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I lived in BC (Greater Vancouver) and in the States, and visited Montreal (though not Toronto) - and can truly say I've found my paradise and a quiet harbor here in NS. I can relate to the desire of removing oneself from crowds (already!). Peaceful and perfect place for someone who's business doesn't depend on location (because jobs are always tough to find in NS). But, the real estate prices are correspondingly minuscule comparing to the metro areas.
I'm from NS. I lived there for 23 years. Where are you getting your information from? The weather is AWFUL in Nova Scotia. Seriously, I'd rather put up with a bitter 4 month Ontario winter than the 2 weeks of summer you get in Nova Scotia.
Last summer when I was in Hfx, in July, it was 8C, drizzle and completely shrouded in fog one day at 6pm. The winter isn't awful if you're used to Central Canada, but summer just never, ever comes. Or you get 2 or 3 nice weeks.
I'm from NS. I lived there for 23 years. Where are you getting your information from? The weather is AWFUL in Nova Scotia. Seriously, I'd rather put up with a bitter 4 month Ontario winter than the 2 weeks of summer you get in Nova Scotia.
Last summer when I was in Hfx, in July, it was 8C, drizzle and completely shrouded in fog one day at 6pm. The winter isn't awful if you're used to Central Canada, but summer just never, ever comes. Or you get 2 or 3 nice weeks.
Oh, and southern NS has more rain than BC.
I live in Southern NS and Love it here. I think it may be that people who grow in a place, grow to hate it, no matter what? Just like a place I grew up with, which is on the other side of the Earth. (Which may present itself as a paradise to you - the grass is greener....)
Anyway, talking to a lady who is ready to settle down away from crowds (not to a person who couldn't wait to go places, from the little-town Nova Scotia), that was my recommendation to her - whether you like it or not.
SUMMER here in Southern NS is gorgeous for 3 months - starts in the last half of July - August - absolutely gorgeous September. Still warm in October, November, and the snow MAY fall by Christmas, but most likely not until January.
More rain than BC??? Bulls**t. In Vancouver, people advise each other to go about their business as if there is no rain, otherwise it will drive you crazy. It rains in NS in April and November - the summers are draughty if anything.
Don't disperse sh**tty advise when you are not in that frame of mind (of retiring from the bustle). If you are on the upswing of your life - go and get your helping of the rat race. You'll get back in NS in 20-30 years.
I'd love to hear ideas about what you think would be the best place for me.
Here's my criteria:
Single late 40's female
No employment required - I'm self employed - web based so all I need is good high speed and a phone line
I like nice weather (not big on lots of cloud and rain), being outdoors
A somewhat hip feel would be nice, some culture, things to do etc.
I love quaint places as long as they're not in the middle of nowhere
Open minded/new age kinda place would also be good
Not a huge metropolis with traffic jams but also not a tiny 1 horse town
I have spent most of my life in Toronto (it's too big and has too much traffic for me now) and 4 years in Victoria (the grey skies and drizzle are dismal for me) and now live in the US
Thanks for any help you can offer
I would still say Toronto if you are single (choose a calmer area like bloor village with nicer people and alot of trees). Being single in the middle of nowhere in BC or NS is not fun and can be down right dangerous to the mind. Goodluck!
I live in Southern NS and Love it here. I think it may be that people who grow in a place, grow to hate it, no matter what? Just like a place I grew up with, which is on the other side of the Earth. (Which may present itself as a paradise to you - the grass is greener....)
Anyway, talking to a lady who is ready to settle down away from crowds (not to a person who couldn't wait to go places, from the little-town Nova Scotia), that was my recommendation to her - whether you like it or not.
SUMMER here in Southern NS is gorgeous for 3 months - starts in the last half of July - August - absolutely gorgeous September. Still warm in October, November, and the snow MAY fall by Christmas, but most likely not until January.
More rain than BC??? Bulls**t. In Vancouver, people advise each other to go about their business as if there is no rain, otherwise it will drive you crazy. It rains in NS in April and November - the summers are draughty if anything.
Don't disperse sh**tty advise when you are not in that frame of mind (of retiring from the bustle). If you are on the upswing of your life - go and get your helping of the rat race. You'll get back in NS in 20-30 years.
Okay, I'll bite. I left NS 4 years ago. Being 28 now, I spent 24 years there, so I know quite a bit about it. And no, I won't be back in 20-30 years.
Halifax has 1,356 mm of yearly rainfall
Vancouver has 1,199mm
... and southern NS has more rain than Halifax. I know. I lived in Bridgewater for 23 years. During May of 2001, it rained for 25 days straight.
Summer in NS is nice for a few weeks - there's no other way around that. And they're not consecutive weeks, either. It can be beautiful in September, yes, but it can also snow in very early October. It can snow in early May. It did in 2004, May 3rd, the day I left for Mexico.
Go and look at the forecast on weather.ca if you don't believe me.
So really, in Nova Scotia you're left with 8 months of pretty crappy weather, with 4 months of potentially iffy weather sandwiched between. The advtange in NS is that when it rains, it rains, and when it's sunny, it's sunny. In Central Canada, after a few hours of summer sun and humidity, you're likely to get thunderstorms, but that really doesn't happen in NS.
There are many lifestyle things that I really like about NS, and the fact that my family is all there. But the weather is dreadful. Maybe you've only lived in places with even worse weather, so you have little comparison. But for me, weather is one of the most important factors - I cannot stand living like a hermit for 8 months out of the year because it's either snowing/cold/raining/foggy/drizzle/blackflies/etc.
You are definitely suffering from the "I hate the place I grew up in" syndrome. Gosh, it rained for 25 days in 2001. It also froze trees and power lines in Montreal in 1998. An earthquake happened in Japan. A swine flu happened in Mexico.
It rained this last April. That's what happens in 4-season climates. It prepared soil for my veggie garden. Usually, my garden lacks rainfall in summer. July and August in the last few years were too sunny and too draughty. And yes, I live by Bridgewater. In August, it's so hot you want to put a tent by the beach. My kids start swimming in the ocean in June and end in October (June and Oct. - in wetsuits, other months - in normal swimwear). Not speaking of the warmer lakes. Where the heck do you get "a few consecutive weeks of summer"??
There is a period of blackflies - from late May to mid-June (they are GONE now). Mosquitoes disappear at the end of July - beginning of August, and are gone till next July. Sit at home because of mosquitoes??? You wouldn't be able to live in any of the Northeastern states, then, - and many people love Maine, Vermont, NH. No one stops their life a month or two because of flying insects. Did you fish? Did you hunt? Did you grow things? Did you do water sports? Or were you just a punk who wandered streets of Bridgewater, eternally bored??
PS: And yes, you WILL be back in some years - that slight feeling of regret of the family will turn full-blown desire to be back once you have kids - whether because you'll need family help, or you will want to raise them in the nature (once you are done commuting 4 hours a day and not seeing your kids), or you will want to retire in a place, Chester here perhaps, with cheap real estate where you can have your boat (you won't be able to pay 3 million for a similar place in BC). Nova Scotians remember their roots, coming back in droves from Alberta's oil sands, or other mirages of a better life. As I said, you are too young to even realize what this place has for a weary, weathered person. Good luck to you dipping your green toes into some other paradise (which is probably being hated by some other locals).
If only I could find jobs in IT in Leamington/Kingsville/Windsor, I'd move there in an instant! Very difficult job market in general there...
But that wouldn't be a problem for the OP, being self-employed.
What is it that you like so much about Leamington? I've never been there so I don't know anything about it, I wish there was more data on CD like they have for US ciites!
Any idea of house prices? Are there many older victorian homes?
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