Why B'ham Leads This Westerner's Retirement List

[sacdukeman]

Originally Posted by DubbleT

Have you looked at Cookeville or some of the outer towns around Nashville/Knoxville? The cumberland plateau has something of a micro climate so weather wise it seems it wold fit the bill if you don't mind a little distance from the bigger cities.
TN has a rather unusual way of reporting crime so if your basing some of your decisions on state vs state charts like the one here on CD, you might want to get a little deeper into the actual statistics and the method the TBI uses for crime reporting.

Oh, I forgot to mention, for crime, I go off the individual town stats here on CD + the location/neighborhood-specific reporting tool that Trulia links to for whatever house one happens to be looking at.

Both show damn little in S and E Birmingham (with exception of Leeds), with Meadowbrook being unbelievably pure, a moderate amount in N. Chattanooga (though less S and E in upper Georgia), and quite a bit near Greenville/Anderson.

Maryville, as I recall, was pretty good, though not Shelby County-like.. I don't recall the other areas south of Knoxville.

[DubbleT]

Originally Posted by sacdukeman

Maryville, as I recall, was pretty good, though not Shelby County-like.. I don't recall the other areas south of Knoxville.

Tn reports crimes differently than a lot of places. A homicide that involves assault, rape, robbery, B&E may be recorded a single crime in Chicago for instance, whereas in Memphis that may be counted as five separate crimes committed. It gives the perception of an overall higher crime rate on sites that just use a straight crime rating number, which can be misleading. Not that crime is better or worse than anywhere else, just that it's not as bad as it looks at first glance when you compare to some other places that don't report in the same way.
I can't find them anymore but there used to be some interactive sites that let you zoom in on a map to look at the specific crimes in whatever city or neighborhood during a certain time frame. I used it when I was planning my move and it was a very useful tool!

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by sacdukeman

I looked at Anderson but not much at Columbia because, relative to Greenville, it's flatter/further away from the mountains, has less defined seasons and would (I suspect) have even greater suburban crime due to its larger size. Put another way, other than population/amenities, what would be its advantage over Greenville relative to my criteria? I also recall, that although Columbia isn't particularly tornadic, more action occurs in the center of the state versus upstate.

Also, I prefer the Tigers over Spurrier's Boys !

Well in your initial post, you stated that you desired a location not completely flat and generally warm with four seasons. Columbia is on the fall line, where the flat coastal plain begins giving way to the more rolling terrain of the Piedmont (and you see more of the latter points north (and even downtown Columbia is rather hilly), and it does get occasional snowfall and is definitely warm. So since it meets the basic criteria, I thought I'd throw it out there. As far as tornadoes go, as you said, that's really not a huge concern in metro Columbia. And Columbia and Greenville are roughly the same size; crime isn't prevalent in the areas I suggested. And a note about crime stats with respect to SC: the state typically reports those stats a bit more thoroughly and utilizes more sources for reporting crime (i.e., various law enforcement agencies), so cities and towns in the state often appear to be more crime-ridden than they actually are with respect to other places.

Oh, and you may want to check out the SC 'burbs of Charlotte in York and Lancaster counties.

[harry chickpea]

I'm impressed by your thoroughness in detailing what you want. S & E of B'ham does seem a good fit. I've never been impressed with Chattanooga. To me it is a dirty little city crowded into a smog bowl for much of the year, and traffic going in and out is more insane than B'ham. Atlanta is gridlock and pricey. I have relatives in Asheville, you would be about forty years too late for that to be a good deal.

Lots of vegetation does equal lots of pollens and mold. The mix of pine trees and steelmaking can make for some eye-stinging summer days in the B'ham area. Also, be aware that B'ham is expanding and property values and taxes will fluctuate depending upon how the immediate neighborhood changes.

[sacdukeman]

Originally Posted by DubbleT

Tn reports crimes differently than a lot of places. A homicide that involves assault, rape, robbery, B&E may be recorded a single crime in Chicago for instance, whereas in Memphis that may be counted as five separate crimes committed. It gives the perception of an overall higher crime rate on sites that just use a straight crime rating number, which can be misleading. Not that crime is better or worse than anywhere else, just that it's not as bad as it looks at first glance when you compare to some other places that don't report in the same way.
I can't find them anymore but there used to be some interactive sites that let you zoom in on a map to look at the specific crimes in whatever city or neighborhood during a certain time frame. I used it when I was planning my move and it was a very useful tool!

That's exactly the tool Trulia links to - it goes back 6 mos to a year and zooms in and out.

[sacdukeman]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

Well in your initial post, you stated that you desired a location not completely flat and generally warm with four seasons. Columbia is on the fall line, where the flat coastal plain begins giving way to the more rolling terrain of the Piedmont (and you see more of the latter points north (and even downtown Columbia is rather hilly), and it does get occasional snowfall and is definitely warm. So since it meets the basic criteria, I thought I'd throw it out there. As far as tornadoes go, as you said, that's really not a huge concern in metro Columbia. And Columbia and Greenville are roughly the same size; crime isn't prevalent in the areas I suggested. And a note about crime stats with respect to SC: the state typically reports those stats a bit more thoroughly and utilizes more sources for reporting crime (i.e., various law enforcement agencies), so cities and towns in the state often appear to be more crime-ridden than they actually are with respect to other places.

Oh, and you may want to check out the SC 'burbs of Charlotte in York and Lancaster counties.

Re Columbia - understood, I'll check it out further. I can use the neighborhood crime tool discussed above to refine the analysis.

Charlotte 'burbs - great idea! I'll check that out too!

[sacdukeman]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

I'm impressed by your thoroughness in detailing what you want. S & E of B'ham does seem a good fit. I've never been impressed with Chattanooga. To me it is a dirty little city crowded into a smog bowl for much of the year, and traffic going in and out is more insane than B'ham. Atlanta is gridlock and pricey. I have relatives in Asheville, you would be about forty years too late for that to be a good deal.

Lots of vegetation does equal lots of pollens and mold. The mix of pine trees and steelmaking can make for some eye-stinging summer days in the B'ham area. Also, be aware that B'ham is expanding and property values and taxes will fluctuate depending upon how the immediate neighborhood changes.

Thanks! I've heard others say the same about Atlanta, though I'd be looking far out, like Buford. As to Chattanooga, I've heard traffic on the north side of town is much lighter than from the south or east . . . true?

Pollen - I appreciate the warning. My allergies in N. C. were actually better than here. You would definitely have more mold and trees, but Sacto has tons of dust and field grasses, and it is much windier here than what you experience, plus we don't get rain to wash it out of the air. So no guarantees but I expect allergies to ease in the South.

As to changes in taxes and home values, I agree, but the other places I mentioned have the same pressures. And, relative to Calif., it's all good. lol!