Why do you live in the town you live in and what keeps you there?

I, we, grew up here. Back in the day it was small town Texas. As for most of us, the big city just kept growing and now has destroyed the small town life. I had hoped that we would retire somewhere small town but now that I am a widow, I think this is where I will stay. For the most part, I can still find my way around unless I have to go into the big cities. I have everything I need within a very small area, grocery, pharmacy, doctors, hospitals, theaters, restaurants, shopping mall, post office, library. Most of it walking distance.

The area elementary is at the end of my street, 4 houses away. That explains why the property has increased in value so much through the years. The world just grew up around of us and now I/we are considered as prime property. Of course that means higher property taxes over the years but it has been worth it. I have another year and the property tax will go way down, that is a blessing. I hope I can stay here until I go out the front door feet first. I also know my son will not have a problem selling it if that is what he decides. The house is now 50 years old but it is large for the area, 4 bed 3 bath 2 living 2 dining 2 car garage that has been well taken care off. So, yep this is where I will be if you want to stop by.
 
We were living in SF but wanted to buy a home, and so looked across the Bay to the East Bay, where homes were more affordable. Went into partnership with family but eventually ended up with sole title to the home we purchased, and have been living here 30+ yrs now. Location turned out to be great for us work-wise. Now in retirement it's still ideal, being centerpoint to different cities/freeways so very easy to get around, even with our CA traffic.

Quiet older neighborhood in the lower hills with great views out the back picture windows, nice neighbors, and still convenient to my family - all the rest of them live within 1.5 miles of one another so get togethers are always at one of their houses. Potlucks rule since we all love to cook and in fact are celebrating Chinese New Year tomorrow evening. Spouse loves my family because he loves to eat, LOL!

Our suburban cities have gentrified considerably and there are now excellent and varied mid-priced restaurants all over the county. That's a real change from when we first moved here and it was Fast Food Chains Galore or greasy cheap slop.

We prefer the conveniences of the city to the country. We visit the rural areas regularly; we just don't want to live there. Less diversity, fewer services (and it's getting worse as hospitals/clinics close and tax bases shrink), and longer distances to drive aren't conducive to an easy old age. We were looking into senior facilities pre-pandemic and had over 50 full-service facilities within a 25 mile radius, and many more that offered specialized units (i.e., not full service).

The downside is this is a very HCOL area. Hard for those without a six-figure income - or at least a high five-figure - to make it, especially in retirement.
 
We bought our house thirty years ago. It’s all we wanted, huge rooms, Georgian décor, massive gardens.
The best thing is, we know the neighbourhood well. Have excellent relationships with the locals, shopkeepers (known for years), local church, hairdressers, candlestick maker!

It’s green and a very low crime rate. Easy access to London (less than an hour’s drive). What's not to love :)
 
We used to live in a small town. Now I live in a damn suburb, and I didn’t move an inch. It’s altogether too people-y around here. But the daughter and grandkids live here and my friends are here, so here I’ll stay.
 
In addition to my first response about taking a right turn, if God wanted me to be cold, I would still live in the UP. Given this morning's temperature (27F) I'm wondering if God did want me to be cold.

OTOH, the temp in my hometown this morning is a blistering 4F...
 
We have the best of both worlds...acreage near everything. Built the house in the 80's - no need for "walk scores"...all we have to do is walk around our driveway...lol. Best of all we love the warmth so we have short mild winters (compared to the long brutal ones I remember in Ohio.) Enjoying every day - like I sincerely hope you are where you reside.
 
I like low density populations. My small town isn't even an actual town. I guess it's call unincorporated. But there is a part time post office. There is no stop light, the highway has a 45 mile slow down through the center. In fact, "the center" is all there is. We have an elementary school, fire station, search rescue, gas station, and just this last year a Dollar General, which really puts us in the big time. And my house is 4 miles from all that hustle and bustle.
 
We moved asap when DH left work. We're into our 6th year here and still loving it! We're in a small town just outside of Portland ME - close to everything - just blocks away!! It was what we could afford at the time and as close to the coast as we could get. The best Neurological Group with several specialists is now 20 minutes away vs the 2 hr. drive for one, where we lived previously. That is a huge plus! We're across from the park side of a college, so pretty quiet and neighbors are terrific. We are so very lucky! Also have our name on a couple of CCRC wait lists - just in case.
 
Myquest55 said:
We've moved 8 times since 1979 - always a challenge but I never minded. I loved new places and friends - we know people everywhere! We encouraged our boys to go where there is work. They have been successful but are scattered and we left them all behind to settle in our dream place! No regrets.
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i can see the appeal if one had been stuck living in one place too long but growing up a navy brat, I don’t know what that’s like. For me, the only way left to experience something new is to stay put. Willie said it best.

 
Youngster said:
Why do you live in the town you live in?
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Moved here when retiring to be near grandkids, amongst other reasons.
Youngster said:
what keeps you there?
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Momentum, or the lack there of. Don't want to move again.

Nice place, a small town rural area, but very close to the basic services we need. Just too damned cold! And too far from the saltwater for me.
 


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