[Ron G.]

I spent a couple hours in TV over the weekend and really liked what I saw.

However, my wife (who was home in Baltimore while I was visiting my mother near Tampa) likes the idea of retiring to California.

Does anyone know of a similar place in Southern California?

At first, I was put off by the sheer size of TV, but later decided that the size brings with it many opportunities for activities, etc. Also, it seems like TV is a truly active retirement community...far more to do than play cards, bocce, shuffleboard, etc.

So, I think we're looking for a large, active retirement community....but, maybe in Southern California.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Ron

[KathieI]

Hi Ron,

I'm from Los Angeles and am retiring to TV so obviously I haven't found anything close to TV in the SoCal area. There may be something south of Los Angeles near the San Diego area, I haven't looked there, but I think, without having investigated it yet, the prices for houses would be a lot higher, cost of living would be a lot higher and I don't think you'd find as much in the way of activities as there are in TV. Also, the people are so friendly in TV and I know that you won't match that anywhere in SoCal. Maybe someone has experience with this in NoCal but we'll see who responds to this post.

Ron, its true that the weather is fantastic in California, but there are many more pluses in TV which I'm willing to trade for the weather. Good luck in your planning. You'll get a ton of information from this post, I'm sure. Kathie :redface:

[golfnut]

Just out of curiosity where do you live now Ron. I'm thinking KathieI can give some insight about retiring in So Cal.

[KathieI]

Golfnut, you beat me to the punch. My computer is slow as I'm sitting in a coffee shop by the Pacific Ocean working from a WiFi system. Thanks for thinking of me. Hope we can help Ron to move to TV.... Kathie :redface:

[golfnut]

Kathie, looks like we were both working on this one at the same time! Yes we're addicts.

[Bubbalarry]

There is absolutely nothing similar to TV in California period. Now if your looking for an active adult community I may suggest Sun City part of Dell Webb in Palm Desert, CA.

Actually Dell Webb has 2 communities close to one another and the older section is the best. I can't recall the community name at this time but its right off of I-10 at Washington Blvd.

I have a few freinds who live in this area and I spend February every year except this year as we have purchased a new home here and are getting it all setup for the winter season.

In Palm Desert during the winter would be the best time since 115 to 120 degrees is the norm during the summer, and it can get humid at times. My freinds leave to go to Coronado Bch by San Diego then.

Palm Desert/Palm Springs now have multiple golf courses and new Casino's too. The rates for public courses are very reasonable but scatered. Mesquite CC is my favorite.

If you plan on staying and playing in the San Diego area bring a large pocketbook.

:bigthumbsup:

[chuckinca]

Nothing in Norcal of the size of TV. There are a lot of smaller towns in the Sierra foothills and up and down the coast that people retire to, a Sun City near Sacramento, Rossmore East of Oakland, and many folks move to Oregon, Nevada and Arizona/New Mexico to escape the high cost of living in the Bay Area. And a few to other places such as Florida.

[The Great Fumar]

I played golf with an ophthalmologist about a month ago who had retired from pleasanton CA and when I asked why he came here he replied," You can't live in calif. on a retirement income"..Needless to say I was surprised....but after thinking about it , there are a lot of people here from calif. Enough that they have their own club.....Don't know what that tells you but I know what it tells me...

Fumar
PS...I was stationed in oakland several years ago and I loved it, but back then it was fun there.......

[chuckinca]

Originally Posted by the great fumar

I played golf with an ophthalmologist about a month ago who had retired from pleasanton CA and when I asked why he came here he replied," You can't live in calif. on a retirement income"..Needless to say I was surprised....but after thinking about it , there are a lot of people here from calif. Enough that they have their own club.....Don't know what that tells you but I know what it tells me...

Fumar
PS...I was stationed in oakland several years ago and I loved it, but back then it was fun there.......

Fumar:

You can live in Cailf on a retirement income but you don't want to be in the large cities (like anywhere else). We plan on spending summers on a large mountain lake, 3 hours North of San Francisco, that has a large retirement segment. Calif in the winter is rainy and chilly (not snowy - except the Sierra's) and Florida is a nicer place than Arizona! (Plus - being originally from the Midwest, my family retires to Florida)

PS: I live about 15 miles from Pleasanton and drive on the FWY thru it every work day.

PSS: Another branch of my family retires to South Haven, MI

[JohnN]

I've thought The Villages have a concept that could/should be duplicated elsewhere in teh country by some devloper. Del Webb's are pretty nice and a good choice, however TV is where I'll be.

[KathieI]

Originally Posted by Bubbalarry

There is absolutely nothing similar to TV in California period. Now if your looking for an active adult community I may suggest Sun City part of Dell Webb in Palm Desert, CA.

Bubba, I never checked out Sun City. Good suggestion!

Originally Posted by Bubbalarry

In Palm Desert during the winter would be the best time since 115 to 120 degrees is the norm during the summer, and it can get humid at times.
Palm Desert/Palm Springs now have multiple golf courses and new Casino's too. The rates for public courses are very reasonable but scatered. Mesquite CC is my favorite.

I have a home in Los Angeles 1 mile from the ocean and another in Palm Springs. I just hated P.S. cause the 100+ temp starts in May through Oct. and with 0 humidity, its a killer. My Dad literally couldn't breath. So that let that out - Dad comes first.!!! Also, I found people were not nearly as friendly as TV and it was very difficult to get into a group. I was extremely lonely and we all know I'm so outgoing, if I'm lonely can you imagine how a really shy :redface: person would feel lonely.

When I looked at all my options and spent almost a month in November in TV, there was just no alternative, TV it was. It had all I wanted and more......

I agree with JohnN, a smart developer should look at duplicating TV elsewhere in the country, but TV in FL is for me....

This is all, of course, my opinion. Kathie (now admitting, not so :redface

[jtdraig]

I have a thing for coastal California. I was stationed there at Camp Pendleton and over the course of a LONG career in the Marine Reserves went to the US Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado more than 50 times for classes, ATDs, conferences, etc. I like Coronado but to live there you have to have major league big bucks. I basically prefer the coastal areas between San Diego and Orange County after which you skip to north of Santa Barbara and on up the Coastline...skipping San Francisco and on up to the Oregon border. Those areas have their own charm and beauty no matter where you look. I like San Francisco but for a weekend and I just never could get into Los Angeles or Oakland or any of the other cities out there. Long story about how we got here but here we are and happily so.

[KathieI]

Jt: Totally agree about the coastal area of socal. Actually in the 70's, we planned to retire there between Newport Beach and San Diego but you're right, you need big time bucks to do that today. We should have invested in property there at that time, not in Los Angeles, like we did, cause now it would be worth a fortune.

Can't say I like anything above SF cause the weather is too damp and chilly for me but it sure is pretty coast line. Los Angeles has changed so much in the past 10 years, its unliveable now. >>>>>>>>>>>here I come TV - hope you can put up with me!!!

040 040

[jtdraig]

My wife dragged me here kicking and screaming (well, not really, but under "sort of" protest) and I am happy to be here....almost 3 years later!

As one who spent many years in NY, CT, and Massachusetts, I could make the north coast work for me really well...especially around Bodega Bay.....but....maybe in the next life.

You will really enjoy the Villages.

[Muncle]

I would think it extremely difficult, nigh on impossible, to duplicate TV in other states. First of all, the other location would have to have something akin to the Community Development District concept. Secondly, the area must have sufficient "affordable" land that is not so remote as to be impractical, e.g., the mountains of Montana or the high desert of New Mexico. Seemingly, it would have to be as close to major population centers as we are to Orlando and Tampa Bay while having smaller cities like Ocala and Leesburg nearby. Thirdly, it must have attractive weather. Nobody is going to flock to an area that's uninhabitable for months at a time, especially for people of our advanced years. :yikes:

Without the CDD concept, a developer would need mucho, mucho millions in seed money to get something like this started. Additionally, this area has a fairly deep pool of affordable labor, much more affordable than California. Today the unemployment rate for Sumter County is ungodly low, but when TV started, unemployment was high and there was little competition for workers.

Another factor is the drawing area. So many of us are late Depression, WWII, and early boomer babies who were born and spent our lives in the northeast and upper midwest. Relatively few TVers come here from the left/ :redface: oops / west coast or mountain states. Florida is a natural migration for us. I would be a huge jump for most Yankees, Buckeyes, or Hoosiers to relocate to Arizona. I know that's kind of a weak point, but I do believe it has an impact on the success of TV. And Florida is a much more natural destination for our many expats.

And, of course, our cost of living compares very favorably with anything on either FL coast and especially California. Don't know about Arizona.