I second Livingston. I bought land there two years ago, close to Houston with great health care. You have Rayburn An hour away T bend 1.5 hours away Livingston ( not the best bass lake ) but a good fishery for others and Conroe is just over an hour. Rayburn and t bend are big tournament lakes if your into that.

The Livingston area is a great place to R&R. I own a place on Lake Liv. We love it there. Headed there this afternoon and it just be our home one day.

Lindale is another option. It's close to Tyler.

We just retired (actually the wife still works 3 days a week in Dallas) to a home on Bob Sandlin. Only 1 1/2 hr to Dallas and approx. 1 hr to Tyler.

I live in Gilmer and there are at least 10 lakes within 45 miles of me. I retired from Longview PD (30 yrs) and there is nothing wrong with that small city. As one poster said, not nearly the traffic issues as Tyler. But in all honesty, you can't go wrong with settling anywhere here in the piney woods of East Texas.

I moved to Huntington, just a short drive to Lufkin. 1/2 mile from Rayburn back up in the woods. Love it!

I live in Spicewood, about 30 miles from downtown Austin. Lake Travis and my neighborhood marina/ramp is less than a mile from my home. Lake Austin access is 24 miles from my door. Lake LBJ boat ramp near Marble Falls is 24 miles from my door. Lake Buchanan is about 50 miles from my door.

If you lived in Marble Falls, you'd be right on Lake Marble Falls and Lake LBJ. Lake Buchanan would be about 25 miles away and the north shore of Lake Travis, like Lago Vista and Jonestown, around 15-20 miles.

I don't go into the city of Austin very often. Mostly I shop in Lakeway (12 miles from home) with plenty of amenities, hospital, etc.) or Marble Falls, with the same city amenities basically. I bought in Spicewood (Briarcliff specifically) because at the time I was going into Austin more frequently and the house and location I bought was right for me at the time. Now that I'm retired, I'd consider Marble Falls seriously.

Appreciate all the replies. I have no desire to be close to SA or Austin. East Texas in my opinion is much nicer. I like the idea of the Athens,Tyler,Longview areas. There are a ton of options.

Hideaway Lake is something to consider.

A place I have been eyeing is Calendar Lake just north of Athens and West of Tyler

I'd suggest Diana, Gilmer, Ore City areas. 15 mins from Lake O' The Pines, 15 mins from North Longview (the nicer side) where a ton of brand new medical facilities have sprung up in the last couple of years, an hour from Shreveport, 2 hours from Dallas. I'm in Tyler a lot, and would NEVER live there.