Want to get the H outta NoVA - but where to go? (Hampton: houses, neighborhood)

[filmsniffer]

Originally Posted by Alanboy395

We moved here from Hampton, VA. With your criteria i dont recommend it.

I'm waiting to get the h outta NoVA too and plan to head to Kentucky (Ft. Knox and Louisville) due to a BRAC family move. That may be a good start with your criteria.

How big are Fort Knox & Louisville? I have never been to KY. Have you visited there yet?

[filmsniffer]

terrece & homeschool:

I don't want to move further away. NO WAY. I refuse to be like the rest of the people who make the 2+ hour commute and have little time for anything else when I'm done with work. I work to live, not live to work! It's a big waste of time and it takes a toll on your health. Gas prices aren't going to stay down, either.

I don't want congestion, I don't want to be in a concerte jungle, and I don't want to spend more than 30 minutes communting, and I don't want to get up in the middle of the night to beat the morning gridlock. If it wasn't for the greenery and the lack of smog, I'd think this was L.A.!

I'm not worried about the reccession. I have no obligations. No mortgage, no kids, no SO. I have large sums in several savings account.

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by filmsniffer

How big are Fort Knox & Louisville? I have never been to KY. Have you visited there yet?

Fort Knox and surrounding area are mostly small-townish. Louisville is a major city but with a couple rural parts to be found.

I have visited and am very impressed with Kentucky.

[wickednoodle]

Wisconsin. It rocks.

[Nancy in Nokomis]

Wisconsin does have a lot of rural areas - my sister lives outside Milwaukee but just 20 minutes away you are in beautiful countryside - but it is very cold and they have tons of snow there - and zero culture - all they do is play cards, eat brats, drink beer, and fart.

Western PA is beautiful and rural - Lancaster and surrounding area -

[blossom4792]

I just moved from Northern Virginia to Lexington, KY, and it's been a great fit - a perfect "downsize". Or you could move 5 miles out of Lexington and be in horse country (well, you could find it inside of Fayette County as well). And you could move 30 minutes away - to Danville, etc., and find another type of mix of rural/small town. [Danville has a wonderful liberal arts college so it is a very special, unique place]. Louisville is awfully big - but the neighborhoods themselves are extremely charming. I have nothing bad to say about Louisville, but once you leave your self-contained neighborhood, you are in a "big city".

[DC Oldtimer]

My sympathies, filmsniffer. I share your restlessness and hope to be out of here one of these days myself.

Many people do not realize how much of Pennsylvania is rural. We have been looking at central PA, specifically Cumberland county. It has a blend of rural and suburban, with some areas bedroom towns to Harrisburg. Job growth is expected to be good. Real estate is a bargain relative to NOVA.

There are a few South Central PA threads over on the PA board. Check it out, you might want to follow up.

Good luck.

[wickednoodle]

Originally Posted by Fairfax Mom

Wisconsin does have a lot of rural areas - my sister lives outside Milwaukee but just 20 minutes away you are in beautiful countryside - but it is very cold and they have tons of snow there - and zero culture - all they do is play cards, eat brats, drink beer, and fart.

laughing!!!

Okay, I have to admit that I have some relatives in Northern WI and your description does, unfortunately, describe them to a tee!

BUT...I do have many friends and relatives who still reside in WI and they are not like that at all. Madison especially is a fantastic town, and if my husband could find work in his industry there, I'd move there in a heartbeat. It's consistently listed as one of the top (insert number) places to live in the US.

As for the snow, well...you've got me there. It's definitely cold and there's definitely lots of snow.

Thanks for the laugh.

[akorosdc]

Originally Posted by DC Oldtimer

Many people do not realize how much of Pennsylvania is rural.

I remember hearing that Pennsylvania is one of the most "rural" states. What the criteria was for that distinction, I'm not sure, but the vast majority of the state is rural. You've basically got Pittsburgh in one corner, Philly in the other, and small towns in between. There are a few small "cities", which would have good job opportunities, but you can easily escape those to the countryside in 15-20 minutes.

If you're looking for rural, but not completely isolated, it's something to consider. You can look in Harrisburg, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Allentown/Bethlehem for jobs and then live further out.

[ACWhite]

Lived in Columbus a long time. The best thing it has going for it now is that salaries are probably 20% less than here (maybe 10%) but the cost of living is probably closer to half of that, primarily because housing is so reasonable and you have so many choices about styles of houses. It's still easy to get around in the city and traffic is bad only at limited times. Good city in which to raise a family; not so good to be single; certain communities close-in have their own school systems, police, fire departments, etc. Economy is fairly diversified - several huge retailers and fast food chains are HQd there, so are some insurance and financial institutions, Ohio State University, and state government. However, it is not as healthy as NoVa. There was a story on Yahoo (maybe one of those Fortune top ten lists) that indicated it was considered as having a pretty good climate for business. People don't have as many years of education on average as here, but that is true for probably 99% of the country.

The worst thing? Very gray, depressing, cold winters.