If I were to move...

Boston, Mass area had some of the best local groups all within an hour drive. But you don't get away from winter. I'm in Louisville area now, which once had the major draw of the Patton Museum as an armor mecca, but now that museum is a shadow of its former glory. I hear southern Cali has some nice modeling related stuff down there.

Yes, here in the L.A. are we have some great model clubs and hobby shops. And no real winter compared to much of the country, just a cool wet season that rarely gets down to actual freezing temps. But it is so dang expensive around here. Also there are some good air museums, and between San Diego, San Pedro & Long Beach, many ship museums as well. 

When I retire in two years, we are looking at Arizona for a better cost of living on my pensions, being close enough for a half day drive to visit the kids (hobby shops too!). And they do have a reputedly decent IPMS Chapter- hosting the Nationals again this year. 

Sorry John,

There's many parts of the country I like very much but unfortunatly they don't fall within your criteria. They either have snow and cold winters or are very hot and humid in the summers, sometimes oppressively so, or don't have many, if any, hobby shops.

From what I gather from Stick, there are ample HS's and club's in Sothern Cal.
After 8 years in Northern Cal and having been to LA many times, I personally just don't care for CA or LA. San Diago seems nice though if you can get past the prices.

John, What you ask is hard to accommodate. And even if you move to a place, it doesn't mean the nearby hobby shops will stay open. It's a difficult time for them , as I'm sure you know. Two places I would encourage you to look at where the winters will be tolerable are the Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas area and then just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. Of the two, DFW is the place to be. This area has several really good hobby shops. It's probably the honey-hole of warm-climate hobby shops. But summers are HOT!

It has multiple Hobby Towns: http://htudallastx.com/ and they are pretty well stocked.

It has Wild Bill's Hobby Shop. I always stop in here when I'm in the area. The owner works there and knows his stuff. The website is awful. He told me he does not want to do business in such an impersonal way! I bought a WWII tank transport model there for a good price. https://m.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Bills-Hobby-Shop/104349452965544

It has MAL Hobby Shop, 108 Lee St, Irving, TX 75060, which doesn't even have a webpage! I got some really nice deals on older kits there once.

It's also the home of Squadron Hobbies, the  big Internet Hobby shop, https://www.squadron.com/. They have a scratch and dent plastic models section in their lobby. The boxes are just a little beaten up. They had some really nice deals when I was there a number of years ago. 1115 Crowley Dr, Carrollton, TX 75006

The other place is Rock Hill, North Carolina, just south of Charlotte. I once considered retiring to Charlotte. It's a great area. I really like the Hobby Shop south of there  called Hobby Stop. They've been there forever and seem to be pretty secure. They have a great plastic model section. I bought an AFV German cannon last time I was there. That should tell you they know their model manufacturers. http://hobbystop.com/

I hope this helps. Best wishes on your search.

Barrett

I agree with BarrettDuke. No matter where you want to go, it‘s too hot/high or oppressive humidit, too cold/snowy, too wet, too dry, too expensive to live/high taxes, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, mudslides... well you get my meaning. Every corner of our nation has their weather quirks. 

The greater San Diego area.

Hi;

 I have read and I reply . I think you would enjoy something further south than DFW . Why ? Well , it's true they have more including Squadron . Uh , That's more of the not so great stuff too , like traffic !

 But like many parts of TEXAS they also have higher cost of living because of gentrification . Austin is good , but again the city's vibe might not be your cup of soup . I personally settled on New Braunfels .

 True it has Schlitterbahn and Wurstfest , But it has a great Rail Museum ( Static ) dedicated to KATY ( Missouri , Kansas , Texas - R.R ) or MKT hence Katy .

 Gary's Hill Country Hobbies is only forty five minutes away and if he ain't got it , He'll get it . great consignment area and paints up the wazoo . Hobby - Town is just down the road in San Antonio proper and they are the same way . Hobby Lobby is here in town . 

 Weather , Well , that is a Big variable . Summer  or ( High Summer ) as we call it , has arrived early . This means afternoon temps hovering around the low hundreds .( Nope I won't lie to you ) Usually it runs in the high 90s and the winters ain't bad .

 Tha folks are friendly and the Boot and Hat stores and B.B.Q. ( Ribs etc.) are plentiful . So,s the Cervesa ! New Braunfels has at least twelve craft breweries that I know of .Flea markets , maker fairs and Gun shows abound .

 TEXANS drive like crazy But they's as friendly as songs in a robin . Plus where else are you gonna see Road Runners in your front yard ? Come down and See the U.S.S. Lexington and U.S.S.Texas and Stop in Fredrichsburg ,  to view the Museum of the Pacific War and Chester Nimitz's home town !

 Now Planes . You Likum , we Gottem .The Collings memorial flights all over the state and the Commemorative Air Museum in San Marcos  and other cities .

BarrettDuke

John, What you ask is hard to accommodate. And even if you move to a place, it doesn't mean the nearby hobby shops will stay open. It's a difficult time for them , as I'm sure you know. Two places I would encourage you to look at where the winters will be tolerable are the Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas area and then just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. Of the two, DFW is the place to be. This area has several really good hobby shops. It's probably the honey-hole of warm-climate hobby shops. But summers are HOT!

It has multiple Hobby Towns: http://htudallastx.com/ and they are pretty well stocked.

It has Wild Bill's Hobby Shop. I always stop in here when I'm in the area. The owner works there and knows his stuff. The website is awful. He told me he does not want to do business in such an impersonal way! I bought a WWII tank transport model there for a good price. https://m.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Bills-Hobby-Shop/104349452965544

It has MAL Hobby Shop, 108 Lee St, Irving, TX 75060, which doesn't even have a webpage! I got some really nice deals on older kits there once.

It's also the home of Squadron Hobbies, the  big Internet Hobby shop, https://www.squadron.com/. They have a scratch and dent plastic models section in their lobby. The boxes are just a little beaten up. They had some really nice deals when I was there a number of years ago. 1115 Crowley Dr, Carrollton, TX 75006

The other place is Rock Hill, North Carolina, just south of Charlotte. I once considered retiring to Charlotte. It's a great area. I really like the Hobby Shop south of there  called Hobby Stop. They've been there forever and seem to be pretty secure. They have a great plastic model section. I bought an AFV German cannon last time I was there. That should tell you they know their model manufacturers. http://hobbystop.com/

I hope this helps. Best wishes on your search.

Barrett

 

those are actually two of the places we've considered relocating to.  I know I'll never find the perfect temp/snow/rain/fire blah blah blah.  But I've spent 5 1/2 decades battling 8 months of winter every year.   used to downhill ski but that is gotten way too expencive,  and don't try to convince me to cross country ski like my cousin,   God gave us gravity for a reason!  :-)  It may be a few years but it'll take me that long to get the homestead ready.

John

Tanker - Builder

Hi;

 I have read and I reply . I think you would enjoy something further south than DFW . Why ? Well , it's true they have more including Squadron . Uh , That's more of the not so great stuff too , like traffic !

 But like many parts of TEXAS they also have higher cost of living because of gentrification . Austin is good , but again the city's vibe might not be your cup of soup . I personally settled on New Braunfels .

 True it has Schlitterbahn and Wurstfest , But it has a great Rail Museum ( Static ) dedicated to KATY ( Missouri , Kansas , Texas - R.R ) or MKT hence Katy .

 Gary's Hill Country Hobbies is only forty five minutes away and if he ain't got it , He'll get it . great consignment area and paints up the wazoo . Hobby - Town is just down the road in San Antonio proper and they are the same way . Hobby Lobby is here in town . 

 Weather , Well , that is a Big variable . Summer  or ( High Summer ) as we call it , has arrived early . This means afternoon temps hovering around the low hundreds .( Nope I won't lie to you ) Usually it runs in the high 90s and the winters ain't bad .

 Tha folks are friendly and the Boot and Hat stores and B.B.Q. ( Ribs etc.) are plentiful . So,s the Cervesa ! New Braunfels has at least twelve craft breweries that I know of .Flea markets , maker fairs and Gun shows abound .

 TEXANS drive like crazy But they's as friendly as songs in a robin . Plus where else are you gonna see Road Runners in your front yard ? Come down and See the U.S.S. Lexington and U.S.S.Texas and Stop in Fredrichsburg ,  to view the Museum of the Pacific War and Chester Nimitz's home town !

 Now Planes . You Likum , we Gottem .The Collings memorial flights all over the state and the Commemorative Air Museum in San Marcos  and other cities .

 

John

John,

While I'm in the DFW area for now because of my transplant, my home is in Boise. It gets cold (-0) and hot (105) there, low humidity though. I love the area but I grew up in Dallas and Austin, spent some years in Houston and Waco berore joining the Coast Guard. If I could EVER blast my wife from the Boise area, or if the daughters move, I'll try to talk here into moving to Texas. She is terrified by the thought of tornados even though I tell her that in all my 25 years living there, I have yet to see or be in anyway affected by one.

See grew up in LA and SF....ah earthquakes. You don't see them comming.

John,

A couple of the guys have mentioned Austin, TX as a good place. I agree. It's small enough not to be oppressive but big enough to have decent hospitals, which you're going to need as you get older. You really don't want to have to drive an hour or two to the specialists, which if you are fortunate enough to live that long, you're going to need. Austin also has a more tolerable climate than much of the rest of Texas and it has some Hobby Towns, but the real gem there is Kings Hobbies. It has the typical hole in the wall exterior of the older, established hobby shops, but it has great selection in scale models. I picked up a really good deal on a German SPG there a number of years ago. They had plenty of selections. http://www.kingshobbyshop.com/ Or if you want to join all the other retirees, there's always the Phoenix, AZ area. Here's a pic of the shelves of Andy's Hobby Headquarters in Glendale, https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/andys-hobby-headquarters-glendale?select=YU8hdvYA6YxatI9ptubbFQ and there are some other hobby shops in the area, too, BUT TALK ABOUT HOT IN THE SUMMER TIME, YIKES! Barrett

Orlando Florida.  Reasons:

Endless summer

hour or less to a beach on the atlantic

no state income tax

lower electric bills in winter since do not need to run heat

no winter clothes, no rusting cars, now shoveling snow.

Cost of living is same as midwest.

And most important, Orlando has two hobby shops that cater to modelers.  Also the IPMS chapter here puts on a 2 day model show every year that is the biggest in Florida.  There are also 3-5 other shows throughout florida during the year that are 2-4 hour drives.  The IPMS chapter has two build days at the two hobby stores each month and a monthly meeting to talk all things models.

Dont forget the Keys!  Fly to Mexico for $500 round trip in less then two hours.  Take a cruise for under $500 a person and drive to the port in 2 hours.  The summers are no hotter then summer in DC, NY or anywhere up north.  

Retirement capital of the country, medical care up the wazoo.

Kennedy Space center

More airbases to visit then I can think of

Several large aircraft and military museums

Nascar, Formula one, le mans and other racing

Everything water sports

BarrettDuke

but the real gem there is Kings Hobbies. It has the typical hole in the wall exterior of the older, established hobby shops,

I remember when Bob King had that shop in a shack across the street, Lamar Blvd, what is it now? Tx-275 loop? He and his wife were the only one's running it and were so very kind and patient with me when I was young. They are a BIG reason I stayed with the hobby. I don't know if either are still around but when I visited them about 15 years ago they both still remembered me form the mid 70's. I need to make a run to Austin just to go in there again.

route62

Orlando Florida.  Reasons:

Endless summer

hour or less to a beach on the atlantic

no state income tax

lower electric bills in winter since do not need to run heat

no winter clothes, no rusting cars, now shoveling snow.

Cost of living is same as midwest.

And most important, Orlando has two hobby shops that cater to modelers.  Also the IPMS chapter here puts on a 2 day model show every year that is the biggest in Florida.  There are also 3-5 other shows throughout florida during the year that are 2-4 hour drives.  The IPMS chapter has two build days at the two hobby stores each month and a monthly meeting to talk all things models.

Dont forget the Keys!  Fly to Mexico for $500 round trip in less then two hours.  Take a cruise for under $500 a person and drive to the port in 2 hours.  The summers are no hotter then summer in DC, NY or anywhere up north.  

Retirement capital of the country, medical care up the wazoo.

Kennedy Space center

More airbases to visit then I can think of

Several large aircraft and military museums

Nascar, Formula one, le mans and other racing

Everything water sports

 

You forget multiple hurricanes during hurricane season. Florida just got a hurricane not too long ago.....

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

 

 

route62

Orlando Florida.  Reasons:

Endless summer

hour or less to a beach on the atlantic

no state income tax

lower electric bills in winter since do not need to run heat

no winter clothes, no rusting cars, now shoveling snow.

Cost of living is same as midwest.

And most important, Orlando has two hobby shops that cater to modelers.  Also the IPMS chapter here puts on a 2 day model show every year that is the biggest in Florida.  There are also 3-5 other shows throughout florida during the year that are 2-4 hour drives.  The IPMS chapter has two build days at the two hobby stores each month and a monthly meeting to talk all things models.

Dont forget the Keys!  Fly to Mexico for $500 round trip in less then two hours.  Take a cruise for under $500 a person and drive to the port in 2 hours.  The summers are no hotter then summer in DC, NY or anywhere up north.  

Retirement capital of the country, medical care up the wazoo.

Kennedy Space center

More airbases to visit then I can think of

Several large aircraft and military museums

Nascar, Formula one, le mans and other racing

Everything water sports

 

 

 

 

 

You forget multiple hurricanes during hurricane season. Florida just got a hurricane not too long ago.....

 

 

Yup getting tired of getting snowed in or car stuck 200 feet from the house in 18" of snow,  Blah!!!  If I want snow I want to go somewhere to see it not have it delivered!  Lol  Even Denver, at least it doesn't stay long.

John

Denver was one of the other places I considered recommending. I lived there 15 years. You're right that the snow doesn't stay on the ground, and you get 4 real seasons there. We liked it there. Not only that, but I believe Denver has the most complete hobby shop in the country. Colpar's Hobby Town is an amazing place. 1915 S. Havana St. Aurora. They only recently joined the Hobby Town brand. I think some people may overlook them as a serious scale modeling store because of the Hobby Town corporate image, but they're wrong. It was in business long before it become a Hobby Town. I think they'll be around a long time, too. The place has everything! I can lose hours in there looking at shelf after shelf of scale WWII models. If you don't mind some snow, and you have a decent income to retire on, Denver is a very nice choice for someone who wants access to a first-rate brick and mortar hobby shop.

After leaving the Air Force and coming here from Okinawa (by the suggestion of my wife, A.K.A. C,I,N,C,H.O.U.S.E.) overall it hase been pretty good here.  You will find the weather can be a problem no matter whereyou go.  I had to do time in N. Maine, S. Dakota, and the worst of all N. Dakota.  So we get the occasional hurricane, no sweat.  We had several since we got here.  There.s nothing you can do to stop them, just make sure you have food and water available and maybe a generator around, just in case.  If one hits, it's a good excuse to build, just keep an eye on the weather and news.

Each season the so-called experts scream about the larger than before amount of named storms and dangerous hurricanes that are due to show up.  They haven'tbeen right yet.

Orlando's not a bad area, even with teh major work they are doing on I-4 and as far as the temp's go, give me the heat rather than the ice and snow.  I'm not leaving.

Look for us at teh Orlando club meetings or the Modelpalooza contest this year.

Hurricanes are hyped up on the news.  If you live on the coast, yes it can be an issue.  Orlando is in the middle of the state.  Most hurricanes drop 1-3 levels by the time they come to the middle.  Orlando is also over 100 feet above sea level.  I have lived here for 14 years now.  Have lived through 6 hurricanes and only thing I have had to do is replace about 20 shingles and that was only on the last hurricane. 

The biggest issues with hurricanes is if you have large trees right next to your house or if you live in a house that was built during the height of the real estate boom, they built them cheap and they did not meet wind code.  Buy a house built before 2000 or after 2009 and you are fine. Make sure it does not have big trees too close or get them cut down.

Nasa setup Kennedy where it did largely due to the fact that hurricane activity is low in central florida from Tampa thru Orlando to Cocoa beach.  Most hurricanes turn right up the state and head to the carolinas.  They have more hurricane activity then we do. More hurricanes hit LA, MS, TX and AL then they do FL.  The news is mostly hype to what reality is.

It doesn't look like there will be many hurricanes this year. The corridor where they intensify is colder than usual. The tornado amount is also the lowest in years across the US.

I used to drive to Florida when I drove a Semi. The summer gets extremely humid, like all the Gulf coast. I had a very hard time keeping the cab at a tolerable temperature level. I do like Florida though.

I live here, I ain't leaving.

Overall, it's a good place to be living.  There could be things that might pop up from time to time, but that could happen anywhere.  If you decide to move to orlando, the club could always use new members and neighbors.