Do you like ****ing around/banging a lot of chicks, live music, warmer/colder weather? Questions you need to ask
Austin's pretty nice and would be more affordable the NYC. Can't comment on wherever the **** Dalmatia is.
I know its the joke option but if not for all the &%#$ing tracksuited Serbians running around, Dalmatia is the clear winner. That coastline is supposed to be pretty damn sweet, like the coast of Italy or Southern California with amazing weather, mountains, and ocean. Dubrovnik and Split are both supposed to be amazing places to visit.
Not a joke, and although the Serbs are present, they are only vacationing, Dalmatia is in Croatia. The beaches are better than Italy or California by a wide margin. I have family in all the options. Austin is not cheaper than NYC but Dalmatia is... Anyway, they all have their pluses and minuses. Will go between all three every year, just looking at home base.
I choose NYC. Should have some deals on condos with the upcoming housing crisis and overall less occupancy...
Last year I would have said (for someone getting older and thinking of settling down), “sure our healthcare is stupid expensive, but it’s the best in the world!” Today, I say, “Dalmatia!”
Not to be cliche but probably hawaii. But there is that idea of visiting is waaay different then living there. I lived in some undesirable places and nice ones.. spent 6 years on the beach in san diego. After time in san diego there was a lot of things I grew to hate ..and if you think some amenities are less available in san diego you can imagine hawaii would get old fast. That all said I would be perfectly fine with a one bedroom apt in lahaina in maui with my hot wife. Yeah Im sure it wouldn't be what I hoped for and maui isnt up to date always. It is an outpost to be sure. The Dalamatia choice is the same thing where it will be fun for a while and then about 6 months in you might puke if you see another track suit. If you are doing international you almost need to do a 6 month test run. Living international can be a real undertaking. I believe @Jontro can chime in here on these aspects. I have lived in various scenarios and places in europe and I am not saying its 3rd world but there is definitely a bit of a lag in things more so in say spain/ italy/ireland then say germany sweden. In fact if you are baller you should take strong looks at norway and the be all end all for retirement would be switzerland. Absolutely amazing and besides the crawfish ettoufee at pappadeaux I cant think of much I would miss being in switzerland. What a place. cliche takes you to interlaken but wow. So nyc retire? Nah if you like sirens and want the rona. Of the 3 (austin nyc dalamatia) its actually surprisingly austin. I feel dirty saying that now as the old me would have told you dalmatia or nyc. The austin choice is safe and boring though. The 3 are not alike at all to me really.
never heard of dalamatia, but the above brehs speak the truth. from my experience in constantly moving around since birth, i would choose a place you're more familiar with. the exotic places will probably get old eventually, but you may be one of those that wake up every morning amazed, so who knows. just don't go to any third world place. like if it was me, it would be austin or new york, because i identify with the culture and everything else. with foreign (exotic) cities altho awesome, i would always feel like an outsider. i say go to new york, become a badass corporate laywer like my idol harvey specter (2nd to tom cruise).
If you are used to cold weather/NYC go somewhere like Boulder, Colorado or Pacific NW. You have both modern niceties and also clean air. Arizona is also great. Tucson, Scottsdale etc..I personally would choose Vancouver, BC but not sure restrictions due to US citizenship/Medicare.
Its pretty hard for most people to retire in one of the most expensive cities in the world. It is beautiful though.
You haven't provided enough info. What's most important to you? Taxation? Politics? Cost-of-living? Climate? (Hot? Warm? Cool? Cold? Four seasons? Rain? Snow? Geography? (Beach? Lake? River? Mountains? Plains?). Cosmopoilitan? Traditional? Modern? Conservative? Liberal? Average age? Diversity? Religion? Educational standings? Food? History? Traffic? Population? Public transportation? Average salary?
I welcome this thread to be about good places to settle down, in general. In my case, I have narrowed it down to those three as all are “doable.” I am from Texas ( father, sister, extended family still there). I have lived in NYC since 1994 and have three teenaged sons here. My new wife is Croatian and ,well, it’s beautiful there, and the cheapest option.