Best neighborhoods to retire

If life after work means more than a beach chair, the best place to retire might be the big city. We looked at 30 of the nation's largest metro areas and found the right neighborhoods for you.

Washington D.C.
Best place to retire: Penn Quarter
Pros: Two Metro stops served by three lines; steps from the National Mall
Cons: A large grocery store is a long walk or Metro ride
Real estate: One-bedrooms start at $350,000. A one-bedroom rental will cost $1,900 to $2,800 a month.
You don't need to be a policy wonk or a power broker to love living inside the Beltway. Washington, D.C. is a great place to retire - a rich mix of culture, walkability and charm. Not to mention air-conditioned and elevator-equipped subway stations.

Consider the Penn Quarter, a reclaimed and newly named neighborhood just south of Chinatown within walking distance of the Smithsonian museums. You'll find new condo and rental buildings, along with restaurants, art galleries, the recently renovated National Portrait Gallery, at least seven theaters, the International Spy Museum and the soon-to-open Newseum.

"I like to be in the heart of things and have quick access to the museums," says Barbara Walker, who bought a condo in the area with her husband four years ago when many of the newer buildings were still going up.

Walker, 66, does volunteer work at the nearby Smithsonians and occasionally ushers at the Shakespeare. "Everything I want to do," she says, "I just go out my door and walk or take the Metro. I got rid of my car." Crime, a fact of life in D.C., is low in the area.

See complete data and interactive map for Washington

Public transportation maps: Bus | Subway/Rail

Hudson Heights

Tudor City

South Loop

Streeterville

Marine District

Liberty Station

Penn Quarter

Woodley Park

Pearl District

Goose Hollow

South Park

Museum District

Copper Square

Washington Square

Downtown

Arts District

SoFA

Downtown

Riverside
Avondale

Mass Ave

Downtown
SoMa

Short North

Warehouse District

South Main

Cultural District

Mt. Vernon

Uptown

Back Bay

Belltown

East Town

LoDo

East Market District

East Las Vegas

Midtown Nashville

Midtown Atlanta
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Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.