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I agree I am from MI and am moving back full time in the spring. I know very litte about Detroit though I lived in the suburbs so I can't give feedback about the citiy. I can though for the suburbs and many are family friendly and safe living. Plus affordable. Other then the winters each season brings a lot of beauty and I can see for some who enjoy winter sports how even that time is nice. In the summer the lake was always fun to go on. We had a boat and would take day/weekend trips.
A big issue is what you do for a living and is there opportunity in the state you would be thinking of going to.
Hello! I currently live in Seattle, WA and I love it here - except for the weather. It almost always rains, with a handful of sunny days in the summer and a little snow in the winter (if we're lucky). My ideal city probably doesn't exist, but here is my list of desired characteristics:
1) All four seasons – I want a white Christmas and summers that are warm enough to justify owning a swimming pool.
2) In or near a major city with plenty of restaurants, cultural events, shopping, a night life, and an abundance of things to do.
3) A thriving arts community, especially theatre.
4) Liberal/progressive.
5) Lush and green with good air quality and plenty of hiking and other outdoor activities.
6) Near the ocean or a nice lake for boating/swimming.
7) Tolerable traffic.
8) Affordable homes/reasonable cost of living for a household yearly income of 150k.
9) Good schools/good place to raise a family.
10) Low crime.
I'd love some input on which cities you think best fit this list! I'd like to stay as close as possible to the west coast, but I'd move just about anywhere in the U.S. if it matches my list! Thank you!
This is a serious question... if you love Seattle so much, except for the weather, can't you just move inland about an hour, and get everything you want on your list?
I live in California, and here, if you go inland about 10 miles, you have more sunny days. And if you go 20 mlles in, you get almost ideal weather - warm sunny days, but still mild enough to be comfortable. And if you go an hour inland you get hot sunny days, and if the elevation is high enough, snow in the winter. Is it not the same in Washington?
Spo-fricken-Kompton.........that place has it all (Spokane, wa).
Sounds like I'm not the only one thinking the answer may be to go inland! Although... Spokane is five hours from the ocean, and Seattle, so it would really only work if it did indeed have everything on the list - since very few people are going to drive five hours, to go to the theater!
WILKES-BARRE PA I moved here last year from Long Island NY I think it fulfills all of your needs and wants.
1. We have four glorious seasons that are very distinct from one another. On Long Island, Autumn was brief and led into this long nasty grey time from November to March - Just dismal and grey. Hardly any white Christmases. Wilkes-Barre has really beautiful Autumns - the colors are glorious, and the Mountains are near. Skiing is close in the winter. We also get real Springs - not one hot day, one cold day, back and forth and suddenly its summer.
2. Wilkes-Barre is a medium sized city. We have many fine dining opportunities in the city - Thia, Northern Italian, New American, Mexican, Southern Italian, Sea Food Middle Eastern, Indian and more. There are also many cultural and artistic offerings as well. Each year there is a Fine Arts Fiesta in the park. There is a wonderful place in W-B called Artsyouniverse, whose home is in a lovely old church. There are classes offered there and an active art community.
The Kirby Center for the Arts is located in a beautifully restored Art Deco building in down town Wilkes-Barre presents plays, musical performances comedy and dance. We also have a community Theatre and Wilkes University has a large Theater Arts department with many productions through out the year.
Wilkes-Barre is an hour and a half from Philadelphia and two and a half hour to NYC. People here seem to attend Broadway plays more frequently than people did on Long Island! If you don't want to drive to NYC there are bus groups that take people from the area into NY for the express purpose of seeing plays, visiting museums, and attending other cultural events.
4 I am as Liberal and Progressive as they come and I am more than comfortable here. I have not met any Tea Party types here, where as suburbia was rife with them! The presence of two institutions of higher learning right in Wilkes-Barre, defiantly adds to the general progressive vibe. Incidentally, the Wilkes-Barre Scranton area is home two no less than 9 Colleges and Universities.
There is also a thriving Unitarian Universalist Association in Wilkes-Barre. Almost all UUs are liberals and Progressives. There is also a gay community that has Pride Fest each year.
5. Lush and Green area with opportunities for hiking? Got that covered! Frances Slocum State Park, and Rickets Glenn are right outside of W-B, 20 - 40 minutes away.
The city of Wilkes-Barre is home to many beautiful private homes with lovely gardens and many beautiful tree-lined streets.BTW.
If you enjoy hiking you will not be alone! We are also on the Susquehanna River and many people enjoy water related activities. A recently developed River Common is the sight of many summer concerts, and a great place to jog and walk.
6. Nearest large lake Harvey's Lake. It's 15 minutes from downtown Wilkes-Barre and it's has a sandy beach, boating, swimming and fishing. There are also lakes at many of the State Parks.
If you crave the Ocean, the Jersey Shore is about 2 hours away. Cape May is accessible by bus and is a popular and beautiful Victorian Sea Side Community. Other Atlantic Ocean destinations include Wildwood NJ and Ocean City MD. We are really in the middle of everywhere! BTW Harvey's Lake is the largest natural lake in PA. The area has a very beachy feel to it.
7. Little traffic.
8. One of the most affordable cities in the US! (excluding ultra conservative, red neckish areas)
For example, A 4-5 bedroom older home, (Victorian, American Four Square, Tudor, Mid-Century Mid-Century Modern are all available) with mature landscaping, formal dining rooms sun rooms, pocket doors, and up graded kitchens are easy to find for about 200K or less. Taxes on this type of home are under 2000 per year. Smaller homes or ones in need of restoration are usually under 100K.
I really don't know of another city as close to the coast that is less expensive! For 250 to three hundren you can purchase a River View mansion. There are also Lofts in town, turn of the century town homes and a variety of other housing options.
9. Great place to raise a family! I am very selective about schools and would not have had any problem sending my children to Wilkes-Barre City public schools through Elementary School. The High Schools are typical City High Schools - not the worst city schools, but not the best, as compared to the public schools that I left behind in suburban NY.
We have chosen private schools for our High School age children. Since we are no longer paying 17,000 dollars per year in property taxes, and our mortgage is under 500 per month, as opposed to 3000, private school is well within our budget.
Private School Options Include:
Wilkes-Barre Academy -K-8 ( also pre school and extended day)
Wyoming Valley Montessori School - K-8 (pre-school and extended day)
Good Shepherd Academy - K-8
The Wyoming Seminary - K-12
Scranton Prep - 9-12
Holy Redeemer High School 9-12
The lower cost of living has also opened the doors to other learning opportunities for my children that were nearly impossible with my former high cost of living. For example my eldest is going to Ukraine to study Russian in August. We travel a lot more as a family!
11. Wilkes-Barre has a low rate of crime for a city of it's size and as with any city, the crime is centered in certain areas. I am not afraid to walk at night in down town Wilkes-Barre by my self.
There are areas that I would avoid. Most crime seems to be among criminals.
Unlike Long Island where I frequently left my door unlocked, I lock my door when I leave the house and we have a security system. But then so did many people in my upscale suburb!
I hope that what I have written has been of help and if you have further questions, feel free to send me a direct message!
West Hartford CT
Stamford CT
New Haven CT
Boston MA
Portsmouth NH
Portland ME
Providence RI
A couple - like NH and Providence - and the schools directly in neighboring towns tend to be much better than the cities proper. The thing about this region is the cities take up a tiny space and what would be city limits anywhere else in the US comprises of several suburbs here.
Can anybody explain to me what is so wonderful about "all four seasons"? I have lived in areas with four seasons for most of my life and I have to say that I hate it (the exception was a couple of years in tropical climate that I really enjoyed). Usually, in "four season" places it is way too cold and windy in winter, and way too hot and humid in summer. Snow storms, ice storms, just some disgusting cold rain and wind most of the year. Overall, there are maybe only a couple of weeks per year that are tolerable, not too cold or too hot (around 78 degrees, nice refreshing breeze, etc).
I really don't get all that hype about the 4 seasons!! Does anybody else feel like me, or am I the only one?
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