My experience of Nashville. (Cookeville, Charlotte: place to live, moving, land)

[groovamos]

Originally Posted by MantaRay

That thesis is highly flawed. Taking the economically deteriorating Detroit and attempting to cast a wide net across all blue states is the height of fallacy. San Francisco is in the middle of a very blue state, and it has a strong economy, is beautifully developed, and is highly popular nationally and internationally. People talk all the time about wanting to live in Chicago and the city has a wealth of amenities as well as the best waterfront in the nation, and it is in a solidly blue state. People marvel over the architecture of Boston and over how green and beautiful Seattle is, both of those being in solidly blue states. Portland, OR is a mecca for bike culture and for smart growth, and hordes of people view the city VERY favorably, and it's in a blue state. Being a blue state is a TERRIBLE and whimsical reason to leave the cities of that state. Economic erosion is a much better reason, and would be the primary reason for the city you DO cite.

The statement you made is in the same mold as somebody saying the United States is a dirty and overcrowded place, just ask anyone from NYC. Or like saying red states are nothing but small hick cities and rural hick towns, just ask Mississippi.

Whether a state is blue or red is one of the most absurd reasons I have ever heard for deciding to move or not to move to a city in that state.

Funny how I just met Joanna, who moved here 2 weeks ago from Vancouver WA, part of the Portland Metro area. She left to escape the Portland area's 15% (its what she said!) unemployment rate for Houston's which is half that. All of the places you mention in your post are on the coasts, except Chicago and are exceptionally beautiful and/or packed with history, e.g. Boston, NYC. Somehow it is the unfortunate aspect of human nature that such places which are magnets for the intelligentsia take on this "let it slide" attitude which infects their beliefs regarding personal responsibility and of course makes its way into politics-- plus a large segment of the intelligentsia are European socialist wannabes. Now that we are in a bad recession, many of those people are fleeing for Texas and other red states. Please --check the net migration rates for the following: NY, MA, CA, OR, IL, MI, OH. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm fairly certain more people are leaving all those states than arriving, and in at least 3, (MA, MI, OH) the population is shrinking. And the area you cite which is not coastal, Chicagoland, maybe you would like to live with a state income tax, a $12,000 property tax bill on a suburban 2000 sq ft house in order to fund the most screwed political system in the country.

You know -- you're right. These people would never admit that they are moving to a red state on principle and would say that is a ridiculous reason for doing so just as you say. But now what they care about most is practicality, and where the rubber meets the road the key phrase is economic survival, and currently, the pro-business states are their best bet. Practicality and the real world win the argument every time.

[mad fiddler]

Originally Posted by groovamos

Funny how I just met Joanna, who moved here 2 weeks ago from Vancouver WA, part of the Portland Metro area. She left to escape the Portland area's 15% (its what she said!) unemployment rate for Houston's which is half that. All of the places you mention in your post are on the coasts, except Chicago and are exceptionally beautiful and/or packed with history, e.g. Boston, NYC. Somehow it is the unfortunate aspect of human nature that such places which are magnets for the intelligentsia take on this "let it slide" attitude which infects their beliefs regarding personal responsibility and of course makes its way into politics-- plus a large segment of the intelligentsia are European socialist wannabes. Now that we are in a bad recession, many of those people are fleeing for Texas and other red states. Please --check the net migration rates for the following: NY, MA, CA, OR, IL, MI, OH. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm fairly certain more people are leaving all those states than arriving, and in at least 3, (MA, MI, OH) the population is shrinking. And the area you cite which is not coastal, Chicago, maybe you would like to live with a $12,000 property tax bill on a suburban 2000 sq ft house and have the most screwed political system in the country.

You know -- you're right. These people would never admit that they are moving to a red state on principle and would say that is a ridiculous reason for doing so just as you say. But now what they care about most is practicality, and where the rubber meets the road the key phrase is economic survival, and currently, the pro-business states are their best bet. Practicality and the real world win the argument every time.

"The economic issues that are likely to be central in the 2010 elections illustrate the inadequacy of the red-blue concept. Consider unemployment rates. The latest (June 2009) unemployment rate for the nation was 9.5 percent. In red states, it was 8.1 percent and in blue states it was a not-so-different 9.2 percent, hardly divergent enough to suggest that we’re talking about two different worlds. The purple states are somewhere in the middle, as we might expect, at 8.8 percent."
TheHill.com - Economy undermines red-blue view

An interesting article from a Republican pollster.

[Tunky]

mad fiddler, I can't rep you again but rep rep rep!

[Pimpy]

Originally Posted by MantaRay

San Francisco is in the middle of a very blue state, and it has a strong economy, is beautifully developed, and is highly popular nationally and internationally.

According to City-Data, the mean household income in SF is just over $60,000 while the mean home price is over $800,000. Not somewhere I want to live if I'm trying to be smart with my money.

The unemployment rate there is 10%, which is better than most Left Coast cities but higher than most large cities in low-tax and tax-free "red" states.

[fumanchu41]

Originally Posted by groovamos

Funny how I just met Joanna, who moved here 2 weeks ago from Vancouver WA, part of the Portland Metro area. She left to escape the Portland area's 15% (its what she said!) unemployment rate for Houston's which is half that. All of the places you mention in your post are on the coasts, except Chicago and are exceptionally beautiful and/or packed with history, e.g. Boston, NYC. Somehow it is the unfortunate aspect of human nature that such places which are magnets for the intelligentsia take on this "let it slide" attitude which infects their beliefs regarding personal responsibility and of course makes its way into politics-- plus a large segment of the intelligentsia are European socialist wannabes. Now that we are in a bad recession, many of those people are fleeing for Texas and other red states. Please --check the net migration rates for the following: NY, MA, CA, OR, IL, MI, OH. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm fairly certain more people are leaving all those states than arriving, and in at least 3, (MA, MI, OH) the population is shrinking. And the area you cite which is not coastal, Chicagoland, maybe you would like to live with a state income tax, a $12,000 property tax bill on a suburban 2000 sq ft house in order to fund the most screwed political system in the country.

You know -- you're right. These people would never admit that they are moving to a red state on principle and would say that is a ridiculous reason for doing so just as you say. But now what they care about most is practicality, and where the rubber meets the road the key phrase is economic survival, and currently, the pro-business states are their best bet. Practicality and the real world win the argument every time.

Nicely stated. Thank you. The liberals approach to high government regulations, high taxes, out of control spending and their resistance to cut entitlements, taxes and services has resulted in many small business owners(like myself), leaving our state in droves. Like Groovamos pointed out, the net migration rate is a fact! I'm merely stating that I hope when liberals migrate to other parts of this great country, I hope they leave their Kool-Aid behind. Please stop destroying our country. Liberalism(Just another word for Socialism) doesn't work.

[akm4]

Originally Posted by fumanchu41

I'm merely stating that I hope when liberals migrate to other parts of this great country, I hope they leave their Kool-Aid behind. Please stop destroying our country. Liberalism(Just another word for Socialism) doesn't work.

Okay, I'm done. I don't understand your need to name-call and insult, but I hope you're happy with your move.

[Lamplight]

Originally Posted by fumanchu41

I'm merely stating that I hope when liberals migrate to other parts of this great country, I hope they leave their Kool-Aid behind. Please stop destroying our country. Liberalism(Just another word for Socialism) doesn't work.

This is one reason I want to leave Tennessee. And for the record, the unemployment rate here in solidly red Murfreesboro was 12.6% in May, according to City Data.

[fumanchu41]

Originally Posted by Lamplight

This is one reason I want to leave Tennessee. And for the record, the unemployment rate here in solidly red Murfreesboro was 12.6% in May, according to City Data.

That statement can be interpreted either way. May I ask for clarification on your reason for wanting to leave Tennessee?

[Tunky]

Originally Posted by Pimpy

According to City-Data, the mean household income in SF is just over $60,000 while the mean home price is over $800,000. Not somewhere I want to live if I'm trying to be smart with my money.

The unemployment rate there is 10%, which is better than most Left Coast cities but higher than most large cities in low-tax and tax-free "red" states.

did it say what the median income is? Just curious and too tired to look it up.

[Tunky]

A city that celebrates creativity and artistic talent as much as Nashville is going to have people from all walks of life. Most coexist peacefully and respectfully. If that disturbs you, are you sure you've found the right city?