Anyone planning/dreaming about a move?

[coastie]

I've lived in both King and Kitsap counties as both a sailor and IT consultant for year long stints on six different occasions. I liked the area, but just could not envision living there full time. I felt too confined and bored there. But that can be a big plus. The rain never bothered me because it was more of a constant drizzle. Mobile, AL has a lot more annual rainfall, but it's not as prolonged. Honestly, it was the gray days that I most loved. And, yeah, April to November are glorious. Plus it never gets really cold in the Puget Sound area. I liked that as well.

I grew up between Silverdale and Bremerton in the little community of Tracyton. My 87 year old dad still lives in the same place.
I resisted the navy stuff where most of my friends worked and got outta Kitsap 20 years ago for good. It’s good to go back to visit but that’s about it. I didn’t get too far away. Gig Harbor for the last 18 years. It’s a good spot. I shouldn’t complain but the property taxes are brutal.

 

[CigarScott]

I'm orginally from Michigan but moved to Alabama when the economy tanked in Michigan in the mid-2000s. I do miss michigan from about May to September but I don't see myself moving back. Cost of living is so much cheaper and no insane lockdowns.

I assume that if I live log enough to retire, we'd retire to nicaragua, depending on the situation in 25 years. It may become Panama or Costa Rica and get too expensive with all the gringos moving there. I would like to live in Esteli which is the epicenter of cigar production and up in the mountains so it's much cooler than a Grenada or San Juan del Sur.

 

[Old Drummer]

What part of Nicaragua did you live in? I have thoughts of retiring to Esteli if I live long enough to retire.

I have never lived in Nicaragua, only visited various times, and I'm afraid that I don't know Esteli or any of the other northern towns.

However, when I seriously contemplated moving to Nicaragua, those were the towns I wanted to check out. The usual destinations (Granada, San Juan del Sur, Leon, and Managua) are too blasted hot. I've been told that Esteli might not be the best of the bunch, as it's on the main highway. Some others, such as Jinotega and Matagalpa may be similar but nicer. My hesitance about all of them was that, well, they are just small towns, but also that they're some distance from the decent hospitals and airport in Managua. I'm not planning to have a heart attack or anything, but being such a fer piece away from a decent hospital was off-putting.

My personal assessment was that following the expat herd to Granada is probably the best all around choice, although there are too many blasted tourists and expats there, plus it's too hot. I just couldn't get enough boxes checked to seriously consider a move to Nicaragua. However, depending on what boxes you want to check, Esteli or one of the nearby towns might be good choices. They were high on my possibility list for awhile.

 

[swarfrat]

Cold Temperature and Life Span: It’s not about the rate of living

When cold-blooded animals are exposed to a cold environment, their metabolisms slow and they live longer. When warm-blooded animals are exposed to a cold environment, their metabolisms speed up (to…

joshmitteldorf.scienceblog.com

 

[CigarScott]

I have never lived in Nicaragua, only visited various times, and I'm afraid that I don't know Esteli or any of the other northern towns.

However, when I seriously contemplated moving to Nicaragua, those were the towns I wanted to check out. The usual destinations (Granada, San Juan del Sur, Leon, and Managua) are too blasted hot. I've been told that Esteli might not be the best of the bunch, as it's on the main highway. Some others, such as Jinotega and Matagalpa may be similar but nicer. My hesitance about all of them was that, well, they are just small towns, but also that they're some distance from the decent hospitals and airport in Managua. I'm not planning to have a heart attack or anything, but being such a fer piece away from a decent hospital was off-putting.

My personal assessment was that following the expat herd to Granada is probably the best all around choice, although there are too many blasted tourists and expats there, plus it's too hot. I just couldn't get enough boxes checked to seriously consider a move to Nicaragua. However, depending on what boxes you want to check, Esteli or one of the nearby towns might be good choices. They were high on my possibility list for awhile.

I haven't been to Leon, which I heard is nice nor Jinotega or Matagalpa but yes I agree that SJDS, Grenada, and Managua are too hot. I have no idea how all of the Canadians in SJDS handle the heat in the summer. SJDS is cool to visit but half the population is Canucks and other gringos, which is neat seeing people flying NHL flags at bars down there and you can get a good plate of poutine as well as the views are wonderful but too hippy of a place for me. Grenada again is cool to visit but too much of a Florida retirement community vibe for me.

Esteli has a new hospital, you can find, only city outside Managua where you can find American stores & restaurants, which is a nice touch once in a while, if you get homesick but big thing for me is that I know people there from being in the cigar business and it hasn't become a gringo hotspot...yet....

 

[michaelocalypse]

Hey Pasquale
Move to Italy. Have you not seen where you can buy a home in one of those quaint small village homes for $1 ? Buy a small Olive grove and a Donkey snd bask in small town living in that warm Sun. Of course you have to like Pasta.
Damn, if I was only 20 years younger ..

While that would be nice, it won't work out for other reasons.
It's also a little cold there for my preferences.
The search continues.

 

[Murat]

I'm orginally from Michigan but moved to Alabama when the economy tanked in Michigan in the mid-2000s. I do miss michigan from about May to September but I don't see myself moving back. Cost of living is so much cheaper and no insane lockdowns.

I assume that if I live log enough to retire, we'd retire to nicaragua, depending on the situation in 25 years. It may become Panama or Costa Rica and get too expensive with all the gringos moving there. I would like to live in Esteli which is the epicenter of cigar production and up in the mountains so it's much cooler than a Grenada or San Juan del Sur.

Been to Grenada twice. Always enjoyed the stay. Smell of spice in the air

 

[chillybase]

I'm still a long way off from retiring but I do wish that I could move into a midcentury house like those on the Amazon series Forever. It would need to have enough room for our normal bedrooms (me, my wife and son) + guest room + music room + wife's pottery studio + a room to relax in.

 

[DavedrumsTX]

I've lived in both King and Kitsap counties as both a sailor and IT consultant for year long stints on six different occasions. I liked the area, but just could not envision living there full time. I felt too confined and bored there. But that can be a big plus. The rain never bothered me because it was more of a constant drizzle. Mobile, AL has a lot more annual rainfall, but it's not as prolonged. Honestly, it was the gray days that I most loved. And, yeah, April to November are glorious. Plus it never gets really cold in the Puget Sound area. I liked that as well.

Lived in King County for 6 years. Did not like 9 mos of gray, but made the most of it. The positives:
-Donn Bennett’s Drum Shop(Now Rudy’s). Took lessons there with Danny Seraphine, Kenny Arronoff, Alan White and Dave Garibaldi. Met my hero Steve Gadd and Steve Smith and Steve Feronne
-Jazz Alley-An amazing club. Saw Dennis Chambers, Dave Weckl, Peter Erskine, Dave Garibaldi.
-Snowqualme - skied and average of 60 days per year
-Fly fishing

 

[Dan K]

I lived in the San Diego area for almost 33 years and moved to NE Florida about 2.5 years ago. I have no problems moving - my current home is my 30th city even with the long stay in San Diego. I got tired of the crowding, crime, dirt, politics and taxes and we left when my Wife retired. My lifestyle here is much better, still playing out (mostly on bass but drums too in the last 10 weeks), my son loves his school, and we found a great church. Also, kayak fishing here is AMAZING!

I do get tired of people moving to another state and then complaining that it is not like NJ or NY - MOVE BACK THERE, THEN! About the only things I miss are a nearby Costco, a couple of the music stores and GREAT Mexican food. There are a couple of OK Mexican restaurants but not on every streetcorner! Oh, and moving here saves us $13k per year in state income taxes! Downsides - less government services (I miss the huge library systems but don't miss government intrusions!), I have to drive further to get to Sam's Club and only a couple of aquarium stores.

Finally, the Daytona Beach Drum Center is AMAZING! Great products, good prices, nice people!

Dan

 

[Angelo Zollo]

I live rurally in North Carolina in an amazing place. While I love the Philippines I am looking at somewhere closer. I also love the Dominican Republic. I love the ocean there and I am an avid baseball fan. I am also a professionally trained umpire. I can say ball ,strike , safe and out in Spanish. My real dream is to take the Cygnet Amphibian down there. Give rides for cash. Just 4 months of the year. The summer in Western NC is close to spectacular

 

[mtarrani]

I lived in the San Diego area for almost 33 years and moved to NE Florida about 2.5 years ago. I have no problems moving - my current home is my 30th city even with the long stay in San Diego. I got tired of the crowding, crime, dirt, politics and taxes and we left when my Wife retired. My lifestyle here is much better, still playing out (mostly on bass but drums too in the last 10 weeks), my son loves his school, and we found a great church. Also, kayak fishing here is AMAZING!

I do get tired of people moving to another state and then complaining that it is not like NJ or NY - MOVE BACK THERE, THEN! About the only things I miss are a nearby Costco, a couple of the music stores and GREAT Mexican food. There are a couple of OK Mexican restaurants but not on every streetcorner! Oh, and moving here saves us $13k per year in state income taxes! Downsides - less government services (I miss the huge library systems but don't miss government intrusions!), I have to drive further to get to Sam's Club and only a couple of aquarium stores.

Finally, the Daytona Beach Drum Center is AMAZING! Great products, good prices, nice people!

Dan

When you said NE Florida I assumed Jacksonville. Are you further south? St. Augustine or Palm Coast, Ormond or Daytona? There are a few good Mexican restaurants in the area, but none specialize in the Baja California cuisine that you enjoyed in San Diego (I lived there too for many decades - I was career navy.)

Daytona Beach Drum Center is OK. The small things like heads, etc. are not carried and while I like the store (I purchased my Odery drum kit from there), I rarely patronize it. I spend most of my money at Sweetwater.

Perhaps our paths will cross at some point. I spend most of my gigging time in Orlando or Clermont these days, but still jam and occasionally gig in Daytona and New Smyrna Beach.

 

[russgold]

moving to montana soon

Wanna be a mennal toss flycoon.

 

[FlowTom]

I'm lucky to have grown up in Fla. so I got that fascination out of my system involuntarily. The "Florida Man" syndrome is not a new thing. It traces back to at least the late 1960's in my experience.

The sun is too close to the earth in Florida. At least that's my scientific explanation of it.

I would not move anywhere that is threatened by both ocean level rise and numbing incompetence. Florida checks both those boxes.

I spent so many years sweating profusely that the thrill of that has long since worn off. I like my cold weather. Not crazy cold or crazy long winters, but a decent portion of the year @ 60 F or less.

I know a guy who decided what latitude he wanted to live at and cruised the US at that latitude scouting out possible landing spots. He may have chosen something by now, not sure. But I like the concept.

 

[CigarScott]

Been to Grenada twice. Always enjoyed the stay. Smell of spice in the air

Check out San Juan Del Sur the next time you're down there, unless you're avoiding your fellow countrymen. I'm honestly surprised that Canada doesn't have a consulate there with the number of Canadians there.

 

[CigarScott]

I'm lucky to have grown up in Fla. so I got that fascination out of my system involuntarily. The "Florida Man" syndrome is not a new thing. It traces back to at least the late 1960's in my experience.

The sun is too close to the earth in Florida. At least that's my scientific explanation of it.

I would not move anywhere that is threatened by both ocean level rise and numbing incompetence. Florida checks both those boxes.

I spent so many years sweating profusely that the thrill of that has long since worn off. I like my cold weather. Not crazy cold or crazy long winters, but a decent portion of the year @ 60 F or less.

I know a guy who decided what latitude he wanted to live at and cruised the US at that latitude scouting out possible landing spots. He may have chosen something by now, not sure. But I like the concept.

I think that is one of the main drivers of the growth in Tennessee and Carolinas, not as brutally hot as Florida or Georgia and in at least in Tennessee, it's income tax-free, like Florida.

 

[Vistalite Black]

This thread is now really reminding me of the episode of "The Andy Griffith Show" where Howard Sprague retires to a Caribbean island, but misses his friends in Mayberry so much that he's back in a couple of weeks.

Anybody remember the "Howard's New Life" Episode?

 

[Masecar]

I grew up in Raleigh NC, and I moved back here after college, and I love the people I know here, but it's at least doubled in size in the last fifteen years or so (all you New Yorkers moving down here clogging up our crummy highways!), the traffic is starting to scare me a little, and prices are increasing more than I place value on this physical location. My parents are retiring in a year or two, and will be selling the house I grew up in, so after that the only thing keeping me here will be me.

Remote session recording work is up this year, and hopefully it continues to trend upward. My girlfriend and I drove all the way across the country to Seattle last year, and we are thinking we'd like to find a structure somewhere in the PNW to convert into a studio/workshop (a barn would be great!) to house all my gear and projects, and plop one of those tiny homes in a field next to the structure that we'd actually live in, if necessary. Ideally 30 minutes to an hour's drive from a city, so I can go play gigs and be a part of something, but not have to worry about the insane prices of actually living within the city limits.

 

[Frank Godiva]

I grew up between Silverdale and Bremerton in the little community of Tracyton. My 87 year old dad still lives in the same place.
I resisted the navy stuff where most of my friends worked and got outta Kitsap 20 years ago for good. It’s good to go back to visit but that’s about it. I didn’t get too far away. Gig Harbor for the last 18 years. It’s a good spot. I shouldn’t complain but the property taxes are brutal.

Spent many months in Port Orchard, lovely

 

[gregc57]

I might get off Long Island in a few years when I’m ready to retire. Maybe go over the Jersey line to PA. Long Island is expensive to retire on. I’ll miss the ocean, but be close enough to Gotham city when I need my NYC fix......if it survives this epidemic. The future right now remains cloudy, so I’ll just keep working.