Looking to retire in Georgia
 

My husband and I are looking to retire within the next 5 years in Georgia. Looking for recommendations for some up and coming areas within an hour's drive to the ocean - maybe near Savannah. We would like to plan a trip to check things out within the next 6 months.

The Landings is a section of Savannah south of town where quite a few people from other areas have retired, but it is not a retirement community per se. These people are a major driving force behind surprisingly active arts scene in Savannah. The area reminds me a lot of Hilton Head in housing style--gated, bike paths, golf courses, lagoons, some lovely marsh views. Alligators are plentiful in the lagoons, unfortunately, and the deer population is thriving, to the delight of some, but not all residents! :) It's an easy drive into downtown for symphony, restaurants or whatever. The beach would be Tybee Island which I'm not fond of, but it is beach, and the north end of it especially is quieter and prettier. Mid section of the beach can be a bit trashy IMHO.

We used to live in Savannah and really loved the area...enough so it's been in the back of our minds too as a possible retirement location, and the Landings is definitely the area I would head toward first, although others are popping up as well (Richmond Hill might be worth exploring as well).

Would you consider nearby SC? Blufton, Beaufort are all fairly close to Savannah and also to ocean. On another note - are you prepared for the heat, humidity and bugs???

When people say they want to retire near a coast, or near mountains, or near a big city, or near their children, I think of all those I know who did what they wanted, then later wondered why they did it. It gets old, driving to the coast every week or two, or up into the mountains, or into the big city. And children move away after you move to be near them.

So I'm wondering: why do you really want to be in Georgia, and what is it that makes you feel you must be fairly close to the ocean? My guess is that within 2 years after moving to your chosen destination, you will lost interest in the ocean. What will matter a lot more to you is the people around you with whom you have contact every day -- your neighbors, your local business owners, your church relations, your local library, and other such things.

It isn't any of my business, but when I see someone wanting to plan a retirement, I have to ask these questions: What really matters to you? Is it really the mountains, or the ocean, or a beautiful view, or a specific state or city? Having such things is certainly nice, but in the end you will find the people around you to be the source of the most comfort and enjoyment.

If I knew exactly why you chose Georgia, I might have more recommendations. Do you like small towns, such as something not too far away from Savannah, or do you want to be right in the city because that's where you are most comfortable? Outside of Savannah, and not too far from the ocean, are some nice small towns in Georgia -- Claxton, Jesup, Glennville, Blackshear, Nahunta and others.

Arts, culture, entertainment, and big city features might be what you want. If so, obviously Savannah is your only choice based on your criteria. The suburbs of Savannah are growing, and there are plenty of choices. Good luck, but I urge you to think about the reasons for choosing whatever you choose.

Wayne has some very valid points...living in Asheville I encounter a lot of seniors/retirees who come here for the cooler mtn temps but then are frustrated with trying to get family to visit or having to spend their time on planes or in cars trying to see children and grandchildren.

Wayne, I am looking for a small upscale town in Georgia with close proximity to the ocean.

Going along with Wayne's thoughts another thing I think is important when planning on where to retire is how close one is to a good airport.

I have some family members that live in an area in S CA that is lovely but trying to fly into or out of their area is a pain in the neck. So they are constantly upset because they do not see their family as much as they would like to.

So IMO that is something to keep in mind.

When you get into the area around Savannah, you will find a lot of river access homes and lake front locations. Were you looking to be near the ocean so that you could have family vacations there?

I don't think you will find "small upscale towns" within an hour's drive of the Ocean. There are numerous communities such as Wilmington or Whitmarsh Island, Isle of Hope, The Landings, Long Point and South Bridge. Savannah Quarters is one that is just being developed. Some are built around golf courses. Some also have tennis courts. Some have condos. All are a few minutes from both Savannah and the beach. All have what you would consider "upscale" housing. None of them are towns, but are under the Chatham County umbrella. When you move farther inland, it gets hotter and less convenient.

Also, being of retirment age, you need to think about the ease of getting to a hospital or doctor offices. An hour's drive to the beach is going to also mean an hour's drive to the nearest medical center. The smaller communities have small, very small hospitals that are not top notch.

Wayne, after vacationing on the ocean all my life and living on the beach for the past 20 years, I have yet to tire of it.

OO, Mr.GoTravel and I are in the process of trying to find a peice of property to eventually build on in McClellanville before property values go through the roof. Geez it is getting tough.

Forgot to add that I agree with everything else you mentioned Wayne.

My husband & I plan to retire in about a year to Phoenix. A major consideration is location of a hospital & proximity to the airport.

Leaving our families behind will be difficult, but we feel that we can have a much better retirement there than anywhere in the NE. We have done our research & feel it is the right place for us. I think that's all you can do.

If you make a mistake, you can always go back; or on to some other place.

I agree with aileen. If you really want something a bit upscale, you'll have a hard time finding it except in the form of a suburb of Savannah. But Savannah is growing so much that some of the county communities feel like separate towns. About the only thing they probably lack is their own mayor and town administration. Still, I like Claxton a lot as a nice smaller town with decent facilities including a good hospital. You might try to look at it and at a few others. Good luck.

There is another thing to consider when you are thinking about retiring to Georgia. And to put it bluntly, it isn't called the Bible Belt for no reason. The smaller cities tend to have a denomination that is preferred by the majority of it's citizens. The social life tends to revolve around what goes on at the church. If you are a non-church goer, you may feel left out. It's something that you should be aware of and look into before you make your decision.

The communities around Savannah, while not cities in themselves, are large enough to have all the shopping facilities and have a varied mix of all types of people. There will be a social life that is not church centered.

Statesboro, home of Georgia Southern University, may be another place that would interest you. It's within resonable distance to the beach.

GoT...tell me moe about McClellanville--I'm not familiar with it.

Aileen--I giggled at your post...so true of what we experienced when we moved to SE Georgia. It was different than what I was used to, but also good. We moved away in '95 but still use our CPA from there, who, yes, went to church with us, lol!

McClellanville is a tiny little shrimping community on Bulls Bay. It is about a half hour north of Charleston and a half hour south of Georgetown.

Deep water access by boat. You can still buy an acre of land within spitting distance to the water for $100,000. Waterfront homes are still well under the $1 million mark.

I don't expect this to last much more into the next decade.

McClellanville is in the middle of the Cape Romain Wild Refuge. It is also where Hurricane Hugo came ashore in 1989.

Most of the homes there are lovely 100 year old residences.

Extremely charming however a little removed.

Also, check out:

http://coastal-sc.com/mcclellanville/

We too want to retire in Georgia. Have you ever been to Clarksville?

It looks beautiful, but you are right, a little removed. Probably more removed than I want to be....wherever that is...I haven't figured it out yet. City center? Country but close to city center?

When we lived in Savannah there was a townhouse we looked at just across from E Shaver's bookstore. E (Ed) Shaver was an architect and he built this from scratch...to match the historic district row houses perfectly, but it was new, so you didn't have the money pit baggage that comes with all those places. 3 floors, hardwood floors, fireplaces, apt on the bottom for 200,000 something, facing on the square. I liked it...DH didn't partially because there was no yard of any sort and only parking for one car. Another lost opportunity. I'm sure it's 8 or 9 today. :(