Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

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Frank2012
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Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Frank2012 »

My wife and I own a home in Maryland in Montgomery County about 12-15 miles from Washington, DC. We are renting the house while we live and work in another state. We got to thinking about where we want to retire (though we have a long way to go...about 15-years). Lately, we've been thinking of moving back to the area one day to retire.

Just wondering if there are any Bogleheads who have retired in that area, and how do the like it? I see some pros and cons...for example: one pro is the proximity to DC and all the activities it has to offer. However, a big con is the taxes and cost of living.

I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who made the choice for Maryland and why.

Thanks!
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by bsteiner »

I know several people who moved to Maryland when they were retired. They did so because their adult children were living in Maryland or DC.
Iorek
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Iorek »

Chances are we will retire in MD. I think besides the proximity of DC, parts of Montgomery County are very walkable (and the county is trying to encourage more density in development), and right now that is something I think we want for retirement, but YMMV (and ours too, for that matter).
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Frank2012
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Frank2012 »

We like all the amenities...DC, Rockville Pike, reasonable drive to Baltimore, Virginia and other various touristy destinations. Nice place to retire despite the high cost of living and taxes.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by stparr »

We recently retired and plan to spend as much time as possible cruising the Chesapeake, mostly around the eastern shore. We may choose to rent somewhere in the south during the winter months each year, but are still researching that option.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by wesleymouch »

High taxes and crummy weather. Go South young man. Also there is more economic freedom in the Deep South States.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by deanbrew »

The cost of living is so high, and traffic congestion is so bad, in the DC area, I can't imagine retiring TO there. Retiring FROM there to someplace cheaper is another story. To each his own, of course. If I really felt the desire for that area, I would move beyond the expensive close-in counties to more outlying areas. If you don't need to commute each day, but only want to access the city more infrequently, or in non-peak hours, move farther out where the cost of living is lower.

Even the southern part of PA wouldn't be out of the question. Taxes (both income and property) are much lower, but DC and Baltimore are both reasonably close - as are Harrisburg and Philly.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Fclevz »

A Baltimore Sun article I happened upon a while ago: Study rates Maryland one of the worst places to retire.

Cheers,
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Drain
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Drain »

Are the taxes really that high compared with other big cities? No (state) tax on Social Security, I believe.
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Drain
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Drain »

Fclevz wrote:A Baltimore Sun article I happened upon a while ago: Study rates Maryland one of the worst places to retire.
That ranking doesn't seem to be based on sensible criteria. Of course you don't want to retire in Maryland (all else being equal) if you don't value city living too highly. The state ranks as expensive because it's more urban overall than most other states. But if you want to retire near a big city, I'm not sure what the real downside is. I'm sure there are better places in some ways, but it's not a terrible choice.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Sidney »

Fclevz wrote:A Baltimore Sun article I happened upon a while ago: Study rates Maryland one of the worst places to retire.

Cheers,
Fred
They lost my attention with this:
And life expectancy for a newborn in Maryland is 76.3 years, or the 35th lowest. ("If you're a retiree, that's a pretty important issue," Barrington says.)
I always wanted to be a procrastinator.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by sesq »

From a tax perspective, cross the river into VA.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Riverstwo »

I love living in Maryland, but am closer to the upper end of the beautiful chesapeake bay, have a home near the river, a boat in the slip and do all my tax free shopping in Delaware. Abudancy of steamed crabs, and great neighbors who have lots of dinner parties.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Postmon »

I believe Maryland has a 16% Estate Tax on estates over $1 million. :shock:
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Frank2012
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Frank2012 »

The link below is pro-Maryland as a place to live:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ros ... _blog.html

Gotta say I like urban areas and prefer to live in a City....not sure about that millionaires estate tax though...I'm wondering if there are legal ways around this through proper estate planning.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Toons »

wesleymouch wrote:High taxes and crummy weather. Go South young man. Also there is more economic freedom in the Deep South States.

+1 Amen to that :happy
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Sidney »

Frank2012 wrote:The link below is pro-Maryland as a place to live:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ros ... _blog.html

Gotta say I like urban areas and prefer to live in a City....not sure about that millionaires estate tax though...I'm wondering if there are legal ways around this through proper estate planning.
Sure, spend it all before you go.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by feh »

Interesting you should post this question. My wife and I will be retiring in 6-8 years, and plan on moving some place where winter doesn't last 5 months. However, we still want to enjoy the change of seasons, so the deep south is out. We also want a place w/ lower taxes and non-HCOL.

Our short list is Colorado, northern California, and mid-Atlantic states. Whenever I thought of mid-Atlantic, I usually thought of North Carolina, but recently wondered if Maryland would foot the bill.

Just last week I did a little investigating, and the cost of living and taxes pretty much killed that idea.
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Drain
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Drain »

feh wrote:Interesting you should post this question. My wife and I will be retiring in 6-8 years, and plan on moving some place where winter doesn't last 5 months. However, we still want to enjoy the change of seasons, so the deep south is out. We also want a place w/ lower taxes and non-HCOL.

Our short list is Colorado, northern California, and mid-Atlantic states. Whenever I thought of mid-Atlantic, I usually thought of North Carolina, but recently wondered if Maryland would foot the bill.
North Carolina is not the mid-Atlantic. Maryland is. So are Delaware and New Jersey.
Just last week I did a little investigating, and the cost of living and taxes pretty much killed that idea.
That's fine, except I don't understand how you'd rule out Maryland on the basis of COL and leave California in the running. Yes, I know you said northern California, but the taxes are still there, and that's the issue with Maryland, too.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by feh »

Drain wrote:
Just last week I did a little investigating, and the cost of living and taxes pretty much killed that idea.
That's fine, except I don't understand how you'd rule out Maryland on the basis of COL and leave California in the running. Yes, I know you said northern California, but the taxes are still there, and that's the issue with Maryland, too.
Yes, NoCal doesn't fare well in these aspects either. However, NoCal has other advantages that make me include it on our list (at least for now).

Colorado is definitely at the top of the list.
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Drain
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Drain »

Frank2012 wrote:Just wondering if there are any Bogleheads who have retired in that area, and how do the like it? I see some pros and cons...for example: one pro is the proximity to DC and all the activities it has to offer. However, a big con is the taxes and cost of living.
As I'm sure you realize, you aren't going to find proximity to a major metropolitan area like D.C. without a high COL. The only anti-Maryland response you've gotten so far that really addresses what you've written is the one about Virginia having lower taxes. I think that's typically true, so if Northern Virginia suits you just as well as Montgomery County does, that's a real option. My family and I found more affordable housing in MoCo, though, and we're more comfortable and familiar with it, so that's where we ended up. If nothing else, my property taxes are lower than they would have been if we'd chosen Arlington or something.

The general trade-off between big city and big cost is something only you can decide for yourself. You're not going to escape it.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Grasshopper »

I grew up in Maryland, and have a lot of fond memories, Ocean City, Flower Mart, the Bay, the mountains, America in miniature it use to be called. I travel back to visit my mom, no other sibling live there still. Retire there not a chance.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Toons »

10 Worst States for Retirement?Oct. 2012

9. Maryland — high property taxes and other costs :shock:


http://www.aarp.org/work/retirement-pla ... ent.2.html
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Default User BR »

Sidney wrote:They lost my attention with this:
And life expectancy for a newborn in Maryland is 76.3 years, or the 35th lowest. ("If you're a retiree, that's a pretty important issue," Barrington says.)
I knew people were having children later in life . . . .


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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by lauren_knows »

We're still in the accumulation stage in NoVA, but I imagine that we'll retire before the kids are out of school. We'll probably stay in the area. There are some nice neighborhoods in the area, great parks within 1-2hrs drive, lots of free museums, the enormous diversity of cuisine that comes with being near a large city, and it's generally an upscale area. I guess it depends on what one considers "high" cost of living. We spend ~$40-50k a year for us 2 adults and 1 wee one.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by centrifuge41 »

Hmm, this might depend on the type of lifestyle that you want. Are you in Rockville, where it's a fairly busy suburb, or in Bethesda, which is just about as city-ish as a lot of other metro stops in DC, or somewhere else?

Is the high cost of living worth it to you for the amenities and such? Are you spared of traffic headache by living close to a metro station?

I think it comes down to a cost/benefit analysis, and what style of living you value. Not just down to cost alone.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Drain »

Toons wrote:10 Worst States for Retirement?Oct. 2012

9. Maryland — high property taxes and other costs :shock:


http://www.aarp.org/work/retirement-pla ... ent.2.html
The property tax rate is a little over 1 percent. I wouldn't say that's nearly high enough to warrant being listed a primary reason not to live here. Yes, other costs tend to be high--again, this is a relatively urban state, with a big chunk of it being suburbs of D.C. The OP is already aware that living near D.C. isn't inexpensive.

I wonder if Maryland would still appear pricey if you took out the counties near D.C. I'm thinking probably not. Taxes would still be high, but they wouldn't be crazy, especially because--ironically--property taxes are reasonable. Given that the OP is interested in one of those counties and is already aware that it has a high COL, posts repeating over and over again that it's pricey don't strike me as particularly helpful. Yes, if you want to live near someplace like D.C., you'll have to pay for it. That's the trade-off you have to decide on. If you don't value the proximity to an area like that, then it'd be silly to pay for it. But if you do...and I myself likely will when the time comes...then paying that price might be a good decision.

What the high rates of taxation might suggest is that you shouldn't choose to retire in Maryland somewhere OTHER than near D.C. without a good reason (e.g., family, friends). Again, the only meaningful argument so far against Montgomery County, in my opinion, has been the counter-suggestion of NoVA.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by BeachPerson »

I grew up in Baltimore. Frederick or Bel Air would be nice cities to retire. Well the Maryland Eastern Shore could be good too.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Frank2012 »

I shared these posts with my wife, and looks like retiring in Maryland gets the nod. The weather is great (gorgeous Spring and very mild winters) and we really like the Rockville area and Washington, DC. We're willing to deal with the COL as the price you pay for city living and all the amenities that go with an urban locale.

Thanks for the posts!
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Stuart01 »

Retired to north central Maryland (near Camp David) from Montgomery County and love it. Rather rural but good folks and reasonably close to good shopping (20 minutes to a Wegmans Grocery, etc.). COL much less than Montgomery Co. but is about an hour to D.C. or to Baltimore. Taxes, etc. seem fairly reasonable compared to closer in. Didn't consider VA, just don't feel comfortable down there. Would not live in the deep south - too hot and getting hotter in the summers, instead take our RV down in the winter. :happy
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Professor Emeritus »

My family bought the house in Bethesda in 1957 I bought it in 1977. I find it hard to believe anyone would "retire to" Bethesda, but an incredible number of people retire "in place" here. They don't move or leave. If you are moving "to Maryland" for retirement either go up towards Frederick for lovely scenery and cheaper homes, or head towards the Bay. If you want deep south attitudes and living style go across the Bay to the Eastern shore (Bay side). We have the some of the finest medical care in the world. and most kinds of sporting events. Reasonably honest state and local government in most of the state and for the most part you get good services for the taxes you pay.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by eucalyptus »

Montgomery County politics, and Maryland state politics, should be looked into if that's important to you. Maryland is a one party state, and Montgomery County is a laboratory for some of that party's ideas. If you agree with those ideas, perfect! If not, you may feel disenfranchised.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by eucalyptus »

A bit more ... I have lived for 20+ years in the DC area, much of that in Montgomery County. I cannot imagine anyone wanting to move to Montgomery County unless doing so made sense for one's career. Terrible drivers; power outages during storms; high taxes that will go higher, including the stupid 5 cent bag tax; speed cameras galore; many seemingly unhappy, self important people; generally ugly, except for the areas along the Potomac; suburb to one of the least interesting of the country's important cities; and so on.

Sounds like you've made a decision, but spend a bit of time driving up and down Rockville Pike, you might reconsider. Rockville Pike reminds me of Los Angeles. I love Los Angeles, but there are very few of us.

Strong market for homes in the Montgomery County area, sell now and retire somewhere else! You are making a terrible mistake.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by ossipago »

Doesn't anyone ever worry about losing the ability to drive in retirement? I think that is a very significant, but overlooked, element of retiring in an urban area.

(And seriously, why do people get so angry over a 5 cent tax? It's FIVE cents, proceeds go to environmental cleanup, and if it's really bothersome, it's trivial to avoid with a pair of cloth bags stashed in your car/backpack/purse.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by scouter »

We grew up in MD, have been gone for 32 years, but we go back once a year to visit. We wouldn't consider retiring there, mostly because of the cost of living and the traffic. Going back is depressing to us. I will say that Western MD, out near Oakland, is very pretty, and the Eastern Shore is nice if you want to be near the ocean. But I wouldn't want to live anywhere near Baltimore or Washington again.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Valuethinker »

scouter wrote:We grew up in MD, have been gone for 32 years, but we go back once a year to visit. We wouldn't consider retiring there, mostly because of the cost of living and the traffic. Going back is depressing to us. I will say that Western MD, out near Oakland, is very pretty, and the Eastern Shore is nice if you want to be near the ocean. But I wouldn't want to live anywhere near Baltimore or Washington again.
Change.

This is the key point to me. A place can change out of all recognition in 10-15 years.

In greater Wash DC area, you have seen explosive urban growth. Traffic, sprawl, all the downsides. My impression of Northern Virginia is that it is all malls, subdivisions and highways (very limited recent experience) compared to say 35 years ago. Pretty countryside concreted over. And all those people need to drive to work.

Growth also brings state and local expenditure and taxes: roads, schools etc. This is necessary, but property owners often pay a significant chunk of the cost.

Now as a retiree you can choose when you drive from A to B, but it still impacts you.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Valuethinker »

Frank2012 wrote:My wife and I own a home in Maryland in Montgomery County about 12-15 miles from Washington, DC. We are renting the house while we live and work in another state. We got to thinking about where we want to retire (though we have a long way to go...about 15-years). Lately, we've been thinking of moving back to the area one day to retire.

Just wondering if there are any Bogleheads who have retired in that area, and how do the like it? I see some pros and cons...for example: one pro is the proximity to DC and all the activities it has to offer. However, a big con is the taxes and cost of living.

I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who made the choice for Maryland and why.

Thanks!

A healthy retirement is all about interaction. Staying active, involved, engaged.

Having family close is often a priority. Having friends and activities. This is actually more important than money, once you have enough to pay for essentials and a decent standard of living.

The only caveat is that areas *change* and greater Washington DC has been all about growth, traffic & sprawl. It may just not be such a nice place (to retire) in 10-20 years.

Growth brings roads and schools and that has to be paid for, usually in substantial chunk by the local ratepayers.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Iorek »

My goal is actually not to have to drive at all in retirement, which obviously means a fairly urban environment. If your goal is to be able to enjoy the natural beauty of the countryside from your window/deck, then obviously you'd look elsewhere.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Valuethinker »

Iorek wrote:My goal is actually not to have to drive at all in retirement, which obviously means a fairly urban environment. If your goal is to be able to enjoy the natural beauty of the countryside from your window/deck, then obviously you'd look elsewhere.
My parents live(d) in a quite urban area, could walk to stores with good selection of food etc. A Canadian city with excellent public transportation.

Nonetheless my mother is in her 80s, and dependent upon neighbours and friends to ferry her to and from shopping etc. She really misses not having a car (my father was the only driver). She can, and does walk, but weather makes that more difficult and she cannot carry much.

So doing away with a car as you get older, entirely, is difficult. Home delivery of groceries is possible (although my mother has not yet mastered the internet) I would guess. But there are a lot of things where there are just not local stores, even some medical treatments etc.

There were also fortunate in that the neighbourhood has generally remained fairly safe, and has certainly gone uphill in the 50 years they have lived there-- it was never anything other than middle class, but it's become steadily more yuppie.

The downside of that is the neighbours don't have the time to talk that she was used to from the 60s and 70s-- they get in their SUVs and zoom off to work, take the kids to activities etc. All this with a subway 15 minutes walk away!
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Iorek »

Good points. Last time my mom visited us we actually started taking the car to places we would ordinarily walk to.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by ossipago »

Valuethinker wrote:
In greater Wash DC area, you have seen explosive urban growth. Traffic, sprawl, all the downsides. My impression of Northern Virginia is that it is all malls, subdivisions and highways (very limited recent experience) compared to say 35 years ago. Pretty countryside concreted over. And all those people need to drive to work.
The DC area has seen a lot of growth and transformation. Yes, that brings downsides (traffic, Metro congestion, etc.). But don't discount the upsides of urban growth either - this means urban innovations like Bikeshare, far more extensive options for entertainment and dining, a stronger job market, etc.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by keystone »

Frank2012 wrote:We like all the amenities...DC, Rockville Pike, reasonable drive to Baltimore, Virginia and other various touristy destinations. Nice place to retire despite the high cost of living and taxes.
It's funny you mention Rockville Pike, that is one of the most congested roads in the area, if not the country. My wife and I try to avoid it all costs.

If I didn't have family obligations and could retire anywhere I wanted to, Maryland wouldn't make my top 100 list, but to each his own. What Maryland (particularly Mont. Co. and the rest of the DC area for that matter) has going for it is a strong economy with a good job market, which shouldnt be a huge concern for most people in retirement.

Sure there are good parks and museums in close proximity, but to me it's not worth all of the bad stuff - traffic, cost of living, taxes. I would not reccommend it for anyone that doesn't need to work.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Faith20879 »

Ah, Rockville, I've lived right in the smack of it for over 20 years. If money is no issue, Montgomery county is a lovely place to retired to (the best in my eyes) - 10 minutes to Bethesda, 20 minutes to DC, 5 minutes to its own Strathmore, 10 minutes to C&O tow-path, 30 minutes to Appalachian trail, 30 minutes to Sugarloaf, 1 hour to Baltimore, hour and half to Shenandoah, and 1 hour from the bay. And, this is by no means all inclusive. Traffic is a little congested but you are retired so you don't care. Winter ice could be an issue but you are retired so you don't care. Weekly summer or winter power outage has been an issue in recent years but it really depends on where you are. If you live in the “right” areas, you'll be perfectly fine. So, on that, make sure you research the neighborhood circuit breakers before you buy.

Someone mentioned adult living community within walking distance. The JCC in Rockville is one of the best network and community I've known and it is perfectly walkable.

Having said that, about 96% of the retired people at my work have retired to PA. My sample size is small so take it with a grain of salt.

Regards,
Faith
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by beardsworth »

Valuethinker wrote:In greater Wash DC area, you have seen explosive urban growth. Traffic, sprawl, all the downsides. My impression of Northern Virginia is that it is all malls, subdivisions and highways (very limited recent experience) compared to say 35 years ago. Pretty countryside concreted over.
As in this captioned photo, which could just as well be the DC suburbs on the Maryland side instead of the Virginia side--or, for that matter, with just a change of names on the road signs, any of dozens of cities in the U.S. (Warning for those with tender sensibilities: the author's discussion of this phenomenon is vivid to the point of profanity, so don't click if that bothers you.)

http://www.kunstler.com/Eyesore_201212.html

And these, elsewhere:

http://www.kunstler.com/eyesore_201205.html
ossipago
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by ossipago »

Yes, a lot of NoVA is horrible sprawl. But then you also have Arlington, a national leader in smart growth, which concentrated pretty much all its recent growth around Metro stations without a net increase in traffic. Parts of Alexandria are also doing pretty well in that regard, as are Bethesda, Silver Spring, and other locations in Maryland. It's easy to cherry pick the worst suburban excesses in the region without talking about the parts that have been successful.
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Valuethinker »

MarcMyWord wrote:
Valuethinker wrote:In greater Wash DC area, you have seen explosive urban growth. Traffic, sprawl, all the downsides. My impression of Northern Virginia is that it is all malls, subdivisions and highways (very limited recent experience) compared to say 35 years ago. Pretty countryside concreted over.
As in this captioned photo, which could just as well be the DC suburbs on the Maryland side instead of the Virginia side--or, for that matter, with just a change of names on the road signs, any of dozens of cities in the U.S. (Warning for those with tender sensibilities: the author's discussion of this phenomenon is vivid to the point of profanity, so don't click if that bothers you.)

http://www.kunstler.com/Eyesore_201212.html

And these, elsewhere:

http://www.kunstler.com/eyesore_201205.html
Thank you.

There is an interesting mix as you surf back through those photos. Some quite well made points about excluded urban space, where really you drive through them and that is it.

And some attacks on modernist architecture which are reminiscent of Prince Charles (famous here for same 'that monstrous carbuncle' etc.) and completely miss the point at times, I suspect (eg that bus shelter one).
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Valuethinker »

ossipago wrote:Yes, a lot of NoVA is horrible sprawl. But then you also have Arlington, a national leader in smart growth, which concentrated pretty much all its recent growth around Metro stations without a net increase in traffic. Parts of Alexandria are also doing pretty well in that regard, as are Bethesda, Silver Spring, and other locations in Maryland. It's easy to cherry pick the worst suburban excesses in the region without talking about the parts that have been successful.
Thank you. My visit was fleeting, and I do have a friend in Arlington who quite likes it.

I am not saying everywhere in DC area is bad, just the consequences of growth are often not pretty.
Valuethinker
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Valuethinker »

Iorek wrote:Good points. Last time my mom visited us we actually started taking the car to places we would ordinarily walk to.
We do not design spaces for the very old. They are supposed to just curl up and die somewhere, I suspect. However Mum is made of sterner stuff.

But the loss of Dad as driver is just one of the many challenges that has thrown up.
Valuethinker
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by Valuethinker »

feh wrote:Interesting you should post this question. My wife and I will be retiring in 6-8 years, and plan on moving some place where winter doesn't last 5 months. However, we still want to enjoy the change of seasons, so the deep south is out. We also want a place w/ lower taxes and non-HCOL.

Our short list is Colorado, northern California, and mid-Atlantic states. Whenever I thought of mid-Atlantic, I usually thought of North Carolina, but recently wondered if Maryland would foot the bill.

Just last week I did a little investigating, and the cost of living and taxes pretty much killed that idea.
Some people have suggested the bit of NV just inside the border from northern California-- lower taxes, dry climate etc. Reno (I was told here) is not pretty, but it must be worth at least checking out?

Colorado I think it very much depends where. Denver is a sprawl, with traffic and pollution issues to boot. Some Colorado communities are culturally very distinct (CO Springs v. Boulder, say). And they certainly do winter. There is a significant forest fire risk so in terms of owning/ losing treasured possessions etc.

[EDIT: someone with more knowledge posted a good riposte below. I certainly wasn't trying to imply CO was a bad place to live, just that it's many very attractive virtues have some downsides. ]

I don't know about Asheville or perhaps Durham (UNC) but Maryland and NC are very different (from the brief times I have visited either). The one is definitely northern and has the cultural concentration of Washington and Baltimore (and Annapolis). Whether you actually *use* that is a whole 'nother matter.

NC is much more rural, more southern etc. The summer is fairly brutal (ie humid) at least in the lower lying areas.

Note Oregon and Washington (coastal at least) might meet your winter criterion, although a winter where it rains all the time is worse, from my perspective.

Perhaps Virginia (depending where) is somewhere in between (in cultural terms, not just geographically)? Charlottesville was very pretty when I visited (with full fall colour).
Last edited by Valuethinker on Wed Mar 13, 2013 9:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
feh
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Re: Anyone Choosing to Retire in Maryland?

Post by feh »

Valuethinker wrote: Some people have suggested the bit of NV just inside the border from northern California-- lower taxes, dry climate etc. Reno (I was told here) is not pretty, but it must be worth at least checking out?

Colorado I think it very much depends where. Denver is a sprawl, with traffic and pollution issues to boot. Some Colorado communities are culturally very distinct (CO Springs v. Boulder, say). And they certainly do winter. There is a significant forest fire risk so in terms of owning/ losing treasured possessions etc.

I don't know about Asheville or perhaps Durham (UNC) but Maryland and NC are very different (from the brief times I have visited either). The one is definitely northern and has the cultural concentration of Washington and Baltimore (and Annapolis). Whether you actually *use* that is a whole 'nother matter.

NC is much more rural, more southern etc. The summer is fairly brutal (ie humid) at least in the lower lying areas.

Note Oregon and Washington (coastal at least) might meet your winter criterion, although a winter where it rains all the time is worse, from my perspective.

Perhaps Virginia (depending where) is somewhere in between (in cultural terms, not just geographically)? Charlottesville was very pretty when I visited (with full fall colour).
Thanks for the thoughts.

I've been to Reno several times. Reno is nothing special, but the mountains and Lake Tahoe are close by, so that's an option.

The Pacific NW was on our list, but the rainy/cloudy weather is a serious drawback. I need some sun. Our last family vacation was to Portland just to check it out (I've also been to Seattle), and while the city/area is beautiful, I think the damp, chilly weather would be hard to accept.

A factor that I have not yet mentioned - we are progressively minded, and living in a red state is not desirable. If we went to NC, we'd gravitate toward a college town, which there are plenty of. I've been to Richmond, and it felt like they were still fighting the Civil War. Maybe NoVa (ie. Charlottesville) would be ok.

While CO has winter, I've heard the snow melts pretty quickly after it falls. We would probably look at foothills in the northern part of the state (ie. Boulder to Fort Collins).
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