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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I'm a nightowl and like to sleep in in the morning. But as soon as it gets too hot, I have to switch gears and get up early, go to bed early, to use that morning time for walking my northern breed sled dog. He can't tolerate heat at all.

Ugh. If only we could move to a cold place. But the kids are still in school, job is still here.

I want to retire where there are few mosquitoes and the max summer temp is 30C, or 86F.

[/quote]

Shhh - the secret place is WNC. Also possibly southwest VA or east TN. Going north doesn't help - NYC is brutal in the summer.

The other advantage to WNC (at least south of the Asheville area) is less snow and ice. There is some, but usually better than the same system hitting DC or Boston. Yes, WNC had a bad hurricane 2 years ago, but I lived through dozens of hurricanes in the worst hot weather state in the country (FL). And all the bugs, dreadful humidity and sweltering conditions - just to get to the office or grocery store.

In WNC there is not a lot of bugs, summer temps are 10-20 degrees below everywhere from Miami to NYC and little humidity. And it's gorgeous. It sometimes gets over 90, but it's not the same 90 you experience in Charleston or Richmond or Boston.

I loved my years in VA before settling in FL to raise kids. But retirement in WNC is a gift I never realized would be so sweet.[/quote]

Like Asheville? Blpwing Rock? [/quote]

Blowing rock is going to have a harsher winter but a beautiful summer. Asheville is fine for vacations, but I would not want to live there and a lot of locals have the same feeling. Unless my retirement home was $2M-$3M+ and I could stay away from the downtown riff-raff. Too much to get into here. I hate going to AVL for shopping and dining and avoid it.

The ideal cities to me that have a beautiful summer and a not-as-difficult winter are Hendersonville, Flat Rock and Brevard. Hendersonville/FR have better hospitals (Advent & Pardee). Brevard (and Asheville) are stuck with the dreaded Mission system. If you have extra $$, there is Toxaway, Cashiers and Highlands, but many aren't aware of how isolated they are from shopping and breweries/wineries and outdoor rec. And they all are stuck in the Mission hospital system if there is an emergency. Otherwise, everyone just drives to Hendersonville for serious medical care. Many retirees start out in Toxaway/Cashiers/Highlands then realize it's too far out, and they then move to Hendersonville/Brevard/FR. Same with a large development 20-30 minutes outside of Brevard  called Connestee - it's just too far from a downtown and regular shopping.

If one is on more of a budget or doesn't mind living off to themselves, in an area with no quaint downtown, there is Fletcher, Mills River, Arden, Saluda NC. If you are on a strict budget but want WNC adjacent, look to upstate SC near I26 which is the foothills of WNC. Close enough to visit WNC for waterfalls, hiking, biking, etc, but not quite as cool summers yet very nominal winters (but also flatter).

Waynesville and Franklin have quaint downtowns.

All the cities like Banner Elk, Boone, Blowing Rock, Burnsville, Black Mountain, Maggie Valley are beautiful. But when a winter system comes through, they are going to get hit harder and longer. It's more about elevation than north/south. If you plan to ski, these cities might be good for retirement and you just hunker down for a week if snow and ice hits.

Another thing to consider is the nearest airport, if you will be traveling or hosting visitors. AVL is probably closer to Hendersonville than Asheville, so it's in a good location.

Another note about Hendersonville, while it does have a quaint downtown, it's very large and sprawling so it's not the same cohesive small town feel as Brevard, Flat Rock, Waynesville or Black Mountain. Lots of apple orchards and wineries, and there is more crime, although not on the scale of DC, Myrtle Beach or Orlando. The other NC cities I've mentioned have very, very little crime, other than individual drug use and domestic violence. We could leave our doors unlocked 24/7 and the chances of property crime is close to nil. Mountain folk respect private property and know many (most?) homeowners have a shotgun to deal with pesky wildlife.

It's been a mental reset to go from having my and my family's personal safety always simmering on the back burner. I no longer am on "alert" when out and about, which I now realize I always was when going to most areas of Central FL. Our WNC local evening news feature the local town festival or a nearby rodeo. When I visit family in larger cities, it's shocking that their local news is 20 minutes of murder, rape, murder, assault, violence. Oh and here's a local community event.

I just got back from visiting Ft. Lauderdale and was floored by the oppressive heat and humidity in early May. So glad to get back to WNC and it's cooler temps, lower humidity and just beautiful scenery. So soothing for the soul. We've considered moving to VA but it would have to be the Shenandoah region. I haven't lived there since I was in school, so I can't compare all the pros and cons vs WNC.
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