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I’m a single mom of a 9-year old big baby and work from home as an accountant. I’ve been looking for a place to put some roots down. My dad is close to needing dialysis. I want him to move close to us, so I need to find a permanent home.
I moved to Asheville last summer as you can see in my previous posts. Asheville is beautiful with friendly people and so many things to do, but I absolutely hate the Buncombe county schools. So, schools are a big deal breaker. I never knew it could be so bad. The school system here hardly gives homework because they say the kids work enough during the school day. Yeah…No. I want a school that believes in giving homework and expects the best from the students. I want above average work to be recognized, whether it's my daughter or not. I want her to strive for more, not to settle for mediocrity. So sorry I went off the rails for a bit. I have thought about finding a private school here, but I moved here based on other circumstances/family/friends, and I just want to make a decision based on what I want and think is best.
I have narrowed it down to 4 cities…Prescott, Arizona; Bend, Oregon; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Spokane, Washington. I’m going to post this in each of these state’s forums to reach the most people.
I have always loved the Pacific Northwest (in the summer). I've never been there in the winter. My Colorado Springs option is because I had a wonderful dream that we were there and we were loving it and happy. Then I looked into it and saw that it really is beautiful. I've read it has some of the best weather. I'd like to know if that's true. I think Prescott could be a good compromise, and my daughter was already accepted at a charter school there (BASIS Prescott).
I’d like to be able to get either a house or townhouse somewhere between $200-$300k in a good and safe neighborhood for myself and my 9-year-old daughter. I am very middle of the road politically and don’t want to feel judged by either side of the spectrum. One of my pet peeves is littering. I don’t want to see garbage lying around throughout my neighborhood. I’d like to be around people that care what their homes and neighborhood looks like. I have taught my daughter to choose her friends based on their character, if they are nice to you, if they have your same interests. My daughter doesn't see color or sexual orientation because of this. I don't want people's differences being pointed out to her in school.
So I'm not okay with "social justice" like a charter school here has as it's mission statement. On the other side of the coin, I don't want to be hounded into going to church on Sunday by people who want to "help" me. All I want to make clear is that I don't judge people based on their personal beliefs, and I don't expect it to be done to me.
I just want to give a good idea of who I am, what I want, and what kind of environment I want to be in. I desperately want to find this place. I hope there are people out there that can help me work through all this.
Here are some things I am most interested in knowing about:
1. What are the safest areas/neighborhoods/suburbs/etc.?
2. What are the ones I should keep away from?
3. What would you say the political atmosphere is like? Please give me as much information as you can on this one. I would like to know if an area is extreme left or extreme right? Who did most people vote for? Trump, Clinton, or even Gary Johnson.
4. Are people all in your business or are they friendly and laid back? Any personal experiences will help.
5. How much does it snow exactly? Like how many feet of snow can you expect to walk in and for how many days? I’m a bit skeptical of statistics I have found online.
6. How cold does it get in winter and for how long? Does it ever go below zero?
7. How hot does it really get? How high does the temp go in the summer? Does it get very humid or is it dry?
8. How are the public schools? Would a private school be preferable? Any input from other parents would be very appreciated.
9. How is the medical care? Is there a good hospital close by?
10. Do you think there is an area where I can find a house in my price range?
Thank you all for listening. I hope I haven't offended.
First, if you want to know the political atmosphere of a city, your best source of data is this New York Times map of the 2016 election which does a very good precinct by precinct color-coded analysis of the entire country. You can zoom into any of the cities you are looking at to get a sense of how blue or red it is. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...inct-maps.html
For housing prices, use zillow to shop for homes in each of your target cities. That will give you a better idea of whether you can afford it compared to random comments on the internet. When you find houses that you think would be someting you could live with, zoom out and check out the surrounding neighborhoods using google street view to see what the area looks like.
Second, I"m assuming from your post that local jobs are not really a factor if you are working from home. But I'm not sure how much that is the case. Are you 100% sure you will not want to leave your current job? If not, you'll want to give some consideration to local job prospects.
WASHINGTON: Your list seems a little bit random. Spokane is a little bit ragged around the edges but mostly has what you are looking for, especially good medical facilities. If schools are your big priority you'll probably want to look in the Mead School District which is a bit north of Spokane. You might find something in your price range up there. Olympia and Bellingham and Vancouver WA should also be on your list based on your factors but they may all be more expensive than Spokane. People who look at Spokane also often look at Boise ID which is a little newer and more polished but otherwise somewhat similar. I'd also perhaps look at Wenatchee which is a nice community and probably going to be the "next Bend" Wenatchee will be a bit similar to Prescott AZ in size and scenery.
OREGON: Bend is a fairly expensive resort-type city. Biggest issue with Bend will be finding a place for under $300k as Bend is probably the most expensive town on your list. You can probably find some small older ranch houses for about that. Probably no townhouses as there aren't many of them in Bend. The local zoning laws favor single family homes and tend to keep the place very expensive. Otherwise it should meet all your criteria if you can afford to live there which will be the #1 challenge. I have family living there and they like it but complain about how big and crowded it is getting. In fact, Bend is not large at all, but the road network has not kept up with growth so the traffic is far worse than in other similar sized cities.
COLORADO: Colorado Springs is by far the most conservative city in Colorado. Various giant evangelical churches have their headquarters there which tilts the politics in that direction compared to the rest of Colorado. It's otherwise a nice place but susceptible to wildfire dangers, especially in the western hills. If it were me and I was looking to move to Colorado I would be looking at Fort Collins over Colorado Springs based on your descriptions. Fort Collins is going to be more similar to Asheville. It will feel more like say Bend in size and character and I think is a more pleasant community than Colorado Springs. Your price range may limit your options.
ARIZONA: I don't know anything about Arizona except to say that if you are looking at Bend then you might look at Flagstaff which is in Northern Arizona next to Grand Canyon and much prettier with better climate than places in Southern Arizona. There are actual trees and it snows because it is up in the mountains. It is a college town (Northern Arizona Univ) so has that flavor. Flagstaff is also much more moderate or liberal than Prescott which is pretty hard-core Trump country according to the data.
Moving is VERY expensive and every other place on your list has its flaws. Honestly if were me, I'd think hard about trying to make Asheville work for you because you are just as likely to discover stuff you don't like about every other place. Asheville is beautiful. Surely there are other like-minded parents in Asheville who care about education and you can work to supplement your child's education or look into private options. Asheville does have some highly-rated schools that on paper are equal to what you'll find in the other towns you are considering: https://www.niche.com/k12/search/bes...l&type=private
Last edited by texasdiver; 06-16-2019 at 06:20 PM..
Thanks again for all the help. I certainly have a lot to read and go through.
Thanks Texasdiver again. I had actually thought about Boise too. I'll look into the housing prices there because I believe the schools there were good from what I remember.
I'll also look into Wenatchee.
I've been on niche.com. i don't like how they rate the schools. For instance, the #1 public school in asheville is #554 in NC. they both received an A+ rating even though the #1 school has 95%/95% proficiency in reading/math while the asheville school has 57%/67%.
thanks for the help though. i'll keep you updated.
Thanks again for all the help. I certainly have a lot to read and go through.
Thanks Texasdiver again. I had actually thought about Boise too. I'll look into the housing prices there because I believe the schools there were good from what I remember.
I'll also look into Wenatchee.
I've been on niche.com. i don't like how they rate the schools. For instance, the #1 public school in asheville is #554 in NC. they both received an A+ rating even though the #1 school has 95%/95% proficiency in reading/math while the asheville school has 57%/67%.
thanks for the help though. i'll keep you updated.
Wenatchee is in the center of the state in the heart of Washington's apple growing country. About exactly half way between Seattle and Spokane. There is a fairly large hospital but don't know if has all you need in that department. Here are some city promo videos for Wenatchee:
I’m a former Arizonan living in Spokane who spent a lot of time in Prescott and we almost moved there. I love it.
But it really has no comparison to Spokane. Spokane is a real working city, grit and all. I love living in Spokane but the winters are definitely harsh beyond what Prescott gets and no 2 hour drive to the valley for respite.
Flagstaff...I’ve lived there and I love it. But it’s one of the country’s top ten snowiest cities and it’s expensive to live in with low paying jobs mostly.
Thanks MistyRiver. I've actually been leaning more towards Prescott because it seems like Spokane has much more crime. I would think that would be only in certain areas. Flagstaff was definitely off the list because I've heard and been in some pretty rough snowstorms. It is beautiful though. I figured I could always go there in summer or to ski since it's close by.
My only downside on Prescott is probably the lack of seasons and lack of greenery. I know it has some, especially more than Phoenix area but nothing like my other 3 choices. That being said, there is always a compromise. I'm sure there will be things I don't like and things I love, just like anywhere.
I suppose cost of living is also an issue, but I am in a much better financial position than I was last year. So possibly over $300k for a house may be doable. I'd rather not, of course. But I realize it's probably the most important determinant in feeling happy and content.
Colorado Springs is a military town, pretty conservative I hear, if that matters. And you said it has "beautiful weather"? IDK, OP; it depends on how amenable you are to roughly 6 months of snow. If that's your idea of beautiful weather, then--go for it. They say spring comes very late to Colorado; someone recently on the CO forum was complaining, that it was mid-to-late April, and still winter, nothing was even beginning to bloom, no signs of spring at all yet. They found it depressing, being originally from the NW. They felt CO was bleak in that respect.
I'd look at Bend, if I were you. It's more liberal (if that matters), the weather isn't as harsh, it's a smaller town and doesn't really have any bad areas. I don't know about the schools. As for the cost of housing, you can easily look that up. I'm sure you could find a townhome within your range there.
Also, I would consider summer temps in relation to the ability to pursue outdoor activity. Too hot, and you end up having to stay indoors with the A/C, or find a swimming pool for the kids to hang out at (not to mention--yourself). Flagstaff, AZ and Bend have the most moderate summer temps in the areas you're considering.
Flagstaff does get winter snowstorms, though, and aside from being a student town, it's also a trucking town. Lots of truck traffic, lots of motels for travelers passing through, and I haven't been impressed with the restaurant scene, as it caters mostly to the students. However, the astronomy observatory is a very cool amenity to have.
Flagstaff does get winter snowstorms, though, and aside from being a student town, it's also a trucking town. Lots of truck traffic, lots of motels for travelers passing through, and I haven't been impressed with the restaurant scene, as it caters mostly to the students. However, the astronomy observatory is a very cool amenity to have.
Maybe you haven’t spent enough time there. Granted, the culinary options aren’t as fabulous as say, Santa Fe or Boston, but for a city it’s size it’s always (at least for the last 25 years or so) had a pretty robust restaurant scene.
It’s a “trucking city” because it straddles I-40 and is where 17 connects (to Phoenix and I-10).
Like any other city on a major interstate .
What it is, actually, is a railroad town. And always has been.
Maybe you haven’t spent enough time there. Granted, the culinary options aren’t as fabulous as say, Santa Fe or Boston, but for a city it’s size it’s always (at least for the last 25 years or so) had a pretty robust restaurant scene.
It’s a “trucking city” because it straddles I-40 and is where 17 connects (to Phoenix and I-10).
Like any other city on a major interstate .
What it is, actually, is a railroad town. And always has been.
Thank you so much! I've been looking for a quality burger place, and also a breakfast place. I did find a very nice Chinese restaurant that I really like. And actually, one of the Howard Johnson's motels has a restaurant attached that isn't bad for a diner. They serve stuffed cabbage rolls, for which I'm grateful to them. Good service, too.
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