I started a similar thread a while back. Since posting we have looked at a couple of houses in Wilmington--specifically in the Ardens (google this--it is a hoot), and more recently we have been browsing on line in the Chadds Ford area of PA.
Old thread is here:
http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=180000
At the time of posting, we had looked online at some suburbs of Philly--and then took another look at Wilmington, where we have friends.
We liked Wilmington--and can see ourselves moving there if I can only stay healthy long enough to expedite finishing the renovation of the house we are in.
The NY/NJ/CT is too expensive to retire in, unless you made great decisions when you were younger and/or managed to get a gold-plated pension plan. Even then, I'm not sure what you get for your obscene property taxes. Ours are up to over $14,000/year and for that we get ****ty roads, overpaid cops and substandard schools.