We're looking in areas with a high population of the baby boomer generation, empty nesters with adult children.
What about you?

I prefer a quiet neighbor hood without a lot of children playing. The noise bothers me. We have a few children on our street that are quiet and well behaved. The next door neighbors are very quiet, but they have a whole bunch of grandchilren and when they descend for a visit on the weekend, nothing is safe. My flowers get picked, the shrubs are broken off for what reason, I know not. And they are screamers!!!! Oh, my aching head!!!

A neighborhood with families with small children becomes a neighborhood with teenagers, and that's a whole new problem. When we moved here 11 years ago, the house across the street had a teen in high school. He had lots of friends and they had lots of parties with beer cans and other debris left on the lawns. When he got old enough to drive, he got one of those boom box cars and he still lives at home, so we get our window rattled a few times a week at about 1-2am. Not as much partying, for which we are thankful.

If I were moving, I would want a settled neighborhood that had the majority of people about my same age with common interests.

I guess I'd prefer a mix. I sure don't want to be the only crazy old lady living in an area with lots of little kids. I also don't want to be segregated into a community of nothing but old folks either.

Ginger, that's about the best. I would dread a neighborhood with nothing but the older set unless it was a most unusual group. And I could not stand a street where everyone but me had the average 2.5 kids. If I wasn't the Crazy Old Lady to start with, I soon would be. The older group are sometimes too set in their ways to suit me.

However, you can't bet on anything, including who's going to move in next door.

Personal note coming up here: We bought a house close to our business in a neighborhood that met all our standards. Nice, quiet, few children, nice mix of people, etc. We thought we would be happy to live there after retirement. We stood it for 8 years and gave up. The reasons were all vague, but added together made it a place that we simply didn't fit in.

Most all of them were of one religious denomination with the remainder of another. We were probably the only Episcopalians in the whole little town. The entire life of the community revolved around the two churches. We were looked upon as strange even though we attended one of the two, even sang in the choir. We were the only ones that drank beer and wine (openly) and had season tickets to the Symphony. I never met anyone that had classical CDs or tapes. We simply did not fit in. I don't know how you would go about finding out this sort of thing ahead of time, but it could make a big difference in how you feel about your new neighbors. I think that your idea of a college town would expose you to a group that would have a more varied outlook on life.

We are now retired in a mixed age neighborhood. I would guess that the greater percentage of people are over 50 but there are still a lot of families with children.

I agree with Aileen that you never know who might move in next door and change a great place into a horrible place. We bought the lot next door on one side so we wouldn't have neighbors "on top of us". On the other side is a lovely couple with one 14 year old daughter. We are delighted right now with where we are but know that things could change.

Being in a college town gives you a lot of opportunites that you wouldn't have other places.

Oh, it's so important to learn the culture of the entire area, not only the town or city. I moved to Michigan (SW) to be close to my father. I live in an area where there are a lot of families and a few older "folks". Everyone is so busy with family life that it's hard to find anyone to do things with. I can't find anyone with my religious or political beliefs. If so, they are in hiding! I have to drive 30 miles to see any kind of arts / foreign films. The "Newcomers" group is all married couples and most of the activities geared towards them. Shopping is the "pits". Everyone carries the same thing and if you want to find something "different" you're forced to pay high prices at a tourist shop. (Ginger, I know you like to cook, so make sure the area you choose supports your culinary tastes and needs. There are many things I just can't find here! One major grocery store here didn't even have canned black-eyed peas and most people have never heard of an escargot!) Please, everyone, investigate the area and if it really suits your life-style.

We live in our neighborhood on Long Island for many many years and love it here. Our neighbors are relatives and friends and new friends -- it a mixture of people -- young, middle age and retirees. I love having it this way. I would not want to live where it is only retirees. It would not be my cup of tea. I think having young families around is good for the soul and spirit. My granddaughter (2-1/2 yrs) keeps me young --the other day while playing she told me "Grandmore your my friend" --and I said "no, I am your Grandmore" -- "no Grandmore your my friend". What a compliment. She is something else my little sweetheart.

I am so very happy we did not leave our original "Honeymoon" home - it would be so sad to leave my friends, relatives and my beautiful flower gardens. We have been travelling the past few years all over the U.S.A. (Collette Tours), but it always wonderful to come back home to Long Island where our roots are. As a matter of fact, the weather here this winter has been awesome.

Who among you have experienced retirement time (all of part of the year) in Mexico? What is/was your experience; + or -? Where? And did you have a grasp of the language prior? Or take lessons by imersion?

Do you mean Mexico or New Mexico. I wouldn't want to retire to Mexico....

I think an area with a mixed group is ideal-we live in a rural area but the miles surrounding us is familes at all stages--a few empty nesters like us-a couple with under 5 kids-some with teenagers & preteens--we ( so far ) are enjoying it all---but then the area is close ( within 30 miles ) to where most of our kids settled , close by to cultural things we enjoy, Hubby has years in the Volunteer Fire Dept , our friends are all in the general area and we have a "camp" within a couple hours drive so all in all we find it as ideal now that we're "retired" as we did previously.

Oh - I don't know - I want to be charitable and giving and understanding and say that we would love to retire to a place that has a mixture of all ages, but the fact is that we are getting older and grouchier and less tolerant of noises and messes, etc....terrible isn't it? We will retire in 4 years so it will be interesting to see what kind of environment we end up choosing - planned community, condos/townhomes, mixed residential, or mini-country estate - right now we are open - but getting pickier and grouchier by the minute.

We're reached the point where we prefer an 'over 55' community.

I bought into a neighborhood that was about 26 years old. Most of the folks here bought to 'retire to', and now they're starting to die off and the properties are coming up left and right, and pretty cheaply.

I bought a house across the street for my folks to visit, unfortunately my dad never got here, but my mom's here now (for a while). The house on one side of me is vacant and I can probably get a really good price because it needs work. The other side of me is a strange situation, but I might can get that one too. There are some kids across the street that are starting to be teens, and there are some waaay down the street that got their licenses (and need speed bumps).

I figure if I can control the few houses around me, I don't care what the rest of the neighborhood does. I'll have control of my comfort zone and that will be that.

i prefer adults 45 and up, wife and i cant stand children, they get on my nerves big time. so we will be looking for an adult only area.

I think we will be buying a rural type property so we won't have to worry about neighborhoods but even my own Grandchildren get on my nerves after awhile so I don't want to live in a young community...I want some peace and quiet in my old age.....

I love teaching school, but I tell ya, when I get home, I just want to hear my wind chimes, the birds singing, and the sound of my little dolphin fountain....

I'd prefer a quiet neighborhood--the kids who live behind us like to SCREECH at the top of their lungs for no discernable reason (I'm always hearing their parents tell them to stop screaming, and it works for about 10 minutes).

We are staying in our old neighborhood, which is actually only 25 years old. There are a few children, but they don't seem to play outside like our children did. I guess they are glued to the TV, PC and video games. So it is quiet here, except for the teens that drag down the street. I think I like a mixed environment better.

Update: some of the younger folks can be really useful, if they aren't making a lot of money in their jobs! Younger adults are usually available for yard or tree work.

Kids can be 'bribed' to bring mail from one box to another door if one's out of town. They can also be enlisted (for a token fee) to "watch" the house. (which means any of their cronies will NOT vandalize it!)

Better than ALL old folks around!

We had to live in town until DH retired.
We bought a house on a private lake in the country about 10 years ago. There are kids 3 houses down from us and the rest have grown up and gone off to college. Each house has 2 acres and we share the vacant lot to our left with our neighbor. We bought it to keep anyone from building close to us. Neighbors on each side are closer to our age and retired. It has worked out great. I love kids but when you're older and have health problems along the way. You just don't have the stamina to deal with children no matter how much you love them.

The question is not what everyone else prefers, but what do YOU prefer? Then ask if anyone lives near these standards.

I live in the sun (west coast fla), mostly older people surrounding me, low crime rate, not a damn thing to do on weekends or any other day of the week.

What do YOU want?

Gina, I think you must be close to me. Mostly old folks, doctoring and discussing medications. It's about a 20 mile drive from my boondocks to any stores.

I lived in the boonies in Massachusetts too, but I worked and I didn't realize that I could do stores and shopping while I was there. Now it's a haul. The problem is that I love our home here. I guess life is a trade off.

Elaine in Florida

I only asked to find out others' preferences. I know my own. LOL