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*grins* I didn't think Midland would be too appealing because of the "shady tree/walking around under aforesaid trees" requirement.
We have trees, yes. We are crazy for trees. We spend lots of time babying our poor trees. Just this morning I was on my knees, begging one of my big mulberries to please, please hang on a bit longer. But, our trees, even our big trees, are not that big. Their shade is not that shady.
For $300K the OP could live in fat city here and yes, snag a variety of Old Midland houses. Some certainly do have the "shady backyard" requirement sewn up.
I ain't even going to engage in any talk about Strawberry Fields cafe on account of I have a running feud with 'em and I have a hate on for kale. *grin*
I don't know, but the OP just doesn't sound like MIDLAND folks...this talk of hemp shoes, made me want to spit. Not that she was buying them, mind, just I don't know, sounds like a different mindset -- talk of not having to balance the checkbook, no offense, sounded a bit like bragging. H*ll, today at lunch I saw someone with a cowboy hat and boots cost more than my car, and did he indicate anything of not having to balance a checkbook? No. Maybe she'd like ol' Grasslands (take the Gr off and you got the kind of folks there) and Greentree and Polo Club and their ilk. But Old Midland won't be having any of it!!!!
thanks for all the info. i will keep you posted on my progress (:
i was reading another thread about tyler. what do you think about that place for us?
(:
amy
Amy, the Tyler area could be a nice area for you and your family. I actually like Tyler more than some of the others mentioned. Whitehouse and Lindale school systems are on the fringes and could offer you much of what you are seeking. With many younger, professional families moving in ... the Spring Hill area of Longview could also be an excellent fit.
Based on your original criteria, the concerns I would have with Tyler or Longview for you and your family would be the availability of parks and the opportunities for those strolls in front of the older homes.
Tyler has some beautiful older homes in the Azalea District, but I wouldn't want my wife or children walking alone in that area. Longview does not have enough homes of that type to speak of.
The growth of Tyler leaves many question marks about the future. No way to predict how existing areas will change or how bad traffic will get.
When I read the criteria you originally listed, I think of a small town on the west side of Chicago or one north of Boston. Texas just doesn't have much of that to offer that I am aware of. Fredericksburg does have a little of that feel.
I have some family in Tyler and they love it. They've lived all over the country and Tyler is their favorite.
If you want more information on Tyler or Longview, just let me know.
*grins* I didn't think Midland would be too appealing because of the "shady tree/walking around under aforesaid trees" requirement.
We have trees, yes. We are crazy for trees. We spend lots of time babying our poor trees. Just this morning I was on my knees, begging one of my big mulberries to please, please hang on a bit longer. But, our trees, even our big trees, are not that big. Their shade is not that shady.
For $300K the OP could live in fat city here and yes, snag a variety of Old Midland houses. Some certainly do have the "shady backyard" requirement sewn up.
I ain't even going to engage in any talk about Strawberry Fields cafe on account of I have a running feud with 'em and I have a hate on for kale. *grin*
I don't know, but the OP just doesn't sound like MIDLAND folks...this talk of hemp shoes, made me want to spit. Not that she was buying them, mind, just I don't know, sounds like a different mindset -- talk of not having to balance the checkbook, no offense, sounded a bit like bragging. H*ll, today at lunch I saw someone with a cowboy hat and boots cost more than my car, and did he indicate anything of not having to balance a checkbook? No. Maybe she'd like ol' Grasslands (take the Gr off and you got the kind of folks there) and Greentree and Polo Club and their ilk. But Old Midland won't be having any of it!!!!
I didn't read 4wainwrights comments as being too boastful. Midland does need even more trees.
How blunt can someone be? Tyler has lots of minorities. Bad or good? Depends on you, what you like, what you're used to.
Likewise, many places are just about equal. Some places are to avoid, either by being crazy spendy or having a mindset that allows crime or just having a bad history. But the vast majority of middlin' places are what YOU make of THEM, to paraphrase Ghandi and I do believe the writer Toni Morrison.
Ain't no totally safe rabbit hole to hide in in this big old world. No perfect place. Plenty of places to live in and love and nurture. If people break and run from one thing, they often find themselves tangled up in barbed wire and in some other mess. A person could cut and run 100 times, searching for that special, safe place, and waste all their time in the running and not in the living. Understandable, but ultimately, sad.
I had the benefit of living in 28 states and other countries and many more locales than that, but it wasn't with tin cans tied to my tail. That's why I speak up. Run to something, not away. Don't run up empty-handed, either. Too many people want this and this and this and this from a place, and don't give back to it. Enjoy the ride, that's the key.
Anyone have any comments about Keller, Roanoke area? My husband and I are looking to relocate fr Seattle, WA. We have a 4 year old and an 8 year old and my husband is a nuclear marine pipefitter. I am in Insurance Sales ( currently w/ State Farm ). We are looking for homes in the 200-300k range, and want good schools, private ok. Don't need too much green, we need sunshine!!
star,
did you take all those pictures? either way, thanks!!
i have read that midland is very dry and deserty. but, those pictures sure don't look like it.
i went to the link that ripley gave re: mckinney. without having more than the info. in the article.... it sounds PERFECT! i can't wait to share the information with my husband when he (finally) gets off his ship!
tyler does sound nice. but, if the 'azaela district' isn't safe, that's a no go for us.
i do know what you're saying as to the things we're looking for being back east. we lived until very recently in pennsylvania and it had all that. however, we're trying really hard to find something nearer to family. both my husband and i had stupendous relationships with our grandparents because of relative proximity and hope to provide that for our kiddos too (while not going crazy in nm.) we're also a little less formal than the east coast (this being the biggest difference i saw between 'east' and 'west' while we were living there)
let me take a minute to profusely thank everyone, but especially star and ripley. it is so generous of you to use so much of your time for so many people in this forum (yessir, i see your names in lots of threads!)
gimme a m, gimme a c, gimme a k...mckinney!
still with my notepad handy if anyone has any other suggestions
btw, i read a long thread re: fredericksburg and many contributors thought that fredericksburg german longsteaders were unfriendly and clannish... hmmm...?
i bet a quaint mid sized town outside of Austin would suit you fine........
Quote:
Originally Posted by 4wainwrights
greetings again (:
star, i tried to take the quiz. however, the website doesn't seem to offer it anymore. i will look at pictures, as well as the town websites (those that have websites).
i did not think that i was playing anything close to the vest (: so here goes trying to give you the best picture.
we're considering relocating to texas to be closer to our families in nm. and co.
we are looking for and our situation:
i am currently a homemaker with 2 kiddos -- age 3 and age 7 mos. if i go back to work, i would prefer to open a "paint your own ceramics" studio. my husband's job is out of town --this is why we can live anywhere.
we can spend 350K for a home, but would like to spend less.
his job requires him to be gone for 3 mos. at a time.
we are new mexico/albuquerque natives that were living for 3 years in pennsylvania. we really enjoyed it -- it met all of our criteria of my first post. howver, we moved back to nm. to be closer to family. however, nm. as a whole does not offer any of the below reproduced qualities except for nice parks and friendly folks and we've figured out that, as much as we love being within 2 hours of them, that our family is not enough to keep us in nm. w/o all the rest of the list. we are considering texas because i know that there are options that fit the list. ripley, please, you do not need to continuing worrying that anywhere in texas really is too far from nm. (: if it's a great place for us, it's a great place for us, distance notwithstanding.
a little snapshot that might let you "know" us a little better.
things we love to do:
go for walks in shady streets and look at historic homes
we love to walk!
fix up historic homes (we've done this twice. we don't have unlimited resources to do it. we do the work ourselves and use places like "habitat restore" for materials)
read about historic homes
go to antique stores (during our graduate years, we had an antique booth at a local antique mall)
have bbq. in a shady backyard during the summer
run barefoot with our oldest daughter in the sprinklers or sit in a shady sandbox
go to a nice park and play and go for a walk
hang out with friends in the backyard in the summer or have a cup of coffee in the living room in winter
go to a great church with lots of people (we are protestant -- our church in pa was methodist)
especially because i am alone with teh grils so much of the time, i want a town that has friendly people! and low crime
i could live in a smaller town IF it met all the criteria, especially if it was within an hour of a bigger one with the "big box" shopping. in other words, i don't want to have to travel to another town to go for a walk on a shady street, meet with friends, go to church.
it depends on the small town. an example by comparison:
espanola, nm. and durango, co. are about the same size (10,000 people)
espanola:
looks and feels blighted.
the locals are locals since the conquistadors and don't really like "new" people. they're nice and courteous, but not looking to make friends with the new people. and as one result, no mother's clubs or playgroups to get involved in.
espanola has the "small town" problem of h.s. dropouts, rampant teen pregnancy, and concomitant poverty
crime is high
the intown shopping, outside of walmart, is things like check cashing and the lock smith. not too many "extraneous" things like a bookstore or coffee shop.
one park that is full of graffitti and beer bottles
no sidewalks
it's "only" 35 minutes from santa fe, nm, which has more to do. however, i don't want to have to drive 35 minutes to go to a park, to church, to friends....
durango, colorado
"quaint" --not blighted
lots of the "extraneous" stores
high education level as a general proposition
people in their 30s with small children
lots of nice parks and walking trails
historic homes and trees
--durango sounds like it would be right up our alley. however...
-it is toooo expensive. 800 sf. for 390,000.00 likewise, all of the extraneous shopping adventures are also very expensive. a pair of shoes for a toddler....85.00 no thanks.
-the people are very very friendly and most are transplants. however, they're pretentious in a hippie/natural fiber outfits/celebrity kind of way. i'm looking for friends who wouldn't spend 85.00 for a pair of hemp shoes for their 2 year old. (and as far as a type of people we're looking for, i don't want to hang out with the "metrosexual" gang where everyone is talking about the death of the martini (that's what i hear about dallas).
as to waht kind of friends we have:
as a general population, our friends are college educated professions with young kids. no one has an extravagant lifestyle, but we're all financially self sufficient and don't have to count every single penny. for example, i didn't buy the 85.00 shoes i saw today, but i did by a 12.00 consignment dress for my daughter and a 12.00 lunch --without having to balance the checkbook.
we all hang out in our backyards for bbqs and meet at the park for picnics.
so maybe that gives you a better idea? i think we live a pretty simple life and maybe that's why the list looked like we were "hiding" something (:
because of how much we love to walk, sit outside and chat, and play outside with the girls, green and trees is paramount. our love of historic homes is just that, love. my daughter is just as gregarious as i am and every day wants to go to the park to see "friends" (any kids playing).
i hope that this helps you help me haha.
--amy
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