Miami : Florida

Miami is the largest city in Florida, located in its southeast corner. It is both a popular destination for tourism and retirement,in addition to being a major international center of commerce.  Miami has beautiful beaches and bays, plus many interesting neighborhoods including the art-deco area of South Beach.  Miami has a very large Cuban-American contingent that gives  international spice to the mix. The overall population is over 413,000.  Cost of living and crime rate are both very high - but both are very dependent upon neighborhood. Photo of the Miami River entrance courtesy of Wikipedia and Marc Averette.

There are many, many active adult communities in the area. In addition, many areas like Coral Gables offer very pleasant mixed generation housing options.
Housing prices have had a melt down beginning in 2006 that lasted for several years - the median home price in 2011 was $189,000. But the median home price in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale/West Palm Beach area recovered strongly rising to $289,900 by the second quarter of 2015, and was reported to be at $318,000 in the first quarter of 2017, according to the National Association of Realtors. Part of the reason for the recent strength of the market is interest among foreign buyers looking for a safe place to invest.

Miami is one of the leading cities of the world, celebrated in the movies, books, and TV.  It has the art deco neighborhoods of South Beach, the fancy downtown along the beach, Biscayne Bay, and many lovely old neighborhoods like Coral Gables.  Not to mention the warmest winter climate of any major U.S. city. It is an international city with a large Cuban-American and South American population.  Miami is considered a very walkable community.

There is a lot of crime and the negatives of an urban center. Plus it is hot and humid in the summer. Weather.com ranks Miami highly for "most overdue" to be hit by a hurricane. The arrival of the Zika Virus in 2016 in certain Miami neighborhoods has been a very scary event.

Reitrees who want to be in a large vibrant city with a warm climate would like it here.

Miami has every conceivable kind of cultural outlet - from ballet to professional sports teams to the University of Miami and other colleges.  Art Basel is one of the most important annual art exhibitions in the world. There are restaurants for every taste and palate, although many people are eager to sample the authentic Cuban-American cuisine that is popular in many neighborhoods. Our personal favorite is Versailles. Yes, it does look a little bit like a French palace in its decor, and there will be long lines. But the wait is generally not too bad and the food is great.