When you retired did you move somewhere else or stay in familiar surroundings?

I thought of moving from New York state to Virginia. I visited the area three times, and even looked at a townhouse there.
I had a few friends living there. I spoke to the head of the police dept. there about crime in the area, went to the local library, the shopping malls, the downtown, etc.

Then that week, my grandson had a major car accident, so when I got home, I realized I couldn't be 500 miles away from my hometown and friends and some of my family.

I've stayed here for five years now, and don't intend to move any time soon.
 
Bretrick said:
When you retired did you move somewhere else or stay in familiar surroundings?
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A little of both. I retired on a slow path starting several years ago. Still have one client I expect to be done in a month or so.

When I started retiring we were at a decision point in Florida, had to sell the beach house to get out of extremely high insurance and hurricane risk. My wife had long wanted to move back to Utah so we did. She is from Utah, I'm not but have lived here off and on. So here we are.
Bretrick said:
I think I will retire to the countryside close to a National Park with a river nearby.
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Like the sound of that!
 
We retired in a woodsy area 15 or 20 minutes from San Francisco that we had moved to 20 years before, and was accessible to doctors and shopping. A guy I conversed with in another forum retired on an island in Puget Sound, a beautiful place, but eventually gave up when he discovered a 15 minute visit to the doctor took all day.
 
I moved from my condo in the San Fernando Valley to Ventura County to get out of the heat and the LA scene.
I was half a mile from a small airport I flew from, and 10 miles from the tourist RR I volunteered on.
We downsized from, 2 1800 sq foot homes to a 1400 sq ft home. Needless to say,neighbors and Salvation Army benefited.
 
I've mentioned it before but to those not familiar with my surroundings.. I still live here in coastal Mass. in the home that was built by my grand-father in 1921, who shared it with my folks and passed it on to them when he and his wife passed away. It came to me in the same manner and we gave it (in 1995) to our youngest daughter, husband, and their 2 mid 20's kids while retaining a life lease to live here for the remainder of our days. Basically, I've lived in this family home all of my life.

We helped them bring up the young ones and now they help we old folks when help is needed. A very comfortable sitution for all.
 
We stayed around until the last parent passed.
Already had bought a place and renting it out until we were able to sell properties.

New area in Washington fairly high density with very good public transportation, shopping, medical.
Old area in Oregon low density, farmland, and had to drive to everything.
Weather is somewhat similar-2 seasons, wet and dry. Mediterranean, Coastal influence.
 
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My husband and I stayed in NH after we retired - we lived in a fairly rural area and loved being out in nature and the changing of the seasons. But after he died, I felt very isolated, so when I had the opportunity to move to Florida with my son and his family, I decided to embrace the adventure. A lot of my friends said it would be too much of a radical change and predicted I'd be back - but I love it here!
 
After I retired I sold my house that was in a rural area in Nebraska because there was too much maintenance work (fences, barns, very long gravel driveway to shovel, etc) and it was lonely once I wasn't interacting with coworkers all day. I mostly miss all the birds I could watch from my windows, everything from hummingbirds to big owls.

My mom and I had shared the house and so I'd seen all the stages of aging, and decided I should live/age someplace that was walkable (to grocery store at least), had no stairs, and had someplace to socialize when the weather was bad (my mom got to the point where she wouldn't go anywhere if it was a windy day because she might easily get blown over).

I was planning to settle permanently in the same area (but in Omaha instead of rural) because my daughter lives in that area and the housing is cheap(er). But, while traveling I decided to move to where I lived when I was younger (which feels a lot more like home than Nebraska did).

I think I've found a good spot in a retirement community in Maryland. There are tons of activities available within the retirement community (golf, indoor/outdoor pools, classes, clubs, woodworking shop, art rooms, clubhouses, tennis, pickle ball, bocce, shuffleboard, ping pong, billiards, fitness center, restaurants, walking trails, etc.) and if I get to the point someday that I don't drive, they have free shuttle buses around the retirement community (and to a couple shopping centers). It's also located outside a big city (Washington DC) with lots to do and good public transportation. I chose a high-rise building that has no stairs (unless I go out the back door), and it has places for people to socialize on the ground floor (couches, chairs, card tables, library corner, kitchen & bathrooms). I'm still waiting to close on the condo.
 
HoneyNut said:
I think I've found a good spot in a retirement community in Maryland. There are tons of activities available within the retirement community (golf, indoor/outdoor pools, classes, clubs, woodworking shop, art rooms, clubhouses, tennis, pickle ball, bocce, shuffleboard, ping pong, billiards, fitness center, restaurants, walking trails, etc.) and if I get to the point someday that I don't drive, they have free shuttle buses around the retirement community (and to a couple shopping centers). It's also located outside a big city (Washington DC) with lots to do and good public transportation. I chose a high-rise building that has no stairs (unless I go out the back door), and it has places for people to socialize on the ground floor (couches, chairs, card tables, library corner, kitchen & bathrooms). I'm still waiting to close on the condo.
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That sounds wonderful, somewhere I'd love to live but around here that kind of place is so expensive (about $3K a month), sigh.
 

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