Retirement Relocation-Where I'm Moving To (The Town)

Good or bad, some of the posts for the next six weeks are gonna be about the moving process. Since those posts were very popular all those years ago, hopefully you will bear with me.  I had planned to write the first post about the specific location of my home and why I chose that community/association but first I figured I would write about the town.

As folks who have read this blog for awhile know, I did live in Texas once before. When I returned from Germany the last time in late 2007, untl 2012. We moved there after my husband passed away because we had been a traveling family and I figured it would be a good idea for my kids to spend some quality time with the grandparents and aunts and uncles (who were not hesitant about sharing experiences past with their son/brother). Eventually kids and cousins went to college and did their thing and grandparents moved on as well and a combination of not being happy in the the cookie cutter town of Allen as well as having the urge to live near MY relatives for awhile had me downsizing and moving on.

All of which is to say that I did not go into Texas blind with no idea of where to go or how things worked. I knew which highways were toll roads (see below) had a general idea of the "personality" of many of the suburbs I would look at,  knew the climate and many more  of the more obvious things

There were many things I missed about Texas. Heck , I even wrote about them once or twice, and I was ready to embrace them again. A flat geography, warm weather, the friendiest people of anywhere I have lived (I have literally had people come up to me in the grocery store and ask me how I am today just because), the lower cost of living, the access to a variety of geographic vistas near by, and of course my daughter and son in law. All have affected my need/desire to move (and since I know people will ask, urban and much of suburban Texas is VERY  bluish/purple in many areas). And yes, shopping and Whataburger. 

This time I was looking for a different suburb and environment. It needed to make me happy. It needed to be close to D and SIL (but I was willing to go up to 45 minutes and even looked at Celina and towns north and off the map). I explored Mckinney (always one of the best towns to live in). I looked at Prosper where my daughter lives-her homes is about halfway between the Prosper star and the Crossroads sign above. Many nice suburbs, with different personalities. I looked at Frisco (where the Dallas Cowboys are headquartered).

In the end, I chose where I started my search, which was Denton

Because (in no special order):

1. It's  college town with two decent sized universities,  one of which has one of the best arts program in the state.  I'm always a fan of college towns and all the community stuff they offer. Plus of course, the youth. I love the youth.

2. It's on the same main drag as my daughter is, and easy to reach. (I'm basically be just past the sign that says 380 on the map and it's 20 minutes)

3. It has a VERY active music scene as well as an arts scene. If I were willing to move that far I would aso be happy in Austin because I love going into corner of the wall music venues not knowing who will be there or what I will listen to, be it jazz, blues, rock or whatever. It has both a jazz and a music festival.

4. It's very diverse,  including poltically. The town council, for example is very non partisan.

5. Most of those up and down highways you see on the map are toll roads. I'd be living next to the interstate (right to the left/east of the town) and could get to most of the places I wanted to without as much toll tag usage!

5. It has up to date and well funded (as does most of the greater area) community offerings including exercise venues, paths, libraries and parks. This includes a large freestanding senior center that offers lunch/activities/tours/exercise classes as well as senior transportation and free buses. In fact, I just learned today that it has the largest community garden in the US. Obviously how much of those facilities I will be able to use right now and when that will change depends on the developments of the Pandemic).  

6. It's considered one of the three hippy-ish towns in Texas (along with Austin and San Marco).  I'm into hippy-ness and being laid back.

7.  It has two large, up to date, modern medical centers. 

8.  Unlike Allen, Denton is an older town. It's always been on the main railway (it creates a "triangle" between Fort Worth and Dallas). Lots of older houses (as well as newer), etablished trees and gardens every where, a town square with a renovated courthouse.

9.  I just like it-and the vibe.

10. While it's a forty minute drive, thanks to that "triangle" geography thing above it's a mainly one road, well maintained straight highway drive to either Dallas downtown or Forth Worth downtown when I want to go city-ing, which I will.

I'm sure I'll have more to add later to the list, when I think about it. My community is right next to Texas Women's University. But that's another post, for another (maybe next) time!