Gay retirement destinations

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Is the staff at Streisand's former home in Malibu still welcoming visitors?

 

I thought it was the Holmby Hills house she sold, which has since been demolished and turned into this ugly mess:

 

http://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/hot-property/la-fi-hotprop-100-million-home-sale-los-angeles-20161021-snap-story.html

 

Doesn't she still have the compound in Malibu on Point Dume?

[+ WilliamM]

http://gardeninggonewild.com/?p=28649

 

I was not thinking logically, events and tours could never support & maintain such a lavish property. And it was way back in 2003 when I spent most of a day at her old Malibu compound. My tour guide eventually admitted that Streisand

did not commit funds to run the large property.

 

She lives now across the street, more or less, on the ocean side of PCH. And as Benjamin wrote. near Zuma Beach.

Edited September 17, 2017 by WilliamM

[TruthBTold]

Gehry is the greatest living architect of our time. I could list a slew of masterpieces, but I'll limit it to two: Disney Hall, in Los Angeles; Guggenheim Bilbao, in Spain. These alone place him at the top of the heap. Visit them and you will see why.

 

While I really like most of Frank Gehry's buildings, I think it is hard to select anyone as the "greatest" architect of our time. For instance, being a Chicagoan, Mies Van der Rohe is close to my heart (though he did works in many cities). But maybe he (like me) is too old.

 

http://s3.amazonaws.com/architecture-org/files/modules/farnsworth-house-eric-allix-rogers-04.jpg

 

http://s3.amazonaws.com/architecture-org/files/buildings/chicago-federal-center-03.jpg

 

http://www.chicago-photographs.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/photo-van-der-rohe-iit.jpg

 

[Kenny]

While I really like most of Frank Gehry's buildings, I think it is hard to select anyone as the "greatest" architect of our time. For instance, being a Chicagoan, Mies Van der Rohe is close to my heart (though he did works in many cities). But maybe he (like me) is too old.

 

http://s3.amazonaws.com/architecture-org/files/modules/farnsworth-house-eric-allix-rogers-04.jpg

 

http://s3.amazonaws.com/architecture-org/files/buildings/chicago-federal-center-03.jpg

 

http://www.chicago-photographs.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/photo-van-der-rohe-iit.jpg

 

Mies sure is great, but since he's been dead almost 50 years, I don't think he counts as a "living architect." (Gehry is a spry 88.)

Edited September 17, 2017 by Kenny

[Kenny]

Architectural type, here. Philip Johnson's designs are very over-rated and will probably not be appreciated (and could be taken down) in a few years, if only.

Johnson's Glass House will endure, but the rest is pretty iffy.

[Kenny]

My oldest friends live in one of the few private residences that Philip Johnson designed. It is a gem, but impractical as a family home. One of them is an architect himself, and he has had to make numerous tweaks to the house to make it functional to raise their children. Whenever I stay in their guest bedroom, which used to be one of the kid's bedrooms, I feel like I am in a compartment on a very small ship. Nevertheless, they have stayed in it for almost a half century, and despite the trouble of maintaining it, they can't bring themselves to leave.

Johnson's Menil House in Houston is very good (though needing some TLC when I saw it a few years ago).

[+ purplekow]

Back to the main thread, I lived in Guadalajara many years ago for one year. The weather was impeccable. The people were nice and the prices were unbelievable low. Lake Chapala, one of the largest lakes in Mexico and about 1 hour out of town, was an enclave for American retirees. I loved my time there, but it is a very crowded city with lots of traffic and there is definitely an issue with crime. So for weather, I would give is at 10 put of 10 For affordability I would say 8 of 10. Gay lifestyle, unless things have changed, 4 of 10. Though Puerto Vallarta is relatively close. There was not much cultural activity but then again, at the time I was not looking for it. Traffic and mobility would be a 4 or 10.

So if you go for the weather and stay for the low prices, it may be a good place to retire.

[TruthBTold]

Mies sure is great, but since he's been dead almost 50 years, I don't think he counts as a "living architect." (Geary is a spry 88.)

 

Ooops. Sorry. But I'm living, does that count? At any rate, back to the thread.

[gallahadesquire]

While I really like most of Frank Gehry's buildings, I think it is hard to select anyone as the "greatest" architect of our time. For instance, being a Chicagoan, Mies Van der Rohe is close to my heart (though he did works in many cities). But maybe he (like me) is too old.

 

http://s3.amazonaws.com/architecture-org/files/modules/farnsworth-house-eric-allix-rogers-04.jpg

 

 

Is this house out in the suburbs, about 15 miles west of downtown Chicago? It looks vaguely familiar.

[Kenny]

Is this house out in the suburbs, about 15 miles west of downtown Chicago? It looks vaguely familiar.

It's the Farnsworth House in Plano. (Speaking of the thread, I don't know if retirement in Plano is a good idea.)

http://farnsworthhouse.org/

[body2body]

The stunning Sheats-Goldstein House designed by John Lautner in 1963, has just been donated to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. When James Goldstein bought the house it was on its third owner, and was not in good repair, and interpolations had been made. Goldstein hired Lautner to revisit the project and he worked on it up to his death in 1994. I don't know if I would be happy retiring here, roughing it in Bel-Air, but I'd love to try.

http://jamesfgoldstein.com/?page_id=881

[jjkrkwood]

THE GOLDEN YEARS

 

Nothing beats spending the daily Early Bird Buffet with a group of friends who all have at least 1 foot in the grave...... A second plate of food might push them over the edge ?

 

http://www.visitvirginiabeach.com/uploadedfiles/Content/Listings/eb11bf4b18448c93f8c267656cea866b.jpg

[Walker1]

How about Pattaya, Thailand?

[+ WilliamM]

How about Pattaya, Thailand?

 

How about staying where you live, not meant just for @Walker1.

 

I remember a friend's parents moving from Pennsylvania upon retirement to North Carolina. It was fine until they started to have major health problems. That was my guide to retirement, specifically traveling several times to Australia and Asia in the 10 years before the retired. And to Eastern Europe and Russia, sometimes by myself, after retirement.

 

I know I coming across too strongly...I am sorry.

[Kenny]

The stunning Sheats-Goldstein House designed by John Lautner in 1963, has just been donated to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. When James Goldstein bought the house it was on its third owner, and was not in good repair, and interpolations had been made. Goldstein hired Lautner to revisit the project and he worked on it up to his death in 1994. I don't know if I would be happy retiring here, roughing it in Bel-Air, but I'd love to try.

http://jamesfgoldstein.com/?page_id=881

Trivia: The house (which is actually in an unincorporated area of Beverly Hills) was a set in the movie "The Big Lebowski."

[Walker1]

How about staying where you live, not meant just for @Walker1.

 

I remember a friend's parents moving from Pennsylvania upon retirement to North Carolina. It was fine until they started to have major health problems. That was my guide to retirement, specifically traveling several times to Australia and Asia in the 10 years before the retired. And to Eastern Europe and Russia, sometimes by myself, after retirement.

 

I know I coming across too strongly...I am sorry.

 

Weather. I don't think I want to be anywhere in the snow belt when I get that old. I don't want to be a snowbird either. My friend did that and it was fine, till last winter his heat went out, pipes busted and his basement flooded. Not good. If you get sick, you get sick, can't do much about that.

[Rudynate]

I've lived in West Hollywood since the 70s, and it feels safe and familiar. But I live in a three story Townhouse, and my knees are giving me problems. I'm also sitting on a big pile of equity. Many of my friends have moved to Palm Springs, but when I go to visit them most of them seem to pass the time in an alcohol stupor sunning themselves by the pool. I don't drink, and I'm a fair skinned blue eyed redhead who is disinclined to spend my retirement applying sunscreen. I enjoy attending the Philharmonic, the Opera, and Theater. I also have begun to feel like I would enjoy a less hectic pace, but with a vibrant local arts scene and access to big city for its amenities, both social and carnal. I've been exploring-

 

1. Santa Rosa, CA. 55 miles north of SF. County seat of Sonoma County (wine country). Vibrant arts and restaurant scene, dry Mediterranean climate (average high August 84) and close enough for weekend getaways in San Franciso. Housing prices are reasonable by SF and LA standards. Two major medical centers.

 

2. Ventura, CA- a climate as fine as Santa Barbara and property near the ocean at affordable prices. Access to LA by train in about 75 minutes. The climate is so temperate that many homes have no AC.

 

3. Ashland, OR. The Ashland Shakespeare Festival is one of the largest Theater Festivals in the Country, it runs from February to October. In Southern Oregon about 20 miles from California, the climate is drier and warmer than Portland. Home prices are reasonable by California standards. The setting is beautiful. The downside- it is a shlep to SF or Portland, or to get to an International Airport to travel. Yet I have friends who have moved there and never want to leave.

 

I'm going to be visiting all these places over the next year. I think it's important to consider what is important to you, and establish some criteria as to what defines a high quality of life by your definition. I will revisit this thread when I've made a decision.

 

There is even still a chance I might end up in Paris ( where I've often dreamed of living) if I were brave, and willing to live in a 400 sq ft one room apartment that might still be the answer.

 

 

Santa Rosa has become very congested.

[+ sniper]

Weather. I don't think I want to be anywhere in the snow belt when I get that old. I don't want to be a snowbird either. My friend did that and it was fine, till last winter his heat went out, pipes busted and his basement flooded. Not good. If you get sick, you get sick, can't do much about that.

Snow doesn't really bother me now that I don't commute and can afford to pay someone else to shovel.

[Walker1]

Snow doesn't really bother me now that I don't commute and can afford to pay someone else to shovel.

But you could always slip and fall. I have already fallen twice, once in my driveway and once in a friend's place. As mobility gets weaker, I will be trapped indoors during icy weather. Some places snow melts in a day or two-which would be fine-nice actually. In other places, just stays on the ground weeks and weeks.

[Moondance]

How about staying where you live...

That would be so ... convenient. But that's its only temptation for me.

 

Sounds like you are right where you want to be, @WilliamM, and I'm happy for you -- especially because I have yet to figure out where that place is for me. I just know it's not here. Not anymore. Not in this too big house in this too cold state. Not with most of the friends and family members I love best living elsewhere.

 

The reasons this was the right place 20-odd years ago no longer apply, so ...

 

I've been actively thinking about the next place for at least a couple of years, and the move is probably still another few years away. Good thing it's no sooner because I am not even close to a decision about where that next place is. I visit someplace I enjoy and I think, Maybe here. Even when it's a place that lacks one or two of the things I'd prefer.

 

That's led me to consider selling this place, getting rid of most of the accumulated stuff, and being a bit of a nomad for a few years before finally making a decision about where to settle next.

[jjkrkwood]

People often make a big move to change their "situation", but often find their situation remains the same in the new location, it only "looks" different. I've never been big on change or a risk taker. I wish I was...

 

But perhaps if I had a partner and we were willing to make a change "together" I would go for it. But I am not brave enough to do it as an OLD GAY man....

[JayCeeKy]

That's led me to consider selling this place, getting rid of most of the accumulated stuff, and being a bit of a nomad for a few years before finally making a decision about where to settle next.

 

Ever see the movie Lost in America with Albert Brooks? Every time I see a Winnebago I wonder if the occupants will end up in a trailer park in Arizona working for a pimply teenager at Der Wienerschnitzel.

[Rudynate]

Ever see the movie Lost in America with Albert Brooks? Every time I see a Winnebago I wonder if the occupants will end up in a trailer park in Arizona working for a pimply teenager at Der Wienerschnitzel.

 

 

My aunt and uncle did the travel-the-country-in-an-RV thing in the late 80s. They had farmed all their lives, decided to liquidate the farm, buy an RV and spend several months traveling. After they were done traveling, they settled in an RV park and lived in the RV. I thought it sounded awful, but they seemed to like it. One time, my Aunt caught Legionnaire's disease, because they didn't maintain the AC properly.

[bigvalboy]

That's led me to consider selling this place, getting rid of most of the accumulated stuff, and being a bit of a nomad for a few years before finally making a decision about where to settle next.

 

Ever see the movie Lost in America with Albert Brooks? Every time I see a Winnebago I wonder if the occupants will end up in a trailer park in Arizona .

 

Depending on ones definition of "Nomad" and the reasons someone would partake in a journey like that, my advice would be to do your research..thoroughly.

 

6 months back I decided to cross RVing, across the US, off my bucket list. I wanted to spend about a year zig zagging across the country hitting all the national parks and monuments, then head up the west coast, cross over into Canada, hit Montreal of course and then Maine, and spend several months working my way down the east coast. I wouldn't be looking for "home" per se, but rather a nice adventure. In talking to people who had done that very thing, all of them talked about the loneliness of traveling alone, and the danger of depression setting in. All agreed that doing such a trip was best done in small increments. Most lasted only a few months, before heading home. I'd like to think that those issues wouldn't befall me, but I still considered the consequences...As of now, I've tabled the idea. I don't want to regret not doing it, so it remains on the bucket list.

Edited September 19, 2017 by bigvalboy

[Rudynate]

Depending on ones definition of "Nomad" and the reasons someone would partake in a journey like that, my advice would be to do your research..thoroughly.

 

6 months back I decided to cross RVing, across the US, off my bucket list. I wanted to zig zag across the country hitting all the national parks and monuments. Take some time going up the west coast, cross over into Canada, hit Montreal of course and then Maine, and spend several months working my way down the east coast. I wouldn't be looking for "home" per se, but rather a nice adventure. In talking to people who had done that very thing, all of them talked about the loneliness of traveling alone, and the danger of depression setting in. All agreed that doing such a trip was best done in small increments. Most lasted only a few months, before heading home. I'd like to think that those issues wouldn't befall me, but I still considered the consequences...As of now, I've tabled the idea. I don't want to regret not doing it, so it remains on the bucket list.

 

I've always thought that, after awhile, the enterprise would start to seem kind of pointless.