Hello again.  I live in Vancouver, so I am afraid far from small town.  In fact my partner and I had been researching a lot of the places it sounds like you may be looking into in terms of retirement.  We had considered the community in New Mexico, it looks very beautiful.  Recently I had heard that a woman was starting up a lesbian retirement community here in British Columbia.  She was so upset that her aunt was unable to live in a nice community with her partner that she decided it was something she wanted to change and was going to build one.  I have not heard any more about it, but it would be nice if it were to happen.  I love Vancouver, it is a beautiful city and we have so much to do here.  There is a large gay community, and downtown there is an entire area that is predominantly gay, Davie Village.  Also another area, closer to my house, it becoming mainly lesbian, nice older part of town with great character houses. Not to mention Vancouver is a port city.  Although I will not be going this year, the Olivia Alaska cruise does leave from here.  I have heard mention of a few travellers who are planning their weddings here before honeymooning in Alaska.  However, as I am getting older I am wanting more of a laid back environment.  So for me for retirement, I doubt I would want to live in the big city of Vancouver.  Having said that, I do not think I would live too far from here.  Again having so many things to do, some gay themed, others just gorgeous outdoor events, and a lot of nightlife (theatre, etc.) is wonderful.  Besides, my partner is a true Canadian and loves her hockey, so we would not want to be too far from a hockey town!!

When you come up in the fall I am sure you will see why it is loved by so many.  Again though, if you were looking for a peaceful seaside small community to retire in, Vancouver is far from that.  We do have a lot of surrounding areas and small islands that are gorgeous, very gay friendly and smaller communties.  The one thing about the lower mainland is that we have Vancouver Island sheltering our shoreline, so it does create a bit of a different coast than the west coast of the U.S.. 

I hope this has helped.  As I mentioned previously, I love where I live for so many reasons.  Between the gay friendly atmosphere, the things to do, and benefits of being equal under the law, it is hard for me to think about retiring elsewhere.  I welcome anyone who wants to move to our area.  I also hope that I am understanding correctly and things are getting better in the U.S. for gays and lesbians.  There are so many beautiful places "south of the border" for me, that hopefully when it comes time to retire there will be many more options. 

Alicat,

I loved your post... thanks for sharing about where you live. It definitely entices me to want to visit. :)

I'm also a big fan of the coast, as I currently live about 10 minutes or so from Laguna Beach and I just adore it. Previously, I lived in Long Beach while I was at the university, and I'm quite accustomed to living near the beach now, so I doubt I could live anywhere else either! But, you never know, there are always more adventures to be had, so I won't say never.

And, yes, I do have alot of info about Southern California to share in case anyone has any other questions... I'm a California native and have lived here all my life... and I've lived throughout Long Beach, Orange County and San Diego County, so those are the areas I know the most about. 

One more website I found about Palm Springs also can give you a feeling of its gay-friendly atmosphere...

http://www.rainbowvisionprop.com/palmsprings.html

I love visiting there, really...as often as possible. :)  Oh, and there are some darling lesbian bed-and-breakfasts there that I've heard of from friends... and they advertise in some of the magazines too. That would be a great way to visit and see watcha think!

Shorebirds,

You know, I have been hearing rumblings of an exclusively lesbian & gay retirement community in or around Arizona... in fact, I once heard of that from olivia... I'm not sure of the current status. But, Arizona is nice because it's so warm and it's "a dry heat" as my grandma always says. :D

Also, Palm Springs is becoming a big LGBT hotspot for retirement in California... between the warm weather, the affordable home prices, so much to do (including the yearly 'Dinah Shore' event for women in March) and its proximity to everything else in California (an hour or so from L.A./Orange County) - it's really up-and-coming. It also has more of the small-town atmosphere that you mentioned than, say, Hillcrest in San Diego or anywhere surely in LA or the OC.

And I've also heard about RainbowVision in New Mexico:
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_2004_July_20/ai_n6151279
Santa Fe, N.M. RainbowVision will sit on 13 acres in the shadow of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and boast 60 condos and 86 rentals surrounding a country club, a pool, outdoor hot tubs, and a state-of-the-art medical facility. Prices are expected to start at $2,600 to rent or $236,000 to own. Planned entertainment includes gay performers and an annual drag ball.

And here's an article about Olivia's plan: http://www.gaybusinessworld.com/page.cfm?Sectionid=6&typeofsite=storydetail&ID=390&storyset=yes

Some very cool websites I've discovered................

Gay & Lesbian Retirement: http://www.gaylesbianretiring.org/id4.html
Beau Monde Alternative Retirement Living: http://www.beaumondeliving.com/
Birds of a Feather, Sante Fe, New Mexico:  http://www.flock2it.com/live.html

I don't know if it will help or not, but I have friends who live in Junction CIty, Oregon (just outside of Eugene) and they say it is great!  A fairly large lesbian community and lots of things to do.  I know that they were married during the time that Oregon was in favour of gay & lesbian marriages, but unfortunately, if I am not mistaken that may be changing.  Hopefully that will not change the atmosphere and it will continue to be a popular gay friendly area.

I live on the west coast of British Columbia, and have to admit I feel like I am living in paradise.  Not only is there a large gay community and huge pride events, but the area is beautiful.  I have the ocean to play in and while I am standing on the beach I can look up to the North Shore mountains (Whistler and Blackcomb).  Although I do not participate in all the events that this area has to offer, it is nice to know that I could if I wanted to.  I personally love living on the coast.  For a while I lived in central Canada and missed the ocean.  So whether it is the west or the east coast, I know I need the beauty that comes with a seaside town.  Now if only I could do something about the Vancouver rain then I would be all set!!

I have heard that California has a number of gay and lesbian retirement communities.  My partner and I were looking into some of them.  It sounds like the last folks to respond to your question had some great information about the area.  I am sure you will be able to find what you are looking for, in my experience the west coast of North America is beautiful.  As for gay friendly communities, here is hoping they are growing by the minute!!

Shorebirds,

That is a great question... there are so many great places to live on the West Coast, and so many of these places are becoming hubs that are lgbt friendly.

From my personal experience, there are great places to live in San Diego and Long Beach, California.  Both of these cities offer so much to do, both are near the beach and have great culture and cultural events to participate in. Of course, California in general has domestic partnership rights that do offer alot of protection for same-sex couples.

I've actually been hearing more about Oregon lately, too, and in the major "cities" there like Bend or Eugene, there is quite a community of women there. And the cost of living is relatively more affordable than some areas on the West Coast.

What types of things do you enjoy doing? And what areas have you visited or lived in out this way before?

Heather