Golden places for the golden years
Austin and the Hill Country earn national praise as golden spots for retirees
Two places in and near the Hill Country have made new lists of the country’s best spots for retirees.
Austin appears on an unranked Forbes list of the country’s 25 best places to enjoy retirement, and Fredericksburg lands on an unranked Travel + Leisure list of the country’s 10 best small towns for retirement.
In lauding Austin, Forbes highlights the city’s passions for arts and culture, fine dining, lifelong learning, outdoor activities, golf, and volunteering.
“The city boasts a high number of physicians per capita, good air quality, and high marks for volunteering. Austin is very bikeable and somewhat walkable,” Forbes notes.
As for Fredericksburg, Travel + Leisure emphasizes the Hill Country town’s German heritage and its proximity to Austin and San Antonio.
“Wine lovers will enjoy living in the midst of more than 100 wineries in the area, and stargazers will appreciate the city’s efforts to become a Dark Sky Community, with measures to minimize light pollution,” Travel + Leisure observes. “Seasonal changes are significant, with dry, warm summers and cold weather in winter. The area is safe, and crime rates are low.”
While Fredericksburg is the only Texas community on the Travel + Leisure list, Austin is joined on the Forbes list by Dallas.
“Nearly 80 golf courses in the area plus a robust arts/culture and fine-dining scene distinguish the Big D,” Forbes says.