Move to NH maybe? (crime rates, homes, neighborhood)

[WannaComeHome]

hate the south. It's too hot in the summer and I hate rap music. There's nothing worse then settling down for the evening and listening to cars ride by with music booming. Most of these kids (thugs) think life is a rap video.

lol! you sound like someone living in the MD/DC/VA area! don't worry about what you hear on the taxes, just do your homework and do your math. Yes, property taxes in general are higher (or often similar), but you get a bit more property for your money. with no sales tax (except prepared food) and no income tax (except dividends) it often balances out. Gas may be a smidge higher than other areas, other prices may be a little higher to compensate for the trucking, but in general, it's really not that much more to live there than other places. Sure, winter expenses will be really high - but then summer expenses are lower. So, make sure you look at the whole picture and not just a 'snapshot'.

In order to start your research, you'll need a good map of towns (check http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-h...geography.html ) and 2008 tax rates will let you compare the tax rates (it's all by town, not by county). community profiles will show you all about the towns that look interesting. NNEREN will let you see what is on the market these days for houses/land in whichever town you want to investigate.

[JeffMurdoch]

Originally Posted by notdancingqueen

I think that has more to do with socioeconomic status rather than race or ethnicity, explicitly. I want to raise my kids in safe neighborhoods - I don't much care if the people living in them are white black red green or purple -- in fact, I'd prefer a diverse mix.

ymmv - NDQ

You'd prefer a diverse mix? Spend a few weeks here and you will change your mind. What you have there in northern NE is golden! Don't ever take that for granted. Just ask the people in Lewiston, Maine how they feel about their newfound diversity.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by JeffMurdoch

You'd prefer a diverse mix? Spend a few weeks here and you will change your mind. What you have there in northern NE is golden! Don't ever take that for granted. Just ask the people in Lewiston, Maine how they feel about their newfound diversity.

That's a bit different. The refugees you're speaking of came in droves because of the free handouts the goverment was giving them and have contributed little in return. In fact, the mayor discouraged them from continuing to settle there because of the financial burden it was putting on the city.

It's a completely different scenario than many, if not most diverse communities. Ask the people in New Bedford MA how they feel about the Portuguese infusion, or the people in Boston or Providence how they feel about the Italians... as long as everyone's giving and taking equally, diversity is a good thing. As others have stated, it's linked mainly to socioeconomic standing and not race.

Sure, there are groups and ghettos (including MANY white ghettos-- which happen to be more in the more rural areas) that provide little and take a lot, but to say that diversity is a bad thing is completely ignorant.

For the record, I am very familiar with the DC area having spend a good portion of my life in Kensington, MD.

[southernnaturelover]

Originally Posted by JeffMurdoch

Sad but true. Diversity does bring crime. People may want to call "lily white" or "white bread" communities racist but the numbers prove that they are much safer. People may want to call me a bigot but I challenge them to spend a month in my town and see how fast they head for home.

I know what you mean, I get sick of it too. People "ridin' dirty" on 24 inch rims with their boom systems going. How about pumping gas and smelling the odor of "blunts" coming from the next car . I certainly wouldn't miss the diversity either, I'd say good riddance if I could.

[Burgermeister]

Originally Posted by lrfox

That's a bit different. The refugees you're speaking of came in droves because of the free handouts the government was giving them and have contributed little in return. In fact, the mayor discouraged them from continuing to settle there because of the financial burden it was putting on the city.

Sounds a lot like Southern California to me, apparently we have lots of free handouts. If you like diversity, come on down. We have many "diverse" communities here which contribute......uh, something, I just cannot think of exactly what yet.

Originally Posted by lrfox

It's a completely different scenario than many, if not most diverse communities. Ask the people in New Bedford MA how they feel about the Portuguese infusion, or the people in Boston or Providence how they feel about the Italians... as long as everyone's giving and taking equally, diversity is a good thing. As others have stated, it's linked mainly to socioeconomic standing and not race.

Maybe, maybe not, in any case, the Portuguese and Italians are ethnic groups and are part of the White race. While the "Refugees" in Lewiston are part of the "Black" race and as such have differing mores and folkways to guide them. Diversity of ethnic groups can be interesting; diversity of racial groups can be even more interesting. May you experience all the diversity that you desire.

Originally Posted by lrfox

...but to say that diversity is a bad thing is completely ignorant.

Nonsense, it all depends on ones experience with diversity. Some people have a positive view of it (usually from a distance), while others like to have clean graffiti free neighborhoods and safe schools. Diversity comes with a price. Kind of like going to the Ice Cream store, for instance, my wife likes lots of different flavors with sprinkles; I like Vanilla (And when I'm feeling really adventurous, I get French Vanilla , but I don't hate her for her choices, I don’t hate rocky road, I just don't want her to mix her cup with mine. By keeping our cups separate, we are both happy. Now, if someone was to force us to combine the two because "they" think it tastes better, we would both be unhappy.

Originally Posted by lrfox

For the record, I am very familiar with the DC area having spend a good portion of my life in Kensington, MD.

I wouldn't call the DC area diverse, with the exception of Georgetown and environs; it's mostly a "Black" city. Although, I notice that "Hispanics" are making inroads. Those brave souls.

[Brave Stranger]

Diversity is a farce. It's a made-up concept of no value. Diversity & multiculturalism equal the death of the West. There is no strength in diversity.....only disunity, and weakness. The very concept of "diversity is our strength" is Orwellian. But let's pertend all cultures & peoples are the same....it's easier that way.

[lrfox]

See, I disagree with the last two posts. My "location" may say "Portland Maine" but I've only been here the past few years. I lived in the DC area, the Boston area and in Providence RI. I know a bit about diversity and haven't just "observed from afar."

Sure, people "riding dirty" is annoying and obnoxious, but I can tell you from experience that I'd take that over some of the ignorant white trash that plagues New England's trailer parks and rural areas (and some urban ones). They feed off of handouts just as much (if not more) as different racial groups that make up the urban poor.

Every race brings something to the table. While in my previous post I listed different factions of what would be considered "white" races, the Asian populations in Chinatowns, the Hispanic and Latin American populations in Little Havana and other neighborhoods, Indian and Middle Eastern Populations as well as different African populations ALL bring a good amount to the table and many areas where these populations are located are better for having them. "Ghettos"- or any large concentration of the impoverished part of one race- are a different story, they spawn crime and blight... yet, it's the socioeconomic status of those people, not their race, that is the problem.

Crime is an issue, but it's an issue that's biggest among the urban poor. It's not a "black" issue or a "hispanic" issue, it's an urban poor issue. If you think gang violence and homocide are specifically limited to certain races, tell it to James, "Whitey" Bulger and his friends (or anyone in a large white gang- there are plenty). I'm not saying race doesn't play into the crime portion of it at all, but it's still predominantly linked to the socioeconomic standing of that race. Do you think the blacks (or asians, or hispanics, etc) involved in gangs would do it if they felt they had other options (options that would be provided by being better off financially)?

As far as the laziness and living off handouts goes, whites do it just as bad (if not worse), the difference is that it's usually in a rural setting.

I enjoyed reading the ice cream example, but I've also heard it described as the melting pot vs. salad bowl example. The "melting pot" idea is crazy... different cultures are going to maintain their identity no matter what. They will never "melt" into eachother and form one big blended culture... it won't happen and we shouldn't want it to . You can have a white person live next to black person next to a chinese person, and they can all maintain their separate identities and live peacefully (this isn't always the case, but it's possible and I've seen it)... more like the ingredients in a salad bowl.

All that being said, we can all benefit from being exposed to and experiencing other cultures, races and ethnic groups. I for one can't wait to get back into an area where I can do that again. I don't know how a blend of different races and cultures is a weakness, I'd really like to hear the full explaination for that one. "Disunity," what are we... Stalinist Russia? No one's pretending all cultures and people are the same, they're very different and that's what makes diversity so important. Everyone can benefit from being exposed to other cultures. It's the ignorance from the people who don't understand other cultures and races that causes many of our problems.

Being in a lilly-white no man's land (not a reference to Maine, New Hampshire or New England in general... just a reference to the mentality of those who want to escape the "bad diversity" of cities) is not going to solve your problems. You can exchange "T.I." for "Toby Keith," but it doesn't mean your going to escape the freeloaders, crime, and blight caused by America's poor. It'll just be in a completely different setting.

[notdancingqueen]

Originally Posted by JeffMurdoch

You'd prefer a diverse mix? Spend a few weeks here and you will change your mind. What you have there in northern NE is golden! Don't ever take that for granted. Just ask the people in Lewiston, Maine how they feel about their newfound diversity.

Yes, I would absolutely prefer a diverse racial and ethnic mix. Again, it is not race and ethnicity that creates the problems you are talking about. It's economics. Poverty and lack of education cause problems *whatever* one's race or ethnicity. This isn't my rose-colored-glasses opinion from someone currently living in a lily-white, liberal-elite part of NNE -- this is my personal experience. I lived for many, many years in the metro NY and metro DC areas. There are a lot of benefits to diversity when folks have decent jobs and earn a good living. Everything from culture to holiday traditions to cuisine (my afavorite!) Learing to tolerate differences among law-abiding peole who productively contribute to society is never a bad thing. There is a lot of value to learning at an early age that just because someone doesn't look like you or come from where you come from, they are not by default "bad" or to be avoided.

[notdancingqueen]

Originally Posted by Burgermeister

I wouldn't call the DC area diverse, with the exception of Georgetown and environs

Have you lived there? Having spent a good 14 years there, DC and especially its metro area is an incredibly diverse mix of ethnicity and races. It also has an incredibly wide range of income distribution -- and therein lies a significant part of the problems it has.

[CaseyB]

Somewhere during the last 6 or 7 posts, this thread has gone waaaay off topic from the original inquiry.
The OP is obviously looking for a different kind of environment than his current one.