Recommended towns to consider living in?

First topic message reminder :

We have been exploring southern Marche, Basilicata and possibly Abruzzo as places to retire to within the next few years.  We have been to the province of Teramo several times but were not overly impressed with the area.  We thought that Atri and Campli seemed like nice towns but that the area in general did not compare with the beauty of southern Marche, including the layouts of the towns.

We would like to live near or in a town that has some life, ie a restaurant, bar, year round, rather than a place that is basically for vacation home owners, whether Italian or stranieri.  We both speak Italian and really want to become a part of the community. Decent healthcare is also a factor.  We had lived near Pisa many years ago while my husband attend university and had quite a few Italian friends.

We are looking for an area where the winters are not too harsh, as we currently live in northern New England and get tons of snow and freezing weather.  We do love the mountains and would like to be in view of them.  A friend had suggested that we check out Sulmona and Penne and I was hoping that some of you might have feedback on these areas and hopefully some others as well.  Thanks very much.

stevegwmonkseaton wrote:Went past here yesterday and thought if you have not visited, it seems to fit. Reasonable size, not too big nor too small a town (Citta Sant' Angelo) and within (but not too close) to very lively areas, motorway and some very lush almost rural properties...

Thanks Steve,

I have added this to my list of towns to check out. 

There are some great deals to be had on property in the Casoli, Castel Frentano and Lanciano areas at the moment. Have you considered an hour further south in Molise. These people are very good if you're looking for a property in southern Abruzzo/Chieti region. They offer a great service and they are starting to sell Molise properties in the new year. www.acaitalianproperty.com

Lagartija Nick wrote:There are some great deals to be had on property in the Casoli, Castel Frentano and Lanciano areas at the moment. Have you considered an hour further south in Molise. These people are very good if you're looking for a property in southern Abruzzo/Chieti region. They offer a great service and they are starting to sell Molise properties in the new year. www.acaitalianproperty.com

Thanks very much Nick.  Also for the recommendation for the agriturismo.  We just returned from the Abruzzo last month but will check out the areas and the agriturismo you recommended next trip.  We stayed at a lovely apartment in Rapino, and really liked the town, along with Bucchianico and Villa Magna.  Do you know anything about these towns?