Retire to Western NY or VT/NH Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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?

I'm stuck on Western NY is gorgeous OP. Being genuine, why do you think this? I grew up there. It has its moments to be sure. Lovely summers. But it is most definitely not gorgeous a lot of the year. It's not just the cold, it's very grey (not a lot of sunshine). Buffalo has an insane amount of cloudy days per year. Google this.

The cities are also really struggling and there is a lot of poverty in the rural areas. There are some nice suburbs.

Same poster again. Ithaca is not Western NY. That would be considered Central NY. I also lived in Ithaca for a while. Not dissimilar issues to above. Has the benefits of what a college town brings, of course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone leaves NH to retire because of the property taxes.

Not everyone. Our family is there and has no plans to leave and we plan to move there as soon as we retire. Property taxes are high but we all love southern NH and feel the positives outweigh the high property taxes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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?

I'm stuck on Western NY is gorgeous OP. Being genuine, why do you think this? I grew up there. It has its moments to be sure. Lovely summers. But it is most definitely not gorgeous a lot of the year. It's not just the cold, it's very grey (not a lot of sunshine). Buffalo has an insane amount of cloudy days per year. Google this.

The cities are also really struggling and there is a lot of poverty in the rural areas. There are some nice suburbs.

This this this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Think more about medical care and convenience to shopping

This is the key. I've talked to friends who relocated to mid-coast Maine and they talked about their neighbors who go to Boston for medical care. Living near Burlington VT (UVM Medical Center) or near Dartmouth (Dartmouth-Hitchcock) would be good for medical care. Souther NH puts you close enough to Boston. From Western MA, you can get to UMass Medical in Worcester.

My in-laws retired to Jacksonville FL because they liked the area and now realize that they were extremely lucky that there happens to be a Mayo Clinic nearby. I would make sure that medical care is a driving factor in your decision making.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re planning to retire to WNY, likely one of the villages north of Niagara Falls. Yes, taxes are high, but it’s also reasonably insulated from the worst effects of climate change, which matter to us. DH is from there, hence preferring that over VT/NH.

You’re going to live somewhere that has sh!tty weather all the time right now in order to avoid the highly speculative effects of climate change in the indeterminate future? 🙄🙄🙄😂😂😂

DH and I love cold weather; we don’t consider it “shitty.” Winters are long but the other seasons are gorgeous. I’ll take a Buffalo winter over a DC summer any day.

Also, I don’t take advice from science-deniers, so there’s that.

You like it now, will you like it as much when you're 85 and can't drive and use a walker and are afraid one fall on the ice may be the end of you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re planning to retire to WNY, likely one of the villages north of Niagara Falls. Yes, taxes are high, but it’s also reasonably insulated from the worst effects of climate change, which matter to us. DH is from there, hence preferring that over VT/NH.

You’re going to live somewhere that has sh!tty weather all the time right now in order to avoid the highly speculative effects of climate change in the indeterminate future? 🙄🙄🙄😂😂😂

DH and I love cold weather; we don’t consider it “shitty.” Winters are long but the other seasons are gorgeous. I’ll take a Buffalo winter over a DC summer any day.

Also, I don’t take advice from science-deniers, so there’s that.

You like it now, will you like it as much when you're 85 and can't drive and use a walker and are afraid one fall on the ice may be the end of you?

when I am 85 and can’t drive and need a walker I will move into a Home near my children wherever they may be but I am not going to live in the south for 25 years dying of the heat just in case that happens when I am 85.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re planning to retire to WNY, likely one of the villages north of Niagara Falls. Yes, taxes are high, but it’s also reasonably insulated from the worst effects of climate change, which matter to us. DH is from there, hence preferring that over VT/NH.

You’re going to live somewhere that has sh!tty weather all the time right now in order to avoid the highly speculative effects of climate change in the indeterminate future? 🙄🙄🙄😂😂😂

DH and I love cold weather; we don’t consider it “shitty.” Winters are long but the other seasons are gorgeous. I’ll take a Buffalo winter over a DC summer any day.

Also, I don’t take advice from science-deniers, so there’s that.

You like it now, will you like it as much when you're 85 and can't drive and use a walker and are afraid one fall on the ice may be the end of you?

when I am 85 and can’t drive and need a walker I will move into a Home near my children wherever they may be but I am not going to live in the south for 25 years dying of the heat just in case that happens when I am 85.

I’m the PP who was being replied to so I didn’t write the above, but it’s exactly how I feel, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re planning to retire to WNY, likely one of the villages north of Niagara Falls. Yes, taxes are high, but it’s also reasonably insulated from the worst effects of climate change, which matter to us. DH is from there, hence preferring that over VT/NH.

You’re going to live somewhere that has sh!tty weather all the time right now in order to avoid the highly speculative effects of climate change in the indeterminate future? 🙄🙄🙄😂😂😂

DH and I love cold weather; we don’t consider it “shitty.” Winters are long but the other seasons are gorgeous. I’ll take a Buffalo winter over a DC summer any day.

Also, I don’t take advice from science-deniers, so there’s that.

You like it now, will you like it as much when you're 85 and can't drive and use a walker and are afraid one fall on the ice may be the end of you?

when I am 85 and can’t drive and need a walker I will move into a Home near my children wherever they may be but I am not going to live in the south for 25 years dying of the heat just in case that happens when I am 85.

I’m the PP who was being replied to so I didn’t write the above, but it’s exactly how I feel, too.

My parents live there now, and are in denial about what a problem it is. They constantly want me to help them with weather maintenance issues for their house, and they basically can't travel at all in the winter because they won't drive in snow. They're only mid-70s but this stuff catches up with you. Skiing isn't fun for them anymore. I really resent that they moved someplace inconvenient that would obviously pose a lot of challenges, and now act like it's some unforseen misfortune.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re planning to retire to WNY, likely one of the villages north of Niagara Falls. Yes, taxes are high, but it’s also reasonably insulated from the worst effects of climate change, which matter to us. DH is from there, hence preferring that over VT/NH.

You’re going to live somewhere that has sh!tty weather all the time right now in order to avoid the highly speculative effects of climate change in the indeterminate future? 🙄🙄🙄😂😂😂

DH and I love cold weather; we don’t consider it “shitty.” Winters are long but the other seasons are gorgeous. I’ll take a Buffalo winter over a DC summer any day.

Also, I don’t take advice from science-deniers, so there’s that.

You like it now, will you like it as much when you're 85 and can't drive and use a walker and are afraid one fall on the ice may be the end of you?

when I am 85 and can’t drive and need a walker I will move into a Home near my children wherever they may be but I am not going to live in the south for 25 years dying of the heat just in case that happens when I am 85.

I’m the PP who was being replied to so I didn’t write the above, but it’s exactly how I feel, too.

My parents live there now, and are in denial about what a problem it is. They constantly want me to help them with weather maintenance issues for their house, and they basically can't travel at all in the winter because they won't drive in snow. They're only mid-70s but this stuff catches up with you. Skiing isn't fun for them anymore. I really resent that they moved someplace inconvenient that would obviously pose a lot of challenges, and now act like it's some unforseen misfortune.

These are your issues, PP. Stop projecting them onto others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re planning to retire to WNY, likely one of the villages north of Niagara Falls. Yes, taxes are high, but it’s also reasonably insulated from the worst effects of climate change, which matter to us. DH is from there, hence preferring that over VT/NH.

You’re going to live somewhere that has sh!tty weather all the time right now in order to avoid the highly speculative effects of climate change in the indeterminate future? 🙄🙄🙄😂😂😂

DH and I love cold weather; we don’t consider it “shitty.” Winters are long but the other seasons are gorgeous. I’ll take a Buffalo winter over a DC summer any day.

Also, I don’t take advice from science-deniers, so there’s that.

You like it now, will you like it as much when you're 85 and can't drive and use a walker and are afraid one fall on the ice may be the end of you?

when I am 85 and can’t drive and need a walker I will move into a Home near my children wherever they may be but I am not going to live in the south for 25 years dying of the heat just in case that happens when I am 85.

I’m the PP who was being replied to so I didn’t write the above, but it’s exactly how I feel, too.

My parents live there now, and are in denial about what a problem it is. They constantly want me to help them with weather maintenance issues for their house, and they basically can't travel at all in the winter because they won't drive in snow. They're only mid-70s but this stuff catches up with you. Skiing isn't fun for them anymore. I really resent that they moved someplace inconvenient that would obviously pose a lot of challenges, and now act like it's some unforseen misfortune.

These are your issues, PP. Stop projecting them onto others.

Ok. Enjoy dealing with the snow without help.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/protect-your-heart-when-shoveling-snow-201101151153

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re planning to retire to WNY, likely one of the villages north of Niagara Falls. Yes, taxes are high, but it’s also reasonably insulated from the worst effects of climate change, which matter to us. DH is from there, hence preferring that over VT/NH.

You’re going to live somewhere that has sh!tty weather all the time right now in order to avoid the highly speculative effects of climate change in the indeterminate future? 🙄🙄🙄😂😂😂

DH and I love cold weather; we don’t consider it “shitty.” Winters are long but the other seasons are gorgeous. I’ll take a Buffalo winter over a DC summer any day.

Also, I don’t take advice from science-deniers, so there’s that.

You like it now, will you like it as much when you're 85 and can't drive and use a walker and are afraid one fall on the ice may be the end of you?

when I am 85 and can’t drive and need a walker I will move into a Home near my children wherever they may be but I am not going to live in the south for 25 years dying of the heat just in case that happens when I am 85.

I’m the PP who was being replied to so I didn’t write the above, but it’s exactly how I feel, too.

My parents live there now, and are in denial about what a problem it is. They constantly want me to help them with weather maintenance issues for their house, and they basically can't travel at all in the winter because they won't drive in snow. They're only mid-70s but this stuff catches up with you. Skiing isn't fun for them anymore. I really resent that they moved someplace inconvenient that would obviously pose a lot of challenges, and now act like it's some unforseen misfortune.

These are your issues, PP. Stop projecting them onto others.

Ok. Enjoy dealing with the snow without help.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/protect-your-heart-when-shoveling-snow-201101151153

I’ve been an athlete for 30+ years and DH works out daily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone leaves NH to retire because of the property taxes.

Not everyone. Our family is there and has no plans to leave and we plan to move there as soon as we retire. Property taxes are high but we all love southern NH and feel the positives outweigh the high property taxes.

The high property taxes fund the schools which is always a good thing. It's sad when retirees feel like they shouldn't have to pay for that when they benefited from it.
NH does have an income tax (correction to someone above).

You're going to get a mix of nice and crazies though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re planning to retire to WNY, likely one of the villages north of Niagara Falls. Yes, taxes are high, but it’s also reasonably insulated from the worst effects of climate change, which matter to us. DH is from there, hence preferring that over VT/NH.

You’re going to live somewhere that has sh!tty weather all the time right now in order to avoid the highly speculative effects of climate change in the indeterminate future? 🙄🙄🙄😂😂😂

DH and I love cold weather; we don’t consider it “shitty.” Winters are long but the other seasons are gorgeous. I’ll take a Buffalo winter over a DC summer any day.

Also, I don’t take advice from science-deniers, so there’s that.

You like it now, will you like it as much when you're 85 and can't drive and use a walker and are afraid one fall on the ice may be the end of you?

when I am 85 and can’t drive and need a walker I will move into a Home near my children wherever they may be but I am not going to live in the south for 25 years dying of the heat just in case that happens when I am 85.

I’m the PP who was being replied to so I didn’t write the above, but it’s exactly how I feel, too.

My parents live there now, and are in denial about what a problem it is. They constantly want me to help them with weather maintenance issues for their house, and they basically can't travel at all in the winter because they won't drive in snow. They're only mid-70s but this stuff catches up with you. Skiing isn't fun for them anymore. I really resent that they moved someplace inconvenient that would obviously pose a lot of challenges, and now act like it's some unforseen misfortune.

These are your issues, PP. Stop projecting them onto others.

Ok. Enjoy dealing with the snow without help.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/protect-your-heart-when-shoveling-snow-201101151153

But why are you assuming PP won’t have help? My in laws have had the same company for years shovel/plow their driveway and sidewalk. There are tons of other companies should something happen to this one. Some of us love New England and financially plan and prepare for the things we will need in our retirement years. Just like we would plan if we wanted to live somewhere else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re planning to retire to WNY, likely one of the villages north of Niagara Falls. Yes, taxes are high, but it’s also reasonably insulated from the worst effects of climate change, which matter to us. DH is from there, hence preferring that over VT/NH.

You’re going to live somewhere that has sh!tty weather all the time right now in order to avoid the highly speculative effects of climate change in the indeterminate future? 🙄🙄🙄😂😂😂

DH and I love cold weather; we don’t consider it “shitty.” Winters are long but the other seasons are gorgeous. I’ll take a Buffalo winter over a DC summer any day.

Also, I don’t take advice from science-deniers, so there’s that.

You like it now, will you like it as much when you're 85 and can't drive and use a walker and are afraid one fall on the ice may be the end of you?

when I am 85 and can’t drive and need a walker I will move into a Home near my children wherever they may be but I am not going to live in the south for 25 years dying of the heat just in case that happens when I am 85.

I’m the PP who was being replied to so I didn’t write the above, but it’s exactly how I feel, too.

My parents live there now, and are in denial about what a problem it is. They constantly want me to help them with weather maintenance issues for their house, and they basically can't travel at all in the winter because they won't drive in snow. They're only mid-70s but this stuff catches up with you. Skiing isn't fun for them anymore. I really resent that they moved someplace inconvenient that would obviously pose a lot of challenges, and now act like it's some unforseen misfortune.

These are your issues, PP. Stop projecting them onto others.

Ok. Enjoy dealing with the snow without help.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/protect-your-heart-when-shoveling-snow-201101151153

But why are you assuming PP won’t have help? My in laws have had the same company for years shovel/plow their driveway and sidewalk. There are tons of other companies should something happen to this one. Some of us love New England and financially plan and prepare for the things we will need in our retirement years. Just like we would plan if we wanted to live somewhere else.

Because it's not just the shoveling. It's feeling like you can't even walk to your own mailbox without risk. Can't drive anywhere because you might not be able to drive back. When you get where you're going, will you be able to get from the car to the place safely? Basically unless you can pay to hire a chaperone every time you need to go somewhere, it's a long boring difficult winter. You can say "that's your issue" but I'm telling you, it's the issue of my parents, all their friends and relatives there, and thus also their adult children. These places should be thought of as for the first decade of retirement only, then you need to make another plan.

The population of northern New England is aging (not just because of arriving retirees) and it can be very hard to find a facility to move into. I'm trying to find one right now and the options are few, expensive, and not that great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re planning to retire to WNY, likely one of the villages north of Niagara Falls. Yes, taxes are high, but it’s also reasonably insulated from the worst effects of climate change, which matter to us. DH is from there, hence preferring that over VT/NH.

You’re going to live somewhere that has sh!tty weather all the time right now in order to avoid the highly speculative effects of climate change in the indeterminate future? 🙄🙄🙄😂😂😂

DH and I love cold weather; we don’t consider it “shitty.” Winters are long but the other seasons are gorgeous. I’ll take a Buffalo winter over a DC summer any day.

Also, I don’t take advice from science-deniers, so there’s that.

You like it now, will you like it as much when you're 85 and can't drive and use a walker and are afraid one fall on the ice may be the end of you?

when I am 85 and can’t drive and need a walker I will move into a Home near my children wherever they may be but I am not going to live in the south for 25 years dying of the heat just in case that happens when I am 85.

I’m the PP who was being replied to so I didn’t write the above, but it’s exactly how I feel, too.

My parents live there now, and are in denial about what a problem it is. They constantly want me to help them with weather maintenance issues for their house, and they basically can't travel at all in the winter because they won't drive in snow. They're only mid-70s but this stuff catches up with you. Skiing isn't fun for them anymore. I really resent that they moved someplace inconvenient that would obviously pose a lot of challenges, and now act like it's some unforseen misfortune.

These are your issues, PP. Stop projecting them onto others.

Ok. Enjoy dealing with the snow without help.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/protect-your-heart-when-shoveling-snow-201101151153

But why are you assuming PP won’t have help? My in laws have had the same company for years shovel/plow their driveway and sidewalk. There are tons of other companies should something happen to this one. Some of us love New England and financially plan and prepare for the things we will need in our retirement years. Just like we would plan if we wanted to live somewhere else.

Because it's not just the shoveling. It's feeling like you can't even walk to your own mailbox without risk. Can't drive anywhere because you might not be able to drive back. When you get where you're going, will you be able to get from the car to the place safely? Basically unless you can pay to hire a chaperone every time you need to go somewhere, it's a long boring difficult winter. You can say "that's your issue" but I'm telling you, it's the issue of my parents, all their friends and relatives there, and thus also their adult children. These places should be thought of as for the first decade of retirement only, then you need to make another plan.

The population of northern New England is aging (not just because of arriving retirees) and it can be very hard to find a facility to move into. I'm trying to find one right now and the options are few, expensive, and not that great.

Then you can make the decision for you to not move there. Simple.