To many people, anywhere in Minnesota would be among the worst imaginable places to retire.
Winter is long, dark and icy with lots of snow to shovel.
New Hampshire; 2.
South Dakota; 9.
These are the results even though weather was one of the criteria researchers examined.
The cold winter solution for many is not to escape it but to love it.
Mark VanderSchaaf remembers how thrilled he and his wife Elizabeth were about moving to St. Paul 30 years ago.
But as they grew older, the Twin Cities began to feel less perfect.
They eventually decided on Seattle, and started making plans to move there after Mark retired.
What about the frigid air and slippery streets?
Even rural Minnesota hangs on to many older residents and lures new ones.
“I can’t stand to just stay around the house.
And we go into town a lot.
I’m at meetings or the Bella Caffe coffeeshop.
My wife volunteers at the hospice.”
The cold doesn’t daunt Pat and Paul Dove, either.
They moved to Minnesota in 2000 and stay at their home on a lake throughout the winter.
“We go downtown almost every day.
It’s the social hub,” says Paul, who founded the summer stockNorthern Light Opera Companyin town.
“They do a great job of clearing the sidewalks so it’s easy to walk around.”
The Colombian-born Penalosa notes that people can be just as isolated at home by hot weather.
“In cold-weather places we just need to make it easier for people to get out.
We need to plow the sidewalks.
Walkability expertDan Burdenhas worked in more than 3,000 North American communities.
He points to shining examples of cities that look out for older people in winter weather.
“This happens in 95 percent of the snowy cities I work,” Burden says.
Golden, Colorado, tackles the problem by setting rules requiring snowplow operators to keep sidewalk entrances open.
Just as critical for making communities great places to live year-round are lively spots for people to gather.
“A lot of cities plan all their festivals and events for the summer,” notes Penalosa.
“It’s easy to have fun in the summer.
“Winter is really a question of mental attitude,” Penalosa adds.
“It’s up to us how much fun everyone can have this time of year.”
He is author of the “Great Neighborhood Book” and lives in Minneapolis year-round!
