NATCHEZ &045;&045; Where to Retire magazine will feature Natchez in its January-February issue, which was mailed to subscribers Friday and will be on newsstands later this month.

The magazine, founded in 1992 and now circulating nationally to 200,000 readers, spotlights five communities in each of its six issues during the year, said Karen Northridge, spokeswoman for Where to Retire.

With the January-February issue, the magazine has planned &uot;a very big newsstand promotion,&uot; Northridge said. &uot;For the first time, the magazine will be in every airport newsstand in the country. It’s also always available at Barnes and Noble and Borders.&uot;

Choosing Natchez for inclusion in the upcoming issue was a process that began years ago, she said. &uot;Our editors and consulting editors travel throughout the country looking for communities with certain characteristics and features,&uot; Northridge said. &uot;We had been aware of Natchez for some time. One of our editors spent some time there and was thoroughly impressed.&uot;

Natchez is not featured on the cover but is included in a cover blurb that refers to the article. &uot;We profile five communities each time,&uot; Northridge said. &uot;Natchez is our ‘undiscovered haven,’ a feature we do each month.&uot;

Northridge said visits to Natchez included time with Natchez-Adams County Chamber of Commerce and Retiree Partnership directors.

Roy Winkworth, director of Natchez Retiree Partnership, said he introduced the free-lance writer and the photographer to two couples and one single person who recently chose Natchez as their retirement home.

The magazine has a policy of not revealing names of those interviewed for stories until the issues have reached subscribers.

&uot;They asked the retirees why they came and what they thought about Natchez,&uot; Winkworth said of the magazine representatives he met. &uot;They stayed at Dunleith, and they wanted to see the town. I gave them the same kind of tour I give retirees who come to look at the city.&uot;

Natchez is one of 19 certified retirement communities in Mississippi, Winkworth said. &uot;That doesn’t mean we’re a town just for retirees, though.&uot;

Laura Godfrey, Chamber CEO, agreed. &uot;Our quality of life for retirees as well as for anyone else looking to move cannot be beat,&uot; she said.

Ken and Jeanie Attenhoffer moved to Natchez almost five years ago. Not entirely ready to retire, the couple nonetheless considered Natchez their retirement destination.

&uot;We came from a large city, New Orleans,&uot; Ken Attenhoffer said. &uot;All the hustle and bustle, the things people find exciting about a city, we didn’t find exciting.&uot;

The slower pace and the ease of getting involved in organizations and meeting new friends have been bonuses, he said. &uot;We didn’t have as many friends in New Orleans as we have made in Natchez in the past five years.&uot;

Jeanie agreed, adding that &uot;Natchez has been more than I could ever have hoped for.&uot;

The Attenhoffers opened a needlework studio and a bed-and-breakfast establishment in Natchez.

Northridge said each year 380,000 people cross state lines to retire. Dozens of states and hundreds of towns actively seek retirees.

Natchez has had success in the last few years in attracting retirees, Winkworth said, pointing out that each person or couple comes with different desires for a new home.

&uot;We stress all the activities in Natchez,&uot; he said. &uot;We have something going on in Natchez the year around.&uot;

Those activities, such as the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race, the Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration, Natchez Festival of Music, Spring Pilgrimage and Fall Pilgrimage, among others, offer opportunities for exciting volunteer work, Winkworth said.

Further, for those retirees not ready to stop working completely, there are part time jobs as tour guides or in small retail shops catering to tourists, he said.

&uot;Of the last 25 or 30 who have come to Natchez, at least a third have started their own small businesses,&uot; Winkworth said.

Godfrey said people all over Mississippi refer to Natchez as &uot;the top retirement community in the state.&uot;

Preservation of its historic character is key to the qualities retirees and others find in Natchez, she said.

Indeed, Winkworth said many retirees are drawn to the houses available in Natchez. &uot;Many retirees like the older homes. The Victorian homes in Natchez are wonderful.&uot;

Natchez Retiree Partnership is affiliated with Hometown Mississippi Retirement, a division of the Mississippi Development Authority. The Partnership is operated through the Natchez-Adams County Economic Development Authority and can be reached by e-mail at

retirenatchez@bellsouth.net

or by telephone at 1-800-762-8243.