Looking for affordable, small, gay friendly town in the northeast (house, job market)

[xxHopeful1xx]

Does a town like this exist? I would love a small, affordable town with lots of nature in the northeast that is at least somewhat gay friendly. It would need to be somewhere near a big city with IT and mental health counseling jobs. Vermont and Maine are to far north. Any advice would be great!!

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by xxHopeful1xx

Does a town like this exist? I would love a small, affordable town with lots of nature in the northeast that is at least somewhat gay friendly. It would need to be somewhere near a big city with IT and mental health counseling jobs. Vermont and Maine are to far north. Any advice would be great!!

I'd say New Paltz, Saugerties and Ithaca in Upstate NY. Maybe Plattsburgh, as they recently had an openly gay mayor, but is close to Burlington Vermont.

Here's some information: Ithaca Times - Gay Life in Ithaca
Ithaca Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Task Force
The Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center - 2009 Pride March
The Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center
Lesbian Owned, Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfast in Saugerties, New York - Harmony House Bed & Breakfast
By the Way, a Mayor-Elect Is Gay - NYTimes.com (http://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/06/nyregion/by-the-way-a-mayor-elect-is-gay.html?sec=&spon=&&scp=1&sq=%22daniel%20stewart% 22%20gay&st=cse - broken link)


Ithaca, NY Jobs in Information Technology | Jobs in Ithaca New York and Surrounding Areas=
New York State Office of Mental Health Job Postings
The Institute For Family Health Jobs in Kingston, NY | Indeed.com
Mental Health Jobs in New Paltz, NY | Indeed.com
Information Technology Jobs in New Paltz, NY | Indeed.com
Mental Health Jobs in Ithaca, NY | Indeed.com

[lrfox]

I was thinking Northampton, MA. Provincetown MA isn't cheap, but it IS perhaps one of the gayest towns in the nation. Both Northampton and Provincetown are beautiful, but Northampton would be more affordable. It's an easy commute to the Hartford/Springfield area from Northampton. North Adams may be a good fit too.

[coldwine]

If you're in the northeast, you'll be fine no matter where you go.

As long as we aren't talking about the Bible Belt or the deep South, "gay friendly" is common anywhere.

[DinsdalePirahna]

have you looked at Woodstock or Bearsville, NY? (or any one of the many other Catskill Mountain villages) which are about an hour and 1/2 from NYC and less than 45 minutes to Albany.

Also check Rhinebeck and Redhook

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by xxHopeful1xx

Does a town like this exist? I would love a small, affordable town with lots of nature in the northeast that is at least somewhat gay friendly. It would need to be somewhere near a big city with IT and mental health counseling jobs. Vermont and Maine are to far north. Any advice would be great!!

How about New Hope, Pennsylvania and Lambertville, New Jersey?

They're across the Delaware River from one another 45 minutes north of Philadelphia and just over an hour from NYC...in a completely different world from
either big city, yet still close enough to for a work commute. The cost of living is pretty reasonable given their proximity and they're both very gay friendly.

http://www.lambertville.org/
New Hope, PA | Greater New Hope Chamber of Commerce | New Hope, Pennsylvania Bucks County
Gay Pride New Hope 2010 - New Hope Gay Pride 2010 - Lambertville Gay Pride 2010 - New Hope Celebrates - Bucks County Gay Pride Festival 2010

[Thomas R.]

Originally Posted by coldwine

If you're in the northeast, you'll be fine no matter where you go.

As long as we aren't talking about the Bible Belt or the deep South, "gay friendly" is common anywhere.

I'm skeptical of that. I would guess Idaho and Utah aren't just full to the brim of gay-friendly towns. I'm not saying there are none in those states, but I'd guess it's not much more common than in much of the South.

Still if we limit to the Northeast I'd say "gay friendly small towns" are relatively common in that region. So I'd guess "affordable small towns in the Northeast", or at least "affordable college towns of the Northeast" might get the person what they want.

[atlantagreg30127]

I think that you also might need to define what "gay friendly" means to you, too.

Example: There's a difference between a town with people who would simply accept folks if they found out the person was gay, and a town that would accept someone who flies a rainbow flag on their porch. In case number 1, they may have more of a "live and let live" approach, but once you hang a flag, then they may have more of a "they're putting it in my face" attitude, and it won't be so friendly.

I live 25 miles outside of Atlanta. There are two "known" gay couples in my neighborhood, and neither of them have had any problems at all. I've asked neighbors if they have issue with it and they said they weren't bothered by it, however, more than a couple of comments came in about "the flag waving type", and how that would have been a problem. So, even in this Bible Belt area, there is a CERTAIN level of tolerance in 2009 - but depending on how far out someone is, that tolerance might turn around to bite in the butt if certain lines are crossed (in local's way of seeing things).

That being said, don't assume that prejudice towards gays only exists in the South. Over the years in city-data, we've seen comments about gay residents having problems at times in just about every region of the U.S. (and abroad), so it can be good or bad anywhere. Though he was young and not identified as "gay", remember young Ryan White who had AIDS years ago? His small town shunned him and treated him like an alien. His family moved 30 miles away and a similarly sized town embraced him like a relative. Attitudes can vary widely in small distances in the U.S.

[bronx_kidd]

chepachet, ri or sturbridge, ma

[xxHopeful1xx]

Thanks so much for all of your advice!! I guess I really would prefer to stick to New England because of the progressive politics. I would prefer to be closer to the coast as well. I could be wrong but I was thinking that it would be a bit warmer over there. Northhampton, Ma seems like a lesbian utopia but brrr.

I am really dreaming of a cute New England town near a city with a strong job market that would be a good place to settle down with my partner and our future child.