The best retirement cities and states in the USA
What are the best retirement cities and the best retirement states for you?
Southwest Florida has several cities that are worth considering for retirement. Winters are milder here than further north in the Tampa Bay area; temperatures in the Fort Myers area rarely dip below 32 degrees. Port Charlotte, less than an hour north of Fort Myers was named the Best Place to Retire by CNN Money. The Cape Coral area is quite attractive with it's proximity to Sanibel Island and Fort Myers Beach. There are plenty of bargains to be found, as we discovered when we visited in April of 2010. Of course Cape Coral is also known as an epicenter of the foreclosure crisis. Read all about Cape Coral and the Florida Foreclosure Crisis on our blog.
Best Retirement Cities - Where Do You Fit In?
By Charlotte Demontigny
When it comes to retirement, it means that you have worked hard for many long and grueling years, and it's time for you to settle down and enjoy the latter part of your life, free of all the demands of the work environment.
A lot of people think retirement is just signing a paper and collecting checks, but it goes further beyond that, and if one does not do the correct amount of research when looking to retire, they could actually end up in a mess. One should look into retiring into one of the best retirement cities. But where do you fit in when it comes to these cities.
Here is a list of the best retirement cities that I have found: Tucson, Arizona; Loveland Colorado; Marietta, Georgia; Salem, Oregon; Tallahassee, Florida; Dover, Delaware; Charlotte, North Carolina; Madison, Wisconsin; Austin, Texas and Spokane Washington.
Choosing the right city is important, because when you pick the city you want to live in, you should feel "called" to it so to speak. Do not retire to a city that you have never been to before, that probably is not the best idea. The best advice one can offer is to either knock out all of the cities that you have never been to, or visit them for a couple of days each.
Another factor in picking the best city is whether or not you have family in town. Having family in one of these cities can also make a difference; because that means you have a much better reason to retire to that city. Being close to your family, or even part of your family, will make you feel much more comfortable with making a move into a new city when the time comes.
Convenience is something else that you will want to look into when it comes to the best retirement cities. The best retirement cities have all your restaurants, malls, Wal-Mart type stores, drug stores, bookstores, and walking areas all in one central location. Basically, if you can get to everywhere you need to go either by walking distance, or on a golf cart, you have picked a winner.
When it comes to the best retirement cities, I encourage you to use what you have learned in this guide. Research the cities including those listed on my website, and find the one that is best suited for your needs and desires.
When it comes to ideal places to retire, Charlotte Demontigny has a website for additional information. To find out more visit: http://www.ideal-places-to-retire.com
Charlotte Demontigny
Web Master
Ideal Places to Retire - Inexpensive to Exotic
http://www.ideal-places-to-retire.com
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Top Ten Values for "Big City" Retirement
By Barbara Kimmel
Big cities provide the ideal environment for those wanting a stimulating and active retirement. So if the idea of spending your “golden years” golfing and fishing leaves you cold, don’t rule out the vast offerings of “big city” life. While New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston, are certainly “pricey”, many attractive big cities are exceptions to this general rule. They offer retirees an opportunity to lower their cost of living while continuing to enjoy the amenities and excitement of a large city. Warren Bland, PhD has just compiled his list of “Top Ten Values for Big-City Retirement”. They are ranked from 1 to 10 based on their cost of living. All scored well on the 12 criteria utilized to evaluate places in his book “Retire in Style: 60 Outstanding Places across the USA and Canada”.
The top ten value cities, rank-ordered from lower to higher cost of living are:
1. San Antonio, TX
2. Pittsburgh, PA
3. Austin, TX
4. Atlanta, GA
5. Tucson, AZ
6. Denver, CO
7. Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL
8. Las Vegas, NV
9. Chicago, IL
10. Portland, OR
Dr. Bland’s model uses 12 criteria most important to retirees. They are landscape, climate, quality of life, cost of living, transportation, retail services, health care, community services, cultural activities, recreational activities, work/volunteer activities, and crime.
Bland is a well-known expert in his field. An award-winning geographer and university professor, he has been quoted in AARP Magazine, the NY Times, the LA Times, Consumer’s Digest, US News and World Report and many other leading media sources. Bland is no stranger to “big city” living. He and his wife split their time between Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon.
Dr. Bland's book, "Retire in Style, 60 Outstanding Places Across the USA and Canada" is available through all major booksellers, Amazon.com and through the publisher's web site at www.nextdecade.com
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