Why? Did you look at the pictures?

We lived here for 7 years. I did not fully appreciate it. Then we moved to Iowa for a year. Then when we came back I saw it with new eyes. It just keeps getting better, while everywhere else is going into the toilet.

Little crime. No garbage.

3,000 square foot modern homes for $140,000. Close to large cities. 10 minutes from a non-polluted beach. What is your problem?

And I will say one more thing. ALL cities should be master planned. Not thrown together haphazardly.

I can't believe anyone would recommend Atlanta. Only go there if you are a race car driver!

Atlanta - and the metro area around it - is a great place to live. It is very often the last stop in corporate promotions - the family who has lived all over the US fall in love with the area and refuse to move on to somewhere else. Not sure it's what the OP is looking for though.

"Only go there if you are a race car driver!"
I can't believe a Florida resident is complaining about Atlanta drivers ;)

Now, Kiddies . . . . Calm down.

Just to touch on another idea floating around here, places like Charlotte and Atlanta aren't very interesting to retirees.

We don't want to have to get in a car to buy a newspaper or a loaf of bread. It is really nice if we can walk to a movie, a pizza/sandwich casual eatery, and an ambitious restaurant. It is even better if we can walk tr

That's true even though I think you hit the button too quick?

I thought NC was the Nascar capital. After just returning from Europe I have to say the real drivers are on the Autobahn.

"We don't want to have to get in a car to buy a newspaper or a loaf of bread. It is really nice if we can walk to a movie, a pizza/sandwich casual eatery, and an ambitious restaurant"

Exactly. That's why so many young(ish) retirees are selling their houses in the 'burbs and moving into Midtown. All of that is within walking distance - good restaurants, Trader Joe's, coffee shops, theater playing first run movies and "arty" movies, Piedmont Park, and dynamic intown churches. Just hop on MARTA and zip away to the airport or other areas of the city for more shopping, restaurants, theater, etc. The High museum is there as well. Everything you describe IN Atlanta.

Lots of smaller towns in the metro area have focused on their downtowns to offer more vibrant options. Yes, there's a lot of sprawl, just as there are in many cities and those areas are car-dependent. But doesn't mean what many retirees want aren't available to them. Many also choose the mountains north of Atlanta. Some of those opt for a condo in Atlanta and a cabin or condo in the mountains. Sweet living. Many of my friends are enjoying it very much indeed.

The coastal south seems to be what the OP is interested in though.

lotusflower, you must be living in a dream world. Palm Coast has a very high crime rate, particularly property crimes. There is a reason why houses are so inexpensive. The housing crisis hit Palm Coast hard and there are tons of foreclosures. Of course, as a realtor in Palm Coast, you know all of this.

I understand your wanting to promote your home, but the OP apparently isn't interested in Florida.

My perception of Florida, after many many visits, is that it is a place of suburban sprawl (similar to Augusta, GA I suppose) or rural nothingness. I know this is probably unfair but I'm old enough to have my own perceptions about a certain place and not have to defend them.

We both want to be near a bit of an urban oasis not an urban nightmare. I am not an Atlanta fan but I do enjoy Georgia.

What do people find intriguing about Savannah? What's the draw to this place?

wow

<<<We both want to be near a bit of an urban oasis not an urban nightmare>>>

When you find it, please let me know where it is!!

Double wow!! And Savannah is an urban oasis? You need to pay a visit.

What are you all wow-ing about? Florida? Atlanta? Savannah? Seriously, I don't know what you're referring to. I didn't see anything wrong with what Bowsprit wrote.

I think some people just feel right when they get to Savannah. I like it, but if I loved it I would live there. Dear niece went to SCAD, and was so excited to be there, but after 4 years, she'd had enough. It's beautiful, interesting, and has some great food. starrs can speak more to this than I can. I love visiting Savannah, but Chucktown is where I belong.

Thanks, sf7307.

I'm curious about what the draw is to Savannah.

I honestly don't know how to classify Savannah, OO. I'm also not sure what qualifies as an urban oasis. Paris maybe? Prague? Someplaces in NYC and San Francisco perhaps. Portland? Boston would be my idea of an urban oasis if the weather were better I suppose.

The description of all of Florida, for me. It was absurd. And Savannah, as much as I enjoyed living there, is far far far from being an urban oasis!

She said it was her perception, not that it was fact.

I didn't say I thought Savannah was an urban oasis, OO. Please tell me you are Not from Florida.

Anyway, I have the information I need and everyone was so helpful. I appreciate your input.

Also, the coastal South is only one option. Anyone have any other ideas?

What you see is what you get in Savannah. I would not call it urban exactly! We went to Charleston or Atlanta for shopping. I would get my hair cut every time I went back to Dallas for another reason (We'd been transferred from there.) There are some good restaurants downtown, but it is still far from being urban. When I needed to grocery shop I drove about 20 minutes south to do it. (We lived in the historic district.) Those beautiful homes in the historic district come at a price--my bff''s was $900,000 8 years ago. We loved it, but urban it was not. Probably the majority of people from "other areas" that settle there in retirement, settle in locations like The Landings. Then you are a good ways out of downtown, but that seems to be The Spot for many.

We were transferred from there to Tampa, a much larger city in all respects, and from there to San Antonio, the 7th largest city in the US. In retirement we briefly thought of Savannah, but we had left our sailboat in FL and LOVED it here. We now live half the year in St Pete, and half in San Antonio. Sailing is great here and St Pete has become an amazing city, more upscale downtown each time we get back. Plus, we have both St Pete and Tampa to choose from for cultural events. Each one has their own performing arts center and symphony. You don't want that, so I had refrained from saying anything earlier, but when you characterized all FL as you did, and went on to talk about Savannah as an urban oasis, well, I could no longer contain myself...so here I am. :). It is not for everyone for sure, but we love it here (and I'm one of those New England Yankees, born and raised).

We also lived in New Orleans by the way, and both our kids were born there, but I would <I>never</I> consider that for retirement. We enjoyed it immensely, mid 20's, just married and childless when we moved there, but it is not a place I would think about for even a second in retirement!