Lawrence is among the 25 best places in the country to retire, according to the folks at Money Magazine.

The experts don’t suggest that everyone immediately leave their jobs and head for Phoenix or Florida or anywhere else many elders traditionally aim to spend their postwork years.

No, this list, released in September 2011, simply advises folks about the best places to actually live in retirement: Move there. Stay there. Be there.

“Each of these towns offers amenities galore for the post-work crowd,” the magazine says, “plus a cost of living that’s pretty darn sweet.”

Lawrence checks in at No. 18 on the list, available online at Money.CNN.com.

The magazine’s top place to retire is Marquette, Mich., home to relatively affordable housing, solid health care, and Northern Michigan University. Among other college towns in the rankings: Boise, Idaho, at No. 3; Winston-Salem, N.C., at No. 10; Tucson, Ariz., at No. 15; Austin, Texas, at No. 16; Bloomington, Ind., at No. 17; Columbia, S.C., at No. 20; and Iowa City, Iowa, at No. 23.

Among Lawrence’s positive attributes, according to the magazine:

l A historic downtown, with tenants ranging from “quirky shops to natural food stores.”

l All the “art, education, medical care and sports events you’d expect of a major college town.”

l Plenty of recreational opportunities, such as boating and use of trails at Clinton Lake, birdwatching in the Baker Wetlands, and swimming at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center.