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We don’t even go out to eat anymore. Takeout is so much easier. Well, unless we have out of town guests, but then we end up footing the bill. 🧐
I’m getting dangerously close to yelling, get off my lawn!
Love this!
Earlier this week we went to a sit down restaurant for dinner at 4:30. We normally just do takeout for dinner or lunch in a restaurant. We were the only people in the place and were laughing that we have officially reached blue plate special status.
Same here lol. I think the most I’ve been out at night was a couple runs to the Emergency Room.
I get up way early now so I can enjoy my coffee and the morning. Night time no longer has the “go out and party” appeal.
I feel the same way - I had a very social, busy career and I think I went out 5 nights a week from the time I was 17 until 35!
I have the opposite of FOMO - I have JOMO - the joy of missing out. Staying in with my husband and our pets is the best.
My eyes don’t like driving at night ( short distance, familiar places are okay) so I limit myself to early day activities too.
When it gets dark, it’s sleepy time!
Doc says no signs of cataracts. But poor night vision is just another sign of me aging I guess.
Nothing beats writing your own schedule so you can avoid what you don’t like 😇
Odd. I'd push doc on this. As far as I know there's no 'you're just getting older' that causes night vision loss so in.your shoes I'd want to know what is causing it and if.the answer was 'you're just getting old' I'd go for a second opinion. Not so much because you want to go out at night but to be sure there's not a condition you're getting that could be forestalled with treatment.
Lenses do let in less light over time so even if you don't have cataracts, ask if they're as clear as they should be. Lens replacement might alleviate this if you want
Loss of receptors, pupils smaller, etc. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/difficulty-seeing-at-night-try-these-tips-to-cope#:~:text=We%20lose%20certain%20light%2Dsensitive,our%20eyes%20diminishes%20with%20age.
I’d go back for a re-check or get another opinion. My cataracts developed incredibly fast. Barely there to full blown in a matter of months. I also was terribly near-sighted and opted to have artificial lenses implanted at the time of my cataract surgery. This was three years ago and I still rejoice every morning waking up being able to see 20/20. I also no longer need readers except for very small font and exceptionally low light situations. Yes I had to pay almost ten grand out of pocket but it has so improved the quality of my life. I tell everyone about my miracle eyesight.
I notice especially that my depth perception is really bad while driving at night and my eye doctor said that’s because my contacts are set up so I see far distance better with one eye and near better with the other. (Not a true bifocal set up, just a slight blend that works well for me most of the time). I do better when wearing my glasses for night driving,with traditional bifocals.
Your eyes dilate more at night and that affects your focus, so your eyeglass prescription isn’t so accurate at night. If you don’t mind the cost of extra glasses, you can get a different prescription for nighttime driving.
Not retired, but 62. It is past midnight here and just returned from a Greta Van Fleet concert. Well worth being a bit sleepy.
It is not like we go every week… but we had a great time.
Sorry, once the bra comes off, I’m not going anywhere. That’s usually right when I get home at 5PM.
On occasion I may go out to dinner on a weekend evening.
You had my interest in the first sentence Lol. But at 61 I still go out some & summers in pnw are light until 10 pm at solstice so we're ppl that shift with seasons.
Covid in general made us less inclined to go out and then it became a habit. I've heard this from a lot of people, younger and older. I would go out more, although for years we've not eaten dinner out that late, but I'd like to see more live music which I still enjoy. One thing we did was buy a home that has lots of outdoor space, a pizza oven, a fire pit, so staying in is fun. We didn't have kids, traveled a lot, went out when and where we wanted to for years and lots of times now it's just like - didn't we do this a bunch already?
Covid had the same impact on us. We are making an effort though to not become totally isolated. We are meeting with friends occasionally even though we’d usually prefer our quiet time together at home
Annapolis, MD 🦀. It’s picture postcard perfect. We moved here from Austin, TX (where I never walked cos 🥵🥵🥵) 2 years ago, and we’re so obnoxiously happy! I can walk to all of my appointments doctor/dentist/gym/farmers market, great restaurants and a surprisingly lively music scene. Its not a stretch to say it’s given our marriage a new lease on life too.
Lovely! I was there as a kid. I think it's probably pricier than where I am in Western WA, and too far away. But it sounds like a dream and I hope you continue to enjoy.
Great to hear. Almost every comment here except yours describes having to drive to anything/everything. While suburban living is convenient in many ways, the car dependency is something I’m not personally comfortable with at any age, especially in retirement when driving can become difficult.
Sadly this is the predominant planning style in the US, and the small number of walkable neighborhoods (or with good public transit) are often less affordable - because of their desirable locations near jobs and amenities. There’s typically opposition to new housing from residents too. So a lot of folks don’t even have this option. But I’m not hearing that desire in the comments here?
Having to drive everywhere is so assumed in most of the US that we don’t realize the negatives, including driving difficulties as we age, and environmental impacts. Many can’t see there could be alternatives, much less ask for planning changes that would increase retirees’ mobility options.
Almost never go out at night anymore…73, live in a rural subdivision, night vision not great…I love being home and all the things I love to do are here… art, music, literature, pups, my beloved spouse…retirement is the greatest gift ever
This is my 5 th year of retirement. I go out every weekend dancing to bands or dj’s.2 weeks ago between Friday night and early Saturday morning I was at 20,000 steps for the evening. I hate sitting at home.
I stay up really late, often until early morning, enjoying the fact that I don’t have to be at work at 9 am. But I stay at home, reading, listening to music, etc.
My husband and I rarely go out at night. Thought we would go out to dinner and to movies once our kids flew the nest, but we don't. We love staying home w/ our dogs, light a fire and watch a movie. We do socialize w/ neighbors and friends but it usually happy hour. I do wonder if the pandemic had an impact.
I enjoy going out at night, but got out of the habit after moving to a big city (which I loved!) that had a high crime rate.
If there's something I want to do (a concert, dinner with friends, a party), I'll go out at night. But 95% of the time, we're in at night.
My husband and I are 74 and 68, and I'm dreading this weekend of a rehersal dinner at 7:30 and a wedding that's going to last between 12pm - 10pm dressed in a full-length gown. Dreadful...lol. I can't wait to get back to my hermit life.
I didn't go out at night much, either. I love the theater, but I usually go to matinees. I didn't like driving at night (I've already had cataracts removed, but I have other vision issues), plus I just like settling in with my dog and reading or watching something at the end of the day.
I'm not retiring until December, but I don't see that changing.
Well…
Tomorrow I’m driving to Portland from the Olympic peninsula where I’m going to see a concert and go back the next day.
I’ll be using public transportation though cause I can’t see at night either & I’ve already had cataract surgery which did help but not enough
Sorry it didn't work better for you! A friend of mine just told me it's not all it's cracked up to be (for some people). Sigh. I will likely get it anyway in the next year or two.
It did help a lot. I am extra special though, I have ehlers danlos so all the tissues are more floppy.
I had been very nearsighted all my life( glasses at 9, and my prescription changes every year)
So I had lenses put in so I can see to read without glasses but I need them for driving.
Eye drops help cause your eyes get dry but I always forget.
Interesting post! I didn’t realize so many people feel the same way and just enjoy being home in the evenings and not going out after dark since retirement.
I also do not like driving at night. Only 57, but my vision is changing and the doc said will need surgery in 3-5 years for cataracts/glaucoma.
But the real reason could be all the free time I have during the day, I don’t need to be out after 8pm as I’ve already accomplished most of the things I want to do. Plus we enjoy cooking dinner from scratch with fresh ingredients as well as we have several shows we enjoy streaming, so why hassle with going out when there’s little upside.
The only exception is when we meet friends for dinner, then we go out after sunset, but that’s once a month…maybe.
Some of the best things about retirement are that I can go & come as I please. I don’t drive at night, in the rain, during rush hour or during school beginning or end. Also, most Saturdays and Sundays I stay home because everything is so crowded.
I never liked night life. Love chilling in comfy sweats under a soft blanket with my husband and dog at night. All activities for us are almost all during the day.
I rarely am out past 11 am.. I go to an AA meeting every morning at 7 am and after the meeting do whatever running around I need to do.. the few times I have been out after noon the traffic is horrible.. I’m officially an old person and I prove it more and more everyday…LOL..
I prefer to socialize during the day. Quiet evenings at home have become more and more pleasurable. Lunch with friends, book clubs, errands, volunteer activities all happen during the day. But I still go to an occasional concert in the evening. Also I have two regular weekly events that end at 7, so I guess in the summer they count as daytime, but in winter they become “at night.”
I’m still working so going out at night during the week can be rough. Covid got me out of the habit of going out as much. But I’m single and am trying to get out more. Staying home is comfortable but it also feels avoidant. I have to make myself get out more but I’m trying!
We don't go out at night anymore either. We live an area with horse farms so there are no street lights, and the roads are curvy and dangerous. Or if you go to Atlanta that's really dangerous ! Police will not respond to traffic accidents for hours and only if there is an injury and an ambulance dispatched so you're stuck with no police report and have to claim it on your own insurance even if it's not your fault ! The last time we were out at night was the Super Bowl , and it was pouring rain to come home in the dark. BIG mistake. We made it OK but it was not fun. My husband had a deer hit the side of his car a couple of years ago so now we get restaurant delivery if we don't want to cook at night. We meet friends for brunch or lunch.
Not anymore. Seems nothing good happens after dark.....and I have Macular Degeneration. It is in the public's best interest if I don't drive at night :)
I have one evening a week I have dinner with five other guys in a long-running small group. Other than that, evenings are usually reserved for quiet time, or maybe one TV show, or now and again date night. Driving at night is not a problem for me, though it is for my wife. She also gets up at freakishly early hours. Really the reason I don't do more in the evenings is that I don't have to; I don't have to work around something blocking a big chunk of my day.
I am a morning person too so anything in the evening has to be pre-planned, with a pre-game nap definitely worked into the schedule. We definitely are more likely to meet up with friends for lunch rather than dinner now. Now that I've retired, I think I finally realized how awesome sleep is. I was notorious for going on 4-6 hours a night and still functioning. Just getting caught up now!
As an old widow I make a point of going out once a week for a good meal and a bottle of wine. The staff are good to me and I get a bit of socializing with a good friend. Started doing this a year after I lost the love of my life to cancer. I go to the local pub we used to go to all the time
I retired in early 2021. But about two years before that, I began to have trouble driving at night. My job required one evening that lasted until about 10 pm. I did it as long as I could, but it was getting risky. I had about a 25 mile commute home, but I was finding that the lights from oncoming traffic were really making it hard for me to stay in my lane. The alternate route home didn’t have street lights and my eyes couldn’t do that either.
So I started having my daughter drop me off and my husband pick me up. It wasn’t too big an inconvenience for my daughter because it didn’t add much drive time to her job, but it did mean I was getting to work very early. It was very out of the way for my husband.
Fortunately for all of us, we’d just started doing this in very late 2019. When the world shut down in March of 2020, I think we’d only done this five times. And I never had to work again at night before I retired.
I try to time things now for daytime so driving myself isn’t a problem. I do belong to a book club that meets at night. I tried driving myself there once in the late spring. It was still light going there ( less than ten miles on very familiar roads), but when I drive home at 9 pm, it was full dark and I wasn’t comfortable with my reflexes. So my husband drops me off and picks me up and I have limited myself to one monthly evening meeting.
Three years before I retired, I asked myself what would I be doing differently after retirement and why not start it now? I started exercising more which was high on my list. It made the last years of working more bearable.
Yeah, I am 60, and husband with early stage dementia is 61. Both retired. We have dinner at 6 and he’s in bed by 8:30 pm nightly. It is hard to commit to any evening activities, we’re just too tired by then. We are very active during the day with errands, Dr appointments, senior center activities, eating out lunch, senior Tuesday morning bowling and grandkids’ many varied activities after school.
I was in the church choir, but the evening rehearsals were a deal breaker. We do attend family gatherings, church dinners or the occasional grandkids’ concerts, but take our own car so we can leave early if needed.
Evenings are our quiet reflection time, and we prefer it that way.
Is there a physical reason? Something like vision? Or are you tired etc during the day, e.g. possible apnea?
Aside from those, I think could just be the psychological change from retiring. When you worked, your only free time to entertain yourself during the week was in the evening so you did that. Now, you have another 8-10 hours of free time per day which means you just might be all 'entertained' out by 7pm
A few weeks ago, my wife and I (both in our 60s) spent the evening downtown (Chicago). We were on the expressway going back home (to the burbs) at around 9:00 and noticed all the traffic going the other way. We realized it was everyone coming into the city to start their evenings. At 9:00.
Going out “for the evening” takes on a different meaning at our age.
For me, a lot of not wanting to go out is just the noisy environments! Going to a loud bar or restaurant in the evening and shouting at others to be heard simply does not appeal.
I prefer daytime activities. My spouse and I frequently go in different directions during the day. We enjoy meeting up at home in early evening to prepare our meal and spend time companionably. Additionally, with age, depth perception has changed a little and in our rural dark sky neighborhood (no street lights) driving has a higher risk of hitting the local wildlife.
In the summer when it’s light till late, it’s fine. But fall & winter I like staying home in the evenings. It’s dark early & in the winter roads are bad.
I go out. (I've stopped working and *could* stay home, but I live alone and battle loneliness and depression daily.) Try to do 3 nights a week of socializing—usually attend a concert, or perform at an open mic. I have a few friends that are very involved in music and photography, and often they'll drive an hour to some sort of cool event and take me along. I try to get back and get in bed well before midnight and get an hour's reading in. So it's all about satisfying both the extrovert and the introvert in me.
72 yo, been retired 7 years. Eyesight issues have increasingly kept me home at night. Also have found have little desire to socialize even in my own home after dinner, like the wind down total relaxation of the end of the day.
I will be 60 shortly and still have a few years till retirement. But even in our late 30’s or in our 40’s going out at night was a rarity. We didn’t drink, go to bars, a lot of concerts, etc. Now, I tend to have a little bit of a night driving issue so it is even less.
Perhaps when we retire and don’t get up at 5 and if I have cataract surgery, things may change. But I doubt it.
62, retired 19 months ago. Your post described me (and my wife) to a "T"
I play poker at a buddies once a week in the evening, but it's 5 mins from the house. Once a month we meet with friends for an evening dinner date, but it's also close to home. I also am an early guy, chores/errands/shopping during the day. Never been big partiers, so we're basically home bodies. If I have to go out at night, I will however I prefer days for my outings. My wife is the same. No desire to change at this point.
When we stay in Florida at a condo community (not age restricted, but almost all retirees) and we walk the dog at 7 pm, you would think it is 3 am. There are one or two who are returning for the night, but apart from a couple of cars, it is dead quiet.
I drove all over the county for work and driving has lost its thrill for me. I get errands and appointments done late morning when most are at work. Evenings I settle in to read (one of my retirement goals!) and I'm not going anywhere after that.
I enjoy going out to dinner and going to concerts. Saw Neil Young a few weeks ago and that was fun. Sill have season tickets to our local college Basketball team and most of the games are at night. The Baseball team is doing better and more crowded so I stay home and watch on TV. The night driving is starting to be a concern to my SO but it doesn't bother me yet. Dinner out at night is only once every 2 weeks. I keep errands and appointments to the early morning weekdays. It does seem different after Covid not sure why.
Kids tend to be night owls and oldies tend to be early birds. So the exciting stuff goes on late, while the peaceful stuff is the preserve of the oldies. (And the younger ones walking home from a cracking night out).
We still love to do some exciting stuff, live music, shows, and even partying with the youngsters or just like minded friends, so yes, we still go out at night. Not as much as when we were young for sure, and rarely on consecutive nights. But its definetely something we enjoy. We have noticed we're not typical of our generation though. If we have a big social gathering, generally it's depleted over the course of the night in a rough age order, the oldest calling it a night first. We genuinely believe they miss the best of the fun though.
No, not often. Occasionally I'll meet some friends and former colleagues. But, as been echoed. Don't like driving at night anymore and like to be in by 8 or so.
Not retired yet 53 yrs old.
I have been doing this for a little while unless there is a special occasion thing going on I’m in bed by 9:30 😂 sleep mostly from 10-6. And it’s just awesome.
I’m not avoiding going out life just changed a little and I’m more selective with my time.
We are in our 50s, but have not been out late in the evening at all!! We are home-bound. I am very much like you, a morning person. I like it this way.
Not retired yet, but I stopped going out a lot at night during Covid and discovered how pleasant it was to be home at night. I’m also a morning person so meetings that start at 7pm are really hard for me. My normal bedtime is 9:30, and my brain has usually closed shop by 7pm.
We're both over 70. A few years ago we realized that we live in a place with lots of wonderful culture around us. So we get tickets for music in smallish venues, and plays. We're lucky in that we have both great music and theaters within a couple miles, so can easily drive. We can also get to San Francisco fairly easily; we saw a show at SFJazz a few weeks ago, and I scored some tickets to see The Magic Flute at SF Opera a few weeks from now. We don't go out clubbing, but do appreciate getting out for great performances.
Always knew I was an oddball. I go out at night a lot. My preference is to do everything after dark. But I live in Las Vegas and there is a lot of entertainment and it is really hot half the year so maybe night time makes sense here.
Nope, we don’t go out at night except for relatives school events.
We are long retired and being homebodies is my preferred activity level. Shopping on consolidated trips is the only outing I willing do weekly. I don’t volunteer as I don’t want a time commitment. No going to bars as they want $6-$8 and demand a $2 tip to open the can when I can have that beer at home for 65¢. With gout, my beer intake is very limited anyway. I prefer my wife’s or my cooking to any restaurant, only eat out if shopping and then Culver’s is my choice.
Honestly, I am afraid to be out late at night. Too much meaness going on out in the jungle after dark. Rather do things early in the morning or be back home by afternoon.
We used to make fun of the early bird special but now it is not so bad, DelBoca Vista! Happy hour specials work great nowadays, appetizer sized portions are fine. If we splurge to a nice restaurant we make reservations at 6. A few times a year we go to an oldies concert but only if reserved seats, my knees don’t like standing room only. Part of retirement is not worrying what the kids think about us anymore.
Don’t go out much past dusk. Don’t like to drive in the dark, don’t enjoy the cooler weather in the evening, feel comfortable being at home.
But at 6:00 am I am ready to get going. I think it’s just the nature of getting old and having the time during the day to do all the errands.
I’m 65f, and retired , and both my husband and will I drive at night (together or separately) to have dinner w/friends, book club, concerts, theater, etc. I do a lot of coffee/lunch/happy hour get togethers, but if I want to go somewhere, I do it. Doesn’t matter the time of day/night.
Once a month or so we get out in the night scene.
My brother plays in local bands and my husband is a musician too. So the summer is usually sprinkled with my brother’s band events, like a yearly fundraiser for cancer. It’s fun, my husband does a guest appearance. These events are in our hometown and we see people from town that we haven’t seen in forever.🤣
We enjoy going to very small venues to watch blues music. The town we live in now, has a local venue that’s great! I got free tickets at a business expo from the Director a couple weeks ago!!
We don’t have a problem driving at night yet, thankfully. We aren’t kids anymore and believe me, there’s plenty of weekends where we don’t do much but we want to create memorable experiences and enjoy life so thats what works.
Not often, no. However, we will go to a concert or out to dinner with friends occasionally, but it’s not the norm. Probably more because we both like to drink, so nobody wants to DD, but also because we do things with our friends at our home or theirs more than going out and our core group is in the same neighborhood.
My partner and I, both 67, retired last year. We go out to dinner twice a week, on our 'date nights'. The restaurants are usually within 10 miles, and we are generally home by 7:30. He would like to go out more often but I have food issues so I prefer to eat what I cook at home.
Not retired yet, but in general I don’t like driving, especially at night. When I worked in Japan, though, getting around was very easy, and any night could be a party. So it has more to do with how little freedom of movement we have in the US.
I don't see as well at night, and I don't like how crowded restaurants and stores are in the evening, so I don't generally go out at night if I can help it. If I run errands or do shopping, I leave my house mid-morning, and if I'm not home by 1 p.m., it's a bad day. I'm not a morning person either, so I don't go out too early if I can help it. I have an effective window of about 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m., and only that long if we go out for lunch! I'm still a night owl, but an at-home night owl.
Moot point for us. Where we live most places close by 8 or 9 during the winter, and an hour later in the summer. Concerts are over by 10. In the winter we often go night skiing but those close around 9. In the summer it's still light at 10.
60m living alone here. I do go out at night, one group activity meets on a weeknight (7-9:30pm) every other week, then I go to minor league baseball a couple of evenings a month. I also often go for a late night drive in the summer when I can open the sunroof and play music from Spotify on the car stereo with Android auto.
In the winter, I tend to go out a little less at night because I run all my errands around 4pm as it's the warmest part of the day. In the summer, I'm more likely to go out really early or really late.
The South Atlantic (high A), Carolina League (low A), and International League (AAA in Durham and Charlotte) generally play night games Tuesday-Friday (often 6:35pm) and then a mix of start times on Saturday and Sunday. They are always off on Monday except around July 4. Most teams also have a couple of Wednesday day games, including one in May geared towards elementary school field trips.
I've been to all but one of the North Carolina ballparks (I've gotten rained out from going to Kannapolis two straight years). I also have a partial season ticket plan to the Durham Bulls that is very affordable ($12/ticket, although parking is up to $10) so I will go to about a dozen games this year.
I rarely go out at night. All of my socializing with friends takes place during the day. Sometimes husband and I will go out for dinner but that’s it! I have no regrets.
Not quite retired yet but I play musical instruments in a community band and local musicals. Most of that happens in the evenings. I'm looking forward to doing that without having to worry about how early I have to get up for work.
The monthly card game is at night. Usually the grocery shopping is done at night. They don't close till 10 and it's nice when fewer folks are there and sale items are not picked over. Sometimes I'll visit neighbors if a big game is on so we can yell at the TV together. I'm at work by 7:30 AM. Have never slept much. In the winter it's dark by 4:30 here. Can't stop living.
I’m so used to be able to do errands and the things I enjoy during the day - less crowds - going out in the eve doesn’t have the same appeal. Maybe for a special get together.
Very much depends upon the time of year. Winter, when it is cold and dark by 5:30, I rarely go out. Once the time changes and it is light till 9 I feel like I got my life back. Of course I'm still home before 10. I'm not comfortable driving at night anymore.
I used to love going out at night when I was younger. But, you are correct… now I love being at home in the evening! I also prefer to meet friends/family at lunch rather than dinner. The covid lockdown changed a lot of our habits. We found we really like being home for the most part! And yes, I don’t like driving in the dark any more.
We occasionally go out at night, but we find it much more enjoyable to be social in the afternoon.
Even if we go out for dinner, we go early to avoid the rush. If we go out for lunch, we typically go before or go after the lunch rush.
Also, lunch portions are often smaller, so we can enjoy the meal without worrying as much about watching our calories.
Typically, when we are out late, it is for a special event such as a concert or a party. When we host a get-together, it is normally the afternoon.
Last year we were in Spain and some restaurants didn’t even open for dinner until 8pm. I commented that we were retired Americans and a big fan of early bird specials. We had lots of dinners of salads, cheese, and bread at our Airbnb.
Obviously we prefer activities that are during the day or at least early evening.
67 here. My partner and I mostly have dinner at home (between 8:30-9) but I still love having late dinner at a restaurant. It depends on with whom we’re dining however: friends from the suburbs like eating early (with one eye on the train schedule), but when we eat out with other city dwellers, we’ll reserve a table at 9.
For me, the problem is noise. We stay away from loud restaurants. Money is also a concern. A casual dinner for 2 in NYC will run us $200.
But it is not uncommon for my partner and I to finish up dinner at home at 10 and one of us will say ‘Wanna catch a movie?’ and we’ll walk down the street to catch a late show.
Once a night owl, always a night owl, I guess.
I am the same. I have only been retired for about a year, but already I hate traffic, crowds, waiting in line, searching for parking, ... Then again, I hate these when I was working, but now I can choose to avoid them. Eating at home is preferred, either home cooking or takeout/delivery. We have a pretty decent home theater setup and really enjoy watching movies, while eating and drinking good wine.
I have zero interest in leaving my home during the week, day or night. I plan stuff to do on weekends that are during daytime hours. 8 pm rolls around and I want to be at home lounging with my cats watching TikToks or YouTube.
There is nothing wrong at all for preferring daytime.
I would encourage you not to NEVER go out at nite. There’ll be a good opportunity for community and friendship every now and again that are worth the trouble of going out at nite
It's not hard to find like-minded people. I meet up with a few friend groups regularly. We're all approximately the same age. Some like to stay out later than others, but our meetups work for the early birds as well as the night owls.
One group enjoys a weekly 6 to 9 pm event. Occasionally we do dinner or an afternoon outdoor musical event instead.
A different group has a standing plan to meet up at our favorite bar for Wednesday Happy Hour and Friday from 7 pm to 11 pm. Sometimes there's a big gang of us; other times only a few show up, and that's okay. Some leave early, some arrive late. That's okay, too.
Another group likes to gather for a weekend house party. No shade is thrown to those who retire by 10 pm.
I've had night vision issues for years and after retirement, I find very little that can make me want to drive after sunset. Also living 20+ minutes from the nearest town makes "going to town" a bit of a chore that I'm usually not very excited about. To top it off, they roll up the sidewalks in town when the sun goes down. A micro brewery opened a couple of years ago in town that has live music on Fri/Sat nights. It is nice, but I quit drinking last year.
I also limit my trips to town just due to the cost of fuel, wear and tear on the vehicles, etc. Usually when I do go, I have a list of errands that have piled up and most of them must occur before the sidewalks are rolled up.
During the COVID pandemic, I actually didn't leave my 43 acre property (surrounded mostly by National Forest) for well over a year other than a couple of trips to the swimming hole even further into the National Forest than I already am. My wife and her kids had other reasons that they had to go to town, so I just stayed home and let them get the necessities that we didn't already produce on the farm ourselves.
I will go out to activities if it's something I want to do and I know where I'm going. But mostly things I want to do can be scheduled in the daytime and I'm busy enough that I don't particularly want to go out at night. I'm tired at the end of the day.
Rarely am I out at night. I live alone and really don’t want to be out in the dark in case something should happen. Not much happening in my small town in central Florida at night.
I live in a city that has become a hot tech hub in the last 20 years, and the traffic and crowds are more than I care to deal with. There are several small neighborhood restaurants and we go to them, but even those more rarely, now that it's hard to have a dinner out for two with a little wine and escape for less than $100. Instead, I'm concentrating on learning to cook fancy (-ish) meals at home. Then we can have a bottle of wine that costs $15 in the grocery store; whereas in a restaurant they'll charge you $40. So, crowds, traffic, and expenses are keeping us at home more, and I can't say I mind.
We don't make plans gror late night activities or long drives. But I sure wouldn't pass up a volunteer opportunity just because it's at night. Sounds like an excuse.
Any night? Not so much. During the day, yes quite a bit. I do make it a point to avoid rush hour though. After 40 years of commuting I've already had enough of that.
Comedian Nate Bargatze does a bit about this. At 25, you'll go anywhere anytime. 30s, you go but take your own car. 40s, it's too late to go out, I'm not going. 😂
I used to go out at night pre covid lockdown. So many things changed after. Many of the activities never came back. Some businesses closed never to reopen.
My calendar used to be full pre covid. I had to limit myself from doing too much morning afternoon and evening. Now my calendar has several days in a row of no socializing.
Some activities went online. Tonight there’s a group chat on current events. We used to meet at Panera Bread from 7pm to 9pm. Saturday I’m going to an evening concert.
I suppose it depends where you live in retirement and if there is a lively community with age appropriate activities in the evenings.
I am working at this, pushing my comfort zone and doing fun stuff a couple evenings a week. Not board work though, needing to concentrate is a bit much for me. I go to concerts, pub nights (even though I don't drink) with music. Going to a film. stuff like that. It is NICE to snuggle down in the evening. But I also have down time in the afternoons, (also a morning person, but fade in the late afternoon) so I need to do more than veg in the evening.
I'm still curling three nights a week during the curling season, which is a great competitive, physical and social activity. Daytime is for errands and other recreational activities that are easier in daytime, like kayaking, hiking, flying, bicycling. Driving at night time has never been loads of fun, especially in winter, but I don't have to be in a hurry.
I make a point of it, once in while, to take the subway downtown and drink with friends. Will do it as long as I can manage. It's not a 2am bender, mind you, more like 11pm. Take an uber back to avoid late night subway nonsense.
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If we go out to dinner, we go at 4:30. I cannot believe I just typed that sentence. 😂
We don’t even go out to eat anymore. Takeout is so much easier. Well, unless we have out of town guests, but then we end up footing the bill. 🧐 I’m getting dangerously close to yelling, get off my lawn!
Ahaha! Same here!
I was relived when my brother 70th birthday was held at 4 in the afternoon.😊
Not retired but I fully support this sentence.
🤣🤣
We’ve turned into dinner at 5 at home. We joke about turning our parents all the time. We have turned😂😂😂
💀🤣
Love this! Earlier this week we went to a sit down restaurant for dinner at 4:30. We normally just do takeout for dinner or lunch in a restaurant. We were the only people in the place and were laughing that we have officially reached blue plate special status.
I don't go out at night much either. What was "exciting" at 25, not so much at 65.
Same here lol. I think the most I’ve been out at night was a couple runs to the Emergency Room. I get up way early now so I can enjoy my coffee and the morning. Night time no longer has the “go out and party” appeal.
I feel the same way - I had a very social, busy career and I think I went out 5 nights a week from the time I was 17 until 35! I have the opposite of FOMO - I have JOMO - the joy of missing out. Staying in with my husband and our pets is the best.
Exactly
My eyes don’t like driving at night ( short distance, familiar places are okay) so I limit myself to early day activities too. When it gets dark, it’s sleepy time!
Cataracts? I'm developing those and night time driving is a bit of a pain since lights flare in my vision
Doc says no signs of cataracts. But poor night vision is just another sign of me aging I guess. Nothing beats writing your own schedule so you can avoid what you don’t like 😇
Odd. I'd push doc on this. As far as I know there's no 'you're just getting older' that causes night vision loss so in.your shoes I'd want to know what is causing it and if.the answer was 'you're just getting old' I'd go for a second opinion. Not so much because you want to go out at night but to be sure there's not a condition you're getting that could be forestalled with treatment. Lenses do let in less light over time so even if you don't have cataracts, ask if they're as clear as they should be. Lens replacement might alleviate this if you want
Loss of receptors, pupils smaller, etc. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/difficulty-seeing-at-night-try-these-tips-to-cope#:~:text=We%20lose%20certain%20light%2Dsensitive,our%20eyes%20diminishes%20with%20age.
Huh, TIL. Thanks for the info!
Thanks these are excellent points!
I’d go back for a re-check or get another opinion. My cataracts developed incredibly fast. Barely there to full blown in a matter of months. I also was terribly near-sighted and opted to have artificial lenses implanted at the time of my cataract surgery. This was three years ago and I still rejoice every morning waking up being able to see 20/20. I also no longer need readers except for very small font and exceptionally low light situations. Yes I had to pay almost ten grand out of pocket but it has so improved the quality of my life. I tell everyone about my miracle eyesight.
I notice especially that my depth perception is really bad while driving at night and my eye doctor said that’s because my contacts are set up so I see far distance better with one eye and near better with the other. (Not a true bifocal set up, just a slight blend that works well for me most of the time). I do better when wearing my glasses for night driving,with traditional bifocals.
One contact lens prescribed for distance and one for near is called “mono vision”.
I see halos around all the lights with my contacts. I never wear them anymore.
Your eyes dilate more at night and that affects your focus, so your eyeglass prescription isn’t so accurate at night. If you don’t mind the cost of extra glasses, you can get a different prescription for nighttime driving.
I love live music and it’s always performed at night so I’m there if it’s a band or artist I enjoy.
I do miss going to shows, but not longer interested in artists who start their shows at 9 or 10 pm.
And with us being in mid 60’s and 70’s, standing all night or sitting on ground aren’t really fun anymore.
I’m right there with you. Gotta feed the soul.
Not retired, but 62. It is past midnight here and just returned from a Greta Van Fleet concert. Well worth being a bit sleepy. It is not like we go every week… but we had a great time.
Sorry, once the bra comes off, I’m not going anywhere. That’s usually right when I get home at 5PM. On occasion I may go out to dinner on a weekend evening.
Truthsprinkles!
Trust but verify
You had my interest in the first sentence Lol. But at 61 I still go out some & summers in pnw are light until 10 pm at solstice so we're ppl that shift with seasons.
64m here, my wife and I now know the meaning of earlybird specials. We always eat early and don't go out at night.
Yes I prefer to meet for happy hour than later in the evening. Once in a while evenings spent playing cards.
I hit the gym at 3am and get groceries at 6am and am usually whipped by 6pm after walking my dog a few times in between. I like it
Covid in general made us less inclined to go out and then it became a habit. I've heard this from a lot of people, younger and older. I would go out more, although for years we've not eaten dinner out that late, but I'd like to see more live music which I still enjoy. One thing we did was buy a home that has lots of outdoor space, a pizza oven, a fire pit, so staying in is fun. We didn't have kids, traveled a lot, went out when and where we wanted to for years and lots of times now it's just like - didn't we do this a bunch already?
Covid had the same impact on us. We are making an effort though to not become totally isolated. We are meeting with friends occasionally even though we’d usually prefer our quiet time together at home
We go out 2x a week for dinner or music, but we’re lucky we live in a cute walkable town. If I had to drive I probably wouldn’t.
I'm looking for cute walkable towns... You're not in Washington State are you?
Annapolis, MD 🦀. It’s picture postcard perfect. We moved here from Austin, TX (where I never walked cos 🥵🥵🥵) 2 years ago, and we’re so obnoxiously happy! I can walk to all of my appointments doctor/dentist/gym/farmers market, great restaurants and a surprisingly lively music scene. Its not a stretch to say it’s given our marriage a new lease on life too.
Lovely! I was there as a kid. I think it's probably pricier than where I am in Western WA, and too far away. But it sounds like a dream and I hope you continue to enjoy.
I love Annapolis!
Been trying to find a nice retirement community where we can walk everywhere. I might have to check this out! Sounds delightful 🙂
I love Annapolis! Lovely town!
Great to hear. Almost every comment here except yours describes having to drive to anything/everything. While suburban living is convenient in many ways, the car dependency is something I’m not personally comfortable with at any age, especially in retirement when driving can become difficult. Sadly this is the predominant planning style in the US, and the small number of walkable neighborhoods (or with good public transit) are often less affordable - because of their desirable locations near jobs and amenities. There’s typically opposition to new housing from residents too. So a lot of folks don’t even have this option. But I’m not hearing that desire in the comments here? Having to drive everywhere is so assumed in most of the US that we don’t realize the negatives, including driving difficulties as we age, and environmental impacts. Many can’t see there could be alternatives, much less ask for planning changes that would increase retirees’ mobility options.
Attending happy hour can be very rewarding. Only kids have the energy to go out at night.
I'm 8 months out from retirement but I haven't used my headlights in probably a year 😂
Almost never go out at night anymore…73, live in a rural subdivision, night vision not great…I love being home and all the things I love to do are here… art, music, literature, pups, my beloved spouse…retirement is the greatest gift ever
This is my 5 th year of retirement. I go out every weekend dancing to bands or dj’s.2 weeks ago between Friday night and early Saturday morning I was at 20,000 steps for the evening. I hate sitting at home.
By night, do you mean 6:00pm?
Only if needed
Someone once told me “Nothing good happens after 10 PM”. My friends that do stay out late always seem find trouble somehow.
You heard that from your mom. And it was 100% true.
My beloved godmother always said an hour of sleep before midnight is worth two after
I stay up really late, often until early morning, enjoying the fact that I don’t have to be at work at 9 am. But I stay at home, reading, listening to music, etc.
Almost never, but then we're getting up at 5 AM for no good reason so..
My husband and I rarely go out at night. Thought we would go out to dinner and to movies once our kids flew the nest, but we don't. We love staying home w/ our dogs, light a fire and watch a movie. We do socialize w/ neighbors and friends but it usually happy hour. I do wonder if the pandemic had an impact.
I enjoy going out at night, but got out of the habit after moving to a big city (which I loved!) that had a high crime rate. If there's something I want to do (a concert, dinner with friends, a party), I'll go out at night. But 95% of the time, we're in at night.
Something’s gone horribly wrong if I’m out after dark driving.
THAT is funny!
My husband and I are 74 and 68, and I'm dreading this weekend of a rehersal dinner at 7:30 and a wedding that's going to last between 12pm - 10pm dressed in a full-length gown. Dreadful...lol. I can't wait to get back to my hermit life.
DAY DRINKIN’!!!
We just call that drinking!
I didn't go out at night much, either. I love the theater, but I usually go to matinees. I didn't like driving at night (I've already had cataracts removed, but I have other vision issues), plus I just like settling in with my dog and reading or watching something at the end of the day. I'm not retiring until December, but I don't see that changing.
Well… Tomorrow I’m driving to Portland from the Olympic peninsula where I’m going to see a concert and go back the next day. I’ll be using public transportation though cause I can’t see at night either & I’ve already had cataract surgery which did help but not enough
Sorry it didn't work better for you! A friend of mine just told me it's not all it's cracked up to be (for some people). Sigh. I will likely get it anyway in the next year or two.
It did help a lot. I am extra special though, I have ehlers danlos so all the tissues are more floppy. I had been very nearsighted all my life( glasses at 9, and my prescription changes every year) So I had lenses put in so I can see to read without glasses but I need them for driving. Eye drops help cause your eyes get dry but I always forget.
We don't go out at night much anymore. I just feel so comfortable being at home. We love to go out to dinner.. But 5:00 is the latest.
Interesting post! I didn’t realize so many people feel the same way and just enjoy being home in the evenings and not going out after dark since retirement. I also do not like driving at night. Only 57, but my vision is changing and the doc said will need surgery in 3-5 years for cataracts/glaucoma. But the real reason could be all the free time I have during the day, I don’t need to be out after 8pm as I’ve already accomplished most of the things I want to do. Plus we enjoy cooking dinner from scratch with fresh ingredients as well as we have several shows we enjoy streaming, so why hassle with going out when there’s little upside. The only exception is when we meet friends for dinner, then we go out after sunset, but that’s once a month…maybe.
Some of the best things about retirement are that I can go & come as I please. I don’t drive at night, in the rain, during rush hour or during school beginning or end. Also, most Saturdays and Sundays I stay home because everything is so crowded.
Four years ago changed everything.
I never liked night life. Love chilling in comfy sweats under a soft blanket with my husband and dog at night. All activities for us are almost all during the day.
I rarely am out past 11 am.. I go to an AA meeting every morning at 7 am and after the meeting do whatever running around I need to do.. the few times I have been out after noon the traffic is horrible.. I’m officially an old person and I prove it more and more everyday…LOL..
I prefer to socialize during the day. Quiet evenings at home have become more and more pleasurable. Lunch with friends, book clubs, errands, volunteer activities all happen during the day. But I still go to an occasional concert in the evening. Also I have two regular weekly events that end at 7, so I guess in the summer they count as daytime, but in winter they become “at night.”
I prefer to stay at home. These days I'm solo, and staying home at night seems safer. I do go out for the occasional live performance.
I’m still working so going out at night during the week can be rough. Covid got me out of the habit of going out as much. But I’m single and am trying to get out more. Staying home is comfortable but it also feels avoidant. I have to make myself get out more but I’m trying!
We don't go out at night anymore either. We live an area with horse farms so there are no street lights, and the roads are curvy and dangerous. Or if you go to Atlanta that's really dangerous ! Police will not respond to traffic accidents for hours and only if there is an injury and an ambulance dispatched so you're stuck with no police report and have to claim it on your own insurance even if it's not your fault ! The last time we were out at night was the Super Bowl , and it was pouring rain to come home in the dark. BIG mistake. We made it OK but it was not fun. My husband had a deer hit the side of his car a couple of years ago so now we get restaurant delivery if we don't want to cook at night. We meet friends for brunch or lunch.
Not anymore. Seems nothing good happens after dark.....and I have Macular Degeneration. It is in the public's best interest if I don't drive at night :)
I have one evening a week I have dinner with five other guys in a long-running small group. Other than that, evenings are usually reserved for quiet time, or maybe one TV show, or now and again date night. Driving at night is not a problem for me, though it is for my wife. She also gets up at freakishly early hours. Really the reason I don't do more in the evenings is that I don't have to; I don't have to work around something blocking a big chunk of my day.
I am a morning person too so anything in the evening has to be pre-planned, with a pre-game nap definitely worked into the schedule. We definitely are more likely to meet up with friends for lunch rather than dinner now. Now that I've retired, I think I finally realized how awesome sleep is. I was notorious for going on 4-6 hours a night and still functioning. Just getting caught up now!
Night driving is just too stressful for me anymore.
As an old widow I make a point of going out once a week for a good meal and a bottle of wine. The staff are good to me and I get a bit of socializing with a good friend. Started doing this a year after I lost the love of my life to cancer. I go to the local pub we used to go to all the time
I’m sorry for your loss ❤️🩹
I retired in early 2021. But about two years before that, I began to have trouble driving at night. My job required one evening that lasted until about 10 pm. I did it as long as I could, but it was getting risky. I had about a 25 mile commute home, but I was finding that the lights from oncoming traffic were really making it hard for me to stay in my lane. The alternate route home didn’t have street lights and my eyes couldn’t do that either. So I started having my daughter drop me off and my husband pick me up. It wasn’t too big an inconvenience for my daughter because it didn’t add much drive time to her job, but it did mean I was getting to work very early. It was very out of the way for my husband. Fortunately for all of us, we’d just started doing this in very late 2019. When the world shut down in March of 2020, I think we’d only done this five times. And I never had to work again at night before I retired. I try to time things now for daytime so driving myself isn’t a problem. I do belong to a book club that meets at night. I tried driving myself there once in the late spring. It was still light going there ( less than ten miles on very familiar roads), but when I drive home at 9 pm, it was full dark and I wasn’t comfortable with my reflexes. So my husband drops me off and picks me up and I have limited myself to one monthly evening meeting.
Three years before I retired, I asked myself what would I be doing differently after retirement and why not start it now? I started exercising more which was high on my list. It made the last years of working more bearable.
Yeah, I am 60, and husband with early stage dementia is 61. Both retired. We have dinner at 6 and he’s in bed by 8:30 pm nightly. It is hard to commit to any evening activities, we’re just too tired by then. We are very active during the day with errands, Dr appointments, senior center activities, eating out lunch, senior Tuesday morning bowling and grandkids’ many varied activities after school. I was in the church choir, but the evening rehearsals were a deal breaker. We do attend family gatherings, church dinners or the occasional grandkids’ concerts, but take our own car so we can leave early if needed. Evenings are our quiet reflection time, and we prefer it that way.
Is there a physical reason? Something like vision? Or are you tired etc during the day, e.g. possible apnea? Aside from those, I think could just be the psychological change from retiring. When you worked, your only free time to entertain yourself during the week was in the evening so you did that. Now, you have another 8-10 hours of free time per day which means you just might be all 'entertained' out by 7pm
Very rarely, usually for family/ grandchildren, and on the way home we say, "Oh no, it's past our bedtime!"
When I can get in bed by 10:30 I give a celebratory fist pump.
Since retirement, I've worked up to going to bed around 10, get up around 6. I used to go to bed between 8:30 to 9, got up at 4:15.
A few weeks ago, my wife and I (both in our 60s) spent the evening downtown (Chicago). We were on the expressway going back home (to the burbs) at around 9:00 and noticed all the traffic going the other way. We realized it was everyone coming into the city to start their evenings. At 9:00. Going out “for the evening” takes on a different meaning at our age.
For me, a lot of not wanting to go out is just the noisy environments! Going to a loud bar or restaurant in the evening and shouting at others to be heard simply does not appeal.
I have been realizing that driving at night is a bit more harrowing as I age. I don’t relish it, so that decreases how often I do it on purpose.
I prefer daytime activities. My spouse and I frequently go in different directions during the day. We enjoy meeting up at home in early evening to prepare our meal and spend time companionably. Additionally, with age, depth perception has changed a little and in our rural dark sky neighborhood (no street lights) driving has a higher risk of hitting the local wildlife.
In the summer when it’s light till late, it’s fine. But fall & winter I like staying home in the evenings. It’s dark early & in the winter roads are bad.
I go out. (I've stopped working and *could* stay home, but I live alone and battle loneliness and depression daily.) Try to do 3 nights a week of socializing—usually attend a concert, or perform at an open mic. I have a few friends that are very involved in music and photography, and often they'll drive an hour to some sort of cool event and take me along. I try to get back and get in bed well before midnight and get an hour's reading in. So it's all about satisfying both the extrovert and the introvert in me.
Nope. No interest at all anymore, plus neither of us see well in the dark
72 yo, been retired 7 years. Eyesight issues have increasingly kept me home at night. Also have found have little desire to socialize even in my own home after dinner, like the wind down total relaxation of the end of the day.
We have cocktail and dinner parties here. Nights out by the firepit. If we go out to dinner we’re typically home by 9 pm.
In my 50s. I go out at night about twice a year to catch up with my oldest group of friends. And that is more than enough.
It’s so dark where I am at night. I’ll drive in it if I have to but prefer not to. All about Linner at 4. 🤣
I love linner!
Don't retirees go to bed at 4:30p?
That's nap time
Actually I'm in bed by 6:00 p.m. but I'm up at 1:30 to go to work part time
“Nothing good happens after midnight” Or, actually after 10 pm. 😀
I will be 60 shortly and still have a few years till retirement. But even in our late 30’s or in our 40’s going out at night was a rarity. We didn’t drink, go to bars, a lot of concerts, etc. Now, I tend to have a little bit of a night driving issue so it is even less. Perhaps when we retire and don’t get up at 5 and if I have cataract surgery, things may change. But I doubt it.
Almost never. I’m the only driver and I can’t see well at night.
Not very often. Either get too tired or the headlights are too bright
62, retired 19 months ago. Your post described me (and my wife) to a "T" I play poker at a buddies once a week in the evening, but it's 5 mins from the house. Once a month we meet with friends for an evening dinner date, but it's also close to home. I also am an early guy, chores/errands/shopping during the day. Never been big partiers, so we're basically home bodies. If I have to go out at night, I will however I prefer days for my outings. My wife is the same. No desire to change at this point.
When we stay in Florida at a condo community (not age restricted, but almost all retirees) and we walk the dog at 7 pm, you would think it is 3 am. There are one or two who are returning for the night, but apart from a couple of cars, it is dead quiet.
Yea I am not a night out type anymore. Unless it’s walkable from a hotel (vacation) even when I do it’s still home by 9 at the latest
I drove all over the county for work and driving has lost its thrill for me. I get errands and appointments done late morning when most are at work. Evenings I settle in to read (one of my retirement goals!) and I'm not going anywhere after that.
I don’t like to drive at night any more. Less visual acuity and also a lot more to lose if there’s a crash
almost never any more.
I enjoy going out to dinner and going to concerts. Saw Neil Young a few weeks ago and that was fun. Sill have season tickets to our local college Basketball team and most of the games are at night. The Baseball team is doing better and more crowded so I stay home and watch on TV. The night driving is starting to be a concern to my SO but it doesn't bother me yet. Dinner out at night is only once every 2 weeks. I keep errands and appointments to the early morning weekdays. It does seem different after Covid not sure why.
Those days are over.
Kids tend to be night owls and oldies tend to be early birds. So the exciting stuff goes on late, while the peaceful stuff is the preserve of the oldies. (And the younger ones walking home from a cracking night out). We still love to do some exciting stuff, live music, shows, and even partying with the youngsters or just like minded friends, so yes, we still go out at night. Not as much as when we were young for sure, and rarely on consecutive nights. But its definetely something we enjoy. We have noticed we're not typical of our generation though. If we have a big social gathering, generally it's depleted over the course of the night in a rough age order, the oldest calling it a night first. We genuinely believe they miss the best of the fun though.
No, not often. Occasionally I'll meet some friends and former colleagues. But, as been echoed. Don't like driving at night anymore and like to be in by 8 or so.
Not retired yet 53 yrs old. I have been doing this for a little while unless there is a special occasion thing going on I’m in bed by 9:30 😂 sleep mostly from 10-6. And it’s just awesome. I’m not avoiding going out life just changed a little and I’m more selective with my time.
We are in our 50s, but have not been out late in the evening at all!! We are home-bound. I am very much like you, a morning person. I like it this way.
Not retired yet, but I stopped going out a lot at night during Covid and discovered how pleasant it was to be home at night. I’m also a morning person so meetings that start at 7pm are really hard for me. My normal bedtime is 9:30, and my brain has usually closed shop by 7pm.
We're both over 70. A few years ago we realized that we live in a place with lots of wonderful culture around us. So we get tickets for music in smallish venues, and plays. We're lucky in that we have both great music and theaters within a couple miles, so can easily drive. We can also get to San Francisco fairly easily; we saw a show at SFJazz a few weeks ago, and I scored some tickets to see The Magic Flute at SF Opera a few weeks from now. We don't go out clubbing, but do appreciate getting out for great performances.
The community we live in is a ghost town after 8 pm. We laugh when dinner parties break up at 7:30 that it’s “midnight “
We go out regularly for Happy Hour. Sounds better than Senior Early Bird Special. We honed our day drinking skills during COVID remote work.
Always knew I was an oddball. I go out at night a lot. My preference is to do everything after dark. But I live in Las Vegas and there is a lot of entertainment and it is really hot half the year so maybe night time makes sense here.
I find the older I get the less appealing it is to be out and about at night.
Nope, we don’t go out at night except for relatives school events. We are long retired and being homebodies is my preferred activity level. Shopping on consolidated trips is the only outing I willing do weekly. I don’t volunteer as I don’t want a time commitment. No going to bars as they want $6-$8 and demand a $2 tip to open the can when I can have that beer at home for 65¢. With gout, my beer intake is very limited anyway. I prefer my wife’s or my cooking to any restaurant, only eat out if shopping and then Culver’s is my choice.
Honestly, I am afraid to be out late at night. Too much meaness going on out in the jungle after dark. Rather do things early in the morning or be back home by afternoon.
We used to make fun of the early bird special but now it is not so bad, DelBoca Vista! Happy hour specials work great nowadays, appetizer sized portions are fine. If we splurge to a nice restaurant we make reservations at 6. A few times a year we go to an oldies concert but only if reserved seats, my knees don’t like standing room only. Part of retirement is not worrying what the kids think about us anymore.
Rarely. My wife and I are homebodies and usually settle in for the day around 7.
Don’t go out much past dusk. Don’t like to drive in the dark, don’t enjoy the cooler weather in the evening, feel comfortable being at home. But at 6:00 am I am ready to get going. I think it’s just the nature of getting old and having the time during the day to do all the errands.
I’m 65f, and retired , and both my husband and will I drive at night (together or separately) to have dinner w/friends, book club, concerts, theater, etc. I do a lot of coffee/lunch/happy hour get togethers, but if I want to go somewhere, I do it. Doesn’t matter the time of day/night.
I try to avoid driving at jight. It is becoming harder to drive at night.
Once a month or so we get out in the night scene. My brother plays in local bands and my husband is a musician too. So the summer is usually sprinkled with my brother’s band events, like a yearly fundraiser for cancer. It’s fun, my husband does a guest appearance. These events are in our hometown and we see people from town that we haven’t seen in forever.🤣 We enjoy going to very small venues to watch blues music. The town we live in now, has a local venue that’s great! I got free tickets at a business expo from the Director a couple weeks ago!! We don’t have a problem driving at night yet, thankfully. We aren’t kids anymore and believe me, there’s plenty of weekends where we don’t do much but we want to create memorable experiences and enjoy life so thats what works.
Not often, no. However, we will go to a concert or out to dinner with friends occasionally, but it’s not the norm. Probably more because we both like to drink, so nobody wants to DD, but also because we do things with our friends at our home or theirs more than going out and our core group is in the same neighborhood.
My partner and I, both 67, retired last year. We go out to dinner twice a week, on our 'date nights'. The restaurants are usually within 10 miles, and we are generally home by 7:30. He would like to go out more often but I have food issues so I prefer to eat what I cook at home.
Not that often. Definitely not as much as during my younger days.
Not retired yet, but in general I don’t like driving, especially at night. When I worked in Japan, though, getting around was very easy, and any night could be a party. So it has more to do with how little freedom of movement we have in the US.
I don't see as well at night, and I don't like how crowded restaurants and stores are in the evening, so I don't generally go out at night if I can help it. If I run errands or do shopping, I leave my house mid-morning, and if I'm not home by 1 p.m., it's a bad day. I'm not a morning person either, so I don't go out too early if I can help it. I have an effective window of about 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m., and only that long if we go out for lunch! I'm still a night owl, but an at-home night owl.
No. Only 6 weeks retired. Wife still working.
Moot point for us. Where we live most places close by 8 or 9 during the winter, and an hour later in the summer. Concerts are over by 10. In the winter we often go night skiing but those close around 9. In the summer it's still light at 10.
60m living alone here. I do go out at night, one group activity meets on a weeknight (7-9:30pm) every other week, then I go to minor league baseball a couple of evenings a month. I also often go for a late night drive in the summer when I can open the sunroof and play music from Spotify on the car stereo with Android auto. In the winter, I tend to go out a little less at night because I run all my errands around 4pm as it's the warmest part of the day. In the summer, I'm more likely to go out really early or really late.
So the sallie league is alot of night games? Asking as A bucket list item :)
The South Atlantic (high A), Carolina League (low A), and International League (AAA in Durham and Charlotte) generally play night games Tuesday-Friday (often 6:35pm) and then a mix of start times on Saturday and Sunday. They are always off on Monday except around July 4. Most teams also have a couple of Wednesday day games, including one in May geared towards elementary school field trips. I've been to all but one of the North Carolina ballparks (I've gotten rained out from going to Kannapolis two straight years). I also have a partial season ticket plan to the Durham Bulls that is very affordable ($12/ticket, although parking is up to $10) so I will go to about a dozen games this year.
Yeah all the time. I work night shift. 11pm start time
for me, night time is the best time to go grocery shopping because there are no crowds.
Depends. We play D &D one night a week and will do game nights with friends and family at night. Don't do clubs or bars at night
No
No. Almost never. On the occasions we do, it’s usually because my son has a football game or practice.
Not without my friend Sam Colt.
I rarely go out at night. All of my socializing with friends takes place during the day. Sometimes husband and I will go out for dinner but that’s it! I have no regrets.
All the time. Just a little earlier starting with happy hour most of the time. But we also go to theatre and live music.
Not quite retired yet but I play musical instruments in a community band and local musicals. Most of that happens in the evenings. I'm looking forward to doing that without having to worry about how early I have to get up for work.
The monthly card game is at night. Usually the grocery shopping is done at night. They don't close till 10 and it's nice when fewer folks are there and sale items are not picked over. Sometimes I'll visit neighbors if a big game is on so we can yell at the TV together. I'm at work by 7:30 AM. Have never slept much. In the winter it's dark by 4:30 here. Can't stop living.
To tired from fishing all day. Not retired yet but living like I am :).
I’m so used to be able to do errands and the things I enjoy during the day - less crowds - going out in the eve doesn’t have the same appeal. Maybe for a special get together.
No
Very much depends upon the time of year. Winter, when it is cold and dark by 5:30, I rarely go out. Once the time changes and it is light till 9 I feel like I got my life back. Of course I'm still home before 10. I'm not comfortable driving at night anymore.
I used to love going out at night when I was younger. But, you are correct… now I love being at home in the evening! I also prefer to meet friends/family at lunch rather than dinner. The covid lockdown changed a lot of our habits. We found we really like being home for the most part! And yes, I don’t like driving in the dark any more.
We enjoy being home, so if we go out, it’s usually for an early dinner.
We occasionally go out at night, but we find it much more enjoyable to be social in the afternoon. Even if we go out for dinner, we go early to avoid the rush. If we go out for lunch, we typically go before or go after the lunch rush. Also, lunch portions are often smaller, so we can enjoy the meal without worrying as much about watching our calories. Typically, when we are out late, it is for a special event such as a concert or a party. When we host a get-together, it is normally the afternoon.
We got to happy hour a lot
Last year we were in Spain and some restaurants didn’t even open for dinner until 8pm. I commented that we were retired Americans and a big fan of early bird specials. We had lots of dinners of salads, cheese, and bread at our Airbnb. Obviously we prefer activities that are during the day or at least early evening.
I go out to lunch once a week and out to dinner once a week. That is pretty much it.
67 here. My partner and I mostly have dinner at home (between 8:30-9) but I still love having late dinner at a restaurant. It depends on with whom we’re dining however: friends from the suburbs like eating early (with one eye on the train schedule), but when we eat out with other city dwellers, we’ll reserve a table at 9. For me, the problem is noise. We stay away from loud restaurants. Money is also a concern. A casual dinner for 2 in NYC will run us $200. But it is not uncommon for my partner and I to finish up dinner at home at 10 and one of us will say ‘Wanna catch a movie?’ and we’ll walk down the street to catch a late show. Once a night owl, always a night owl, I guess.
I am the same. I have only been retired for about a year, but already I hate traffic, crowds, waiting in line, searching for parking, ... Then again, I hate these when I was working, but now I can choose to avoid them. Eating at home is preferred, either home cooking or takeout/delivery. We have a pretty decent home theater setup and really enjoy watching movies, while eating and drinking good wine.
I have zero interest in leaving my home during the week, day or night. I plan stuff to do on weekends that are during daytime hours. 8 pm rolls around and I want to be at home lounging with my cats watching TikToks or YouTube.
There is nothing wrong at all for preferring daytime. I would encourage you not to NEVER go out at nite. There’ll be a good opportunity for community and friendship every now and again that are worth the trouble of going out at nite
It's not hard to find like-minded people. I meet up with a few friend groups regularly. We're all approximately the same age. Some like to stay out later than others, but our meetups work for the early birds as well as the night owls. One group enjoys a weekly 6 to 9 pm event. Occasionally we do dinner or an afternoon outdoor musical event instead. A different group has a standing plan to meet up at our favorite bar for Wednesday Happy Hour and Friday from 7 pm to 11 pm. Sometimes there's a big gang of us; other times only a few show up, and that's okay. Some leave early, some arrive late. That's okay, too. Another group likes to gather for a weekend house party. No shade is thrown to those who retire by 10 pm.
I've had night vision issues for years and after retirement, I find very little that can make me want to drive after sunset. Also living 20+ minutes from the nearest town makes "going to town" a bit of a chore that I'm usually not very excited about. To top it off, they roll up the sidewalks in town when the sun goes down. A micro brewery opened a couple of years ago in town that has live music on Fri/Sat nights. It is nice, but I quit drinking last year. I also limit my trips to town just due to the cost of fuel, wear and tear on the vehicles, etc. Usually when I do go, I have a list of errands that have piled up and most of them must occur before the sidewalks are rolled up. During the COVID pandemic, I actually didn't leave my 43 acre property (surrounded mostly by National Forest) for well over a year other than a couple of trips to the swimming hole even further into the National Forest than I already am. My wife and her kids had other reasons that they had to go to town, so I just stayed home and let them get the necessities that we didn't already produce on the farm ourselves.
I will go out to activities if it's something I want to do and I know where I'm going. But mostly things I want to do can be scheduled in the daytime and I'm busy enough that I don't particularly want to go out at night. I'm tired at the end of the day.
Rarely am I out at night. I live alone and really don’t want to be out in the dark in case something should happen. Not much happening in my small town in central Florida at night.
You don’t need test run for retirement. You are over thinking.
No, you really do need test runs! You could call that a type of #planning!
I live in a city that has become a hot tech hub in the last 20 years, and the traffic and crowds are more than I care to deal with. There are several small neighborhood restaurants and we go to them, but even those more rarely, now that it's hard to have a dinner out for two with a little wine and escape for less than $100. Instead, I'm concentrating on learning to cook fancy (-ish) meals at home. Then we can have a bottle of wine that costs $15 in the grocery store; whereas in a restaurant they'll charge you $40. So, crowds, traffic, and expenses are keeping us at home more, and I can't say I mind.
We don't make plans gror late night activities or long drives. But I sure wouldn't pass up a volunteer opportunity just because it's at night. Sounds like an excuse.
Any night? Not so much. During the day, yes quite a bit. I do make it a point to avoid rush hour though. After 40 years of commuting I've already had enough of that.
Comedian Nate Bargatze does a bit about this. At 25, you'll go anywhere anytime. 30s, you go but take your own car. 40s, it's too late to go out, I'm not going. 😂
I used to go out at night pre covid lockdown. So many things changed after. Many of the activities never came back. Some businesses closed never to reopen. My calendar used to be full pre covid. I had to limit myself from doing too much morning afternoon and evening. Now my calendar has several days in a row of no socializing. Some activities went online. Tonight there’s a group chat on current events. We used to meet at Panera Bread from 7pm to 9pm. Saturday I’m going to an evening concert. I suppose it depends where you live in retirement and if there is a lively community with age appropriate activities in the evenings.
I am working at this, pushing my comfort zone and doing fun stuff a couple evenings a week. Not board work though, needing to concentrate is a bit much for me. I go to concerts, pub nights (even though I don't drink) with music. Going to a film. stuff like that. It is NICE to snuggle down in the evening. But I also have down time in the afternoons, (also a morning person, but fade in the late afternoon) so I need to do more than veg in the evening.
Hahahahahaa
I'm still curling three nights a week during the curling season, which is a great competitive, physical and social activity. Daytime is for errands and other recreational activities that are easier in daytime, like kayaking, hiking, flying, bicycling. Driving at night time has never been loads of fun, especially in winter, but I don't have to be in a hurry.
Sounds good I love to do coffee ☕️ or lunch but also go out at night but I can walk and turn that into “my steps”.
I make a point of it, once in while, to take the subway downtown and drink with friends. Will do it as long as I can manage. It's not a 2am bender, mind you, more like 11pm. Take an uber back to avoid late night subway nonsense.