Posted on 12/01/2014 6:21:06 AM PST by Iron Munro
More than 10 years ago, Barbara Zierten and her husband retired to a small town in California's scenic "gold country," in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
"It's beautiful here," said Zierten, 73, explaining the attraction of the area east of San Francisco. They also were on a tight budget and reasoned that a small town would be cheaper.
But as time has passed, they have decided the area isn't an ideal fit. For one thing, the library is open only part time. "I'm a reader," she said. "So it's frustrating." And a bad experience with a hospital has led her to seek treatment for health concerns in San Francisco, a two- to three-hour drive away.
Perhaps most dispiriting to Zierten, a liberal who closely follows politics, is that the population's views tend to be much more conservative than her own. Particularly irksome is one resident who often puts up large signs critical of Barack Obama: "The latest said, 'President Ebola.' "
"I didn't do my research," she conceded. The couple is now contemplating relocation to Sacramento.
(Excerpt) Read more at tampabay.com ...
San Francisco liberals retire to small town to experience a different life style but are surprised to find there are people who think differently and live differently than they do.
73 years old and STILL low-info. She voted for Obola because of his melatonin and how “cool” he is.
Funny how most conservatives want to flee CA when they retire.
When TSHTF, you will want as much canon fodder as possible between you and the tsunami of rats that will vomit from the populated areas. Arabs are buying land in Kentucky like, well like their lives depend on it.
As one who lives in a small town can tell you, its not for every one.
But if you get past the lack of big city excitement and conveniences, there’s no place else I’d rather be.
Beautiful scenery and friendly people more than make up for the glitz and glamor of urban life.
Which isn’t all its cracked up to be.
Many retirees (including myself in a few years) will be using the kids location as a major consideration. I think many feel the same way.
It goes the other way too. We just retired to the “Gold Country” from the Bay Area. We are so happy to get out of the liberal nonsense and move to an area where people take personal responsibility for their lives basically want the government to leave them alone.
It was the culmination of 2 1/2 years of visiting places from Calif all the way to South Carolina.
As far as signs go we smiled as we were touring for houses in the Auburn area as saw State of Jefferson signs.
Nonetheless; I think the recommendations in the article are good. Read the local paper, particularly the editorial page. See what clubs meet at the local Senior center. Go to City Data to see all the statistics on the town you are thinking about. See who the residents have voted for in past elections. Who did they elect to Congress?
The liberals in the article get what they get. Too bad.
Other criteria for us were, hospital near by, international airport within an hour, no snow, conservative politics. That's what we got.
Happy.
Elistist fantasy fluff. Most people will retire right where they live.
Good. GTFO and stay in the city cesspools. DO NOT INFECT GOD'S COUNTRY WITH YOUR LIBERALISM.
I had a similar experience when I retired the first time. We moved to northeast Mississippi. Loved the area and hated the lousy weather. Cold & wet in the winter & Hot and humid in the summer with spring and fall tornadoes thrown in for good measure. So we retired a second time to the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. Area is just so so, but the weather is just great. Well, for 9 months of the year. Summer does suck.
It always amazes me that there is a thing about moving to a “retirement community” or town, state whatever. If one does not live in a real shathole, why move?... particularly if in doing so you are leaving old friends, attachments, paid for home and familiar environs etc. Sounds like a lot of unnecessary pressure and work to me. If you like new things and experiences, just buy an rv or travel by other means a lot.
What areas do you guys consider as good retirement Freepertowns?
Kids are long gone, bothers/sisters scattered doing their thing, big house is empty, few friends here and there. . .why not move to your dream location, downsize, relax among a quieter crowd. . .if that is your thing.
I plan to trade noise, traffic, screaming neighborhood kids, thumpa-thumpa cars for a nice small community that I’ve been looking at and visiting for a while.
Staying here after I fully retire sounds like a lot of unnecessary pressure and work to me.
Just retired...living in PA now but actively looking in & around the Raleigh area.
Do your own research.
I just posted the article for discussion.
I don't give professional advice for free.
Lighten up, Francis.
Saw this scenario play out over and over when I lived in Calif.
People would move to Calif far from where they spent their lives - and from kids/grandkids.
Two years max, on average, before they realized home is where the heart and family are - and would sell and go back.
Had I had the money and freedom - financially, in my working years, I would’ve bought and rented houses in areas I thought I might want to retire. Let others pay off the mortgage so as to retire mortgage free - I would have.
What I DID do was, at 45, move back to my ‘home roots’ state at age 45 and dig in. So now, I am totally content and ‘home’ in my little forest haven, (in a town of 700 and the one village store) sitting here on my ‘puter, looking out the window at the woods, blue skies and NO HOUSES watching the birds and squirrels - visited by deer at dusk and dawn - serenaded at night by forest denizens like moose, Great Barred Owls, pack of coyotes -
- I have enough books to run a lend lease library ;) - and Amazon is only a click away...and with the net and email, don’t have to leave my house to shoot off my columns to the editor. With my cell and FaceBook, I’m in daily touch with my 5 kids and 15 grandkids that are spread from coast to coast, from Maine to Florida - to Alaska, where plans are afoot for me to celebrate my 80th. My great great granddaughter is just up the road.
Pretty good life for an ole great gramma. All set up with minimum financial means.
Unwise to wait ‘til retirement is upon you to start deciding where you want to live.
AMEN
"Liberals" think that they are liberal, open minded, and tolerant and that they embrace "diversity".
If they didn't believe "Liberal" propaganda, they wouldn't be "Liberals" in the first place.
That statement can be applied to any RAT.
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