Weighing country vs. city living in retirement
By Carole Moore • Bankrate.com

As new retirees exchange time cards for Social Security checks, many also follow their dreams by flying the coop.

Some head straight for laid-back country living: chopping wood, raising horses or chickens, slipping into small-town life. Others see the kaleidoscope of opportunity in city life as a retirement bonus and grab a condo or co-op in a hopping downtown metro area.

Both choices have their advantages, but what you ultimately decide should reflect the future. Want to know more before you make a move? Look into Bankrate's crystal ball ...

Do you prefer an urban or rural lifestyle? Before you decide that your retirement paradise is Green Acres or Park Avenue, do a needs assessment to determine the best lifestyle for you.

Heart vs. head decisions 1. The benefits of city life 2. The allure of the country 3. A 'European experience' 4. An expert's opinion 5. Smaller towns and suburban life

The benefits of city life
At 71, Alan Entine, a native New Yorker, has moved completely across the country to retire where Tony Bennett left his heart -- San Francisco. A former university administrator with a doctorate in economics, Entine chose to live near his two grown daughters and their families, but the Bay City wasn't his first choice. He and his wife originally relocated to Cary, N.C., a bedroom community near Raleigh. Within six months, his wife Jan developed a serious, and ultimately fatal, illness.

"Thank heavens we didn't move to the coast or someplace like that," Entine says. "Because we were within driving distance of Duke (University Medical Center)."

After Entine's wife passed away, he regrouped. While Cary was nice, he gracefully acknowledged his driving days were numbered and knew he didn't want to be dependent on others for transportation. Entine decided to trade Cary for the big city.

Because his daughters were there, Entine naturally gravitated toward San Francisco, which has excellent mass transit. He rented at first, then eventually bought a small condo. He wanted a place where he could walk to stores and attractions, which his new home at the Infinity Complex, allows him to do. And, he says, the variety of residents in the area -- from young professionals to retirees -- makes life more interesting and varied than might be the case in a retirement village. Plus, there's always something going on within striking distance.

"San Francisco ... has wonderful museums, theater, symphonies and opera, as well as great weather," says Entine, who hasn't abandoned academic life altogether. He works with the FROMM Institute of Lifelong Learning at the University of San Francisco, which offers an eclectic cross-section of classes for seniors. Many colleges and universities offer similar free programs.

Entine also touts San Francisco's proximity to an international airport and says that although buying his condo wasn't cheap, the trade-off is that big-city living is more economical than some might think.

"Sure (big cities) are expensive in terms of housing," he says, "but the day-to-day living in San Francisco isn't that much more expensive."

And there are bargains, too.

"On the Muni (San Francisco Municipal Rail) system, as a senior I pay $10 a month for a pass and I can have unlimited bus and train rides for a month," he says.