Rolla, Arcadia Valley or Farmington? (Springfield, Poplar Bluff: rent, travel, work)

[bmacdo]

My wife has opportunities as a school-based therapist in a number of communities in MO. Based on demographics and proximity to public lands, we are especially interested in Rolla. the Arcadia Valley area, Poplar Bluff and Desloge/Farmington. We have horses and would be looking to purchase 20 -50acres. Shopping and night life are far less important to us than hiking and horseback riding. Does anyone have any general thoughts about these areas that they'd be willing to share? Any observations would be appreciated, even negative ones. I would assume that Rolla may be a bit less conservative than the others due to the influence of the university but I know that this is not always the case. Thanks for any feedback.

[sergeant]

I also have horses. Rolla is a nice town, although land is a little more expensive. If you travel a little further south on Hwy 63 land is more affordable.

[jmmdls]

I have lived in Farmington and my father now lives in Arcadia Valley. This area is known for it's parklands, hiking areas etc. Farmington is kind of the hub for the area, supercenter walmart, all of the shopping,etc. Arcadia Valley is known as being anti-growth,..it may be cheaper to get land there, as Farmington is still growing a lot. Rolla does have a school, but I would still say it is pretty conservative, Farmington and Arcadia valley are mixed when it comes to political views. Popular Bluff is very different than these other areas and people there are more likely to have southern accents. All of these areas are nice, it is just what you are looking for.

[bentaxlecrew]

My husband and I are thinking of moving to Farmington from Calif. My concern is tornados and floods. Should I be concerned?

[Inoxkeeper]

Farmington is a very nice community, it has lot's of shopping, is close to
Saint Louis and as noted is in a very beautiful part of the country.

Doe Run is just west of there, once you get thru the town it opens up into some very nice farmland. I would check out the area between Doe Run and
Hwy 21.

Also Hwy 00 South of Farmington is staring to get developed, OO was off the beaten path and there is lots of open land between Farmington and Fredericktown. A good drive would be to take 00 South to DD, take DD West to 67 and then swing up to Doe Run and over to 21 on W and then V.

[ShadowCaver]

Originally Posted by bentaxlecrew

My husband and I are thinking of moving to Farmington from Calif. My concern is tornados and floods. Should I be concerned?

Concerned, as in scared - no.
Concerned, as in being prepared and aware - of course, yes.

Twisters can happen anywhere, but odds are relatively slim. Floods, on the other hand, take more life. Most importantly, IMHO, to do is to be aware of the dangers, and then take precautions to protect. For example, for floods, check the legal records of the property, mortgage/insurance companies, topographic maps of the area of interest, neighbors, etc.

Best to yas.

[ShadowCaver]

Originally Posted by bmacdo

My wife has opportunities as a school-based therapist in a number of communities in MO. Based on demographics and proximity to public lands, we are especially interested in Rolla. the Arcadia Valley area, Poplar Bluff and Desloge/Farmington. We have horses and would be looking to purchase 20 -50acres. Shopping and night life are far less important to us than hiking and horseback riding. Does anyone have any general thoughts about these areas that they'd be willing to share? Any observations would be appreciated, even negative ones. I would assume that Rolla may be a bit less conservative than the others due to the influence of the university but I know that this is not always the case. Thanks for any feedback.

All four areas have their own pros/cons - if you haven't, recommend taking a drive in the areas, such as what Inoxkeeper recommended for the Farmington area to get a feel for what 'feels' right to yas. I lived in the Rolla and Bonne Terre areas, and spent much time in the Arcadia Valley too - to me, they all have their own set of positive qualities, but then you may be finding something missing in one that the other has. For example, Rolla is equidistant between Springfield and St Louis, has the University (along w/ all the +/- that goes with that), the best pizza joint in the country , and is fairly close to many other attractions in the Ozarks, including the Farmington, etc. areas. South of Rolla, you have Edgar Springs which is a very small 'town' [counting the pets and goats and sheep and ... ], has attraction of being close to the 'city' of Rolla, and then also has much open land for horses, along with some graveled county roads in some scenic areas [Piney, Little Piney, and Mill Creeks, for example]., and then even closer to places to ride horses [I know quite few people in that area that have horses, and take them to trails, etc.]. FWIW, many of them like to ride horses in the Eminence area.

With all that said, Arcadia Valley and area tho' is a totally different scene - in regards to the lay of the land, its geography - and is downright gorgeous. Yet, will maybe feel [and this is not a negative by any means, just a means to describe...] more secluded, maybe more confined - not as 'open' air feeling as the Rolla or Farmington areas; granted, I love both types of places - just depends on what you want to wake up to every morn, as ya(s) get up to feed/water the horses and then go to work, and then watch the sunset over more of a pasture scene or more of a hilly/rougher scene. Arcadia Valley is also then only ~30-45 minutes away from Farmington and all it has to offer.