Looking for a Happy Meduim (home, find a job, transfer)
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My family and I are looking for a happy medium between the Lake Effect Snow in Northern N.Y and the unbearably hot summers of Western K.Y.
I spent the first 27yrs of my life in various parts of Northern N.Y and for the past 9yrs have resided in Central and Western Ky. My Husband is from Ky and lived in N.H for 3yrs. We've seen the best and worst of both places and now would like to find something in between the two extremes.
We'd like to be in or near mountains and any kind of clean recreational water...maybe even the ocean(doesn't matter which one).
We'd also like to be in a more progressive area. Up north the recreation of choice is anything containing alocohol...don't get me wrong...we like to have an occasional drink,but our lives don't revolve around it. Then we have the other end of the spectrum. Some places in Ky drinking is strictly taboo, and everything revolves aroung religion. Again...we have nothing against religion...but feel that it's a personal not public matter. We also like to expose our children to culture and diversity, good food,art,music,etc. All of those things are as important as the mountains and water we long to be next to.
Portland, Oregon. Actually, the Northwest in general. If you have the money and the ability to get good jobs lined up, the coastal areas of California are fantastic choices. Another option might be the Denver area. An option closer to home would be Pittsburgh.
I also recommend Portland, or anywhere from Eugene up to Vancouver, BC. Mild wet winters, mild dry summers, mountains, water, food, art, music - all there. What isn't here right now is jobs. If you can find a job or bring one with you, you'll probably love this area. Do not move here assuming that you'll find a job when you get here - employers are getting hundreds of applicants for every job they post.
Thanks so much. We've been leaning towards the PNW especially Oregon...this lets us know that we're heading in the right direction.
My husband works for Lowe's...so we would transfer only if he had a definite job. Are there any small rural towns within 30 minutes of the bigger cities? We'd really like to have a couple acres of land and a bit of privacy. Or should we consider some smaller towns that may have a Lowe's?
There are 13 Lowe's stores in Oregon. 4 of them are outside the Willamette Valley area and therefore have a different climate, both meteorologically and socially.
In the Portland area, the stores on the outskirts would be the McMinnville, Hillsboro and Wood Village stores. McMinnville is in Oregon's wine country, Hillsboro is near the urban growth boundary, and Wood Village is close to the Columbia Gorge. There are also two stores in the Salem area, in Salem and Keizer, and one in Eugene. Both of those cities are small enough that rural spaces are close by.
There are 13 Lowe's stores in Oregon. 4 of them are outside the Willamette Valley area and therefore have a different climate, both meteorologically and socially.
In the Portland area, the stores on the outskirts would be the McMinnville, Hillsboro and Wood Village stores. McMinnville is in Oregon's wine country, Hillsboro is near the urban growth boundary, and Wood Village is close to the Columbia Gorge. There are also two stores in the Salem area, in Salem and Keizer, and one in Eugene. Both of those cities are small enough that rural spaces are close by.
Good luck!
Thanks for taking the time to look into the individual stores and break them down by areas for us. We'll definitely be researching all of them!
I second the Pacific Northwest, and I second Colorado.
Where I am now, (Spokane, WA/Coeur d'Alene, ID area) sounds about right, except you'll have to give up on the culture/diversity.
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