markarian wrote:
Have you thought about Bozeman? The COL is increasing, but is still relatively affordable. It's has a great local running scene, and access to amazing trails (if that's your type of thing.) If i could afford it i would by property there now, because i think there will be an influx of affluent individuals within the next 5-10 years. Obvious drawbacks is about 3 months of brutal winter. That being said summer running is indescribably amazing.
What about Laramie??
How about Edwardsville, IL. SIUE has a beautiful campus. Lots of great running in the area, and its an easy drive to St Louis if you want to go to a little bit bigger city.
Not sure why so hard on C-U. Sure, the town isnt that special, but its fine for a college town that isn't really near anything. Perhaps jealousy that thw college here is better regarded than where you went to school (not an illini myself, so I dont have a dog in the school spirit fight).
I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride wrote:
markarian wrote:
Have you thought about Bozeman? The COL is increasing, but is still relatively affordable. It's has a great local running scene, and access to amazing trails (if that's your type of thing.) If i could afford it i would by property there now, because i think there will be an influx of affluent individuals within the next 5-10 years. Obvious drawbacks is about 3 months of brutal winter. That being said summer running is indescribably amazing.
What about Laramie??
Are the winters tougher than Madison or Ann Arbor?
Neta wrote:
Did live a year there in NE Ohio. The summers are great as are the Metroparks. A big downer though was the lake snow and gray skies for days on end in the winter.
I spent a month one day in the Cleveland area. I live in the Cincinnati area so I felt obligated to take a shot. Cincy suburbs are solid and warmer than the rest of the state but not a college town described by the OP.
I have enjoyed reading other opinions on places.
You brought up the point I had concerning Ohio and probably Indiana & Illinois as well. There can be weeks without the sun. I have friends who live in Madison and Ann Arbor who have also lived in Ohio and they agree that 20-25 and sunny is far better than Ohio's day-after-day of 30-35 and twilight-like dark without the sun.
For the coach, why WOULDN'T someone want to live somewhere like Granville, other than the lack of winter sun. I am not sure why you are so partial to industry and empty warehouses of NE Ohio. Smaller college towns like Granville, Yellow Springs, Athens, and Wooster have it all over what you have menioned as far as Ohio goes.
Back to the OP, Ohio is NOT your choice with their most recent "We are the new Alabama" stance on most social issues.
I lived in Waverly and Iowa City for 24 years. Both nice towns. Waverly is more conservative but also quiet with a short drive to Cedar Falls and 90 min to Iowa City for most anything you would need. IC definitely had much more to offer as most University towns would. My kids did well in both environments but I'm glad they spent more time in IC to gain more perspectives of the world around them that a smaller rural community can't offer.
Others suggested Bozeman. On that note, I might suggest you look into the Central Oregon High Dessert with great views of the Cascade Range. Weather is not what I expected. 4 seasons, none too extreme.
If you love the outdoors you will be pleasantly surprised. Even though Bend isn't a Uni-town proper, it has plenty of cultural opportunities. Not to mention plenty of hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, skiing etc... Eugene/Hayward Field only a few hours away and the Pacific Ocean another hour West. The surrounding states have endless exploring opportunities and beautiful environments as well within a few hours.
I'm not retired yet but I live somewhere now that I feel like my job is just a rest period to plan our next adventure :)
Nothing wrong with wanting to stay in the Midwest, especially if you have lived there for a while, are used to the climate and perhaps have family and friends there. It's not like other part of the country are paradise - to each her own.
Madison and Ann Arbor seem like the most balanced choices. Lively, cultured, decent access to outdoors and solid running scenes.
I'm surprised that Evanston hasn't come up more. It's perhaps not your typical 'college town' but it has Northwestern, a nice town feel to it, very easy access to Chicago's urban resources without being just an anomymous burb, and a major airport to get in and out easily. Unlike places like Bloomington, the town is not entirely dominated by undergrads. It feels more grown up. The view of Lake Michigan and sandy beaches make a real difference. It's actually a pretty popular retirement spot. Downtown is littered with retirement homes. The main drawback is the lack of real outdoors nearby - it takes a while to get out of the Chicago metro sprawl.
Neta wrote:
I would have thought more people here would have tapped Ann Arbor.
I tried to tap Ann Arbor. She fought me off, slapped my face, and rightfully called me a perv.
tstans wrote:
Northfield, MN tops lists for retirees all the time. Home of St Olaf and Carleton.
Really lovely town, incredible running, great proximity to the Twin Cities, but it’s quite a bit smaller than some of these Big Ten town that ar under discussion. I’m not sure someone looking at Madison would consider it an alternative.
been there too wrote:
Neta wrote:
I hadn't considered moving that far west. Will look into Bozeman though.
Bozeman, Livingston and Missoula are all great towns. I think Montana would be too cold in the winter for me. But definitely good places for people who like the cold.
Bozeman is very expensive. Pretty much a resort town and I dno't think Missoula is much cheaper. Not to mention the winters.
Shaker is, in my opinion a mixed bag. On one hand there are some magnificent houses and some great parks and the schools are always highly ranked. However, if you are talking about it from a retirement destination standpoint, I'd be reluctant to live in a community with such a high cost of housing and property taxes. I suppose if you had the means to buy a condo, you'd be able to take advantage of the amenities you mentioned. I'm just not a fan of the traffic snarl of the east side/university circle area.
Ohio guy asked why I'd stear clear of smaller towns like Granville. I'd grant that it's a quaint town and all, but the small Hallmark towns out in or close to the sticks just don't do it for me. The choices of things to do are pretty small and there usually isn't much going on. Everyone knows what everyone is doing and if they don't, they make it up. No thanks. I grew up in small, quaint area and it's just not my cup of tea. The key for each person is to be able to choose what suits them best. Some people would like nothing better than to be in a cabin in the mountains miles away from civilization. Cool, they should do that. I like living on the edge of a big city so that I can easily attend big events, pro and college sports. Who knows if I'll still have that same predilection when it comes time to retire.
Some have asked why people would want to retire to a college/university town. Those towns frequently offer access to activities and amenities not found elsewhere-cultural and educational activities, athletics and opportunities to mentor young people. This article sums it up nicely:
I can't believe you actually suggested Waverly, IA. What a sh!t hole. If you're going to Iowa Decorah, and Cedar Rapids are really the only two spots worth living.
I can't believe that people suggest places like Montana, Colorado and Oregon. The OP said in the title of the thread "Midwest uni/college town". Are people that geographically challenged that they don't understand what that means?
Marquette, MI
Gambier, OH. Empty in the summer, great river access, shaded bike trails and nature trails