Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP again. I do want to clarify that the 80k is pre-tax. It's a pension.

For context, this is a couple in their late 50s looking at early retirement. They recently sold a business for a nice chunk of change plus have plenty of retirement savings. They are ready to leave the rat race but they are still young and they'd like to try living in the pension income only until their early 60s. One of them is a writer and wants to pursue that more seriously, the other is unsure but would like to do something similar. They may dip into their reserves for travel, but otherwise they'd like to live somewhat simply, somewhere with a low cost of living, while they pursue their passions. They are willing to try out multiple places. They don't want to live in the DC area (BTDT, plus they feel they will be pressured into a higher cost lifestyle here because of their peers in the area).

I am helping them make a list of possibilities. Schools are a non-issue, but they want a safe, lively neighborhood and be close enough to a decent sized airport to easily travel and be visited. Second bedroom for friends and family. They don't want to pinch pennies too much but are fine living on a budget as they don't have luxury tastes.

Some good options so far! I'd love to know if there are any European cities that seem feasible because, selfishly, I want to visit them there. Someone asked about the health insurance issue -- they've told me they think it would be feasible to get coverage abroad but need to investigate more. They have access to an employer sponsored plan via BCBS and there are apparently options that would work abroad, but I don't know the details.

Upstate NY: Rochester, Syracuse, Ithaca, even Binghamton. You will need a car and a SFH, but you can live like a king. Will be cold but August is beautiful.

Anonymous wrote:https://www.southernliving.com/travel/what-to-do-fairhope-alabama

Fairhope, Alabama

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/16475-River-Park-Rd-Fairhope-AL-36532/72759552_zpid/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:80k?! Is this a joke? That is not enough money to live comfortably anywhere that is not straight up third world. Like you will be living like a local with no ac and a squat toilet in Eastern Europe/Asia.

You are a joke if you think that's what 80k/year is

You can live very nicely, with a/c and eating out a lot in South Korea for under $80K. And Seoul is super modern, more so than the US. I was super impressed with how clean and modern it was. Puts DC and NYC to shame.

Anonymous wrote:54 yo retiree here in Fairfax living extremely comfortably on 72K. SFH, big yard, huge garden, community pool, kids done with college, 3 or 4 two week trips every year...

Troll harder.

Anonymous wrote:https://www.southernliving.com/travel/what-to-do-fairhope-alabama

Fairhope, Alabama

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/16475-River-Park-Rd-Fairhope-AL-36532/72759552_zpid/

Anonymous wrote:Who cares about being 1.5 hours from NYC? Seriously, how often are you going there? Especially if you are trying to keep your overall expenses down.

Why not actually live in a smaller, less expensive city? At least Pittsburgh has cool history, some beautiful vistas, pro sports teams, and a lively nightlife. I'd rather have that 365 days a year than get a superior version of it (for a price) 2-3 times a year in NYC while spending the rest of my time living in a boring town without much to do.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can get a nice home in the Lehigh Valley in West Allentown or historic Bethlehem for that budget.

Lancaster would be an option as well. I’d prefer both of these places to Pittsburgh because they’re close to big cities like New York and Philadelphia and Pittsburgh is isolated.

An example of what you can get in West Allentown. Obviously you can go lower than $400,000 and pick up something nice, but smaller and not as updated.

https://www.redfin.com/PA/Allentown/2729-W-Allen-St-18104/home/196135126

They are an hour to an 1 1/2 hours to those cities. Pittsburgh is a million times better then slightly depressed towns like Allentown, Bethlehem (the best of the three) or Lancaster.

I’d rather be 1 1/2 hours from the best city in the world, NYC, than be 4 hours from any major city, like you are in Pittsburgh.

If you move to Pittsburgh you need to really like Pittsburgh, because it’s not close to anything except Ohio.

Lancaster, Allentown, and Bethlehem are all mid tier cities with plenty of amenities that are close to world class cities. And there are nice places in all three of these cities, just like there are depressing neighborhoods and nice neighborhoods in Pittsburgh. The house in Allentown posted above is in a very nice Pre WW2 neighborhood with big parks and a university within walking distance.

I don't consider Lancaster, Allentown, or Bethlehem cities at all, mid tier or not. Allentown is the largest, at 124k, the other two are smaller than 100k. They are large towns, or exurbs.

In Pittsburgh, if you want to go to a play, an art museum, the ballet, a major sporting event, or a concert, you can go tonight. If you live in Pittsburgh, you could be there in 15-30 minutes. If you are north of town or in South Hills, you can be there in less than an hour. That's what it means to live in a city. You can live in a dense neighborhood in Pittsburgh with restaurants, bars, cafes, and bakeries walking distance from your home. You could live in certain neighborhoods and rely on public transit for most travel. You have access to activities on multiple major university campuses, plus all the Carnegie museums.

To do any of those things from Lancaster, Allentown, or Bethlehem, you have to travel into Philly or NYC and you're going to get home very late or have to spend the night. If you are right downtown, you could be walkable to some restaurants, bars, etc., but there will be more limited selection and variety.

The one advantage of these towns versus a place like Pittsburgh is international travel because of proximity to international airports. But on domestic travel, living in Pittsburgh puts you closer to a major airport. But your day to day life in Pittsburgh will have many more amenities of city life than living in an exurb of Philadelphia will.