Where Should I Retire...?

[Aqua Buddha 14107]

Some background, first.  We’re in our early 50’s and looking to retire in the next 8-10 years.  No kids so we don’t have to chase grandkids around the country to watch them play soccer games or something in a generic suburb. 

 

Preferences:

• Big city but too big, if that makes sense.  No small towns or mid-sized towns unless they’re within 30 minutes of an actual city.
• Good airport
• Things to do on a random weekday.  A raison d'etre for a city, if you will. 
• A relatively outdoorsy place.  By that I mean, we like outdoorsy stuff but no camping. 
• A workable tax rate.  We’re not going to slavishly chase a low rate but it does matter.
• Politics, both state and city.  Prefer left leaning.  (This exempts the South and Texas.)
  • We are moderates.  We like open minded people but not like walking through homeless encampments.
• Relatively good weather.  (This exempts the South and Texas.)
• House budget -- $1.5M to $2.5M
  • House preferably in a relatively walkable (or short drive) neighborhood close to shopping, dining, etc.

 

A few places that we’ve narrowed it down to, in no particular order.

 

Phoenix/Scottsdale

• Lots of outdoor stuff (hiking, biking, golf, etc.)
  • Fairly extensive trail system in the city along with some hiking.
• Great airport
• Solid food scene
• Weather*
  • *Yes, a blast furnace in the summer.  However, it seems from about mid-September to mid-May, it’s fairly nice.  (Is that accurate?)
  • We know someone there and they said during the summer, they just know to wake up early, do things in the morning, nap/hunker down in the afternoon, and go out at night.
  • We could also decamp in the summer to an AirBnb in La Jolla or someplace.
• We’d look at South Scottsdale.  North Scottsdale looks like a moonscape and is full of olds.
• The politics outside of Phoenix are insane but Phoenix metro is enough to keep them in check.

 

Denver

• Lots of outdoor stuff but not much golf, which isn’t a deal breaker.  (I like golf but I’m not playing 3-5 times per week.)
• Great airport
• Solid food scene
• Weather:
  • Not as cold as people think.  Yes, it snows in the winter but there are also a lot of sunny 50 degree days.  Summers are nice and even if hot, it’s dry.
• Seemingly good food scene
• Party train to the slopes on a Friday or something.
• We’d look at Cherry Creek.  Downtown/Union Station area seemed nice last time I was there but that was 2019 and I’ve heard it went to shit after Covid.
• Workable politics all around.

 

Nashville/Franklin

• Surprisingly little outdoor stuff to do.  No real trail system to speak of
• Good but not great airport.  Directs to most everywhere in the Central and Eastern time zones.  Airport is at least close to the city, unlike Denver.
• Great food scene.
• Great entertainment scene.  Lots of shows at all levels.
• Weather:
  • Temperate but at this point that means you’re not outside for two months in the summer and two months in the winter.  At least Phoenix has the 4 months all in a row.
• We’d look at The Gulch, 12 South, or downtown Franklin
• Politics are largely in insane, both at the state and city level.  Nashville, unlike Phoenix, is not big enough to balance out the rural parts of the state.

 

Northwest Arkansas

• We live there now.  (Also, some on this board have ties to there.)
• Serviceable airport.  It’s small but AA has directs to every major AA hub.
• Below average food scene
• Very below average entertainment scene.
• Great outdoor activities 9-10 months per year, weather permitting.
• Weather
  • See Nashville
• We know where we’d look.
  • Those areas are the same price points as the other cities and neighborhoods mentioned.
• Politics are insane at every level unless you’re in a very specific blue bubble. 

 

What are the thoughts from this august body on either the options above or if I’m missing anywhere?

[Firemans4Horn 17004]

Central Oregon

outside of Seattle

Portugal

Asheville, NC

nevada side of Lake Tahoe

[SimonBolivar 10673]

My real answer is Montevideo but out of your choices it would have to be Denver for me.

[Aqua Buddha 14107]

2 minutes ago, Firemans4Horn said:

Central Oregon

outside of Seattle

Portugal

Asheville, NC

nevada side of Lake Tahoe

Central Oregon and Asheville are too small.  The wife really likes Portland but we've never been to Central Oregon.  We really like Asheville but again, too small.  Relatively good weather, food scene, and outdoorsy, though.  Small airport, too.

Would like to keep in the US.  Sorry about that.

[Ollie Slatt 289]

Out of those choices, Denver would be the easy choice for me.  But if you already like where you live and have built a community, I would consider investing in a less expensive second home where you can spend the few months per year when the weather is bad in Arkansas. 

Santa Fe/Albuquerque could also be an option.  Boise is worth looking at.  Lot of good candidates in California if you can stomach the taxes.  

[SimonBolivar 10673]

6 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

 The wife really likes Portland but we've never been to Central Oregon. 

Vancouver WA might be worth a look if you consider PNW weather to be good weather.

[LCHorn 2529]

12 minutes ago, SimonBolivar said:

My real answer is Montevideo but out of your choices it would have to be Denver for me.

Haha, I just had a client who raved about Montevideo.  All of the charms of Buenos Aires and the government isn’t nuts. 
 

As far as the OP, if I didn’t have little kids I’d live in San Diego or Coronado Island.  The only places with better weather have other trade-offs (and there aren’t many).

[South Austin 51564]

I'd add the Raleigh-Durham area to the list and research it more.  North Carolina as a whole is purple-ish right now, I guess, so maybe not as left leaning as you are looking for.  But I don't think it's like Texas or more of the deep south.

Of your list, I'd go with Denver.  I've never spent time there other than landing there on the way to Boulder, Crested Butte, Breckenridge, etc.  But it seems like a great town with lots of cool shit nearby, and I love that state.

[Mo Horn 8696]

35 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I'd add the Raleigh-Durham area to the list and research it more.  North Carolina as a whole is purple-ish right now, I guess, so maybe not as left leaning as you are looking for.  But I don't think it's like Texas or more of the deep south.

Of your list, I'd go with Denver.  I've never spent time there other than landing there on the way to Boulder, Crested Butte, Breckenridge, etc.  But it seems like a great town with lots of cool shit nearby, and I love that state.

I was thinking about that area as well. Maybe Charlotte. It's a major AA hub so flights anywhere. 

Edited July 11 by Mo Horn

[Aqua Buddha 14107]

27 minutes ago, SimonBolivar said:

Vancouver WA might be worth a look if you consider PNW weather to be good weather.

We thought about Seattle and Vancouver.  We LOVE them but don't know if we could handle the six months of drizzle.    Good options, though.

[Aqua Buddha 14107]

14 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I'd add the Raleigh-Durham area to the list and research it more.  North Carolina as a whole is purple-ish right now, I guess, so maybe not as left leaning as you are looking for.  But I don't think it's like Texas or more of the deep south.

Of your list, I'd go with Denver.  I've never spent time there other than landing there on the way to Boulder, Crested Butte, Breckenridge, etc.  But it seems like a great town with lots of cool shit nearby, and I love that state.

Good mention on Raleigh/Durham.  Good university towns and serviceable airport, actually.  Also seems drivable to the mountains (Asheville) and coast (Charleston).

We'll keep that in mind.  Thanks.

[South Austin 51564]

1 minute ago, Aqua Buddha said:

Good mention on Raleigh/Durham.  Good university towns and serviceable airport, actually.  Also seems drivable to the mountains (Asheville) and coast (Charleston).

Charleston, SC is fantastic -- just took my first trip there in June.  But the NC beaches -- Emerald Isle, Topsail, Carolina Beach -- are pretty great.  

The only downside to Raleigh/Durham is, like Austin, no professional sports team for football, basketball, or baseball, if that's important to you.  

[mchookem 15535]

real talk...we obviously retired in Denver. truly love it. winters are a breeze, seriously (especially if retired and don't have to even leave the house on 'those' days lol). Cherry Creek is really nice...but Denver honestly has seemingly no end of fantastic neighborhoods, most of which are full of character and are truly pedestrian/bike friendly. we ride our bikes all over town. there are tons of parks throughout the city. the sunshine tropes are legit.

i will say...it's not cheap. but what nice city is? you get what you pay for. COL is pretty comparable to Austin. the tax differences are negligible... there's a small income tax but that's more than made up for with low property taxes. but things like vehicle insurance and registration are high.

some negatives to be real...grocery game (especially produce) sorely lacking. im a cook so that's a legitimate complaint from me lol. absolutely HORRIBLE drivers - aggressive, impatient, reckless... Austin drivers are bad in a 'lalala im not paying attention' kinda way... here they legitimately seem angry and trying to hurt you. it's got big city problems - traffic, homelessness, drug abuse, an ambivalent/hostile police force... but so did Austin. 

we miss our people/social circle, but otherwise no regrets. 

[blacklab 11818]

1 hour ago, Firemans4Horn said:

nevada side of Lake Tahoe

Very similar to the OP, mid 50's waiting for youngest to get out of school and this is where we are thinking about

[Aqua Buddha 14107]

8 minutes ago, mchookem said:

real talk...we obviously retired in Denver. truly love it. winters are a breeze, seriously (especially if retired and don't have to even leave the house on 'those' days lol). Cherry Creek is really nice...but Denver honestly has seemingly no end of fantastic neighborhoods, most of which are full of character and are truly pedestrian/bike friendly. we ride our bikes all over town. there are tons of parks throughout the city. the sunshine tropes are legit.

i will say...it's not cheap. but what nice city is? you get what you pay for. COL is pretty comparable to Austin. the tax differences are negligible... there's a small income tax but that's more than made up for with low property taxes. but things like vehicle insurance and registration are high.

some negatives to be real...grocery game (especially produce) sorely lacking. im a cook so that's a legitimate complaint from me lol. absolutely HORRIBLE drivers - aggressive, impatient, reckless... Austin drivers are bad in a 'lalala im not paying attention' kinda way... here they legitimately seem angry and trying to hurt you. it's got big city problems - traffic, homelessness, drug abuse, an ambivalent/hostile police force... but so did Austin. 

we miss our people/social circle, but otherwise no regrets. 

Thanks for the perspective.  I was wondering about the bike trails.  Trailforks shows a decent amount of trails so I was wondering.  The rest of the city seems bikeable...?

As far as COL, believe it or now the part of Northwest Arkansas I live in on par with anything in the Central and Mountain Time zones except for a handful of zip codes.  It really blew up here for random reasons.  If I can move lateral or down on COL, I'm fine but to your point, any nice place is going to cost.

[mdmost 42316]

Yeah Denver sounds like the best option. Centrally located. Airport accessible by rail. Not too far by plane to most destinations. You have what 4 National Parks either under or within a day's drive? Red Rocks for great shows if you're into music. 1.5 hours and you're in Rocky Mountain National Park. Other fun cities to explore like Colorado Springs. Big 4 sports. College not far away. Active lifestyle is encouraged.

I have a baseball trip scheduled in August in Denver and will spend 3 days in the area. It will definitely be a scouting trip for a future move as we may look to leave the state after the youngest graduates in 4 years. 

[Shaddie 1628]

Just a thought. 
 

Maybe with your home budget cut that in half and have 2 homes/condos in different cities and you may not risk as much getting bored of a location. If (a big if) home prices stabilize or even continue to rise you sell off place you decide isn’t for you. 
 

 

[mchookem 15535]

yeah there are actual bike trails throughout Denver. i can ride from my house to Cherry Creek state park (about 10 miles) almost exclusively on trails and thru parks... then ride all over the state park and take a dip in the lake to cool off 😊 i kind of love that. i ride downtown, up to the wildlife refuge, all around my hood running errands... i'm pretty sure you could actually ride to Boulder, as you can see the bike trail running along side the highway most of the way there (too far for me lol). on the city streets there are bike routes and lanes pretty much everywhere by design (not just added  later and crammed in). it just really feels like a city with individual neighborhoods designed for people to get outside and be active. 

 

[Ghost of LL 15244]

So Mrs.LL and I have the same preferences, and we've settled on Manhattan, as I'll outline below:

Big city but too big, if that makes sense.  No small towns or mid-sized towns unless they’re within 30 minutes of an actual city. Well, look--it's probably "too big," since you seem to think "too big" is a thing.  I don't share that opinion.  Even in New York or Tokyo or London, you live in your neighborhood, which is big, but not too big.  Nobody lives in New York; they live on the Upper East Side or Brooklyn or West Village.  Nobody lives in London; they live in Chelsea or Tottenham or Arsenal . . . yeah, ok--I'm just naming Premier League teams.  But you take the point.

Good airport: I mean, obviously.  From New York, you can get pretty much anywhere in the world that you might want to go nonstop.  And because it's served by every major international carrier and is a hub for AA, DL, and UA, there is a lot of price competition.  You're not a slave to UA like you are out of Denver or to AA like you would be out of Phoenix.  Illustrating the point, I can fly from New York to London next Friday for less than $400 (or for $2,300 in Business) on any number of airlines.  Try that trick out of Northwest Arkansas.

Things to do on a random weekday.  A raison d'etre for a city, if you will.  I mean, obviously.

A relatively outdoorsy place.  By that I mean, we like outdoorsy stuff but no camping.  I don't think people appreciate how much outdoorsy stuff there is in New York.  Central Park is amazing--you can truly feel out in the wilderness there (and, in a lot of ways, you are).  The beach is right there.  You can go boating.  There are ski resorts that are a two-hour drive away.  I mean, ok--they're not Vail.  But they're the same distance as Denver to Vail. 

A workable tax rate.  We’re not going to slavishly chase a low rate but it does matter.  New York's tax structure kind of works well for retirees.  I mean, I'm not going to tell you it's great.  But I am going to say that as a retiree coming from Texas, you're probably going to find it lower than what you've been used to.

Politics, both state and city.  Prefer left leaning.  (This exempts the South and Texas.)  So New York is liberal, but it likes electing cops and would-be authoritarians (see, e.g., Eric Adams; Rudy Giuliani).  Maybe that goes back to the culture deriving from the original Dutch settlement and the fact that the Dutch West India Company didn't brook any inkling of democracy or sectarianism that would interfere with its mercantilist purpose.  Whatever--it seems like that's what you're describing.

Relatively good weather.  (This exempts the South and Texas.)  I mean, I don't know what you call "good."  New York has four seasons.  Two of them are great.  Winter is cold, but not unbearably so.  It's not Minneapolis.  Summer is hot.  But it's not Houston.  And anyway--that's why you go to the Hamptons.

House budget -- $1.5M to $2.5M.  For what you need as a retiree, I should think that would be plenty for a small apartment in Manhattan.

 

But let me humbly add a couple of other considerations:

Access to healthcare.  Dude--you're going to be old.  You got to get that shit checked out.  And if you have a heart attack, you need to be able to get to a hospital where they can save your life (you hear me, Mike Leach?).  And in New York, you've got some of the best hospitals in the world.

Mobility.  In that same vein, think about a city if you're confined to a wheelchair.  Or even if you're just old and can't walk super easy.  New York may not seem ideal at first glance, but it actually kind of is.  Between taxis and delivery, you can get everything you need with minimal/no walking.  And since the state is so rigorous on enforcing ADA compliance, businesses are really accessible.  It helps too that New York is generally pretty flat (compare with Denver or NW Arkansas).

Good surface transit:  You point out a good airport, but sometimes you don't want to get on a plane.  For some things, you want to get on a train or hop in your car and be there in a couple hours.  And New York offers all of that.  Boston, Philadelphia, Washington--they're all three hours or less away.  The beach is an hour away; skiing is two.

Sports.  I happen to like sports.  Given that we're on a college football message board, I suspect you do, too.  So you want a city that has all four major sports.  I mean, fuck--you're going to be retired.  You can get season tickets to your MLB team and actually go to 81 home games.  What else you gonna do?  And in New York, you have the added benefit of all the international shit that comes to America's first city--the World Cup, the ICC Cricket World Cup, the US Open.

Diversity.  I love the fact that there is a Georgian (Caucasian, not American) restaurant next to a Korean restaurant down in West Village.  Over in Queens, you can get any type of cuisine you can imagine.  And let's be real honest--the best Chinese food in the world isn't in fucking Beijing; it's in New York.

Je ne sais quoi.  And then there's a final factor.  You just want someplace with a sense of "place" to live out your time in this dimension.  Some place that's not generic "America."  There are plenty of places that fit that bill.  New Orleans.  San Francisco.  Miami.  For my money, no place supplies that factor better than New York.

Edited July 11 by Ghost of LL

[EE2B 1560]

I have an aunt and uncle that spend the summers north of the Branson/Springfield area and the winters in Mesa. They have a house in Missouri and own a place in a retirement community right outside mesa. They’ve been doing it for a while now and love it. 

[mchookem 15535]

oh, re: healthcare/ getting old as GoLL rightfully mentioned... we have been more than impressed with the UCHealth system here. Anschutz is a teaching hospital and they are really cutting edge... i've had some heart issues and have been super impressed with the team. one of our friends here was diagnosed with colon cancer back in November and has been getting terrific treatment - cancer is gone six months later. so that's a positive as well.

[Aqua Buddha 14107]

6 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

So Mrs.LL and I have the same preferences, and we've settled on Manhattan, as I'll outline below:

Big city but too big, if that makes sense.  No small towns or mid-sized towns unless they’re within 30 minutes of an actual city. Well, look--it's probably "too big," since you seem to think "too big" is a thing.  I don't share that opinion.  Even in New York or Tokyo or London, you live in your neighborhood, which is big, but not too big.  Nobody lives in New York; they live on the Upper East Side or Brooklyn or West Village.  Nobody lives in London; they live in Chelsea or Tottenham or Arsenal . . . yeah, ok--I'm just naming Premier League teams.  But you take the point.

Good airport: I mean, obviously.  From New York, you can get pretty much anywhere in the world that you might want to go nonstop.  And because it's served by every major international carrier and is a hub for AA, DL, and UA, there is a lot of price competition.  You're not a slave to UA like you are out of Denver or to AA like you would be out of Phoenix.  Illustrating the point, I can fly from New York to London next Friday for less than $400 (or for $2,300 in Business) on any number of airlines.  Try that trick out of Northwest Arkansas.

Things to do on a random weekday.  A raison d'etre for a city, if you will.  I mean, obviously.

A relatively outdoorsy place.  By that I mean, we like outdoorsy stuff but no camping.  I don't think people appreciate how much outdoorsy stuff there is in New York.  Central Park is amazing--you can truly feel out in the wilderness there (and, in a lot of ways, you are).  The beach is right there.  You can go boating.  There are ski resorts that are a two-hour drive away.  I mean, ok--they're not Vail.  But they're the same distance as Denver to Vail. 

A workable tax rate.  We’re not going to slavishly chase a low rate but it does matter.  New York's tax structure kind of works well for retirees.  I mean, I'm not going to tell you it's great.  But I am going to say that as a retiree coming from Texas, you're probably going to find it lower than what you've been used to.

Politics, both state and city.  Prefer left leaning.  (This exempts the South and Texas.)  So New York is liberal, but it likes electing cops and would-be authoritarians (see, e.g., Eric Adams; Rudy Giuliani).  Maybe that goes back to the culture deriving from the original Dutch settlement and the fact that the Dutch West India Company didn't brook any inkling of democracy or sectarianism that would interfere with its mercantilist purpose.  Whatever--it seems like that's what you're describing.

Relatively good weather.  (This exempts the South and Texas.)  I mean, I don't know what you call "good."  New York has four seasons.  Two of them are great.  Winter is cold, but not unbearably so.  It's not Minneapolis.  Summer is hot.  But it's not Houston.  And anyway--that's why you go to the Hamptons.

House budget -- $1.5M to $2.5M.  For what you need as a retiree, I should think that would be plenty for a small apartment in Manhattan.

 

But let me humbly add a couple of other considerations:

Access to healthcare.  Dude--you're going to be old.  You got to get that shit checked out.  And if you have a heart attack, you need to be able to get to a hospital where they can save your life (you hear me, Mike Leach?).  And in New York, you've got some of the best hospitals in the world.

Good surface transit:  You point out a good airport, but sometimes you don't want to get on a plane.  For some things, you want to get on a train or hop in your car and be there in a couple hours.  And New York offers all of that.  Boston, Philadelphia, Washington--they're all three hours or less away.  The beach is an hour away; skiing is two.

Sports.  I happen to like sports.  Given that we're on a college football message board, I suspect you do, too.  So you want a city that has all four major sports.  I mean, fuck--you're going to be retired.  You can get season tickets to your MLB team and actually go to 81 home games.  What else you gonna do?  And in New York, you have the added benefit of all the international shit that comes to America's first city--the World Cup, the ICC Cricket World Cup, the US Open.

Diversity.  I love the fact that there is a Georgian (Caucasian, not American) restaurant next to a Korean restaurant down in West Village.  Over in Queens, you can get any type of cuisine you can imagine.  And let's be real honest--the best Chinese food in the world isn't in fucking Beijing; it's in New York.

Je ne sais quoi.  And then there's a final factor.  You just want someplace with a sense of "place" to live out your time in this dimension.  Some place that's not generic "America."  There are plenty of places that fit that bill.  New Orleans.  San Francisco.  Miami.  For my money, no place supplies that factor better than New York.

I actually really want NYC.  The wife doesn't like "huge" cities, though.  She doesn't like the grit.  She's like "why can't we just fly in there and spend a week at the Mandarin every other month?"  Fair point, I guess.

Also, you are correct on health care.  It's a downside to where we are now.  At least the other cities I threw out are solid options in that regard.  I've been surprised how difficult it is to get specialists in a small/mid sized market.

Thanks for the input, though.

[Ghost of LL 15244]

11 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

I actually really want NYC.  The wife doesn't like "huge" cities, though.  She doesn't like the grit.  She's like "why can't we just fly in there and spend a week at the Mandarin every other month?"  Fair point, I guess.

Also, you are correct on health care.  It's a downside to where we are now.  At least the other cities I threw out are solid options in that regard.  I've been surprised how difficult it is to get specialists in a small/mid sized market.

Thanks for the input, though.

And I mean, as an added benefit you'd get me as a neighbor if you moved to New York.  Right?

 

 

Yeah--you're exactly right about the specialists.  I've been surprised how hard it is to get a doctor on some things here in Austin.  For a lot of things, there are just one or two doctors.  And with the present political environment, that's not improving (particularly for people like Mrs.LL, who are going to need medical care for things of a feminine nature).

[Updawg 2245]

College station. Close to Houston. Aggy entertainment

[Pato del Muerto 52035]

1 hour ago, Aqua Buddha said:

We thought about Seattle and Vancouver.  We LOVE them but don't know if we could handle the six months of drizzle.    Good options, though.

It’s not that. Not even close. My experience is just over a year here.  But the trend from climate change is Seattle is getting dryer and warmer.  No idea how housing will go over the next decade, but your budget would probably get you something in Bellevue.   Taxes- no state income tax if you plan on a little retirement gig.  Property tax is around 1% in most areas. Mine is 0.78 but we are out in Snohomish county.  Sales tax is a little higher than in Texas. 

[Js1 82948]

1 hour ago, mchookem said:

absolutely HORRIBLE drivers - aggressive, impatient, reckless... Austin drivers are bad in a 'lalala im not paying attention' kinda way... here they legitimately seem angry and trying to hurt you

It’s funny bc growing up in and living in Houston, Denver drives are nothing. I find driving in Denver so chill compared to Houston. It’s just nonstop road rage here. 

[Aqua Buddha 14107]

48 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

And I mean, as an added benefit you'd get me as a neighbor if you moved to New York.  Right?

 

 

Yeah--you're exactly right about the specialists.  I've been surprised how hard it is to get a doctor on some things here in Austin.  For a lot of things, there are just one or two doctors.  And with the present political environment, that's not improving (particularly for people like Mrs.LL, who are going to need medical care for things of a feminine nature).

NYC doesn't get enough attention for a "retirement" spot.  Most of the housing is on one level.  (I hate stairs even now.)  There is no driving and you can have most things delivered if you can't get out.  Great culture, even on a random Tuesday.  Lotta free stuff, too.  Weather not as bad as people think.  Sure, January and February are bad (with some shoulder weather) but overall, it's not Chicago or Minneapolis.  

Good point about the airports, too, but even out of here, I'm in Europe in two stops.  That's why I laugh at all of the Southwest nonsense with 3 and 4 stops.  I'm in rural Arkansas and in Rome with one stop.

[Ghost of LL 15244]

2 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

NYC doesn't get enough attention for a "retirement" spot.  Most of the housing is on one level.  (I hate stairs even now.)  There is no driving and you can have most things delivered if you can't get out.  Great culture, even on a random Tuesday.  Lotta free stuff, too.  Weather not as bad as people think.  Sure, January and February are bad (with some shoulder weather) but overall, it's not Chicago or Minneapolis.

And with global warming, the winter in New York is getting ever more tolerable.  This year, I think it only snowed once.  Last year, not at all.

Summer is not great.  But a guy like me who has always lived in Texas would regard it as altogether (1) not terrible and (2) brief.

[Shaddie 1628]

Be absolutely honest. If money isn’t a concern best city in the western hemisphere is Vancouver BC. 
 

Housing cost are insane but if I win lottery I’m spending 7 months a year there. 

[ajax 2548]

If you want left leaning why would you even consider Franklin? Isn't it the most conservative Nashville suburb?

[Shaddie 1628]

8 minutes ago, Shaddie said:

Be absolutely honest. If money isn’t a concern best city in the western hemisphere is Vancouver BC. 
 

Housing cost are insane but if I win lottery I’m spending 7 months a year there. 

Forgot to mention have spent my entire life in Texas so 345 days of sun ain’t an attraction. 
Also if you’re cold phobic it is close to water so it doesn’t get extremely cold there. 
 

I have 0 ideas on golf courses cause that is just a good walk ruined  

 

[Aqua Buddha 14107]

3 minutes ago, ajax said:

If you want left leaning why would you even consider Franklin? Isn't it the most conservative Nashville suburb?

Yeah, that's where I took points away.  Greater Nashville isn't enough to move the needle in TN and to your point, Franklin had the politics of the North Dallas burbs.  We really like downtown Franklin, though, but only that very specific area.  We don't care about some fake gentleman horse ranch outside of town.

[Aqua Buddha 14107]

2 hours ago, Shaddie said:

Just a thought. 
 

Maybe with your home budget cut that in half and have 2 homes/condos in different cities and you may not risk as much getting bored of a location. If (a big if) home prices stabilize or even continue to rise you sell off place you decide isn’t for you. 
 

 

We've thought about that, too.  Split time between here and somewhere else and if that's the case, definitely Phoenix/Scottsdale because of the weather flip.  However, the wife doesn't like the idea of two houses across the country.  "Shit breaks."  She has a point.  Just get a long term AirBnb if that's the case.

[CTC2 2641]

I’m similar to you and except after living my life in Texas I will not live in any state again that is reliably red. Of your list, Denver is the only one I’d live in. 

[Shaddie 1628]

8 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

We've thought about that, too.  Split time between here and somewhere else and if that's the case, definitely Phoenix/Scottsdale because of the weather flip.  However, the wife doesn't like the idea of two houses across the country.  "Shit breaks."  She has a point.  Just get a long term AirBnb if that's the case.

I understand “shit breaks” but with remote monitoring there is no problem you won’t see almost immediately. 
 

Biggest regret of my life is selling house in Cedar Park in 2003 instead of renting it out for a few years. 

[tx 3 putt 75223]

Nashville seems like a hot spot for all the wrong reasons 

Edited July 11 by tx 3 putt

[mdmost 42316]

Nashville just had nazis walking down Broadway. Probably not the best place to put down roots if you're left leaning. 

[tx 3 putt 75223]

7 minutes ago, mdmost said:

Nashville just had nazis walking down Broadway. Probably not the best place to put down roots if you're left leaning. 

or non white/anglo 

[NoRagrets 1120]

3 hours ago, mchookem said:

real talk...we obviously retired in Denver. truly love it. winters are a breeze, seriously (especially if retired and don't have to even leave the house on 'those' days lol). Cherry Creek is really nice...but Denver honestly has seemingly no end of fantastic neighborhoods, most of which are full of character and are truly pedestrian/bike friendly. we ride our bikes all over town. there are tons of parks throughout the city. the sunshine tropes are legit.

i will say...it's not cheap. but what nice city is? you get what you pay for. COL is pretty comparable to Austin. the tax differences are negligible... there's a small income tax but that's more than made up for with low property taxes. but things like vehicle insurance and registration are high.

some negatives to be real...grocery game (especially produce) sorely lacking. im a cook so that's a legitimate complaint from me lol. absolutely HORRIBLE drivers - aggressive, impatient, reckless... Austin drivers are bad in a 'lalala im not paying attention' kinda way... here they legitimately seem angry and trying to hurt you. it's got big city problems - traffic, homelessness, drug abuse, an ambivalent/hostile police force... but so did Austin. 

we miss our people/social circle, but otherwise no regrets. 

“Ragrets”

[Carl Spackler 3456]

OP, I share quite a few of your criteria when it comes to potential retirement places.  Of the places you listed, Denver would be my first choice.  

You might consider Reno.  Close to Lake Tahoe and the Sierras.  Go in the other direction and you've got the mountains and high desert of Nevada.  Tons to explore in every direction.  Weather is pretty decent -- sunnier and less snow/rain than Denver.  Good-sized airport with flights going to lots of places.  And the Nevada tax breaks.  Doesn't have the food scene that Denver does, but it isn't terrible.  The politics there tend to be more moderate than much of the rest of the state.

I've also thought about Albuquerque.  Even better weather, somewhat larger than Reno, and a decent airport.  Pretty good food and beer scene.  But Albuquerque has some pretty sketchy areas and crime can be an issue.   You definitely would need to pick the correct neighborhood.  Quality of health care would generally be better in either Denver or Reno (or lots of places, frankly).  

Tucson checks some of your boxes, but it gets really hot in the summer.  Not as hot as Phoenix, but pretty damn hot nonetheless.  They also apparently have infrastructure issues there from what I've read.

 

 

 

 

[Aqua Buddha 14107]

17 minutes ago, mdmost said:

Nashville just had nazis walking down Broadway. Probably not the best place to put down roots if you're left leaning. 

 

31 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

Nashville seems like a hot spot for all the wrong reasons 

Yeah, I keep saying that's one of the knocks against Nashville.  (That and lack of anything outdoorsy, really.)

Nashville proper is fine.  The Gulch, West End, Vandy, 12 South, etc., are all good neighborhoods but when you get into the burbs, you get the MAGA Warrior Patriots.  Problem is those Nashville proper neighborhoods aren't enough to outweigh the state or even the metro area.

[SurlyGator 822]

Nashville is full.  Move along.

(full of former Californians, so the metro area will continue to blue in the coming years)

[Aqua Buddha 14107]

Question for @mchookem or any other Denverite....

Back in 2019, I stayed in LoDo.  I thought it was nice and walkable.  We walked to a baseball game.

However, I've read that LoDo/Union Station/downtown has gone to shit since covid.  Is that true?

[6th Street 6270]

LoDo is not for retirees. It's rowdy and full of bums and 20 something's raging at Dierks Bentley Whiskey Row, Hayter's, etc.  Cherry Creek is where you want to be in the city.

Personally I would choose Conifer or Gennesse. Yes a little further out but with much better views and in the mountains.

[Firemans4Horn 17004]

Golden kicks ass.
 

My wife and I love a lot of houses in Morrison and Genessee but don’t want our house to burn down in a forest fire. 

[Aqua Buddha 14107]

28 minutes ago, 6th Street said:

LoDo is not for retirees. It's rowdy and full of bums and 20 something's raging at Dierks Bentley Whiskey Row, Hayter's, etc.  Cherry Creek is where you want to be in the city.

Personally I would choose Conifer or Gennesse. Yes a little further out but with much better views and in the mountains.

We want a dense(ish) and walkable(isn) neighborhood so hard pass on being "further out."  Cherry Creek looks promising.  

I had seen some nice looking condos/townhouses in the Union Station area and remembered being there in 2019 but I guess it's a homeless encampment now.  Hard pass on that as well.

Scottsdale didn't seem to have much homeless but that's prolly because they'd spontaneously combust on the sidewalk during the summer.

[Firemans4Horn 17004]

5 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

that's prolly because they'd spontaneously combust on the sidewalk during the summer.

That’s literally happening. 
 

AP: Homeless struggle to stay safe from record high temperatures in blistering Phoenix

[Aqua Buddha 14107]

14 minutes ago, Firemans4Horn said:

That’s literally happening. 
 

AP: Homeless struggle to stay safe from record high temperatures in blistering Phoenix

Lulz.  Believe that.

We actually really like Phoenix/Scottsdale in this equation.  If we were more golf obsessed, it'd prolly be #1.  There is no dense(isn) and walkable(isn) area there for this very reason.  Also, if we were really into golf, how much golf are we playing in the summer?  (Although, we do know a guy who is wired like a fucking camel and can play 36 holes of golf in the middle of the summer.  He gets the best rates anywhere.  He just waits until July/August and hits Florida, AZ, Palm Springs, etc.)

Also, the average age in North Scottsdale is somewhere around 139.  They make Joe Biden look young.  It looks like a moonscape with olds from 'Sconsin, Chicago, Minneapolis, etc.  Place looks like a car show, too.  I was at a Starbucks and I saw Bentley's, Ferrari's, Lambo's, Aston Martin's, etc.  A really old guy would always get out.  We called them "Larry."

Edited July 12 by Aqua Buddha

[Okie State 3696]

Following because we just got back from Santa Fe and I'm trying to figure out how we can retire there. We're still about 15 years away though so plenty of time to consider our options.

[Bearlyhangingon 27]

I live in the Belle Meade area of Nashville.  Moved here from NYC in 2006.  Before that lived in Austin.  Grew up in East Texas

I'm biased but think Nashville checks more of your boxes than you think.  Like Texas, no state income tax.  Percy Warner park has tons of trails for hiking, horseback and mountain biking.  There are a lot of state parks within an hour or so, particularly on the Plateau that offer tons of hiking.  

The food/entertainment scenes are great, as you mention.  Remodeled airport opened this year.  Direct flights to London now and I'm told Paris and Tokyo soon (Tokyo, because Nissan and Bridgestone's headquarters are in Nashville)

I don't spend much time in the Franklin/Williamson county, so I don't see much of the MAGA nonsense, but I know it is heavy there.  

Seems to me that the Belmont/12th South areas, as you mention, might be good spots to look.  I would also throw out my neighborhood and Forest Hills.