Where should prof emeritus retire

[larryc]

. I agree that the Pacific Northwest seems to fit your bill pretty well.

Thanks. Not sure  I can get myself there to visit. Come across anything Eastern half of country that has similar vibes?

The trick is that your requirements of not too cold and yet not too sunny are hard to meet outside of the Pacific Northwest. There are places in the mid-Atlantic that might fit your bill but I wonder about the noise.

I went to school in Williamsburg, VA for my Ph.D., lots of quiet places but enough going on to keep it interesting. Sticky hot summers but very nice the other seasons. There are so many small historic communities around the greater Chesapeake Bay.

[Anselm]

Not too cold and not too hot is how I remember the Ozarks. 

[Juvenal]

There has to be some middle ground--I guess.  I live (and am sorta retired and kinda emeritus and definitely getting on in years) in a county that has more people than the state I have had some thought would be a nice place to be as my few remaining years drain off.  But Crowdland has easy access to the things that make retirement less of a chore: lotsa docs of all flavors; lotsa folks who can fix the things that need repair and are now beyond you; lotsa "culture" to partake of (or ignore).  Mild winters?  Cool summers?  What are central heating and air conditioning for if not to make a frigid winter and a hot summer m.o.l bearable?

The state I have had thoughts of retiring to (with no chance of implementing this), is noted for frigidity and snow (at the appropriate times of the year, of course).  Somewhere, I have read that people who inflict this on themselves actually last a little longer than those who live otherwise (see Tennyson's, "The Lotos Eaters," for a description of ending in a retirement spot with great weather).  Maybe the idea that dramatic seasonal shifts are life-prolonging is just wishful thinking. . . And on the other hand, if so, all too easy to mutter, "Oh, my God, winter's coming again."

[backatit]

My dad actually retired back up to Maine, and I do think it prolonged his life (I always used to joke that it froze all the germs). But really he was pretty active up there - he did the little things you're supposed to do as you age - bring in wood, garden, walk down to the pond to check the ice levels, snowshoe up the hill to see if the deer have been through yet, etc. So I don't know - that's my plan. Depending on Brexit it may involve the UK rather than here, but we'll see. I don't really plan on actually retiring (the idea is to keep a low-key level of consulting going on - I'm working on building that now, as I have about 10 or 15 years to go till actual retirement, depending on my health).

[Second Chance]

Sounds like a university town in a mid-Atlantic state might be what you're looking for? Friends just moved to Blacksburg, VA .

Thanks. Will add blacksburg VA to list - Never heard of it. I'ts possible mid-Atlantic is the sweet spot. new england is too cold. Not sure though if south is too hot. So maybe my short list for region that's emerging to consider based on everyones commetns is mid adlantic, south of there as well, including NC, northern florida, eastern alabama, and also the ozarks, and then in addition, the northwest, especially Washingon.

[Second Chance]

The trick is that your requirements of not too cold and yet not too sunny are hard to meet outside of the Pacific Northwest. There are places in the mid-Atlantic that might fit your bill but I wonder about the noise.

I went to school in Williamsburg, VA for my Ph.D., lots of quiet places but enough going on to keep it interesting. Sticky hot summers but very nice the other seasons. There are so many small historic communities around the greater Chesapeake Bay.

That's a good point - both not too cold and not too sunny may be too hard a combo and then mid atlantic too noisy- perhaps this dillema i'm in and why struggling a bit. Wish i could quantify too sunny better- i can get stats on number of sunny days in a year, and percent of time sun reaches ground and have been using those. But still is not adequate becaue there is something about intensity of sunlight that is hard to quantify. So super bright sunshine, no clouds at all, no shade (e.g. phoenix comes to mind) i know do not work. But whether more sunny days per year than mid atlantic, if not the intensity of the southwest for example, would be fine- don't know.  And the issue with cold really just was recent and changed things a bit. Definitely do not like lots of snow anymore. Anyone am just going in circles.

i'm fine with hot sticky summers. Was it William and Mary? I had a job talk there once- but was bad timing and I couldn't travel then and had to bail. I rethink that moment...really was too bad. Also once a talk in birmingham i very stupidly bailed on for no good reason - i think i would have liked living there and am pretty sure they would have hired me.

[Second Chance]

There has to be some middle ground--I guess.  I live (and am sorta retired and kinda emeritus and definitely getting on in years) in a county that has more people than the state I have had some thought would be a nice place to be as my few remaining years drain off.  But Crowdland has easy access to the things that make retirement less of a chore: lotsa docs of all flavors; lotsa folks who can fix the things that need repair and are now beyond you; lotsa "culture" to partake of (or ignore).  Mild winters?  Cool summers?  What are central heating and air conditioning for if not to make a frigid winter and a hot summer m.o.l bearable?

The state I have had thoughts of retiring to (with no chance of implementing this), is noted for frigidity and snow (at the appropriate times of the year, of course).  Somewhere, I have read that people who inflict this on themselves actually last a little longer than those who live otherwise (see Tennyson's, "The Lotos Eaters," for a description of ending in a retirement spot with great weather).  Maybe the idea that dramatic seasonal shifts are life-prolonging is just wishful thinking. . . And on the other hand, if so, all too easy to mutter, "Oh, my God, winter's coming again."

If you end up finding any references, please post since i've seen some things to suggest the opposite. That is, big day to day temp fluctuations (one day hot, next day suddently cold, then hot again etc. ) has been tied to shorter lifespans. But maybe is different for seasonal variations.

is longevity higher in nothern states? can't remember the stats i was looking at recently. certainly lack of vitamin D there is going to increase morbidity if not mortality. those stat tables are full of confouds though. so south often have short lifespans- but again confounds of medical care and one needs to look at the stats seperately for different races. for cancer, there's a large rate of cancer in the North East compared to other regions-tjhough tht does not necessariily mean shorter lifespan

the only thing that sticks on mind on places to live and longevity - or perhaps that's "just" health -  is that communities which require lots of walking everywhere tend to have the healthiest residents (of course there's a direction of causility issue here too)

agree on Crowdland making things convenient and this is very much what am struggling with. I've had days where I cant (sometimes unexpedely) go out - and a quick order to Try Caviar and i've got my deli lunch for today and tomorrow delivered in 45 minutes. Whole foods delivers here with an hour or so notice as well and plenty of amazon packages are coming in with same day delivery now, and if not then next day has become the norm. I'm getting very used to this.

I do badly with airconditioning and even heating- both are way to drying for me. (On the pllus side, i can tolerate very hot rooms, if they are not dry;' i'm the last person to turn on AC in the summer, though wonen the room is 86 deg and climbing with 72 percent humidity (indoor), i finally give up and just have to turn it on.

that place in the snow and cold you fantasize about - why there?

[Second Chance]

My dad actually retired back up to Maine, and I do think it prolonged his life (I always used to joke that it froze all the germs). But really he was pretty active up there - he did the little things you're supposed to do as you age - bring in wood, garden, walk down to the pond to check the ice levels, snowshoe up the hill to see if the deer have been through yet, etc. So I don't know - that's my plan. Depending on Brexit it may involve the UK rather than here, but we'll see. I don't really plan on actually retiring (the idea is to keep a low-key level of consulting going on - I'm working on building that now, as I have about 10 or 15 years to go till actual retirement, depending on my health).

Maybe it was all the moving around he had to do in Maine- but who knows. i like your frozen germ theory. or maybe the population density low enough that the germs don't get a foothold to cause epidemics- so less flu, less pnemonia.

does that mean britain is on your list?

I never planned on retiring either- much yet at a young age. Guess it still doens't feel like "retirement".

would be great if i could test out living in a variety of places - perhaps some of the things i think i hate i wouldn't. for example, for all i know its snow in the particular place i experienced is that i hate it .

[Second Chance]

and Cincinnati is even warmer. So it's always worth checking climate by exact location.



Cincinnati's art, dance, and music scenes likewise are strong in some ways, less so in others...but overall, it's not a wasteland by any means.

Years ago i visited cincinnati (man, never realized how hard that was to spell) and was pleasantly surprised and impressed. back then i liked action (things change...)  and was surpised it felt like a grown up cultured lots to do place with great sophisticated food.

[backatit]

My dad actually retired back up to Maine, and I do think it prolonged his life (I always used to joke that it froze all the germs). But really he was pretty active up there - he did the little things you're supposed to do as you age - bring in wood, garden, walk down to the pond to check the ice levels, snowshoe up the hill to see if the deer have been through yet, etc. So I don't know - that's my plan. Depending on Brexit it may involve the UK rather than here, but we'll see. I don't really plan on actually retiring (the idea is to keep a low-key level of consulting going on - I'm working on building that now, as I have about 10 or 15 years to go till actual retirement, depending on my health).

Maybe it was all the moving around he had to do in Maine- but who knows. i like your frozen germ theory. or maybe the population density low enough that the germs don't get a foothold to cause epidemics- so less flu, less pnemonia.

does that mean britain is on your list?

I never planned on retiring either- much yet at a young age. Guess it still doens't feel like "retirement".

would be great if i could test out living in a variety of places - perhaps some of the things i think i hate i wouldn't. for example, for all i know its snow in the particular place i experienced is that i hate it .

Yes, I think it was more the low-level activity that the area encouraged (he was very into nature) more than the actual temperature. He loved going out to check on the trees and ice levels, and he once called very excited because he'd been out of power for 6 weeks and they were melting snow on the wood stove to drink and wash dishes (we all grew up in rural Maine and he was quite sporty in his youth, so to him it was like a vacation, but I was a bit horrified).

The UK is on our radar because my partner is a UK citizen and still works there, but we're not sure about whether we want to be that far from our kids (they are all scattered over the US, which is bad enough). We will make a decision probably in the next 5 years or so.

[Second Chance]

This was a post from a message on the old forum. Does anyone know which article this is. of course the post was more than 10 years old.

"Have you seen this recent article about inviting college towns for retired academics? I just thought I'd call it to your attention, as it covers some of the locations you're discussing.

Best,

Moderator"  (global moderator, from 2006)

[Hibush]

This was a post from a message on the old forum. Does anyone know which article this is. of course the post was more than 10 years old.

"Have you seen this recent article about inviting college towns for retired academics? I just thought I'd call it to your attention, as it covers some of the locations you're discussing.

Best,

Moderator"  (global moderator, from 2006)

That article is  from CHE March 21 2006 page 14ff. But there are articles like it published all the time in publications read by the soon to retire  LIke AARP or USNews. They can provide more ideas.

[Second Chance]

Best,


That article is  from CHE March 21 2006 page 14ff. But there are articles like it published all the time in publications read by the soon to retire  LIke AARP or USNews. They can provide more ideas.

I was hoping the chronicle article would be of better quality. I've read so many "where to retire" articles from aarp and from money magazines  and have never gotten one useful piece of info from them. Either they value different things than me, or they are just using averages w/o anyone visiting them or using common sense, or theyre not a good fit for profs, but they just have not been applicable.

[larryc]

Yes, William and Mary. There are lots of quiet little towns in that region.

[larryc]

Brookings, Oregon. Brookings
Oregon 97415
https://maps.app.goo.gl/2mbmSUuRvBa6nsLaA