Comments on: The boom in boomers’ parents moving to Northfield

By: Bright Spencer

Bright Spencer — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 22:19:33 +0000

We just found out that my own grandmother Mae Dearcup was born in St. Paul! If anyone knows of her, please speak to me!

See that’s why you must be nice to everyone you see-
They might be related to someone from ol’ Minnesoti!

By: Clay Oglesbee

Clay Oglesbee — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 20:05:28 +0000

Is Griff showing a subtle bias toward Northfield welcoming only boomers who have living parents willing to relocate here? Is this merely the first step in some suspiciously systematic “pro-family” move to screen residential applicants? I personally wouldn’t put it past him…

By: Mary Rossing

Mary Rossing — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:25:15 +0000

Additional amenities unique to Northfield for the older crowd include the Northfield Senior Center with fitness facilities, pool, and new sauna, and the Elder Collegium where you can exercise your brain. Plus there are tons of free concerts, lectures and recitals on both campuses all the time. Perhaps I’ll consider retiring here too!

By: Griff Wigley

Griff Wigley — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:03:45 +0000

Thanks, Mary. Nice to see your My Northern Garden blog humming along!

FYI, in yesterday's NY Times: For the Very Old, a Dose of ‘Slow Medicine’. It's a review of the book My Mother, Your Mother: Embracing "Slow Medicine," the Compassionate Approach to Caring for Your Aging Loved Ones, by Dennis McCullough.

For elderly patients, some doctors are now rejecting the assembly line of modern medical care for older, gentler options.

By: Mary Schier

Mary Schier — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:52:48 +0000

Griff: As usual, you are on top of the trends in town. We live down by the soccer fields and among my dog friends (that is, folks you meet while walking the dog) are several older people who moved to Northfield because their “kids” are here. The kids are usually in their 30s to 50s. My folks and I looked at some townhomes near us a couple of years ago–just for fun. But they were tempted. Northfield has a lot for older people: a nice golf course, a great library, lots of events to go to, walking areas, a good, not-too-huge hospital, lots of doctors, including many specialists, plenty of housing options, and enough shopping to satisfy most people. In addition, Northfield’s housing prices–especially for townhomes–while hardly cheap are better than most larger cities, including the Twin Cities.