Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > General U.S. > City vs. City
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
 
Old 02-04-2014, 08:57 AM
 
Location: SNJ
7 posts, read 17,243 times
Reputation: 11

Advertisements

I have been trying to do some research to see where my family and I would like to move. I know we want to leave NJ. When looking at options, obviously, everything has ups and downs/pros and cons. I guess it matter most what we can deal with, and what we can't. So, I'm composing my wish list. Based on this criteria, what would your suggestion be? Granted, I am not asking anyone to tell me where to live, but based on likes/dislikes, pros/cons, what locations are most ideal in your personal opinion

Wish List:

WEATHER
  • low humidity
    very few, if any, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, droughts, or blizzards


PEOPLE
  • Friendly
    Open-minded, but mind their own business
    Family-oriented
    Intellectual
    Cultural
    Laid-back


BELIEFS/RELIGION/POLITICS
  • More spiritual than religious
    Diverse groups/communities
    Liberal-ish
    Live & Let Live attitude
    Support amendments and civil liberty
    egalitarian


COMMUNITY PLUSES
  • Median home value around 190,000
    Median income around 60,000
    Acceptable public school system or access to great private schools
    Median age 40
    Close knit, but understand personal boundaries
    Low crime rate
    Stuff to do, if you want to do stuff, or at least can get to activities when they are available
    Spacious / you can live on at least 0.5+ acres
    Suburban-ish


EMPLOYMENT
  • Good for people who work in technology (Network admin, PC repair/tech, systems admin, etc)
    Good for people who work in academia (adjunct, instructor, professor, academic )


With all this in mind, I am sure there are trade-offs, and some things we will just have to live with. And that's fine. At the end of the day, I simply want to come to a place where I can sit on my porch and mellow out with my family--without dealing with a lot of noise, crime or fear, or--if I choose--connect with others when the mood hits, like have cookouts with the neighbors. I want to be able to find employment without having to commute 2 hrs one way to get there or deal with ridiculous traffic and rude, snobby people. I can deal with extreme weather, but not all the time where we are trapped indoors because of 2 feet of snow most of the winter or 115 degrees of hot heat most of the summer. The less bugs the better or at least we can live harmoniously with whatever wild life and insects that do exist in that area. I really do not care what others believe, worship or do, as long as they don't push their ideas on me, and they are not hurting anyone else's rights or liberties because of what they believe. My kids are almost done with school; youngest has about 5 yrs left before heading to college, and my middle only 1 more year. Oh, and my youngest is Gifted/Talented; middle is Gifted, w/Aspergers. So, a school that has some supports is great--or at least access to social groups and academic excellence. I don't want to send my children somewhere I have to worry that educators baby sit verses teach, and they are going to be bullied most of the day verses learning.

Are their any places that come to mine that may be able to give at last 80% of what I'm looking for? (80/20 rule, if you will)

Thank you for your support, advice and insight.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 02-04-2014, 04:16 PM
 
Location: New York NY
5,513 posts, read 8,725,194 times
Reputation: 12690
I'd highly recommend Ashevill NC, which seems to have at least 80% of what you're looking for, and maybe morer. There are certainly colleges in the area, UNC Asheville, Warren Wilson, Western Carolina, Asheville-Buncombe Community, and Brevard College are the ones I know of. The school system there is supposed to be pretty good, though I don't know what it may have to offer in terms of Sp. ed. Also not sure what the market would be for tech people. You'd have to check that out. But unemployment is under the national average, around 6.5% I'd guess.

Otherwise it fits to a a T everything else you're looking for: Artsy, left-leaning, sophisticated, very friendly people, good for families, housing prices about what you'd want --though there are also some VERY pricey homes there--a bustling, walkable, enetertainment filled downtown, and a lot of outdoor activities 'cause it's nestled in the Great Smokies. Some hot humid rainy days in the summer and a little snow in the winter, but overall very moderate climate.

And if it ever feels too small, Charlotte and Atlanta are only a couple hours drive away.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 02-04-2014, 06:09 PM
 
283 posts, read 461,655 times
Reputation: 314
Madison Wisconsin is really a great place. It has a lot of what you're looking for I believe, however the deal-breaker might be the weather. It's pretty cold. But still, it's a few hours away from Milwaukee and Chicago if you want to visit a bigger city. It's got great outdoor activities on the lake in the summer. It's got a lot of life, being the capitol of the state and with a big college in town, which surely offers lots of jobs based on what you are looking for. I'd als say a good part of the town is suburbanish, as you put it. Give it a look! Asheville was a good suggestion too.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 02-04-2014, 07:20 PM
 
Location: DC
2,044 posts, read 2,950,084 times
Reputation: 1824
This really sounds like Denver except for the snow/blizzards (from what I heard, they are nowhere nearly as bad as noreasters). Otherwise I would say New Mexico by one of the national labs. The non-humid weather and other elements suggests this.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > General U.S. > City vs. City
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top