[GretchBriBri]

My family and I are planning to relocate from Upstate NY to a somewhat warmer climate within the next two years. I thought it would be fun to take a month long road trip next summer (when our two children are a little older) to visit 5 or 6 towns that we may want to move to. If anyone has any suggestions about where we should look into I would be open to your ideas. I have done extensive research regaring crime, weather, schools, jobs, etc using the internet but there is nothing like first hand advice.

Our kids will only be 8 and 6 so a good school system may be important unless we utilize private schools. Low crime is very important to us. Weather needs to be less cold than upstate ny (which shouldn't be hard to find!) Some jobs would also be a plus, I will be looking for a teaching job and my husband for something in law enforcement. We currently live in a small rural town about an hour from Rochester and would like to be a little closer to 'things', but a small town would be ok.

I appreciate any information you can give us in our search for a great place to call home!

[Mitchell]

You may want to look into the Birmingham suburbs. Trussville and Leeds may be good choices to the east. Housing is affordable, schools are pretty good and Birmingham is a short drive away with several Medical Facilities in the area. Birmingham,as well as many of the 'burbs, is always looking for Policemen. Pay, however, may be below what you are used to.

[ilikegolf]

Try the Huntsville-Madison area. (North Alabama) The location is perfect. It is 105 miles to Chattanooga, Nashville and Birmingham and an exact 200 to Atlanta. The area has 4 Universities, a community college, Redstone ARsenal (military), NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, the median range for salaries is the highest in the state and you have a small town feel here. Many good private schools and some very good public schools. We have the arts, symphony, broadway theater, University of Alabama medical facilities, one of the best heart centers in the state and several large great hospitals. Golf is great here, with a Robert Trent Jones course here and others within 30-100 miles. Try us out.. we have four seasons and less severe weather than Birmingham. Let me know if I can answer anything else.

[drkchoc]

I would say Huntsvile or the madison area should be your top considerations.I live in huntsville and it is one of the safest and best places to raise a family. And it is the 3rd on the list as one of the best places to live and raise a family in in the US . Madison has great and affordable homes and the area iis really grwoing fast so buying a house now would be a great investment for the future .... Let me know if you have any other questions

[Ex-Ithacan]

Another town you might consider is Fairhope. It's on the other side of the bay from Mobile. I've been there a couple of times and I think much of the town remains quite quaint, though sprawl is growing. Looks a bit expensive, but I think there's still plenty of housing options to fit most budgets. The school system (Baldwin county) isn't too bad, but the Fairhope area schools are above state average. I know crime is a big problem in Mobile, but the Fairhope area is not bad. As an added bonus, the Gulf Coast resort areas (ie. Gulf Shores) is an easy drive, and plenty of fun. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[brandoni57]

Huntsville falls in the top 10 in NATIONAL rankings while the rest of the state is in the bottom half, its affordable and growing like HuntsVegas. I would consider Huntsville, or also the southern sections of Birmingham (Vestavia, Hoover, etc.) Thats a nice area but cost of living is higher.

[dth256]

Try Cullman - 45 minutes from both Huntsville (to the North) and Birmingham (to the south) Easy commute for work to either location, without living in the mess of the big cities.

[bamagirl924]

Check out Florence and the Shoals Area, in the northwest corner of the state. It is within a couple hours' drive of Birmingham, Nashville, and Memphis, and about an hour west of Huntsville.

[AdrianJ]

Try Oxford. Great location, good weather, great golf and check out the Cider Ridge Subdivision

[KMK]

Florence crime rate has gone up lately plus absolutely NOTHING to do here. NO JOBS at all and most young folks are having to leave to find jobs.Most larger cities are a long 2 to 3 hour ride away.