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Can any of you who have lived in both, or at least know both states well, highlight for me what the pros and cons are of each state? Strengths/weaknesses? The "feel," so to speak, of each?
We are doing preliminary research. We are a Christian homeschooling family with seven children. I grew up my whole life in central NY, Finger Lakes region. It's beautiful. Mountains aren't too far for skiing, lakes, gorges, waterfalls, beautiful seasonal changes, wonderful abundance of crops, etc. The homeschooling laws in NY are among the top 5 most restrictive, or regulated. It's also a very liberal/progressive state, with a lot of government issues, some of the highest property taxes in the nation, etc.
We were relocated to IL last November for Chrysler, for whom my husband worked 15 years, and by May, we had decided to take the buy-out and go, while the gettin's good. He will get 2 years' unemployment and paid schooling, and plans to go to nursing school, and aspires to a surgical nurse position (bottom line: he just wants a job that's more secure than the auto industry, first considered paramedics, but heard surgical nurses do very well, he's not afraid to work, and overtime was a lifestyle for us, honestly).
We have hated IL from the beginning. No offense to anyone who might be from there. It's nothing like the beautiful nature of NY. It's just flat cornfields for miles and miles and miles, and hardly any trees. The people are different too. They don't talk. When you're in a new place, and you don't know anyone, well, *I* go out of my way to talk, to share, to ask questions, "What's it like here?" "Where do you go for this, where do you go for that?" I have found myself often regarded with a non-interested aloofness. My husband too. Don't get the image of loud-mouthed, crass NYers here, we're just regular well-mannered, friendly people.
We have something of a survivalist mentality, would like go off-grid (or at least have green power) when we own a home again, have been learning about self-sufficiency for years. My husband has taught himself and studies all about guns and ammo, hunting, fishing, raising chickens, rabbits, and sheep. I have learned how to knit and spin yarn (which is sort of my obsession, I love it), make soap, bake bread from scratch.
Oh, and we listen to Alex Jones, and do a lot of researching on those topics.
So based on this, can you recommend one state over the other?
They are both so beautiful, very personal-freedoms-minded, have the nature and weather we like (we LOVE snow, central NY is the Snow Belt, and gets feet at a time!). I just don't know what sets one apart from the other. No disrespect there in my ignorance. That's why I'm asking.
I should mention that my husband was raised in WA, CA, UT, IN, VT, and PA, before he came back to his birth state of NY at the age of 20. As a snowboarder, he then made two trips out to MT, and always dreamed of it as a home. But since we've been researching, he's starting to feel like ID has just as much to offer, and we're left wondering.
I grew up in western NY (Lockport area) and am pretty familiar with the finger lakes region. As you said, a very pretty part of the state. I made the move to Idaho in '94 at the age of 32, and only have one regret-that I didn't do it years sooner. OK and I could go for a decent order of wings... Also ex-auto industry even.
North Idaho (as well as the rest of the state) has some beautiful country, you won't be disappointed. And even real mountains, not what we were used to in NY state. Best of all things aren't nearly as crowded. Unlike most of NY, you don't run into a road every mile or 2 in rural areas.
As far as political attitude and lifestyle-couldn't be more different. Idaho is strongly pro-gun rights, and libertarian in orientation. People are friendly, not that they wern't in WNY. Taxes are higher than what we'd like, but no where near NYS standards.
I'll post more later, back to work for now.
Toyman
I tend to equate the Idaho panhandle with western MT in most ways. We're over in Kalispell on occasion...feels like the CDA area only larger and flatter. I ride motorcycles up around Troy and Libby and down 200 through Thompson Falls, feels the same as this area. In fact, the main down side of western MT for me was more related to where I needed to be for business.
being from montana and having lived in idaho i always get a breath of calm air when i go back to montana its alot more vast and higher in altitude and the mtns are 2nd to none and avery very large state thats really not that populated , the people are alot more orginal and not so californish acting more freindly and the economys better too and it has history and interesting culture all over that state Like cmr russel a world premier artist who moved to montana to paint the wildwest in the last 1880s said aint like monatana was his quoate when hed leave to vist other places big sky country , nothing like it and you have everything you got here but no sales tax but better services and real estate taxes are alot lower in general everything alot lower priced but the exact same quality is there
Idaho kind of wraps itself around Montana, atleast in the west and southwest. Yes, Northern Idaho is similar to Western Montana. But there is so much more. South Central Idaho and Eastern Idaho are quite different than Montana, really more similar to Utah and Southern Wyoming. There is a great misconception that Idaho is "northwest", when in truth, it is a combination of northwest and rocky mountain, depending on location. Pocatello/Idaho Falls is more Utah. Northern Idaho is more Spokane and Western Montana. Boise is a weird combination of both, with some Seattle/Portland thrown in for good measure.
Nice Post, pw72; For Adults/Srs. Altitude & Cardiac/Pulmonary Problems.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pw72
Idaho kind of wraps itself around Montana, atleast in the west and southwest. Yes, Northern Idaho is similar to Western Montana. But there is so much more. South Central Idaho and Eastern Idaho are quite different than Montana, really more similar to Utah and Southern Wyoming. There is a great misconception that Idaho is "northwest", when in truth, it is a combination of northwest and rocky mountain, depending on location. Pocatello/Idaho Falls is more Utah. Northern Idaho is more Spokane and Western Montana. Boise is a weird combination of both, with some Seattle/Portland thrown in for good measure.
pw72,
I think you described the various areas of ID very well. Couldn't rep you, but wanted to acknolwedge what I thought was a thorough job of various areas of ID.
Does MT have income tax at the state level? I don't think MT taxes, and Idaho does. However, I could be confused.
One thing to consider is whether or not anyone has any pulmonary or cardiac problems in your family, homebirthmom. It sounds like your family is young and probably don't suffer from pulmonary or cardiac problems. I add this as other people will read this thread and some may not have thought of the altitude factor.
You'll find the right place for your family, homebirthmom.
Nice job, pw72.
MSR
Last edited by Mtn. States Resident; 08-14-2009 at 02:23 AM..
I can search engine this, of course, but I wanted to ask real quick, what would be the issue with someone with cardiac/pulmonary problems in ID or MT? My eldest child, 11, was born with severe congenital heart defects which also affect his pulmonary veins. He had open heart surgery at 3 months, and you wouldn't even know it to look at him, other than he tires more easily than otherwise healthy kids (but he's a bit lazy as well, so he's got me scratching my head sometimes ). He's got a catheterization scheduled next month so I'll be talking to his cardiologist about this.
He does have narrowing of the repairs as he's grown, which is why they're doing a cath now, to see if it might necessitate more surgery.
Thanks for any replies! And thanks for all the good posts y'all!
I can search engine this, of course, but I wanted to ask real quick, what would be the issue with someone with cardiac/pulmonary problems in ID or MT? My eldest child, 11, was born with severe congenital heart defects which also affect his pulmonary veins. He had open heart surgery at 3 months, and you wouldn't even know it to look at him, other than he tires more easily than otherwise healthy kids (but he's a bit lazy as well, so he's got me scratching my head sometimes ). He's got a catheterization scheduled next month so I'll be talking to his cardiologist about this.
He does have narrowing of the repairs as he's grown, which is why they're doing a cath now, to see if it might necessitate more surgery.
Thanks for any replies! And thanks for all the good posts y'all!
Sara
Sara,
If you can send me a DM with a little more info like your present altitude, any daily meds etc. regarding your son, I can give you some general info.
For others who may be considering this change and you have either a cardiologist, and/or pulmonologist or internists managing cardiac and/or pulmonary problems, talk to your doctors about the altitutde of where you are thinking of move to vs. where you are at. Given your specific illness, what may be the risks to you or your family member of high altitude? And depending on age, how close are the services you currently receive, available in the area/areas in which you are thinking of moving.
I raised this question here, Sara, as I had mentioned something briefly in an earlier post and got so many DMs about how useful that info was, I almost think we should start a thread about it. Not much needs said, but some medical conditions don't do well at high altitudes.
Again, while I can't answer any specific questions about your son, if you want to DM with additional details, I can give you some answers of depending or where you are looking in each state how many miles you may have to travel to get sub-specialty care.
Not trying to complicate your life, just trying to be thorough in the information given.
MSR
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Nice Post, pw72; For Adults/Srs. Altitude & Cardiac/Pulmonary Problems.
Altitude with Pulmonary and/or Cardiac Conditions
