Ithaca named one of top 10 places to retire

Well, aside from the fact that it's an uphill walk in every direction from downtown, and there's lots of snow and ice conducive to falling and breaking one's hip, and the college kids drive their dodge 'em cars around town like they're playing "Chicken" (and that's when they are sober), I would tend to agree. There's something to be said about re-branding a place to attract a certain demographic, and I am truly glad to be here, but let's be honest: the reality is that Ithaca is problematic for senior citizens. Tash and I have met Dr. Wilson personally, and his comments are genuine. But no offense, Don, it's not the entire story.

When we moved into our first apartment here in August (which was definitely NOT senior friendly), and had to move out after three nights due to accessibility issues, the comment from the owner was, "It's a college town, what did you expect?"

Don't get me wrong, we love it here, and most others will too (except a small majority of Californians). My comments above, however, are presented in the interest of full disclosure.

Anyway here's the link to the Yahoo article by Emily Brandon, US News, and here's the text related to Ithaca...

A college town for retirees: Ithaca, N.Y.

College towns like Ithaca can be an ideal place to retire. For a median home price of just $176,500, retirees can take classes at Cornell University or Ithaca College and attend speeches, concerts, and sporting events. They can also spend their days hiking to the more than 100 waterfalls and gorges within 10 miles of downtown or sampling the wares of the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail. Don Wilson, 65, a retired cardiologist from Rockford, Ill., bicycles throughout the Finger Lakes region three times a week. "The rural roads in the Finger Lakes region have so little traffic that you can ride three or four abreast on a bicycle in continuous conversation, learning from each other," he says. Wilson has also developed an interest in paleontology, and is taking a course on the subject at Cornell University and conducting research on fossils at the Museum of the Earth. "I think that university towns tend to attract interesting organizations, like the Museum of the Earth, and interesting people who may or may not be connected with the college."