After years of reading retirement destination books, and finding them lacking, California State University, Northridge, geography professor Warren Bland decided to write one of his own.
His efforts are compiled in “Retire in Style” (Next Decade; $22.95), a detailed description of 60 outstanding places across the U.S. and Canada for baby boomers to spend their golden years. Originally published in 2001, the revised edition features 10 additional locations in Canada and four new American hot spots.
Bland said he always enjoyed retirement guidebooks, which rate locales based on quality-of-life issues, but never envisioned writing one himself.
He finally decided to pen his own book after complaining to colleagues about the faulty methodology of retirement guides on the market.
In researching his book, Bland and his wife crisscrossed the nation, narrowing down a list of more than 150 communities to the sites described in the book. He sought additional information by writing to chambers of commerce and visitor bureaus.
The communities are rated according to 12 criteria, including quality of life, cost of living and transportation. To rate highly, places must perform well in several categories.
In his travels and research for the book, Bland’s own retirement plans have changed. He and his wife, Sarah, had always planned to retire in Bloomington, Ind., where they both attended graduate school at Indiana University. But now he and his wife are considering spending their golden years in Ithaca, N.Y., or Portland, Ore.
“It gets tougher and tougher,” he said. “I know too much.”
Best cities for retirees
Warren Bland’s top 10 places in the U.S. to “Retire in Style”:
1. Boulder, Colo.
2. Portland, Ore.
3. San Antonio, Texas
4. Asheville, N.C.
5. Austin, Texas
6. Boca Raton, Fla.
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7. Chapel Hill, N.C.
8. Colorado Springs, Colo.
9. Fort Collins, Colo.
10. Madison, Wis.