[MelRN]

HI..I am a Registered Nurse and single mom to two boy's ages 11 and 2. I currently live in Las Vegas, NV and I am looking to relocate. I am struggling with a decision on where to go. I am originally from a small town in Northern Michigan where weather is bad 10 months out of the year. I don't mind snow, but not nine months of it. I would love to find the perfect town that is not too far from a bigger city with opportunities for my kids. I would love to live in the country, and or near a lake.
I know this may all sound crazy. I guess I am just at that point in my life where I want to settle down and buy a house and raise my boys. I have been apartment living for so long and have moved from MI to Nashville, TN and now Vegas, and I don't feel like any of those places were the right place to STAY. I am just hoping that some of y'all who have maybe traveled around some, or know someone who lives some place wonderful, or YOU live some place wonderful can give a girl some advice! I need a safe, friendly town where the cost of living isn't so high you have to live pay check to pay check.
You know that movie "Sleeping with the Enemy" where Julia Robert's character runs away from her husband and ends up in that small town? I LOVE that kind of setting! Where you can sit out on your front porch swing with a glass of lemonade and watch the leaves on the tree's blow with the gentle breeze! I am lucky enough with my career that I can pretty much go anywhere. My delema now is WHERE that some place is. Is it Connecticut? How are the winters? Are they long with no real summer weather? Are there small, clean towns near bigger metro areas? I appreciate any advice!

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by MelRN

HI..I am a Registered Nurse and single mom to two boy's ages 11 and 2. I currently live in Las Vegas, NV and I am looking to relocate. I am struggling with a decision on where to go. I am originally from a small town in Northern Michigan where weather is bad 10 months out of the year. I don't mind snow, but not nine months of it. I would love to find the perfect town that is not too far from a bigger city with opportunities for my kids. I would love to live in the country, and or near a lake.
I know this may all sound crazy. I guess I am just at that point in my life where I want to settle down and buy a house and raise my boys. I have been apartment living for so long and have moved from MI to Nashville, TN and now Vegas, and I don't feel like any of those places were the right place to STAY. I am just hoping that some of y'all who have maybe traveled around some, or know someone who lives some place wonderful, or YOU live some place wonderful can give a girl some advice! I need a safe, friendly town where the cost of living isn't so high you have to live pay check to pay check.
You know that movie "Sleeping with the Enemy" where Julia Robert's character runs away from her husband and ends up in that small town? I LOVE that kind of setting! Where you can sit out on your front porch swing with a glass of lemonade and watch the leaves on the tree's blow with the gentle breeze! I am lucky enough with my career that I can pretty much go anywhere. My delema now is WHERE that some place is. Is it Connecticut? How are the winters? Are they long with no real summer weather? Are there small, clean towns near bigger metro areas? I appreciate any advice!

Coming from Vegas I think Connecticut will be refreshing.

Since you're looking for affordable, I'd strongly urge you to look in eastern CT. Western CT, while very desirable, is very expensive due to the proximity to NYC. Eastern CT is halfway between NYC and Boston (2 hours to each) and is the most affordable part of Connecticut. Lucky for you, it's also the most country with some very nice small towns home to very good school districts. Check out the eastern Hartford metro - Vernon, Putnam, Columbia, Bolton, Ashford etc. You're within easy access to Hartford while still close to the rural, small town charm you desire.

You can also check out southeastern Connecticut (Groton/New London area) with some beautiful small towns near the shore like Mystic, Waterford and Niantic.

The metro areas in CT are as follows:

In the NYC Metro area, you have the following smaller metros - Stamford/Norwalk/Bridgeport area, New Haven area, Waterbury area, Danbury area.

Greater Hartford

Norwich/New London/Groton area

Willimantic area

Torrington area

I'm not sure what your price range is, or how long of a commute you desire, but I'm sure you will love Connecticut.

Moderator skytrekker can give you a very good description of the weather in CT compared to NV, so I'll leave that for him.

[skytrekker]

KidYankee gave excellent suggestions; Some other towns on the outer fringe of Hartford eastern suburbs include Willington, Coventry, Bolton & Stafford Springs, all small type towns of New England character- a few with lakes right in town. Also consider Somers, to the northeast of Hartford near the Massachusetts border.

Far eastern Connecticut has Putnam- which he mentioned, but also consider Pomfret, Brooklyn and Woodstock.These towns are about equal distance between Hartford and Providence (30 miles in either direction)

Climatically eastern CT has a moderate 4 season humid continental climate- although southeastern coastal CT (New London, Groton) has more of a mild maritime climate due to the moderating effects of the Sea- which means milder winters with less snow, compared to inland areas; and a sea breeze often in the summer, and less hot weather compared to areas away from the water.

Inland eastern CT averages about 35-48" of snow per winter- areas over 500 feet above sea level and near the Massachusetts border will receive the most. Eastern areas of CT have a slightly milder winter then western CT because of the closer proximity to winds off the Atlantic just the south and east, which moderates the weather. For example, Norwich in south eastern CT may receive rain from a coastal storm, while Torrington in the western hills may receive a foot of snow. New London/Groton receives under 25" a snow per winter.

Summer can be warm to hot- with an average of 23 days 90 or above (less on the coast)- and 1 day 100 or more- with at times excessive amounts of sultry tropical like humidity. Back door cool fronts from the ocean to the east will give relief, as well as Canadian fronts from the north and west.

Hurricanes and tropical storms may sometimes pay an unwanted visit to the state- areas near the southeastern shore & eastern CT are most vulnerable- but the whole state can feel the affects of these cyclonic systems from the south. The 'Great New England Hurricane' of 1938 was particularly catastrophic to Connecticut and eastern New England. Tornadoes are virtually unknown.

Late summer-from mid to late August through nearly Thanksgiving offer the longest stretch of pleasant conditions- with a gradual transition from warm to cool/mild sublime weather. Winters begin around mid December and end toward late march. Aprils can begin chilly- with days of cool to milder conditions, giving way to mild to warmer weather by months end (areas near the shore will be cooler due to the still cold waters of the sound and ocean) May is usually pleasant- with warming reaching summer levels toward Memorial day. June offers mostly pleasant warm weather, before summer heat sets in late in the month. July is normally the hottest month- extending into the first 10 days of August. The 'Dog Day's end in mid August, as the sun, nearly 2 months past the June solstice begins to decline and loose strength.

[yankeemom]

As a mom, I suggest you look for communities where you will not have to drive your kids (or at least your older one) to every activity or after school event. That town in the Julia Roberts movie was great because it was IN town with sidewalks etc. Many suburban CT communities are very car centric and as mom with a spouse who pitches in getting the kids to the correct activities I could not imagine how I could survive as a single mom. today alone all 3 kids need to be at 3 different activities all at the same time, and our town is not ammeniable to biking or walking even thoough 2 of my kids are teens and perfectly capable of some independence!

[wavehunter007]

Originally Posted by MelRN

HI..I am a Registered Nurse and single mom to two boy's ages 11 and 2. I currently live in Las Vegas, NV and I am looking to relocate. I am struggling with a decision on where to go. I am originally from a small town in Northern Michigan where weather is bad 10 months out of the year. I don't mind snow, but not nine months of it. I would love to find the perfect town that is not too far from a bigger city with opportunities for my kids. I would love to live in the country, and or near a lake.
I know this may all sound crazy. I guess I am just at that point in my life where I want to settle down and buy a house and raise my boys. I have been apartment living for so long and have moved from MI to Nashville, TN and now Vegas, and I don't feel like any of those places were the right place to STAY. I am just hoping that some of y'all who have maybe traveled around some, or know someone who lives some place wonderful, or YOU live some place wonderful can give a girl some advice! I need a safe, friendly town where the cost of living isn't so high you have to live pay check to pay check.
You know that movie "Sleeping with the Enemy" where Julia Robert's character runs away from her husband and ends up in that small town? I LOVE that kind of setting! Where you can sit out on your front porch swing with a glass of lemonade and watch the leaves on the tree's blow with the gentle breeze! I am lucky enough with my career that I can pretty much go anywhere. My delema now is WHERE that some place is. Is it Connecticut? How are the winters? Are they long with no real summer weather? Are there small, clean towns near bigger metro areas? I appreciate any advice!

Many folks seem to be moving from the far Western states to the East Coast. My job and my wife’s position at an area college - allow us to interact with a lot of students and transplants form other regions/nations, and many seem to be coming from CA and AZ.

I have been struck how people from the Western states seem to think it’s so humid in the eastern states. Recently a young girl my wife works with who is a CA transplant - in an almost comical way – complains about the humidity nonstop. Since I work for a company that creates maps for climate, marketing, tax……etc, I just thought I would show you an interesting map. I think we forget how dry the West is….or how humid the East can be to people not accustomed to it

The map below shows summer relative humidity (June – August). The higher the relative humidity…..1) the higher the moisture in the air, 2) the lower the cooling power of the air, and 3) the higher the sensible temperature.

A quick basic guide is…

RH – 30 to 40……….very dry.
RH - 40 –55…………comfortable/considered ideal.
RH - 56 to 60…. …….becoming humid.
RH - 61 to 64…. ……..humid/ everopation low
RH - 65 and over ……sultury, tropical/air saturated, little or no cooling power.





As the map above shows – in the typical summer months, most of the Western United States enjoys dry air with an RH that has a significant amount of cooling power. In Las Vegas, while the air is quite hot (say 107 F or instance) the air is has a lot of cooling power, so a person may feel that they are not so uncomfortable. Even along the Pacific coast - from CA right up to WA, a comfortable RH of only 50 % is enjoyed. So a 78 F day in LA, feels quite nice. This, thanks to the cool dry Canadian air that moves parallels from north to south down the West Coast in summer.

The East Coast is not nearly as lucky. As summer builds, a strong flow of humid tropical air from the deep tropics is pumped up along the East Seaboard in ebbs and flows. RH increase above 50% quickly as one progress from west to east in the United States. RH values of around 60 - 65 % run through the Tri-State area much of the summer. When the Bermuda High gets close to the Eastern United States with a strong southerly flow - RH can be has high as 74% in the East Coast cites south to Florida. A temp of 88 F with a RH of 71 % has a THI (temperature –humidity index) of about 109 F. In the summer of 1999, many areas in the Tri-State and south Atlantic states recorded THI peaks of 115 – 123 F. In summer, a person from the West - may feel as if they are in a steamy jungle in the Amazon or in a sauna. The air has NO cooling power. In other words, you sweet, big time. Even In winter, although drier than summer, the damp and humid air can make a 30 F temperature more raw and penetrating.

So again if your coming from the desert southwest – be ready for humidity, rainfall, moisture, fog, steam…..well you get the idea.

As far as winters, as stated above, winters in Connecticut are far less severe than in MI, we get half the snow, more sun, and spring and especially fall come earlier.


Good Luck.

[MomOfToo]

The Danbury area is a good idea! Since your a nurse, you can get a job at Danbury Hospital and live in small towns like Bethel, Brookfield, New Fairfield (more affordable than Ridgefield. There is Candlewood Lake and many other lakes in the area. You could also Move to New Milford and still have a choice of getting a job at Danbury Hospital or New Milford Hospital. Danbury and New Milford are like 20 mins away from eachother. Danbury is a city surrounded by these towns so you can get the benefit of living in a small town but have a city to go to for shopping.

[wanderintonc]

Make sure you thoroughly research housing prices and property tax costs before you get set on CT. I'm not really familiar with Las Vegas, so I can't compare-but since you said you want to buy, you need to really check that out. Taxes vary by town and can be quite high, as can property costs, particularly in those picturesque little villages you said you like.

I don't like winters, but they are not so bad as Michigan and we do have nice summer here. Some humidity, I guess, but it's not suffocating or anything usually.

[CaliforniaLass]

Hello,

My daughter and her husband moved from San Rafael, California to Connecticut. They went there because of a new job.

Anyway, Glasonbury, Connecticut seemed like the place that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives at but found that the weather tended to much cooler than they expected even during the summertime. Plus in the area that they lived, in these huge huge houses, it was rare to even see people outside of their house. I use to go there and visit but I never saw a sign of life of people even walking down the street. Coming from California, I thought that this is weird. In California, I was use to seeing people walking and talking to their neighbors and visiting with eachother and kids playing with eachother but to go to a town where you do not see anyone talking or visiting with their neighbors was very strange to me. Even the children were not playing with children. They all were in their tiny little worlds and didn't have anything to do with anyone at all in their neighborhood. I felt like I was in the twilight zone or something. Maybe they didn't accept people coming from other states and people who were friendly and outgoing not like themselves.

They both loved their hot climates and after living there for most of the year they knew that they had to move to a place offering hotter climate and a normal place where people talked to people and visited with eachother and a place where they knew their neighbors and so they ended up in Lake Norman, in North Carolina.

Just check out the area because I know that you are going to love this place as they have. They found a beautiful house and their back yard was all lawn down to their little beach with their boat sitting in the water all ready to go for a spin around the lake. We love the weather and the people here. So I think that you will too.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaLass

Hello,

My daughter and her husband moved from San Rafael, California to Connecticut. They went there because of a new job.

Anyway, Glasonbury, Connecticut seemed like the place that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives at but found that the weather tended to much cooler than they expected even during the summertime. Plus in the area that they lived, in these huge huge houses, it was rare to even see people outside of their house. I use to go there and visit but I never saw a sign of life of people even walking down the street. Coming from California, I thought that this is weird. In California, I was use to seeing people walking and talking to their neighbors and visiting with eachother and kids playing with eachother but to go to a town where you do not see anyone talking or visiting with their neighbors was very strange to me. Even the children were not playing with children. They all were in their tiny little worlds and didn't have anything to do with anyone at all in their neighborhood. I felt like I was in the twilight zone or something. Maybe they didn't accept people coming from other states and people who were friendly and outgoing not like themselves.

They both loved their hot climates and after living there for most of the year they knew that they had to move to a place offering hotter climate and a normal place where people talked to people and visited with eachother and a place where they knew their neighbors and so they ended up in Lake Norman, in North Carolina.

Just check out the area because I know that you are going to love this place as they have. They found a beautiful house and their back yard was all lawn down to their little beach with their boat sitting in the water all ready to go for a spin around the lake. We love the weather and the people here. So I think that you will too.

It's not that people here aren't accepting - many people here (more in the suburbs) are reserved. It's that New England reservation. People largely keep to themselves, with some exceptions of course. If you see your neighbor outside, more than likely they'll wave or say a quick hello instead of having a long conversation. I've found most people here don't like small-talk, mostly because it's fake and awkward. People here, when holding a conversation, prefer for it to be meaningful, genuine and worth their time.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaLass

Hello,

My daughter and her husband moved from San Rafael, California to Connecticut. They went there because of a new job.

Anyway, Glasonbury, Connecticut seemed like the place that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives at but found that the weather tended to much cooler than they expected even during the summertime. Plus in the area that they lived, in these huge huge houses, it was rare to even see people outside of their house. I use to go there and visit but I never saw a sign of life of people even walking down the street. Coming from California, I thought that this is weird. In California, I was use to seeing people walking and talking to their neighbors and visiting with eachother and kids playing with eachother but to go to a town where you do not see anyone talking or visiting with their neighbors was very strange to me. Even the children were not playing with children. They all were in their tiny little worlds and didn't have anything to do with anyone at all in their neighborhood. I felt like I was in the twilight zone or something. Maybe they didn't accept people coming from other states and people who were friendly and outgoing not like themselves.

They both loved their hot climates and after living there for most of the year they knew that they had to move to a place offering hotter climate and a normal place where people talked to people and visited with eachother and a place where they knew their neighbors and so they ended up in Lake Norman, in North Carolina.

Just check out the area because I know that you are going to love this place as they have. They found a beautiful house and their back yard was all lawn down to their little beach with their boat sitting in the water all ready to go for a spin around the lake. We love the weather and the people here. So I think that you will too.

I am not sure where in Glastonbury your daughter lived but I can tell you that in our neighborhood we have kids around all the time. Other neighborhoods that I know here are similar. There are neighbors out in good weather regularly. I will say that kids in town have a lot of activities (sports, music, religous lessons, etc.) so it was not common for there to be every kid around all the time. Plus with homework, there are times it is quite. Also it seems that there are a lot more "scheduled" playdates than when I was a kid, but I think that is happening throughout the country not just here. I am sorry your daughter and her family did not like it here. It sounds more like that the weather did not suit them. People in CT are reserved so they might not have met people. Glastonbury is a wonderful town to live but if you are not use to New Englanders it can be difficult. Jay