College Towns Call Us Back

 

For at least two years we have been talking to our friends about how we'd like to maybe move back to Bloomington, Indiana, where we went to college. Many of them just don't get it, so we were glad to see that there's a website -- College Town Life -- that's dedicated to celebrating life in these great towns. What's more, Kiplinger's May 2007 issue  features an article on why college towns are perfect for boomers about to retire, or in "pre-retirement" -- like us geezers. According to Kiplinger's:

"Nothing matches the vibe of a college town. Universities throw off an energy that infuses their communities with culture, creativity and a love of learning. No wonder such places draw so many retirees. Living in a college town can be a smart financial move, too. Compared with life in a big city, you'll save on everything from housing to recreation."

Yeah, we knew that.

Comments

[Judith]

If you move to Bloomington and you're a gardener, have your soil tested for PCBs before you buy any property.

I had been considering moving to Bloomington as I'm an organic farmer and Bloomington seemed ideal for many reasons. Then I learned of the 2 million pounds of PCBs (the actual number) that Industry dumped into city landfills over 20 years. The landfills gave away free "mulch" to gardeners all over the county during those years - not knowing it was laced with PCBs. Many of the waterways are polluted with PCBs too. I decided against the move - as a gardener it was too risky. The city of Bloomington's website contains info on PCBs in the area - where the Superfund sites are - which waterways are most polluted etc.