ISO Retirement Garden of Eden, snakes optional.

July 22, 2005 4:06 PM

My wife and I are both 59, hoping to retire at 62 if I don't get laid off before then. We live in the L.A. area which really isn't as bad as we'd feared -- then again, we're not into the studio/entertainment industry, so we tend to run across "regular" people. But the housing costs are going to kill us when we retire ("half the income, twice the spouse") so we want to cash out our equity and move....... but where? She's into crafts, I'm into music (bluegrass, play banjo). We're not afraid of the cold, or at least weren't 10 years ago when we moved from Cincinnati. Basically we want to buy a house for cash, be comfortable financially and otherwise and do something interesting and rewarding until we croak. Beats us, hope it doesn't stump the MetaFilter posse. /john

Extra credit: We have a slightly retarded daughter, age 24, who is in a group home and doing extremely well. If we'd won the lottery we'd buy something not too far out of town so we could be within driving distance of her. But if we leave the state we'll need to take her with us and that means finding a state where governmental and volunteer resources provide an extremely rich environment for her to live her life. She has that now in California, but where else might it exist?

posted by banjomensch to Home & Garden (38 answers total)

East Coast? I'm looking into N Carolina if you can deal w/ hurricanes. Very inexpensive homes out there, mild climate.. although I'm not sure about local culture yet.
posted by vaportrail at 4:48 PM on July 22, 2005

What about the Baja California?
posted by geoff. at 4:51 PM on July 22, 2005

How about the Ozarks?
posted by sourwookie at 4:56 PM on July 22, 2005

Any small to medium-sized town with a large university. Many student amenities - arts/culture, cheap beer, resale shops, food co-ops, research hospital - suit the needs of retirees also.
posted by klarck at 5:18 PM on July 22, 2005

What type of environment are you looking for? Urban? Suburban? Small Town?
posted by malp at 5:20 PM on July 22, 2005

Pittsburgh. Allegheny County is the second "oldest" county in the country, has some of the best hospitals in the world, and is littered with cheap houses. The cost of living here is next to nothing and since you're a bit older, the complete lack of 20-30 somethings who aren't in college shouldn't bother you too much. According to an article in the latest issue of The Atlantic (July/August), Pittsburgh has some of the most undervalued property in the country.

There is a great arts, theatre, and music culture here without being outrageously priced, there are pockets of ethnicities for your dining needs, and, despite the chilly winters (though Cincy is probably just as bad), it's got a pretty comfortable climate for eight months of the year. (Jan-March, July-Aug are tough).
posted by SeizeTheDay at 5:26 PM on July 22, 2005

For bluegrass and crafts, the Nashville area is nice and is only a tiny bit like the cliches that probably come to mind (if you stay away from the tourists, which is easy to do). The cost of living is relatively low -- and can be really low if you live outside of the city. It's pretty pleasant here.

Seems like the group home requirement might be the hardest for you to satisfy. I don't know what they're like in or around Nashville, but my wife's stint as a special ed teacher here leads me to guess they probably range from tolerable to awful (with most falling in the awful range). I think I remember hearing that Hawaii has some of the best accomodations for children with special needs in the US, and I imagine that goes for adults as well.
posted by nixxon at 5:38 PM on July 22, 2005

If you are really unafraid of the cold, Duluth MN is nice. A medium sized city. A good music community, decent crafting community, MN is not bad and Duluth is good in regards to the DD community (I am the Director of a home within a larger non-profit company that serves this population), housing is non insane yet. plenty of Outdoor type things to do... and the Lake... Moved here 12 years ago with the intention of being here for 6 months to a year, haven't moved yet. Further specific details may be had by dropping me a line.
posted by edgeways at 6:31 PM on July 22, 2005

A world away from LA and certainly very different in both good and bad ways, but how about Mountain View, Arkansas? You could play banjo just about every night in the town square during the spring, summer, and fall.
posted by jenh at 6:44 PM on July 22, 2005

Echoing sourwookie, central Missouri is nice. Columbia is the hub. I lived there for four years in college. It's cheap, relatively liberal for the midwest, has a major medical center along with all the associated care facilities, and has won numbeous quality of life awards.

Lots of bluegrass, too.
posted by nyterrant at 6:48 PM on July 22, 2005

if you live in the mountains, you don't have to worry about hurricanes in north carolina ... my mother and father retired near asheville ... and it's lovely there, too

i'm not sure about programs for the mentally retarded but their programs for the autistic are nationally followed
posted by pyramid termite at 6:56 PM on July 22, 2005

Along the lines of what klarck said, you could consider Knoxville, Tennessee: crafts and bluegrass galore, mild weather (not enough snow to justify the expense of all the equipment to live with it, so the city pretty much shuts down one or two days a year), low cost of living, no state income tax (state/local taxes are about 9.25%, though), Asheville, Nashville and Atlanta are each about 3.5 hours away, I get the impression we have better race relations than Cincinnati, the Smoky Mountains are great, and the people are really nice. And there's some football, too.

On the bad side of things: we're in a polluted valley, so you'll likely end up with allergies at some point, and there's a lot of sprawl to contend with if you prefer to live in a newly built Mcmansion, or want to do anything near campus on a football Saturday.

I can't speak to the situation with your daughter, though. I just don't know enough about those sorts of resources.

On preview: nixxon's suggestion might be the way to go, especially if you think you'd have problems adjusting to a smaller city like Knoxville.
posted by kimota at 7:00 PM on July 22, 2005

I'm a student at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, which has recently become a popular place to retire to. Personality-wise, Lawrence is the liberal stronghold of Kansas, a college town with a great arts community, has a small-town feel with big-city conveniences, and has a bazillion really yummy restaurants. Check out lawrence.com for listings of pretty much everything going on in town (complete with plenty of bluegrass). The city website has some statistics on climate, economics, etc.
posted by katieinshoes at 7:04 PM on July 22, 2005

Absolutely look at Asheville, NC. I can't speak to the special needs services, but it's huge for both bluegrass and artsy culture.
posted by Alt F4 at 7:29 PM on July 22, 2005

Louisville, KY. Surprisingly liberal! Way crafty! Eccentric! Fun! Interesting Food!

I pay less than half of my old SF rent for a three bedroom house 5 minutes from downtown, on an acre of land.

Failing that, try Eugene.
posted by cior at 7:52 PM on July 22, 2005

I was going to suggest maybe Asheville, NC, or Charlottesville, VA. Smaller, but interesting and cultured.
posted by john m at 7:53 PM on July 22, 2005

I read the FPP and immediately thought Asheville. I see I'm not the only one. Boone (also in NC, and home to Appalachian State University) would be worth a look too. If you want to go really rural, you can't beat Galax, VA, home of the National Fiddler's Convention (and my mother's birthplace).
posted by MrMoonPie at 8:08 PM on July 22, 2005

Actually, Baja California is not such a bad idea. I have a relative retiring down there, near Rosarito, who just bought a place right on the ocean for cheap. There is a growing number of Americans living down there and even some that commute daily to San Diego.

It would still be a fairly short drive to see your daughter.
posted by jonah at 8:25 PM on July 22, 2005

Nashville suburbs was going to be my suggestion, too, until I read paragraph two. TN has legendarily bad public healthcare, as do most of the Southern states.
posted by ikkyu2 at 10:04 PM on July 22, 2005

Asheville.

Actually, much of NC would probably fit your requirements.
posted by konolia at 10:12 PM on July 22, 2005

NC is what first came to mind, especially the area around
Penland School of Crafts.
posted by 6:1 at 11:17 PM on July 22, 2005

I am going to New Zealand in December, to scout the possibilities of moving there in a couple of years myself....
posted by growabrain at 1:21 AM on July 23, 2005

Maybe Austin, Eugene, Ann Arbor, Portland OR, Berkshires in western MA? I'm thinking college towns, medium-sized cities known for culture, semi-rural areas with strong creative communities. I'd also factor in those states that believe in providing facilities and services for people such as your daughter.
posted by rob511 at 4:10 AM on July 23, 2005

I'm glad someone mentioned my hometown, Louisville, as Kentucky has gotten a bit of a beating on Metafilter lately. I'm pretty sure you can still get a home in the Highlands (the downtownish, culturish neighborhood) for low 100s. Restaurants and live theatre in Louisville is top-notch. Weather can be rough, as summers are quite hot and winters can be soggy. If you have allergies the Ohio Valley is supposed to be bad, too. But there is a great mix of cultures there, low cost of living, and I think the professional bluegrass community has their annual awards show there at the Palace Theatre. I see it was IBMA had their awards show there in 2004. I couldn't guess about your daughter's needs, other than to say there are around 1 million people in the Louisville area, so there may be a range of options.

Ann Arbor, where I live now, has many cultural pluses. I do believe there are people around who play bluegrass (I mostly follow the bluegrass happenings in Kentucky on WMMT). I'm guessing the DD facilities here are good, as there are several non-hospital care facilities here that are good. The UM hospital is excellent, as well. Housing prices here are inflated, supposedly some of the highest in the Midwest. I believe a house in Ann Arbor starts at 275 or so. I actually live in the city next door, Ypsilanti, where houses can still be had for 175 easily.

My aunt works as a social worker with the developmentally disabled community in Springfield, OH. Yellow Springs is a way-liberal college town next door. My aunt's role is to help the developmentally disabled adult live on his or her own. She is excellent at her job, but I don't know what the system is like that she works in. I'd maybe consider moving to Yellow Springs and I really like the big city amenities (restaurants and culture). I think the housing values there and in the surrounding rural towns are VERY low.
posted by Slothrop at 5:08 AM on July 23, 2005

I live in Portland, Maine, which is great. Tons of restaurants, ocean, lakes, mountains, etc. In-town homes can be sort of expensive (not on California terms though!) but immediately out of town you can still buy a nice single-family for well under 200k. I'm not sure about the group home situation but there are a lot of nonprofits and social worker-types here, which makes me imagine the social services are good. Lots of bluegrass bands too.
posted by miss tea at 7:29 AM on July 23, 2005

Staunton, Virginia.
posted by Dick Paris at 9:26 AM on July 23, 2005

Slothrop--just 45 miles down the road from you--I second Ann Arbor (expensive housing for industrial midwest)--they also have excellent MR/DD services--Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota and Wisconson all have a rich array of MR/DD services and university environments--Madison, Minneapolis/St Paul, Ann Arbor, Oberlin, Cincinnati, and the list goes--I am retiring next year and will be moving to the UK &/or Ireland for a while--good luck in cashing out your home and finding a place close to your daughter
posted by rmhsinc at 9:39 AM on July 23, 2005

Move to the Ozarks--cheap housing, lots of bluegrass, stunning natural beauty, lots of rednecks--but some cool people too. You could buy a nice house in my town (Carthage, Missouri) for $100,000, or a restored Victorian palace for twice that.
posted by LarryC at 9:58 AM on July 23, 2005

Rural Washington State has the most regressive tax structure in the U.S. (good for retirees, bad for the rest of us.)

We have the most varied climate, geology and geography in the US and just about the most moderate climate anywhere. There are dark winters (we're north) which would make visiting south more fun.

The cheapest retirement real estate and the greatest income split is near the Columbia River mouth on the Long Beach Peninsula. There are lot's of equally good areas, but many have real estate booms going on, which the Long Beach area doesn't.

One happy side effect of living on the coast is you eat lots of seafood and the gentle misty weather means people don't turn into wrinkly things. The unlined faces of the elders are disorienting because lots of them look way younger than their age.

Astoria is just across the river (no sales tax) and is a small college town. Portland is about an hour away and Seattle is three hours away. Plus you get to live near Matt.
posted by warbaby at 10:13 AM on July 23, 2005

Response by poster: Wow, you guys are great! Never been to Asheville (cue Hoyt Axton), but have been many times to Louisville and echo its advantages. But muggy weather is yuck. Are there muggy-weather stats somewhere? Portland, Maine is a possibility--brother lives in Bangor area. Sister lives in Grand Rapids, not a huge drive from Ann Arbor.

Great stuff, all!

/john
posted by banjomensch at 10:30 AM on July 23, 2005

I'll put in a plug for my home state of Minnesota. The housing market in the primary metro area (Minneapolis/St. Paul) is a little high now (though it might look ridiculously affordable to California eyes) but there is a lot of pastoral splendor within comfortable driving distance of the metro where the housing costs are exceptionally affordable. Minnesota has excellent non-profit and government resources for special needs. The Twin Cities metro in particular and the state as a whole have a vibrant arts and music community. Tons of metro parks and green spaces, state parks, easy access to Canada, crafts heaven. I love living here and can't imagine living anywhere else - and my childhood was spent in California where most of my extended family still live.

And yeah, the winters build some serious character and we usually get a fairly nasty spell of ugly humid heat in the summer. And we got some tornados. Still, it may be worth including in your research.
posted by nanojath at 11:22 AM on July 23, 2005

This may sound sort of weird but the Vermont/New Hampshire border area -- if you truly don't mind winter -- can fit some of the bill. New Hampshire has darned near nothing in terms of taxes [good for buying houses, good for keeping your money] and in more rural areas real estate is inexpensive. Across the border is Vermont with good social services and a very thriving craft-y culture. The Dartmouth area is good for both, though you'd have to be somewhat outside of it to afford a place to live, but it would be fun for driving in to for cultural events. Western MA and Eastern NY both have good bluegrass scenes [there is some in Vermont too, just smallish like a lot of things here] and they're less than half a day's drive away.

In short, I think the NC area is a better bet, but wanted to put in a pitch for the Portland/Hanover/White River area up here.
posted by jessamyn at 11:35 AM on July 23, 2005

Maybe Maine or Vermont: without any actual information to back this up, I would still wonder at the quality of group homes in our tax-free haven of New Hampshire. Back home in Rhode Island, there is a lot of support.
posted by yerfatma at 11:48 AM on July 23, 2005

Response by poster: I forgot to ask everybody about muggy summers. Did muggy in Cincinnati. Don't like muggy. (Don't like this heat either, but really hate muggy.)

Does NC get muggy up in the Asheville part of the state?

MetaFilter=best $5 I ever spent -- thanks to everybody!
posted by banjomensch at 5:18 PM on July 23, 2005

Response by poster: Just realized I DID ask about muggy weather. Sorry about that. Duh.
posted by banjomensch at 5:20 PM on July 23, 2005

you want to be in the mountains of north carolina.
posted by glenwood at 6:30 PM on July 23, 2005

I'd second Lawrence, KS (the Winfield bluegrass festival isn't that far away, and the arts community is great), but summers here are some shit...
posted by hototogisu at 6:58 PM on July 23, 2005

Move to New Zealand - great climate (whatever you want), better standard of living, likely to be virtually unaffected ever by terrorism or global warming.
posted by wilful at 9:43 PM on July 24, 2005