July 27 — Every publisher likes to issue “best lists” for the simple reason that all of us like reading them. This week the AARP got in the act, joining Money Magazine and others, with a list of “5 Great Places to Retire”. Somewhat surprising was the fact that 4 out of the 5 communities were cities, with the 5th being a suburb of a big city.
Making the top 5 were: (if available, the Topretirements.com review is linked below):
Atlanta Georgia - Livable southern city with volunteer opportunities and culture
Portland Oregon -Great for cycling, this environmentally friendly center has a young and vibrant atmosphere
Chandler Arizona - This suburb of Phoenix has well designed parks and trails
Boston Massachusetts - This great old city has charm, culture - and its a walkable city too.
Milwaukee Wisconsin - Urban renewal and lakeside frontage on Lake Michigan are attracting baby boomer retirees to its downtown condos
AARP explained its choices by saying it was looking for places that were ahead of the curve. Even though cities “tend to have higher housing costs and taxes …. the tradeoff is that they have the resources to invest in the programs and services that make a place livable: mass-transit systems so people can drive less, expanded sidewalks to encourage walking, better health care, and a wide range of mixed-use housing.” Here is a link to the AARP best places to retire article
Links:
Top 10 Values in Retirement Communities
100 best places to retire