Looking to retire to Midwest uni/college town

Hey Coaches News Network,

What do you think of Shaker Heights? It's close to University Circle, which is home to Case Western Reserve University, The Cleveland Institute of Art, and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Plus, you have the Cleveland Metroparks nearby with their dozens of bike and hiking trails.

erzera wrote:

Serious question, why would anyone specifically want to retire in a college town?

Unless you want to play sugar daddy I guess...

OP has already answered that question. Scroll back to page 3.

I've been to Madison, Ann Arbor and Urbana Champaign. Retiring in a college town makes a lot of sense because you will have the culture of a larger city without the cost. I would rank Madison, then Ann Arbor than Urbana Champaign. I've never heard Urbana Champaign referred to as "quaint" or "pretty." It would be my last option. Weather is not quite as cold in Urbana Champaign as either Madison or Ann Arbor

A Saluki wrote:

Carbondale, IL. University town but still has a lot of other stuff going for it. Summers can be hot but the winters are mild for the Midwest.

If OP is looking for "cultural stuffs" Cape Girardeau might be a better option. Since the new performing arts center was built on SEMO's River Campus, SIU has lost a lot of business there. SEMO has a school of performing arts, and there are things like faculty recitals students performances in addition to touring pros.

Cape also hosts an annual half marathon, and there are people from Carbondale who come to race here, because they don't have a half. There are also many shorter (mostly 5k) races throughout the year.

Of the choices offered by the O.P. I would rate Madison the best by far. Then Ann Arbor. then Iowa city.

I noticed several people mentioning small Iowa towns including Dubuque. I lived in Dubuque once and went to grad school there. It is nothing at all like a college town, despite having a number of small colleges. If you are looking for the a typical uni/college town feel, flee from anybody who mentions Dubuque as a viable choice. When I wanted to go to a college town I went to Madison or Iowa City. I haven't been to all of the small Iowa towns mentioned, but I don't think Decorah is going to offer anything similar to the experience of Madison or Iowa City. That doesn't mean that Decorah, or Grinnell, or Dubuque don't have their own charms or things to offer, but it is a different experience altogether.

I mostly grew up in Iowa City and lived there (except for my undergraduate years) a long time; I left because I found a better paying, more interesting job elsewhere. It was hard to leave it, partly because it's my heart's hometown, but also, because it's just a fantastic smaller city in which to live. I always love it when I go back to visit my family. It has plenty of "culture". It is in a decently not-flat part of the state. Its politics tend more toward my taste in general. People are nice. I always thought of it as a smaller version of Madison in a lot of ways. And frankly I like how in the summer it calms down when the bulk of the students take off for a few months.

I went to college in Cedar Falls in the mid 90s. I have only been back there a handful of times in the last 20 years, seems that it's grown a bit but I don't think it's changed so much from what I remember. CF itself is pretty nice but Waterloo being hard next door kind of makes it feel like it's not so college-townish though. And if I were to move back to Iowa, Waterloo would be way, way down on my list of places I'd choose so I'd probably not put Cedar Falls up too high either. VERY flat part of Iowa, seems like the wind comes straight out of Canada and isn't blocked by anything and will always be in your face no matter which direction you turn. Winter in Iowa City wasn't always great but seemed to be slightly better than 90 miles farther north.

Dubuque would be pretty low on my list too. Pretty part of the state, but Dubuque can't offer what Iowa City can in my opinion.

As for other Iowa college towns that have been mentioned: Waverly? Grinnell? These have small schools and I suppose are technically "college towns" but they are still just small towns in Iowa, and I'd never want to live there.

My Iowa City hometown bias colors a lot of my feelings about the rest of the state, I'll admit.

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.

erzera wrote:

Serious question, why would anyone specifically want to retire in a college town?

Unless you want to play sugar daddy I guess...

I kinda wonder the same. I live in a major college town and putting up with college student and annoying alumni crap most of the year for any and all of the cultural amenities is hardly worth it. The school breaks just aren't long enough. I'd choose a small city and then trade a town that's small enough to be dominated by traffic and other side-effects of kids and alumni/football fans having boozy weekends for genuine municipal amenities like public transit and a decent airport within an hour's drive. But if you like people treating your lawn like a public toilet many nights of the year, why not?

I am from a midwest college town, and have spent time in all 3 of those places. First cross Champaign off your list. That place kinda sucks to be honest. Madison would be great if it wasn't for all the Badgers fans. That's all they talk about and their only reason for living. I'd go to Ann Arbor because Michigan fans are generally cool and you have closer proximity to a major city in Detroit.

Good running albeit flat in C-U.

Some decent parks like Old Orchard and country roads if that’s your thing.

Excellent choice of restaurants and conveniently located between Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Louisville.

rpmcmurphy wrote:

Champaign Urbana has absolutely nothing to offer besides the u of i.

Crime is rampant. Pancake flat. Concrete jungle.

What's wrong with pancake flat? It allows them to host a marathon on a very fast course. (Illinois marathon.)

Big 10 Country wrote:

I am from a midwest college town, and have spent time in all 3 of those places. First cross Champaign off your list. That place kinda sucks to be honest. Madison would be great if it wasn't for all the Badgers fans. That's all they talk about and their only reason for living. I'd go to Ann Arbor because Michigan fans are generally cool and you have closer proximity to a major city in Detroit.

I would have thought more people here would have tapped Ann Arbor. It's good enough for N. Willis, but then again he is not yet retired.

Neta wrote:

Big 10 Country wrote:

I am from a midwest college town, and have spent time in all 3 of those places. First cross Champaign off your list. That place kinda sucks to be honest. Madison would be great if it wasn't for all the Badgers fans. That's all they talk about and their only reason for living. I'd go to Ann Arbor because Michigan fans are generally cool and you have closer proximity to a major city in Detroit.

I would have thought more people here would have tapped Ann Arbor. It's good enough for N. Willis, but then again he is not yet retired.

Ada OH is the new Ann Arbor.

I second Fayetteville, AR. The area has beautiful trails (including some of the best mountain biking trails in the country), Crystal Bridges Museum, Walton money investing in the community, four seasons but mild winters. The summers are two hot, but not as bad as much of the south of even KC.

*too hot

Arkansas isn't the midwest, friend.

i live under a bridge wrote:

Hey Coaches News Network,

What do you think of Shaker Heights? It's close to University Circle, which is home to Case Western Reserve University, The Cleveland Institute of Art, and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Plus, you have the Cleveland Metroparks nearby with their dozens of bike and hiking trails.

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 hadn't considered moving that far west. Will look into Bozeman though.

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.