mexico, my favorite cities, Oaxaca City, Guanajuato, Cuernavaca, and small surrounding towns. In Ecuador , Mindo, Cuenca, Vilcabamba. My recent trip to Colombia complicates things by adding some more options. All have temperate, cloudforest, or cool temperatures, never getting too extreme (coastal or jungle humidity is just not for me). Retirement is a ways for me, so a lot depends on what the world landscape looks like in 25 to 30 years, but never too early to save and scope things out.

I live in NYC but my whole family is in California. I would love to retire there, but the taxes are a killer. I'm thinking Arizona or Florida.

Although it would be cheaper to move to a foreign country, it would be too weird for me.

mars

Jupiter

The newly discovered dwarf planet "the Goblin"

Uranus

Depends on how successful I am. Low - Stay in familiar Canada. Medium - Stay in Canada, open to moving, and take trips/have a second place in something more south (as typical). High - Explore USA, Europe options. I never see myself losing my Canadian citizenship. It is gold.

r188 Taxes are higher in CA than in NYC?

R188, the best suggestion remains Palm Springs if your family is in CA.

The problem with America is that it is currently occupied by the United States.

A few suggestions of quaint houses, er, homes, to purchase in Costa Rica for the discriminating (that would be all of DL, yes?) retiree.

Ah shicen - the article above is 3 years old. Although many of these properties may still be for sale. A good rule of thumb down there is to offer half the asking price, and see how desperate the seller is. . .

I'm from Long Island and everyone goes to Florida. Can't do it, the humidity would kill me in a week.

Still sure you want to retire to Puerto Vallarta?

Milford, Delaware. 15 minutes to the beach, state college close by, Wesley college close by, close to N.Y. and NJ; bonus, sibs already have vacation homes there and my other relatives are in Maryland.