The city of Lawrence is located near the northeastern corner of the state of Kansas. It is the home to the University of Kansas. The city was founded by an abolitionist from Massachusetts named Andrew Lawrence. Lawrence has 54 community and neighborhood parks including trails, cemeteries and nature preserves...

Ridge is a town in Suffolk County, Long Island of about 13,000 people. It is north of I 495 and near Manorville and Medford.  Because it is some distance from NYC it is becoming home to many active adult communities, including some large ones (see Active Adult Communities link at top left). The Zillow Home Value Index was $324,757, in…...

Methuen is a small city and suburb that is northwest of Boston.  This is an old town (population 44,000) with a  history dating back to 1642.  It has many strong institutions, such as the stately Nevins Memorial Library pictured above (photo courtesy of Wikipedia and EraserGirl).   The town lies along the north banks of the Merrimack River. There are several…...

One of the nation’s top tourist and retirement communities is Santa Barbara, California. Located about 85 miles north of Los Angeles, this charming mission city on the Pacific, has done a superb job of preserving its heritage and creating a livable, modern city. The graceful adobe architecture of the Spanish Mission style is everywhere - from the historic Mission Santa…...