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I know there have been a million of these threads, but I'm kind of going crazy and can't figure out where my family should live. We hope to move sometime in the next 5 years, so we have time to consider/visit several places and to really make a solid plan.
My husband and I are ultra-liberal/progressive/social libertarians who do NOT fit in in the conservative area of Pennsylvania where we live. I have long dreadlocks and my husband has long hair as well (not that this matters, but we get "looks" here about it). We moved back here from Madison, WI to be near my family after my son was born, but have been really unhappy with the social vibe here (especially compared to Madison, which is an ultra-liberal college town). At any rate, if you think of the most liberal person you know and kind of double it, that would probably be us. My husband is into sacred geometry and sticking feathers in his hair to talk to the crows outside.
We would really like to move to the west coast, but feel like this might be a stupid move financially. My husband is an electrician, and I work in a library, so we're not going to be making huge money wherever we live. We LOVED the social/political scene in Madison, and it's a friendly town (because of the midwestern thing?). Also really interesting and fun - lots of street musicians and artists, a fantastic weekly farmers market, block parties, co-ops, etc. And not a terrible cost of living. But it's so so so cold.
We are both gardeners, so I think the southwest is out.
Can anyone point us in a good direction? I've been checking out Asheville or Chapel Hill, NC, maybe Athens, GA, perhaps Boulder or Denver? We don't want to be in a giant city. Somewhere warmer than Wisconsin would be great. With decent schools and a reasonable cost of living for working-class folks. Hoping someone has an awesome secret they could let me in on. Or do people think we should just chuck it all and move out to the west coast, economics be darned? We'd like to buy a house, but are really aware that if we move to the west coast we'd probably be renting for 10-15 years with the cost of buying out there being what it is.
THANK YOU for taking time to read this and think about any suggestions. Like I said, I'm on the verge of tearing my hair out, not wanting to make a big mistake for our family!!
I know there have been a million of these threads, but I'm kind of going crazy and can't figure out where my family should live. We hope to move sometime in the next 5 years, so we have time to consider/visit several places and to really make a solid plan.
My husband and I are ultra-liberal/progressive/social libertarians who do NOT fit in in the conservative area of Pennsylvania where we live. I have long dreadlocks and my husband has long hair as well (not that this matters, but we get "looks" here about it). We moved back here from Madison, WI to be near my family after my son was born, but have been really unhappy with the social vibe here (especially compared to Madison, which is an ultra-liberal college town). At any rate, if you think of the most liberal person you know and kind of double it, that would probably be us. My husband is into sacred geometry and sticking feathers in his hair to talk to the crows outside.
We would really like to move to the west coast, but feel like this might be a stupid move financially. My husband is an electrician, and I work in a library, so we're not going to be making huge money wherever we live. We LOVED the social/political scene in Madison, and it's a friendly town (because of the midwestern thing?). Also really interesting and fun - lots of street musicians and artists, a fantastic weekly farmers market, block parties, co-ops, etc. And not a terrible cost of living. But it's so so so cold.
We are both gardeners, so I think the southwest is out.
Can anyone point us in a good direction? I've been checking out Asheville or Chapel Hill, NC, maybe Athens, GA, perhaps Boulder or Denver? We don't want to be in a giant city. Somewhere warmer than Wisconsin would be great. With decent schools and a reasonable cost of living for working-class folks. Hoping someone has an awesome secret they could let me in on. Or do people think we should just chuck it all and move out to the west coast, economics be darned? We'd like to buy a house, but are really aware that if we move to the west coast we'd probably be renting for 10-15 years with the cost of buying out there being what it is.
THANK YOU for taking time to read this and think about any suggestions. Like I said, I'm on the verge of tearing my hair out, not wanting to make a big mistake for our family!!
Well, even as liberal as I am, after four kids I'm not going anywhere naked! Lol...
I think we'd love San Francisco, but can't even imagine affording to live there. I hear you can rent a closet for $1000 a month... Ditto for Berkeley, which is where multiple folks tell me I'd be happiest. Anywhere like those places that isn't insanely expensive or cold??
Well, even as liberal as I am, after four kids I'm not going anywhere naked! Lol...
I think we'd love San Francisco, but can't even imagine affording to live there. I hear you can rent a closet for $1000 a month... Ditto for Berkeley, which is where multiple folks tell me I'd be happiest. Anywhere like those places that isn't insanely expensive or cold??
OMG I just discovered this on netflix a few days ago - hilarious. The whole show is just comical - I've never been to portland, but it reminds me a lot of Madison anyway... All the characters are there...
You guys sound like Stuff White People Like to the nth degree; I agree with both Portland and Eugene, depending on which population size is a better fit.
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