What's your ideal retirement location?

[Bill from NYC]

10 hours ago, The BLUES Brothers said:

Quick caution on the "follow your kids" motto...We were looking to move to be closer to our son, and his newlywed bride.  They ended up taking new jobs 2 hours from there, so good thing we didn't make the move (yet).  We will look into it again, if/when we're blessed for grandkids to come into play, and looking forward to it.

 

As for snowbird locations, more and more are considering AZ area, and after seeing Sedona and other areas, i can see why.

You are so right! My daughter went to college in Hanover, NH. I had recently retired and was offered a good job there, which I turned down. Well, from there she went to law school in Philly, and moved to VA for 10 years. She moved out to Long Island fairly recently and I am beyond thrilled to have her back.

 

In the "old days," people didn't venture far from where we grew up. The exception was the "hip" kids who moved out to California in search of some sort of bliss. Now, kids frequently change jobs and move all over the place. Chasing them can go bad in a hurry.

[SinceThe70s]

2 hours ago, Augie said:

 

We sold our last house 4 doors up the street to a couple from Florida. Their daughter had just had twins with serious birth defects that would require multiple surgeries and round the clock care. They needed to be closer to help.  Months later the daughter’s husband decides they want to be closer to their lake house, so they moved more than an hour away. They tolerate the SIL only because the daughter married him, and she’s the breadwinner. Go figure. 🤷‍♂️

 

Tangent here! We want to travel on Christmas Day rather than sit home alone looking at each other. The son and his family will be in Florida, and it’s depressing to have nothing going on. We’ve considered a number of possible locations, but I’m curious what others might suggest. I haven’t been out west much other than several trips to California (mostly wine country and the general San Francisco coastal areas) and a couple trips to Las Vegas. Anything people would recommend? We’re not really beach people, and it will be winter. I have no desire to ever ski again, so….what to do? Anyone have suggestions? The mention of Sedona and AZ made me curious. 

 

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Hey @Augie - out of the places I've been to in the States, the southwest is my favorite. I've been out there a few times and there is still so much I've never seen. We had an amazing Arizona/Utah trip planned that got scuttled by Covid and it will always bother me. The only time I saw Sedona was on a drive by on our way from Phoenix to Flagstaff in the early 90's and it was equal parts unexpected and stunning.  If you decide to visit the area look into Antelope Canyon, I've never been but a co-worker did and had great things to say about it.

[Augie]

3 minutes ago, SinceThe70s said:

 

Hey @Augie - out of the places I've been to in the States, the southwest is my favorite. I've been out there a few times and there is still so much I've never seen. We had an amazing Arizona/Utah trip planned that got scuttled by Covid and it will always bother me. The only time I saw Sedona was on a drive by on our way from Phoenix to Flagstaff in the early 90's and it was equal parts unexpected and stunning.  If you decide to visit the area look into Antelope Canyon, I've never been but a co-worker did and had great things to say about it.

 

You reminded me that we flew into Salt Lake City on the way to Park City once, and it was beautiful! 

 

I generally don’t like the brown of desert, but I’ve also seen some beautiful stuff too, so I don’t think I know enough to have an informed opinion yet. I’d like to fix that.

 

If you’re not lay on the beach people or skiers, what do you do around Christmas? I think we may look into learning more about the SW. Hawaii is another option, but it’s a 10 hour flight if you go direct from Atlanta, and we’d probably end up with a layover. That’s a haul! We can get to Europe a lot faster. 

[Joe Ferguson forever]

One thing we thought about when deciding to stay put were the seasons.  We really like to see them change, especially the spring and fall.  We have a relatively short winter averaging about 10 inches of snow.  I had to salt and clear the driveway twice last winter.  No big deal when you're from WNY.  pretty certain we wouldn't enjoy a 2 season area.  And I always remember the advice of a good fishing buddy:  "Don't leave fish to find fish".

Edited July 13 by Joe Ferguson forever

[SinceThe70s]

14 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

You reminded me that we flew into Salt Lake City on the way to Park City once, and it was beautiful! 

 

I generally don’t like the brown of desert, but I’ve also seen some beautiful stuff too, so I don’t think I know enough to have an informed opinion yet. I’d like to fix that.

 

If you’re not lay on the beach people or skiers, what do you do around Christmas? I think we may look into learning more about the SW. Hawaii is another option, but it’s a 10 hour flight if you go direct from Atlanta, and we’d probably end up with a layover. That’s a haul! We can get to Europe a lot faster. 

 

I hear ya about the brown of the desert - and there's a lot of it -  but the southwest is so much more than that. I think the sweet spot might be southern Utah, northern Arizona. Plus I assume you won't get the oppressive heat around Xmas (it's a dry heat my @ss, it's still freaking hot as hell!). 

[Augie]

2 minutes ago, SinceThe70s said:

 

I hear ya about the brown of the desert - and there's a lot of it -  but the southwest is so much more than that. I think the sweet spot might be southern Utah, northern Arizona. Plus I assume you won't get the oppressive heat around Xmas (it's a dry heat my @ss, it's still freaking hot as hell!). 

 

It was the first time we went to Las Vegas and we were staying at Caesar's Palace. My wife gets up early, so she got to enjoy the pools a bit. I had shorter visits, because by about 10:30am it was unbearable! It was hitting 105-110 degrees during that stay, and with 6% humidity it felt like I was sticking my head in the oven to check the Thanksgiving turkey! I caught myself actually holding my breath walking down the strip because there was a hotel mister coming up on the sidewalk. Not my idea of fun. 

[SinceThe70s]

23 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

It was the first time we went to Las Vegas and we were staying at Caesar's Palace. My wife gets up early, so she got to enjoy the pools a bit. I had shorter visits, because by about 10:30am it was unbearable! It was hitting 105-110 degrees during that stay, and with 6% humidity it felt like I was sticking my head in the oven to check the Thanksgiving turkey! I caught myself actually holding my breath walking down the strip because there was a hotel mister coming up on the sidewalk. Not my idea of fun. 

 

We flew into and out of Vegas on a trip to the southwest a number of years ago so we bookended a day in Vegas on both ends. I remember walking outside at one point and my eyes hurt from the heat and sun - and yeah I think that was in the morning.

[PromoTheRobot]

Wife and I love Southern NH but 6 months of winter bites. We vacation near Wilmington, NC every year and thought about landing there eventually.

[Joe Ferguson forever]

1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Wife and I love Southern NH but 6 months of winter bites. We vacation near Wilmington, NC every year and thought about landing there eventually.

Wilmington is very nice.  I interviewed there a few years back.  The retirement communities are cookie cutter though.  Houses were relatively expensive back then..  If I were to move there I'd look at places near Kure or Carolina beach.  Kure is particularly nice.

Edited July 14 by Joe Ferguson forever

[PromoTheRobot]

8 minutes ago, Joe Ferguson forever said:

Wilmington is very nice.  I interviewed there a few years back.  The retirement communities are cookie cutter though.  Houses were relatively expensive back then..  If I were to move there I'd look at places near Kure or Carolina beach.  Kure is particularly nice.

 

We always get a condo in Carolina Beach or Kure Beach. Love that area but homes are $700K+ inland. Wilmington housing was averaging around $250k A few years back. Now it's $300-325K. More but still reasonable.

 

And their airport (ILM) has been exploding with new non-stop routes. I can now fly non-stop from either Boston Logan or Manchester to Wilmington. Daughter lives in Chicago and I can fly non-stop there as well.

Edited July 14 by PromoTheRobot

[Joe Ferguson forever]

1 minute ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

We always get a condo in Carolina Beach or Kure Beach. Love that area but homes are $700K+ inland. Wilmington housing was averaging around $250k A few years back. Now it's $300-325K. More but still reasonable.

We go to Kure every Thanksgiving and meet my niece (from Roch) amd her family.  It's heaven and there are few people there.  It goes nuts in the summer.

 

I was thinking of the part of Wilmington near Pleasure Island.  Close enough to get to the beach quickly.  They have a strong hospital system which is a plus.  The condos on Kure aren't badly priced but they're usually pretty small.

[PromoTheRobot]

4 minutes ago, Joe Ferguson forever said:

We go to Kure every Thanksgiving and meet my niece (from Roch) amd her family.  It's heaven and there are few people there.  It goes nuts in the summer.

 

I was thinking of the part of Wilmington near Pleasure Island.  Close enough to get to the beach quickly.  They have a strong hospital system which is a plus.  The condos on Kure aren't badly priced but they're usually pretty small.

 

We have dogs, who like to bark, so a condo won't work. A small house with a yard is ideal. There are some spots along Pleasure Island where the beach erosion is getting awfully close to the condos. The last condo development in Kure before the ferry is one.

Edited July 14 by PromoTheRobot

[DaVinci]

On 7/10/2025 at 2:52 PM, Augie said:

Mars can get quite chilly as well, so pack accordingly for your visit! 

Mars aint the kind of place to raise you're kids

[Simon]

7 hours ago, Augie said:

I generally don’t like the brown of desert...

 

The mention of Sedona and AZ made me curious. 

 

It's not as brown and desert-like as you think it will be.

Some shots from around Sedona a couple winters ago:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, DaVinci said:

Mars aint the kind of place to raise you're kids

 

 

[Joe Ferguson forever]

12 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

And their airport (ILM) has been exploding with new non-stop routes. I can now fly non-stop from either Boston Logan or Manchester to Wilmington. Daughter lives in Chicago and I can fly non-stop there as well.

We drive there but the airport is a big plus.  After the crash in 2008, there were a ton of foreclosed properties.  looked at the top half of a beachfront house for $350k.  Probably should have bit but we didn't want to worry about maintenance and hurricanes .  It's been hit hard a few times.  But that place is now worth well over 1 million....

 

[SoTier]

15 hours ago, Bill from NYC said:

You are so right! My daughter went to college in Hanover, NH. I had recently retired and was offered a good job there, which I turned down. Well, from there she went to law school in Philly, and moved to VA for 10 years. She moved out to Long Island fairly recently and I am beyond thrilled to have her back.

 

In the "old days," people didn't venture far from where we grew up. The exception was the "hip" kids who moved out to California in search of some sort of bliss. Now, kids frequently change jobs and move all over the place. Chasing them can go bad in a hurry.

 

A lot of people considering moving closer to their children and grandchildren in retirement don't realize how frequently today's younger people move ... or that grandchildren grow up a lot faster than they expect and too soon become too busy or disinterested in visiting grandma and/or grandpa frequently.   Many people also miss the long-time friends they left behind.

 

Another thing to keep in mind for people considering moving after retirement is that people are living much longer than ever after they retire.   I believe the life expectancy for people once they reach 60 is about 30 more years.   Places that seem ideal today may change drastically in 20+ years.   I've had a couple of friends who moved to places in Florida that were small town backwaters years ago that have been overwhelmed by development, so they moved back to WNY.

 

 

 

[PromoTheRobot]

3 hours ago, Joe Ferguson forever said:

We drive there but the airport is a big plus.  After the crash in 2008, there were a ton of foreclosed properties.  looked at the top half of a beachfront house for $350k.  Probably should have bit but we didn't want to worry about maintenance and hurricanes .  It's been hit hard a few times.  But that place is now worth well over 1 million....

 

 

Same here. The condo I'm renting this year I could have owned for $180K about 15 years ago. 

[Fr. Jerk]

I ain't ever leaving the block, ya dig?

[Orlando Buffalo]

I will add one thought of warning, if you move to FL, which has many great attributes, I recommend the ability to have a pool during the summer or mainly travel during the summer. It has been 90+ degrees for like a month straight and even I am going nuts on having to finish my walk by 8 am each day.

[teef]

On 7/10/2025 at 6:03 PM, Augie said:

 

We are assuming our son will be on the west coast of FL in a few years, and we will need at least a small place there. I’m adding some time before the opener this year to take my wife to Watkins Glen and Niagara on the Lake. She’s only been to WNY for quick in & out trips, so we’ve never enjoyed much of what there is to offer. It’s a trial balloon at this point, because WNY summers/falls and FL winters are not a terrible combo. 

 

I’d like to make exploring a regular thing before the opener every year and see if the area grabs her/us. One very found memory as a kid was going to the Thousand Islands. I was young, but it made a cool impression. Maybe that’s for next year before the opener. It’s not quite time to decide about our long term plans, but we are close enough to think seriously. 

 

.

the thousand islands and niagara on the lake are great attractions this time of the year.  the finger lakes alone make the trip worth it.   my kids are 10 and 7, so i'm not going anywhere for a while.  my stick more is that if the real estate in florida drops enough, i might have to consider where to buy something just to get started.  i just have no idea where.