An Evening Out in Fort Collins, CO

I’ve been working all week here in Fort Collins, CO. Yes, this is work. It just happens to be fun and interesting work! I’ve been eating the same thing all week: oatmeal with raisins and apple for breakfast, turkey sandwich for lunch and microwaved frozen lasagna on a bed of romaine for dinner. So, tonight I decided to go to a place called Avogadro’s Number or “Avo’s” for short. It’s a restaurant and music venue. The Just Jazz Quintet played tonight. They were very good and it was so great to get out. I had a burger, fries and a beer (so much for my healthy diet). The burger was not that great, but it’s been a while since I’ve had beef. Avo’s serves some vegetarian dishes, as well, and maybe that’s their specialty. It didn’t matter. The music and beer were excellent. If you haven’t been to Avo’s, check them out at http://www.avogadros.com/ But be sure to get there early. Tables fill up fast.

Fort Collins, CO: It's a Friendly Place

I went out this afternoon to the main library here in Fort Collins, CO. I wanted to print out the list of 365 Things to Do in Fort Collins, CO. The staff at the library was very helpful. So, it turns out that there are 63 things on the list and not 365, but Kenny and Ryan are working on it (in addition to working on their real estate business!) Still, it’s worth looking at the list and Facebooking (can I use that as a verb?) them with your ideas and events. I picked out several things I want to do, such as number 7: Enjoy a beer while watching a movie at the Lyric Cinema. I went by that place yesterday and met Ben, the owner. Very cool concept: movies, food and drink. They have movies throughout the day and they even have some Oscar events coming up. Check them out at http://www.lyriccinemacafe.com/

Everywhere I go, people are so helpful. I needed a single envelope to mail a map of Fort Collins to my husband today and walked into the State Farm office of Chip Beake on E. Olive to ask for one. The office manager, Barbara, didn’t hesitate to give me one. They seemed like a friendly group and I wasn’t wrong. Earlier this week, I needed a small, inexpensive, purse-sized notebook and couldn’t find one. Walking by the Ace Hardware on S. College, I popped in and asked if they had one. Sure enough, they did! That and a whole lot more! They had a serious snow shovel, too. My neighbor in Atlanta wants one and she would be hysterical if I brought that back to her! Sorry, Suzanne, I cannot fit that into my suitcase! Next door to Ace is the thrift store, Brand Spanking Used. They, too, had some pretty cool stuff, but I needed black socks, which they did not have. Found a pair of Coldwater Creek jeans for $5.99 though. They’re a little big, but if it gets really cold, I’ll be able to fit my long underwear under them. Sweet.

365 Things to Do in Fort Collins, CO

I’ve just been looking at all the information I’ve compiled about Fort Collins, Colorado and thinking about what I want to do tonight and this weekend. Looked up something on the Internet and you know how one thing leads to another… well, I found this great Web site called 365 Things to Do in Fort Collins, CO at http://www.365thingstodofortcollins.com/ If you are thinking about moving here or live here and want something to do, check it out! This is a fantastic guide to Fort Collins! Thank you Kenny and Ryan!

Retirement Location: Your Criteria

People I know and the ones that I’ve met here in Fort Collins, Colorado seem intrigued by what I’m doing. So, I thought I’d tell you how I got here. Fort Collins, which I refer to as FC, has been at the top of our list of retirement places for two years. My husband, Mark and I vacationed in Estes Park, CO, just outside Rocky Mountain National Park, in June 2008. We visited FC during that time and really liked it. That prompted us to really start thinking about where we wanted to live when we retire. Housing and interest rates have been down and it seems like a good time to buy. Ideally, you don’t want to have a mortgage in retirement, so to buy a home now and get it paid off seems like a good idea.

First, we agreed that we do not want to live in Atlanta. We have really great neighbors there and a married daughter who may one day give us a grandchild, but that’s it. So, then the discussion of what we were looking for in a retirement location started. 

For this discussion, all you need is a notepad and pen. Open a bottle of wine or put on a pot of coffee and settle in for a bit of brainstorming and discussion. How do you each visualize retirement? What do you enjoy? A good way to start the discussion is to make separate lists first and then bring them together with each of you outlining your criteria. Then you need to make a joint list. Hopefully, after a little compromise, you'll both be on the same page.

One final note for the discussion: Be sure to turn off the TV and other electronic distractors. The computer is not needed, yet, and don’t let him tell you otherwise. J

Our list includes the following:

·        Affordable Housing and Living

·        Good Climate – less humidity and plenty of sun; some snow and freezing temps are okay

·        Good Transit and a Walkable Community – I used to work with the visually impaired, many of whom were seniors. I’ve seen firsthand how narrow one’s world gets if you’re out in the ‘burbs relying on others for transportation. Accessibility as we age is critical.

·        Recreational Opportunities – we like hiking/walking, wine tasting, golfing. Mark enjoys riding his motorcycle and working out at the gym. I am an artist who does wine bottle art and fused glass necklaces, so I enjoy art. I also enjoy bird watching.

·        College Town – There are usually many educational and recreational opportunities at colleges for seniors. Plus, young people provide vibrancy to a city and if we need assistance in our old age, they may be a good resource!

·        City Size – we’re looking for a city that’s not too big or too small, population 100K – 150K

·        Access to a Major Airport – we’re looking for a city that’s within an hour of a major airport. We enjoy traveling and we want friends and family to visit us, too.

·        Good Healthcare

·        Low Crime

So, that’s what we’re looking for. What’s on YOUR list? Send me your comments!

Blogs and Responding to Posts 101

This is my first time blogging and many of you may be new to blogs, as well. They are easy to set up and free. If I can do it, anyone can! My best friend, Laura, says I should tell people who may not be familiar with blogs how to read posts and respond to them. She always offers great advice, so I’ll take it.

First, you go to the blog address, which you know because you’re here. You see the most recent blog post; other “posts” (articles I’ve written) are off to the right with titles in order of oldest to newest post. Just click on a title to read that post. If you have a reaction (at the bottom of each post), just click on it. If you want to share that post, just above "reactions," you can share the post by email, Facebook, Twitter, etc. with any of the links.

If you have a comment, write your comment in the box below the post. You can proof your comment to see how it will look and then click “post comment.” I don’t think you have to select anything in the “comment as.”

If you want to be a “follower” of my blog and be notified of any new posts, just click on “follow” in the upper right hand corner of the page and sign on to your Google, Twitter or Yahoo acct. I believe followers are notified of any new posts, much like Facebook notifications.

If anyone has anything else to offer in navigating blogs, please comment!

Home Buying - Don't Forget Your Neighbors!

Thinking about FC and comparing it to Atlanta, which I can’t, of course. And, I can’t really even compare it to the town I live in – Marietta – because I don’t live in the city. I can only compare FC to my neighborhood where I live and the nearby places I shop. That’s my community. Well, I live in the most amazing neighborhood! I have the best neighbors, too. We get together for impromptu chats in our yards, as well as dinners and special events, such as the oyster roast. Two of our neighbors are from Florida and they LOVE oysters! I’m not a huge fan of oysters; I let them eat my share. But I LOVE my neighbors. I know I can’t convince them to move to FC, if we move here. So, we’ll have to find a good neighborhood in FC where people like to have fun and drink wine, I guess.

Note to self and to others considering a move: It’s not just a house you’re buying, but your neighbors and the neighborhood. Be sure to check them all out before you purchase!

City Planners with a Vision - Imagine That!

College Ave. in FC is also US 287 and runs north and south; it’s the major street in town and divides the city in half with streets running east and west of College. The city is laid out in a nice grid pattern making it easy to navigate. At the north end of the grid in Old Town is Mountain Ave., which runs east and west; it divides streets into north and south. So, if you know where you are in relation to those two streets, it’s pretty easy to find an address!

I got this lesson in navigating the city from an older gentleman who volunteers at the Visitor’s Center, located in Old Town. Shelly was a wealth of information and I appreciate all the info he provided on FC! Shelly retired from the Air Force 31 years ago, I think he said, and taught at Colorado State University. He lived in 18 different places with the AF. He had always planned to retire in Colorado Springs where he had bought property years before, but something changed his mind. City planners in FC had a vision for the city and stricter development codes than in CS where the development seemed “willy nilly.” This is something that very much frustrates me with metro Atlanta – no vision for the area. Thanks for pointing that out, Shelly.

In the plus column for FC, we have city planners who have a vision (more on this later as there is some controversy regarding building restrictions in Old Town being too restrictive for some), a city that’s easy to navigate and a decent transit system. I like this city more each day!

Riding Transit in Fort Collins

Arrived in Fort Collins three days ago and have been on the go ever since. I’m staying in the Old Town area of FC, so I could be close to town and public transit. I did not rent a car intentionally, so I would be forced to walk and ride the bus. Coming from the Atlanta suburbs where the nearest grocery store and coffee shop is two miles away, this is a dream to walk to the store and downtown shopping areas. Transit is fairly extensive. I took Route 1 on my first day. It goes south on College from the Downtown Transit Center on the north end of town where I am all the way down to Harmony at the south end (a distance of about 5 miles) with stops at the mall, the community college and a major library. There’s a transit center at Colorado State University, too, and I took Bus 19 from there (using my transfer to make the most of my bus ticket, of course!), which took me south on Shields back to the community college. Shields runs parallel to and is west of College by about 10 blocks. CSU is between Shields and College and just southwest of town, but easily within walking distance – for me, at least. I took this route as it is the one to the Senior Center, which I have yet to explore.

The difference in the two bus trips besides the route was the people riding the bus. The bus from CSU was made up of college students who seemed to be going home after classes. We picked up a group of high school boys with skateboards at the stop near the HS. They, too, seemed to be going home. It’s refreshing to see so many young people riding transit. Some had bikes, which they put on the rack at the front of the bus.

The bus down College Ave. from the downtown transit center, which is also the Greyhound Bus depot, had a different group of riders. Many of the people riding the Bus 1 route looked a bit more transient and some, perhaps, even homeless. I’m not sure. Even though I’ve ridden public transit in many different cities, my middle class fear of someone of “this sort” sitting next to me surfaced. I even went so far as to avoid making eye contact with anyone passing the seat next to me, which was occupied by my backpack. I wasn’t about to move that puppy even as the bus took on more and more passengers! Then, I thought about it and realized this is a small negative in the overall positive benefit of public transit. I needed to get over it. I took a deep breath and the next man who got on and walked towards me, I looked square in the eye as I moved my backpack to my lap. He sat down and… nothing.

Why do I admit to my prejudices here? Well, we all have them and if you’re new to public transit, you have to realize that a diverse group of people ride it. So, be prepared. If you’re really worried about it, sit up front near the bus driver instead of in the back of the bus. But, overall, know that the benefits of transit far outweigh any negatives. So, try it in your city. Just get on the bus or train and see where it takes you. If you have access to transit, that is!

Finding the Right Location for Retirement: the search begins...

Welcome to my blog. This is my first post. Currently, I am in Fort Collins, Colorado where I have rented a furnished apartment for a month. FC is at the top of our list of cities to retire to and I am here to see what the city is like in the winter. This morning it was 32 degrees and the high today is supposed to be 64 – not bad, eh? Never mind that two weeks ago it was below zero!

My primary purpose in being here for a month is research to determine if this city is the best location for my husband and I to retire to. Are there plenty of activities to keep us busy? Is there public transportation in case we can’t drive or don’t want to? Is it a walkable community? Is there good healthcare? Is it safe? Is it affordable? I hope to answer all of these questions and more during my stay. In answering these questions, I’ll write about the research process, so anyone can use my advice to do their own research. Whether you relocate to a new city for retirement or stay in your current location, where you live as you age matters and it’s worth investigating long before you retire.