Anonymous wrote:Eugene, Oregon might be of interest.

Lincoln, Nebraska.

Victoria, British Columbia.

Annapolis, Maryland.

Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Salt Lake City, Utah.

Santa Cruz, California.

Santa Barbara area in California.

San Diego.

Princeton, NJ

Research Triangle area of North Carolina

Bolded are HCOL as far as I know (but great places)

I just visited Princeton for no particular reason. I loved it.

Austin.
Cincinnati/Oxford, Ohio.

Williamstown Massachusetts sounds lovely.

We live in Charlottesville and some things to look up are:
An array of different communities to support seniors as one ages. A gap is no 55+ communities which might serve the needs of active early retirees
New developments with attached smaller, one-floor units mostly in Albemarle County
Ollie Lifelong Learning Program drawing on a lot of retired UVA faculty
The Center at Belvedere Programs - Scan all the options
UVA Sports Calendar options as some sports outside if basketball and football are quite reasonable
UVA Arts Calendar with symphony (Sunday afternoon option at local high school performing arts Center with lots of parking, flat walk entrance) also
Smaller music groups, choral performances, plays , dance programs etc.
Other arts grouos as Paramount Theater, Live Arts, Barboursville Players
Jefferson Area Board fir Aging as a local resource
JAUNT a transit if you are unable to drive which currently is free and is reasonable in the urban ring
Piedmont Virginia Community College with free options fir seniors to audit some classes and many different kind of performances
Jefferson Madison Regional Library system with a number of programs at each site and online
Hundreds on nonprofits looking fir volunteers
Several fitness/swim places such as ACAC with a few locations, YMCA, Crozet Y
UVA Medical Center with a brand new stand-alone orthopedic center
Sentará Martha Jefferson offering a very strong community hospital care system
Good system of area hiking trails - not so good fir biking due to the hills
Close to Washington DC and Richmond
Birdwood and Pen Park Golf courses open to public
Pickleball courts in City and Couty parks as well as brand new courts at Greencroft

We like Williamstown, MA

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Charlottesville

We are considering Charlottesville (not OP), but it is very hilly which could be challenging as you age (we love walking) and there are some really sketchy areas near the more walk-able and lively areas.

My parents retired to Lake Monticello, which is east of Charlottesville about 40 minutes or so. The community is not a retirement community but there are loads of retirees from both New York/New Jersey as well as northern Virginia (my parents are from the midwest but we live in VA). It is an extremely active community if you want it to be--loads of clubs and groups to join if that's what you like. They still meet with their "Newcomers Club" 15 years after moving there. It is very hilly, indeed.
They go to UVA games of various sports with some friends who have season tickets, and have their joint surgeries at Martha Jefferson Hospital. They go to plays in RIchmond and "go into town" to Charlottesville for church and better grocery shopping on weekends. It's pretty nice, certainly nicer than where they moved from.

OP - consider the NOISE.

Don't be like those GU harpies who bought in (wait for it) GU.

Anonymous wrote:Charlottesville

We are considering Charlottesville (not OP), but it is very hilly which could be challenging as you age (we love walking) and there are some really sketchy areas near the more walk-able and lively areas.

Would also add Murfreesboro TN to the above list

Anonymous wrote:Looking for a lower cost of living, access to cultural activities/sporting events, mild climate but with four seasons and access to good medical care and nearby major airport. Any recommendations from someone who has found a good combination of the above?

Nashville TN
Huntsville AL (not college town but small city)
Auburn AL is growing and getting nicer amenities every year
Blue Ridge GA (again not a college town but popular with retirees)
Winder GA (near Athens, lots of retirees)

PP here. You might also check out Roanoke, VA. VT is building its medical/biomedical presence there in a big way. Medical school, etc. The town is a great place to retire.

Blacksburg, VA (VT)
Eugene, OR (U of Oregon)
Corvallis, OR (Oregon State U.)
Ashland, OR (Southern OR U.)
Walla Walla, WA (Whitman College)
Bellingham, WA (Western WA University)
San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly)
Morgantown, WV (WVU)
Huntsville, AL (UA-Huntsville)

All nice, lower-cost college towns to consider. Throwing them out there because no one else might. I grew up in the Pacific NW, hence the PNW options. Bellingham would put you 45 minutes from Vancouver BC. Rains a lot, though. Eugene has taken off over the last decade and might not be as affordable anymore. Everyone I know who lives in Blacksburg absolutely loves it. Have relatives who have gone to all those West Coast schools and loved to towns, too.

Eugene, Oregon might be of interest.

Lincoln, Nebraska.

Victoria, British Columbia.

Annapolis, Maryland.

Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Salt Lake City, Utah.

Santa Cruz, California.

Santa Barbara area in California.

San Diego.

Princeton, NJ

Research Triangle area of North Carolina

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ann Arbor, MI.

brrrrr

With global warming, it will be a non issue.

yes it will still be an issue. Climate change is causing extreme weathers -- hot and cold. Do you recall the frigid bombcyclone that just happened?

Wild weather like that is only going to get worse.

My mom and MIL -- both late 80s - are always cold. My mom lives in SoCal. My MIL lives some place colder, and she keeps her house at 85F - year round. She's lived in that area the majority of her life. We went to visit her, and I felt like I was in an oven.

When you get really old, you are always cold. So, I'm going someplace warm, really warm when I'm 75+.

That's one reason why we chose not to retire in any place close to a seashore. The rise in water levels is one of the most serious effects of climate change that's a already huge problem and likely to get worse. Florida and California, I'm talking about you!