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Vol VI Issue 58
August 9, 2011
Previous Issues
Affordable Homes, a
Leisurely Pace, a Riverfront Setting and a Southern Lifestyle are Reasons Why Retirees Choose
Peaceful and Unassuming Florence,
Alabama
Cost of Living: Below the National Average
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Florence (population 38,000) is located in north
western Alabama and is one city in a four city area
known as The Shoals (total population 140,000).
Attractive but unassuming, it is tucked along the banks
of the rambling Tennessee River and was named after
Florence, Italy by an early Italian surveyor (the town
incorporated in 1826). The
University of Northern Alabama (7,000 students), an
institution primarily known for its excellent music
department, makes its home here, and music has infused
Florence for years. W.C.
Handy, "Father of the Blues," was born here,
as was Sam Philips, the record producer who discovered
Elvis Presley. Today,
Florence's respect for Southern traditions runs deep,
and life meanders at a languid pace. The
cost of living is low, 20% below the national average,
and the city is working to position itself as an
affordable, welcoming, low key retirement spot.
The population is diverse, and 40% of residents are age
45 or better.
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A
housing dollar goes a long way here (in fact, the median home price is just
$125,000, well below the national median), and the real estate market is
unusually healthy. Home prices have actually been rising since 2009 and
have remained steady so far this year.
Outside of the historic districts, residences are primarily brick ranch-style
on large lots and start at under $100,000 (and some rather extraordinary
dwellings are for sale in the mid-$200,000s and up). In
the historic sections of the city, once home to wealthy merchants and cotton
planters, wide avenues
boast stately antebellum mansions, elegant Queen Annes, colorful Victorians,
cozy 1920s bungalows and even classic Sears-Roebuck (American Four Square)
houses. Prices for dwellings in these neighborhoods start in the
$200,000s and $300,000s.
Apartments appear to be plentiful with prices for a one bedroom apartment
starting at roughly $415 per month and at $495 per month for a two bedroom
apartment. Expect to pay a bit more for a nicer unit.
Three mobile home parks are nearby.
Alabama
is one of the nation's most tax friendly states for retirees, and
it has some of the lowest property tax rates in the
country. The annual taxes on a $115,000
home are roughly $485, but property owners age 65 and better do
not pay any state property taxes at all. Most
retirement income, including Social Security, is exempt from state
income taxes. The state has a high sales tax, though
(and even food is taxed).
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Throughout
the years, this river town has drawn some famous characters. Architect
Frank Lloyd Wright designed a home here (the only Frank Lloyd Wright house in
Alabama and the only one in the Southeast that is open to the public). Panama
Canal engineer Major General George Washington Goethals lived here, and
Presidents James
Madison, James Monroe and
Andrew Jackson
all bought land here. There is something
seductive about this place, where the
woods
are thick and sweet with oxeye daisies, azaelas and flowering dogwood and
where towering cypress trees have stood guard for 1,000 years.
Residents still use the words
"ma'am" and "sir," and they are proud
of their town and its way of life.
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Florence may be a peaceful place, but there are plenty of things to
do. The Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts
features annual and rotating exhibits and offers
workshops and classes for all ages, as well as concerts, lectures and programs.
The Frank Lloyd Wright-Rosenbaum House, built in 1939 and now a museum, has
been completely restored and has all the hallmarks of a Wright-designed house,
including multi-level flat roofs and flowing space. The Indian
Mound Museum curates the largest domiciliary mound in the Tennessee Valley and
houses a treasure trove of early Native American artifacts. Pope's
Tavern is a museum and was once a Civil War-era pub and a command center for
both the Confederate and Union armies. The Helen Keller House,
technically located in nearby Tuscumbia, is Keller's birthplace and now a
museum. Every June, thousands of visitors come for the Helen Keller
Festival, a week long event that honors Keller's extraordinary life.
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This is an interactive map.
Click on the arrows in the upper left hand
corner to move the map to the East, West, North or South, and
click on the +/- signs (more than once if necessary) to zoom
in and out.
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Cultural amenities are good for a city this size. The
renowned W.C. Handy Festival celebrates the "Father of the Blues"
and has drawn artists such as trumpet great Dizzy Gillespie and jazz composer
Ramsey Lewis. Nearly 150,000 people attend this week-long event each
July. There is also a W.C. Handy parade. Arts Alive is a
two-day event that takes place each May and features works from artists who
hail from the southeastern part of the United States. First Fridays
showcases local artists the first Friday of every month from March through
December and brings residents out for an evening of great food, carriage rides
and music. The downtown Alabama Renaissance Faire is held the fourth
weekend in October and recreates the atmosphere of Italy during the Middle
Ages. Wandering minstrels, chamber singers and magicians ensure that
everyone has an enjoyable experience. And
as the Tennessee River, wide and gentle, winds its way
along the edge of town on its way to the Ohio River, a riverboat, the
Pickwick Belle, offers dinner cruises under a Southern moon.
Florence
boasts a four star hotel (the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa), nine public
parks, two
championship golf courses, a marina and a harbor. Fishing,
particularly for bass and catfish, is a favorite pastime, and many a retiree
has found the perfect fishing spot here. There is a
state of the art conference center, and the 40,000 sq. ft. Florence - Fort
Lauderdale Public Library is one of the best in the state with an extensive
digital archive, book clubs, computer classes, Internet access, an
interlibrary loan program and theater presentations. NCAA Division
II football is huge here, too, and the UNA Lions games attract rowdy crowds
during autumn Saturday afternoons. Florence also claims that it is the fifth safest place
to live in the U.S., but independent crime stats show the crime rate to be
about average.
And,
of course, Florence is just up the road from the Coon Dog Cemetery where 185
faithful hunting dogs have been laid to rest with headstones bearing such
distinguished names a Bean
Blossom Bomma, Night Ranger
and Straight
Talkin' Tex. Admittance standards are strictly upheld as all dogs laid
to rest here must be a true coon dog and 100% hound. In other words, no
poodles.
A
perk of retirement here is the University's Institute for
Learning in Retirement (ILR), an organization of active retirees who seek
continued intellectual and social stimulation. Members participate in
short discussion groups, luncheons, social activities, and short day
trips. The ILR is affiliated with the internationally known Elderhostel
Institute Network, and the core of the ILR is the discussion groups which meet
for eight weeks. There are no tests, no grades and no
prerequisites. Classes are held from January through March and from
September through November. Anyone of retirement age regardless of educational
background or work experience may join.
Florence
shopping is adequate. There are chain stores, including Wal-Mart, and a
mall, but many people travel the 70 miles to Huntsville (population 175,000)
for items not found in town. Restaurants are also mainly chain eateries,
but delicious grilled catfish, barbeque pork ribs and green fried tomatoes
still pop up on menus around town.
Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital is the primary health care
center and has 358 beds. It is the largest hospital in northwest Alabama,
is accredited by the Joint Commission and has the only full service
heart/cardiac program in north western Alabama. ECMH meets or exceeds
national averages in all areas and accepts both Medicaid and Medicare
patients. For military retirees, the nearest VA hospital is in
Savannah, Tennessee, 35 miles away.
The
Florence Senior Citizens Center serves hot lunches daily and sponsors a number
of programs and activities, including exercise activities, nutrition classes,
trips and dances (live band). AARP has a chapter here, and Meals on
Wheels is active.
In the summer, the air is thick and heavy, and life seems to
unfold in slow motion.
Summer temperatures are in 70s, 80s and 90s, and humidity is high.
Winters are mild with temperature are in the 30s, 40s and 50s. It rains 5 to 6 inches a
month, and snow has been known to fall. The sun shines 200 days of the
year, and the risk of a tornado is 190% above the national average. The
water quality is below the national average, but the air quality is
above the national average.
For all
of its good points, there are a few things to keep in mind about retirement in Florence.
It does not have a public transportation system, and there is no direct link
to an Interstate highway (however, a domestic airport, serviced by Delta
Airlines, is just across the river in Muscle Shoals). Change does not
come rapidly here, and while residents are neighborly and helpful, developing new
friendships requires fully embracing local customs and traditions.
And Florence is not an affluent city. The poverty rate is above the
national average, and some manifestations of this can be seen around town.
So
while Florence is not perfect, to retirees seeking a simple lifestyle, full of
relaxing days and mild weather, this peaceful Southern city will soon feel like
home.
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Developments in Alabama Retirement Communities
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