This is the first place I’ve ever lived as an adult that has amazing walkability. I’ll hope to never move to an area where I need a car again. I adore being able to walk everywhere and I’m a lot healthier for it too.
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I know a couple who moved to a really cute, totally walkable town, near nature, and their house is absolutely gorgeous (brand-new, absolutely everything they both wanted).
I watch them though…and I have to say…their day to day life seems pretty quiet and actually dull. Wife is younger than me and a few years after the move still looking for things to do. Young fams in their neighborhood are busy; retired folks are quite a bit older.
I’m not saying they are unhappy (and not judging!) - but it’s something I watch carefully to learn from. I want to make sure my future day-to-day life is engaging, requires something of me, and vibrant. The location/house/town is a lot - but it’s not everything.
Maybe it means I’ll just keep working until I get so tired a quiet life is super appealing LOL.
I don’t want that to be the case, actually, tho…
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I’m confused how their new home in a walkable town etc is making it a quiet “boring” location?? I guess I don’t understand the connection. Are they - or would you - be looking for the neighborhood people to be your connection and entertainment source? To me the walkability is part of what gets you out to see and interact with people? (of course I don’t have high expectations or needs in terms of needing people to keep me occupied and happy!)
Interesting because I would probably never consider who was living in the neighborhood (unless hoodlums!) to be a factor in deciding where I live. Except that I wouldn’t want an “exclusive” age neighborhood like 55 and older.
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abasket - this was probably just a tangential thought on my part, LOL.
As all the ideas around ‘stage 2 of life’ float around in my head, I try to keep clarity for myself - that the place where we eventually move (and I think we will move), the type of house we have, and even the town aren’t the whole picture. Ha, I know the house is the topic of this thread!!
My friends who moved to the small walkable town were just a reminder to me that you have to have strong interests, activities and not rely on the town for giving you a vibrant life. Also, their town is super small and quiet, from what I’ve seen, so the type of walkable place could be a factor, somewhat…
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Of course! A nature trail is no use if you don’t like outside time. A town with no focus on art is not going to serve an artist well. A coffee shop will not be a pit stop for someone who doesn’t like fun drinks or chat time!
But a town and it’s activities are also not helpful if you don’t have the interest to participate in them.
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I appreciate you clarifying because I wasn’t getting the connection either.
We live on the outskirts of major city. I can walk to my town’s downtown, the train, to the city, a lake, and a university that has everything from sports to theater to arts to classes open to the community. If I could only pick one thing to stay close to, it would be the university. We could be attending events nearly every single day of the week if we chose and much of it is free or just a very nominal charge.
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momofboiler1 - I also think that given the chance I’d really like to live close to a university - even moreso than near a big city. Right now I’m 20 mins from one large city and and hour from an even bigger one. Do I go to either often? No, I don’t, lol. My friends who love the theater do take advantage of city life all the time, though.
Very true, abasket - you have to match the location to your interests!
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This. Half the year, we live in a cabin in the woods. I could live there all year long. Some might wonder what there is to “do” down our isolated pine-covered lane, but I spend my days (mostly) on the long porch reading, writing, crocheting, playing with the chipmunks, napping in the swing, and enjoying evening cocktails. Before my hip went*, I would happily wander slowly around the property down to the river and back or down our tree-canopied road about a half mile to pick up the mail every day. Then, there’s gardening, bread making, meal fixing, and cabin decorating. Really, not enough time in the day for me.
Two miles up the road is a farm that sells eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, mushrooms, and meats on the honor system in a small shed connected to their main barn. At the top of the lake sits an iconic New England town with a charming library, post office, creamery, restaurant, farmer’s market, and summer stock theater. We take advantage of these often, but I’m sure some would consider this life too quiet and dull.
The important thing is to know yourself and find that place where you can live the days you dream of—your dream, no one else’s.
*I’m good as new now, so will be doing a lot more wandering this summer.
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Is your cabin actually in heaven?! 
Sounds divine!
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It’s heaven to us, and that’s the point. If you’re like my SIL who cruises most of the year, you’d hate it. Different strokes.
ChoatieMom - what a beautiful picture of a location matching interests!! (and just saw the pic - gorgeous!!!)
Edit to add - I think the challenge for me (ha, and maybe not alone in this?) is figuring out what my interests/preferences are (and, I supposed, prioritizing them).
When we moved to our (very nice suburban) town 20 years ago our top two issues were: 1) reasonable commutes to our jobs, 2) good schools/environment for kids.
Removing those two variables has got me really casting about for what I value in their place. So far: 1) nature; 2) accessability to good quality healthcare. lol.
So great to hear what other’s think and what works for them!
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I love my town. I’m a 13 minute walk to the train to NYC and about the same to a nice grocery store. I could walk half an hour to two different libraries. Day before yesterday I went on a 5 mile walk, 75% of which was in the woods. Now, I never walk to the grocery store or the libraries, but I could. 
I like to be near museums and nature so this is a good fit for me.
@ChoatieMom that’s a very cute cabin!
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I love our current location since it is very walkable. It’s less than a 5 minute walk to 3 grocery stores, restaurants, movie theatres, Nordstrom Rack and Marshalls. It’s a 5 minute walk to the trolley that takes me to downtown, Old Town San Diego or Little Italy. I am 1 mile from a very nice upscale mall. I am 2.5 miles to the beach and live right by a large university (UCSD). I have two major medical centers 1 mile away. Torrey Pines Reserve for hiking is about 3.5 miles from my house. I love our area so much, but the city wants to add a lot of high density housing over the next few years which I believe will make our neighborhood much too crowded. H and I will stay for now, but I don’t know if we will still be in this area in 10 years.
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Amen to location matching one’s lifestyle. We think our house location is ideal for us, but for someone who wants a more urban vibe, this place will be quite unappealing. The closest Starbucks is a good 15 minute hilly walk away, and the town center requires an even longer walk. We love this place though.
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I pretty much walk everywhere. It’s amazing how many grocery bags I can carry home! I will stop at the grocery store on my way home from the office (I go in 1-2 days a week) if I need to pick up something heavy like cat litter, but otherwise I just walk. We walk to the beach to see the sunset 2-3 days a week and grab the trolley on the weekends to head out to dinner especially where parking is bad.
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In some recent posts they have made me really think about what our life will be like very soon. Our lives have revolved around our children for the past 22 years. In August our youngest will go off to college. We have lost touch with friends. I realized years ago it was much easier to be friends with the parents of the kids our kids played sports with. They were on the same schedule. Now those sports are done and we don’t see those people anyone except for one couple. We did keep up with family during those 22 years. My wife really has made us put an effort to see adults recently. We have gone to some dinners which is nice.
So when I think about where we might downsize in 5-6 years I am just not sure what outside of work we will be doing. I guess our new or rekindled activities will affect where we want to go.
Btw that pic of that cabin looks great. If it comes with good internet I am sold.
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Doesn’t Starlink make dishes that can be used anywhere? Although you will need a few cats to keep the dish from filling with snow in colder climates. 
I have all of this (and more, including lakes and a supermarket, several shops, a movie theater) withing walking distance in my neighborhood. And it is VERY walkable. It is an absolute requirement for me.
That said I live in a city. Unfortunately if someone wants a small town they frequently do not have all of these things.
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Same, gpo613!
I consider it part of my ‘planning for stage 2’ to really work on exploring interests, getting involved in activities, strengthening health (to be able to do the biking, hiking, etc.). That and traveling to places to get a ‘feel’. Trying to look at it as a multi-faceted, longer-term process.
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Great Internet. DH works from the cabin consulting to his client in Ireland, no hitches. Clearly, he and I have very different ideas of what retirement means.
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