Would like to talk with USA people now living in Costa Rica for inform

Hi Life! :-)
My best recommendation is to have a prioritized list of what things are important to your new life.  "Beach" and "70's temperatures" will not be in the same place.  However, there are many small communities that are up the mountains (cooler) and still within a drive of the beach. 
It took me two visits to different beaches to finally realize that I would simply not survive there (hubby knew it w/in 2 days).  But I would still plan on including a few in your trips, just in case.
Something to keep in mind - if you end up in a remote location, you will have to get people to housesit for you when you go anywhere for even a few days.  *Everyone* does this, Ticos included, or risks coming home to an empty house.  This isn't something many North Americans think about.
good luck!
Julie

Your always there Julie ,thanks for your input.

Julie,

Thanks you for replying. I appreciate your input and I look forward to our adventure in Costa Rica. The towns in mountain's but close to the beach would be good. If you know the names that would help in my search. Again thank you for your input.

Jeannine

After some research and communication with locals and expats, my family of 7 and I chose Atenas, in the Alajuela province of CR.  It has been identified by National Geographic as having the most ideal climate in the world.  There appears to be a good mix of hispanic culture and English speaking expats.  And conveniences like high speed internet are readily available. I understand it's about a 30 minute drive from the airport/San Jose, and more than 1hr to the coast.  We found a 3/2 rental with reasonable ammenities (washer/dryer/hot water/dishwasher/internet/sat TV - NO AC) for about half what we were paying to rent our 4/3 near Tampa FL.  We'll soon find out what it's really like, as we arrive on Sunday August 7th!  So feel free to inquire of our first impressions as we adjust to life there next week.