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Someplace along the Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico from Taos south to Las Cruces, including Santa Fe, Rio Rancho, and Albuquerque and smaller towns. The climate is a Goldilocks climate and a little cooler in the north. The mountains are more forested in the north. You could work in your current careers until you create the jobs you want. The film industry is moving into Albuquerque and there is usually a half dozen films being produced in New Mexico, maybe more. The same with TV. Cost of living is pretty average. There are few, if any, huge corn fields. New Mexico is a blue state but there are red counties. there is plenty of outdoor recreation. Your challenge would be to research the schools for your kids. There are some great schools and some not so great. There are private academies sprinkled throughout the Albuquerque area. Albuquerque is just over a mile high, and Santa Fe is 7,000 ft. in elevation. This is desert country and gets only about a foot of rain a year. The state population is 2.2 million people. Creative people have flocked to New Mexico for generations.
My family and I currently live in the Midwest, more specifically in Champaign, IL. We are originally from Joliet/Lockport IL and have never lived anywhere but these two places. The time has come that we REALLY want to move out of the state for a change of scenery. I'm so sick and tired of flat cornfields.
A little bit about our family - My wife and I are in our early 40s. She is a registered nurse and I am a licensed pharmacist. I am looking to leave healthcare for a creative position as a maker or themed entertainment designer. I'd also enjoy being an exhibit designer for museums. I enjoy combining art with science/education. Our son is 9 and entering 4th grade, and our daughter is 7 and entering 2nd grade.
We really want to move to somewhere that has a lot of trees and/or is close to a forest. Ideally, we could find a home with a little bit of space, maybe an acre or two, that's within 30-45 min of civilization. The size of that civilization would be a village/town up to a small city/urban area (think 250k-500k MAX). We also LOVE the Smokey/Appalachian mountains.
We would also love to be able to move to somewhere we could find our tribe or community. We are geeks at heart. We love almost anything science fiction or fantasy. I am into making things with my 3D printer, building parts work models, miniatures, legos, electronics, etc... We enjoy cosplay and crafts along with DIY. We are also avid gamers, mostly board games but the occasional video game (Zelda, Metroid, WoW). My wife crochets. We would love to be able to attend Rennaissance Faires or Board Game conventions nearby (within 4 hours drive or so).
Weather - as mild as we can get. We tolerate cold better than warm. The least amount of humidity possible. We enjoy Ice Skating and Hockey, Hiking, and would love to find somewhere we could go camping or swimming.
Of course none of this is a hard line. Obviously there is a balancing act of tolerating some things in exchange for getting others.
So we would really appreciate help narrowing down new places to live. At least a geographic area or state specific. If you want or can be more specific like a county or city then great. Our politics are pretty liberal but we are able to get along with opposing views as long as its not extreme or in your face forced on you.
Thanks every one! Look forward to possibly meeting you soon.
Boone, NC. Or Asheville. The latter has more of a hipster vibe but the nerd population seems to thrive there as well. Asheville will have more job opportunities; Boone will have the milder summer temperatures and more "fully" the "nerd" vibe you are looking for.
Someplace along the Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico from Taos south to Las Cruces, including Santa Fe, Rio Rancho, and Albuquerque and smaller towns. The climate is a Goldilocks climate and a little cooler in the north. The mountains are more forested in the north. You could work in your current careers until you create the jobs you want. The film industry is moving into Albuquerque and there is usually a half dozen films being produced in New Mexico, maybe more. The same with TV. Cost of living is pretty average. There are few, if any, huge corn fields. New Mexico is a blue state but there are red counties. there is plenty of outdoor recreation. Your challenge would be to research the schools for your kids. There are some great schools and some not so great. There are private academies sprinkled throughout the Albuquerque area. Albuquerque is just over a mile high, and Santa Fe is 7,000 ft. in elevation. This is desert country and gets only about a foot of rain a year. The state population is 2.2 million people. Creative people have flocked to New Mexico for generations.
Belen , Las Lunas , get on the 1-25 commute to ALBQ if you can stand the traffic , not as bad as other places , catch the Commuter train for Albq to Sante Fe , awesome !
Los Lunas is seeing more industry it seems. The Facebook data center was a nice addition. The town is not too far out for a commute and the RailRunner train is cheap transportation. Belin is a little farther but still on the commuter line. Albuquerque doesn’t really have suburbs other than Rio Rancho (@ 100k pop.) the rest are small established towns up or down the valley. There are a couple East Mountain communities.
I’d take a look at the Hudson Valley — from north of New York City along the river on either side, up to maybe a Bear Mountain. Lovely forested region of small towns with several colleges and possible commuting to the big city for the second career design opportunities. Maybe a town like Piedmont, New Paltz, Warwick, Tarrytown. Lots of choices here.
My family and I currently live in the Midwest, more specifically in Champaign, IL. We are originally from Joliet/Lockport IL and have never lived anywhere but these two places. The time has come that we REALLY want to move out of the state for a change of scenery. I'm so sick and tired of flat cornfields.
A little bit about our family - My wife and I are in our early 40s. She is a registered nurse and I am a licensed pharmacist. I am looking to leave healthcare for a creative position as a maker or themed entertainment designer. I'd also enjoy being an exhibit designer for museums. I enjoy combining art with science/education. Our son is 9 and entering 4th grade, and our daughter is 7 and entering 2nd grade.
We really want to move to somewhere that has a lot of trees and/or is close to a forest. Ideally, we could find a home with a little bit of space, maybe an acre or two, that's within 30-45 min of civilization. The size of that civilization would be a village/town up to a small city/urban area (think 250k-500k MAX). We also LOVE the Smokey/Appalachian mountains.
We would also love to be able to move to somewhere we could find our tribe or community. We are geeks at heart. We love almost anything science fiction or fantasy. I am into making things with my 3D printer, building parts work models, miniatures, legos, electronics, etc... We enjoy cosplay and crafts along with DIY. We are also avid gamers, mostly board games but the occasional video game (Zelda, Metroid, WoW). My wife crochets. We would love to be able to attend Rennaissance Faires or Board Game conventions nearby (within 4 hours drive or so).
Weather - as mild as we can get. We tolerate cold better than warm. The least amount of humidity possible. We enjoy Ice Skating and Hockey, Hiking, and would love to find somewhere we could go camping or swimming.
Of course none of this is a hard line. Obviously there is a balancing act of tolerating some things in exchange for getting others.
So we would really appreciate help narrowing down new places to live. At least a geographic area or state specific. If you want or can be more specific like a county or city then great. Our politics are pretty liberal but we are able to get along with opposing views as long as its not extreme or in your face forced on you.
Thanks every one! Look forward to possibly meeting you soon.
Fxguy1, all of your interests, and I do mean ALL to a tee make Rochester NY the PERFECT fit for you. There you will undoubtedly find your tribe and your wife’s too.
While the metro area is just under 1.1 mil, the city itself is just over 200K. The good thing is that the area offers a lot of nice amenities but doesn’t really feel that large. You can get acreage and still be close enough to everything within 30 min. Snow can be plentiful (or overrated) dependent upon your location in proximity to certain areas of Lake Ontario, but its removal is very well managed and the place doesn’t shut down. Summers and fall are fantastic. Truly a geek and outdoor paradise!
A little bit about our family - My wife and I are in our early 40s. She is a registered nurse and I am a licensed pharmacist. I am looking to leave healthcare for a creative position as a maker or themed entertainment designer. I'd also enjoy being an exhibit designer for museums. I enjoy combining art with science/education. Our son is 9 and entering 4th grade, and our daughter is 7 and entering 2nd grade.
Ann Arbor has two major museums: the Museum of Natural History and the Hands-on Museum. The Henry Ford, the Museum of African-American History, and DIA are about 30-45 minutes away. There's also an art museum and a science museum in Toledo, about an hour's drive away. However, Ann Arbor is rather expensive, so you might want to keep your day job for a little while longer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fxguy1
We really want to move to somewhere that has a lot of trees and/or is close to a forest. Ideally, we could find a home with a little bit of space, maybe an acre or two, that's within 30-45 min of civilization. The size of that civilization would be a village/town up to a small city/urban area (think 250k-500k MAX). We also LOVE the Smokey/Appalachian mountains.
As the name suggests, Ann Arbor is very forested. An acre or two is going to be impossible within city limits but is doable in the outskirts (gotta have major $ though, probably not doable on a museum designer's salary but is on a pharmacist's salary). Some of the hillier parts in and around the city resemble Appalachia.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fxguy1
We would also love to be able to move to somewhere we could find our tribe or community. We are geeks at heart. We love almost anything science fiction or fantasy. I am into making things with my 3D printer, building parts work models, miniatures, legos, electronics, etc... We enjoy cosplay and crafts along with DIY. We are also avid gamers, mostly board games but the occasional video game (Zelda, Metroid, WoW). My wife crochets. We would love to be able to attend Rennaissance Faires or Board Game conventions nearby (within 4 hours drive or so).
As a college town, there's a thriving gaming community. You'll probably be older than most but there's a fair number of young professors who are into the same geeky things you are. There's a Ren Fair in northern Oakland County, which is about an hour away.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fxguy1
Weather - as mild as we can get. We tolerate cold better than warm. The least amount of humidity possible. We enjoy Ice Skating and Hockey, Hiking, and would love to find somewhere we could go camping or swimming.
Hockey and ice skating are popular winter pastimes in Michigan, possibly more so than any other state. Hiking, camping, and swimming are popular in the summer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fxguy1
So we would really appreciate help narrowing down new places to live. At least a geographic area or state specific. If you want or can be more specific like a county or city then great. Our politics are pretty liberal but we are able to get along with opposing views as long as its not extreme or in your face forced on you.
Ann Arbor is very liberal (too liberal for my liking, but you do you).
We travelled extensively all over the U.S.for 10 years prior to retiring and ultimately decided on Hendersonville, NC. If you’re into natural beauty, this area and the Smokies are hard to beat. It’s pretty balanced politically, but close to Asheville which is liberal. Brevard is also wonderful and less conservative than Hendersonville. Both are family oriented, artsy, have a mild climate, and plenty of outdoor activities. Beautiful scenery with apple orchards and wineries nearby. Hendersonville has one of the prettiest downtowns of any small town in America with individually painted bears lining street corners from May to October. Come for a visit!
I know 30 somethings who have aged out of Tech. Stick with your current career to live where you want.
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low on mosquitos
