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We are looking to move somewhere warm without any or a small amount of snow. We have job flexibility so that has no bearing on our location. We would rent for a year, looking for something that has some greenery with a view, mountains or ocean, a small town feel.
There are so many options, its hard to zero in, we also want to go before the end of October. Was looking around Flagstaff, San Luis Obispo and many towns in between. Any suggestions of a cute small town with a view, that has a warm climate and kid friendly with a nice family feel?
Last edited by asitshouldbe; 09-13-2012 at 11:44 AM..
Flagstaff is awesome. My mother lived there for awhile but housing costs are a little high. Not like California ofcourse. Flagstaff is more a college town though. But beautiful weather. They do get snow but nothing like Chicago or Michigan. Another place is Boise ID which is high desert with mountains near by. They don't really get a lot of snow. If they do it is nothing like the midwest. Also Salt Lake City is beautiful too and good jobs. Park City just over the hill is beautiful but lots of snow. Spokane WA gets snow but its different every winter. Again nothing like the midwest winters. I lived in Spokane for a little bit. Its a neat midsize town. Lots of culture and character. They have pick your own farms and family events around the holidays. There is a also a nice college there. It's three hours from Seattle. There are a lot of hidden gems on the west cost.
here is a neat website when trying to find the perfect town for you and your family
Flagstaff receives an average yearly snowfall of approx 109". That is not a place I'd recommend to someone who wants a warm climate and little to no snow. People visit Flagstaff to get away from warm climates in summer and to be in the snow in winter. It's elevation is 7,000 ft. above sea level. Here is more info on Flagstaff.
What kind of activities do you enjoy? What type of housing budget are you working with? How small town is small town to you?
With a little more info, we may be able to offer better suggestions.
Last edited by CheyDee; 09-13-2012 at 09:12 PM..
Reason: added link
We want to keep the rent under $2000 a month for a 4+ br, by small town I mean under 30,000, not the tiny towns that offer nothing, I should say mid size town. We have kids so I would like to be within an hours drive to entertainment like zoos, theaters, museums things like that. I'm also looking for a good school district since my son has all honors classes. I would be moving by myself mostly, with my kids, my husband is only home one week a month so I hope to find a town I can connect with other moms. It seems that some areas are more open to welcoming new people than others. MN is not that friendly, even though we have the MN nice thing going, "we" are much more closed minded and not as welcoming. People will be friendly but they don't welcome you into their inmmediate circle. CA seems to be much more laid back and friendly, when we visit every year, the mindset of the locals just seems so carefree, I love the flip flop, hair tied up, shorts wearing casualness of CA.
Prescott, AZ is more of a 4-season climate and can get a good 6" of snow at a time, which can stay on the ground anywhere from 2-3 days to a week. It's also not what I would consider a "warm climate", even though summers are warm. The average low temps for Nov throuth March are < 30 deg. F. (I can't link to the site, since it's from a C-D competitors site, and would be against C-D's TOU.) It's also not close to a whole lot of culture, IMO.
The first place which comes to mind for the OP is Marana, AZ, particularly the Continental Ranch area. Marana is a suburb of Tucson with plenty of shopping, and is very close to all Tucson has to offer; (Lots to see and do, along with plenty of culture - much of it unique to the area.) Although a city, Tucson has maintained it's small-town feel. Continental Ranch is a gigantic development of private homes, with rentals usually available well below your budget limit. It has pools, playgrounds, etc. on premises for it's residents. It is surrounded by mountains on all 4 sides, has a warm climate, (hot in the summer), little to no snow, and gorgeous winters. The population is just <35,000 (per the 2010 census), with friendly people (for the most part). I would say it's much friendlier than NYC, but less friendly than many places in TX, and would describe it more as "CA friendly". (Sorry, I'm not familiar enough with MN to make a comparison to it in this regard.) I wouldn't expect the neighbors to bring you a pie when you move in, (although they might), but they'd certainly stop and talk to you in the street, in the market, shops, etc. About an hour away is Mt. Lemmon, at over 9,000 ft. elevation, which is just a short drive away to enjoy a break in the summer heat or grab some snow for "old time's sake". Many people vacation in San Diego, even if just for a long weekend, which is about a 5.5 hour drive away, or go upstate into the mountains, (i.e. Flagstaff). Meet-up is very active in the area. If you're unfamilar with meet-up, it's a collection of many groups - sorted by common interests - which bring like minded people together, ie bird watchers, jewelry makers, moms, etc. (It's NOT a dating site.)
I can't comment on the schools, since I don't have school-age kids. The best ranked schools in the state are in Vail, I believe, which is just south of Tucson. There are many threads about Vail on the Tucson forum, if you want to search and check that out.
Here are links for Marana, to get you started. (1) (2) (3)
Last edited by CheyDee; 09-14-2012 at 07:33 AM..
Reason: added link
Do some reading on the state forums to get an idea of whether you'd prefer west or south. I have spent most of my life on the West Coast but just returned from five years in North Carolina, and here are a few differences that come to mind.
1. Climate: for outdoor activities, I prefer the west. I can't take the long, hot, humid summers of NC. I also don't particularly like lightning, which also interferes with outdoor activities.
2. Land and housing prices: in the South you will get more house for your money. (That's good, because you may be spending more time in it, as it's too hot to go outside.)
3. General cost of living: some food is more expensive in NC, gas is more expensive on the West Coast, and most things are about the same. Housing is the only big difference.
4. People: in the South, people tend to acknowledge each other and will make conversation. When you pass someone on the street, they will smile or greet you. In the west, people will walk right past you without making eye contact or indicating that they notice the presence of another human. Some people think it's annoying when strangers speak to them, but I like it. Of course, this has very little to do with the ease of forming real friendships.
5. Geography: on the West Coast, mountains and ocean are closer together, so you can have both.
6. More climate: in the South, rain comes at any time of year. In the west, things get a little dry by the end of summer.
4. People: in the South, people tend to acknowledge each other and will make conversation. When you pass someone on the street, they will smile or greet you. In the west, people will walk right past you without making eye contact or indicating that they notice the presence of another human. Some people think it's annoying when strangers speak to them, but I like it. Of course, this has very little to do with the ease of forming real friendships.
I'm not sure why, but you're completely right. I wonder if it's because people on the west coast think it's nosy to small talk with others? Or, they just like their space and distance, a lot. East Coast like to intermingle. THe south, too, but politeness and properness is very important to them.
We want to keep the rent under $2000 a month for a 4+ br, by small town
You could rent the Texas Tech University medical school for $2,000/month! Seriously though, you could buy a very nice horse ranch around Lubbock, Texas for what you want to spend on rent. Lubbock normally gets some snow but not in recent years. Not much scenery though.
At any rate, good luck. My wife's family moved to Texas from Minnesota in the 1920s.
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