Retire to Western NY or VT/NH Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

Western NY is gorgeous. What cities would be nice to live in? Ithaca, Rochester? NH and VT are nearby states we’d consider.

We’d love a lower HCOL and not to be more than 70 miles from water. We like concerts, art, movies, friends, the outdoors.

Any suggestions for towns or cities in these places?

[Anonymous]

Not a low cost area but Portsmouth, NH has many of the things you said you’d like.

[Anonymous]

Western MA.

[Anonymous]

NY taxes are pretty steep - have you considered that?

[Anonymous]

Upstate NY is Trump country and intellectually dead.
NH/VT get my vote, but the winters are long and COLD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Upstate NY is Trump country and intellectually dead.
NH/VT get my vote, but the winters are long and COLD.

My second house/ retirement destination is a suburb of Portsmouth NH as a PP mentioned. I am very much looking forward to the long cold winters!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Upstate NY is Trump country and intellectually dead.
NH/VT get my vote, but the winters are long and COLD.

I don't like Rochester. I think it's bland and the winters are awful. But the city and a number of its suburbs are not Trump country. It's an educated city with a major university. The places by the finger lakes where people have second homes will have plenty of folks who are not Trumpers, if that matters.

[Anonymous]

My parents retired to Hanover, NH and really liked it. Lots of cultural events at Dartmouth, good hospital, and a nice CCRC (Kendal).

[Anonymous]

We were just in VT and it was lovely and the food was great. Lots to do and people live their whole lives outside. The people were kind of a turn off though. Not real friendly or helpful. WNY has Buffalo, "The City of Good Neighbors," and a couple of Great Lakes and the Finger Lakes, wineries, breweries, the largest Farm Market east of the Mississippi and people who rival Midwesterners in the friendly openness. The food is good, but not always super gourmet -- awesome fish fries, pancake breakfasts, old school Italian, beef on weck, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NY taxes are pretty steep - have you considered that?

Thank you for adding that. I'd planned to look into taxes yet hadn't done so yet.

OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were just in VT and it was lovely and the food was great. Lots to do and people live their whole lives outside. The people were kind of a turn off though. Not real friendly or helpful. WNY has Buffalo, "The City of Good Neighbors," and a couple of Great Lakes and the Finger Lakes, wineries, breweries, the largest Farm Market east of the Mississippi and people who rival Midwesterners in the friendly openness. The food is good, but not always super gourmet -- awesome fish fries, pancake breakfasts, old school Italian, beef on weck, etc.

That's a bummer to hear. I want to avoid living anywhere too insular. We had that when we lived in the Midwest and it wasn't fun.

OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Upstate NY is Trump country and intellectually dead.
NH/VT get my vote, but the winters are long and COLD.

Agree with the bolded. I might go travel somewhere sunnier for say ... February through end of March each year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NY taxes are pretty steep - have you considered that?

Thank you for adding that. I'd planned to look into taxes yet hadn't done so yet.

OP

Property tax is 5% in NY state. Versus 1% in the dmv.

[Anonymous]

Think more about medical care and convenience to shopping

[Anonymous]

Everyone leaves NH to retire because of the property taxes.