Friday, February 15, 2008

San Francisco Retirement

San Francisco

San Francisco is one of the USA's most vibrant metropolitan regions, with cultural and natural attractions that make San Francisco one of the most visited cities in the USA. Although this is a major metro area, San Francisco is considerably smaller than Los Angeles or New York, and thus there are many quiet neighborhoods as well as active urban areas. A key challenge to a San Francisco Retirement is going to be cost - this is one of the most expensive areas in the country, and even with recent real estate market problems the cost of living here tends to be very expensive. Median home price, for example, is about $888,000 although you should note that nearby areas tend to have much lower prices than those you'd find within the city limits of San Francisco.

San Francisco Retirement Communities:

Eastern Park Apartments: A Retirement Community: (415) 776-0114
Western Park Apartments: A Retirement Community: (415) 922-5436
Jewish Home of San Francisco http://www.jhsf.org
San Francisco Towers http://www.ehf.org/
Sequoias-San Francisco: http://www.ncphs.org/
Sunrise At Golden Gate Park http://www.sunriseseniorliving.com/

Population: 744,00

Climate: Very moderate. San Francisco tends to be cool year-round, with plenty of rain.
Here's more from the SFGate, an online info portal for the area: http://www.sfgate.com/weather/

Cost of Living: Very high

Housing Costs: Very high. See Zillow for detail.

Taxes: California generally has high taxes compared to other states. Extensive California Tax
details are here: http://www.ftb.ca.gov/

San Francisco Colleges and Universities:

City College of San Francisco: http://www.ccsf.edu/ (415) 239-3000
San Francisco State University: http://www.sfsu.edu/ (415) 338-1111
San Francisco Art Institute: http://www.sfai.edu/ (415) 771-7020
California Culinary Academy: http://www.baychef.com/ (888) 858-5222
University of California Irvine Campus: http://www.uci.edu/ (949) 824-5011
University of San Francisco: http://www.usfca.edu%20(415/) 422-5555
Golden Gate University: http://www.ggu.edu/ (415) 442-7000
California Institute: http://www.ciis.edu/ (415) 575-6100
Heald College: http://www.heald.edu/ (415) 808-3000
San Francisco Conservatory of Music http://www.sfcm.edu/ (415) 864-7326

Transportation: Options in this city are extensive: http://www.sfmta.com/ San Francisco International Airport SFO serves the region but also within about an hour or less from Airports in Oakland OAK, San Jose SJC, and Sacramento SMF.

Health care:

UCSF Children's Hospital: http://www.ucsfhealth.org/
UCSF Medical Center: http://www.mountzion.ucsfmedicalcenter.org/
UCSF Medical Center: Mount Zion: (415) 353-7598
Chinese Hospital: http://www.chinesehospital-sf.org/ (415) 750-4403
Saint Francis Memorial Hospital: (415) 353-6255
Laguna Honda Hospital & Rehabilitation Center http://www.ci.sf.ca.us/ (415) 759-2300
St Luke's Hospital: http://www.stlukes-sf.org/ (415) 647-8600
Cohen-Lief Cardiology Medical (415) 567-9469
St Mary's Medical Center: www.stmarysmedicalcenter.org (415) 750-5500

Travel and tourism: San Francisco is a legendary travel destination where nature, culture, and history converge in many ways. Only in San Francisco is the official guide from the Convention Bureau: http://www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com/

Chico California Retirement

Chico California, like Redding, lies in California's Shasta Cascade Tourism region. Chico is between Sacramento and Redding and offers nearby outdoor recreation along with the amenities of a university town. Chico State is probably the big claim to Chico fame and drives much of the local economy. Although Chico State often makes high marks on "party school" lists the school would rather be known for it's strong agriculture education programs: www.csuchico.edu/

Retirement Communities (NOT inclusive):
Oak Knoll at 1007 Buschmann Road, Paradise CA 95969
A Full service community includes cottages for Independent Retirement.

Country Crest 55 Concordia Lane, Oroville CA 95966

Population: 73,000

Climate: Hot summers, cool to moderate winters

Cost of Living: Moderate to high

Housing Costs: Chico housing is moderate to expensive. Zillow has extensive details.

Taxes: California taxes are high compared to other states.
Extensive California Tax details are here: www.ftb.ca.gov/

Colleges and Universities: Chico State University www.csuchico.edu

Transportation: Chico Transit www.chico.ca.us/Chico_Area_Transit/Chico_Area_Transit.asp

Health Care: Enloe Medical Center is Chico's top health care facility, though Chico State also has health services for students.

Travel and tourism information from the Chico Chamber: www.chicochamber.com

Retirement in Decatur, Alabama

Decatur, Alabama – located on the Tennessee River in Morgan County – boasts a rich heritage and a dynamic future. Here you’ll find economic prosperity, cultural diversity, and community spirit combined to make Decatur a Grand City on a Charming Scale.

Health Care: The health and well being of the Decatur community is served by two hospitals, Decatur General Hospital and Parkway Medical Center Hospital.

Climate: Decatur experiences a humid subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers and a generally mild winter. Temperatures range from 89 °F (31.6 C) in the summer to 49.0 °F (9.4 C) during winter.

Housing costs: 2004 Average Selling Price for a Home: $130,544
2005 Fair Market Rent for a 2 Bedroom Unit $474

Population: (2000 Census):Decatur: 56,000Morgan County: 110,000

Sales Tax:Decatur 9% (4% city, 1% county, 4% state) Morgan County 7% (3% county, 4% state)




Decatur remains interested in the well-being of its population, continuing to build parks and recreation facilities second to none. Water sports remain a draw to the area, with several national professional fishing tournaments hosted here each year.

Retire to Huntsville, Alabama

Huntsville, Alabama USA is one of the most recognized cities in the Southeast — consistently named as one of the best places to live and work by a variety of national publications. Our city is regularly named as a premier location for both business and quality of life.

Taxes; City Sales Tax Rate: 3.5%County Sales Tax Rate: 0.5%State Sales Tax Rate: 4.0%City Property Tax Rate (Per $100 of Assessed Valuation): 5.80


Climate: Take a look at the National Weather Service Climate Information for Huntsville, AL

Population: (Estimate May, 2001): 158,216

Cost of Living; This area boasts one of the lowest cost of living in the United States.

Transportation: Transportation includes, Huntsville International Airport , Huntsville has two active commercial rail lines. The mainline is run by Norfolk Southern, which runs from Memphis, TN to Chattanooga.

Health Care; Health care facilities include Crestwood Medical Center, and Huntsville Hospital.

Housing cost: Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $128,700 (it was $97,300 in 2000)



Colleges, higher education: UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IN HUNTSVILLE (Full-time enrollment: 4,795; Location: 301 SPARKMAN DR; Public; Website: www.uah.edu; Offers Doctor's degree)