Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > General Moving Issues
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 01-07-2008, 02:36 PM
 
Location: Western NY
43 posts, read 160,287 times
Reputation: 35

Advertisements

Hello all-

I have been lurking here for quite some time and I need to make a move - literally. I didn't want to piggyback off of someone else's quest, so I started my own. I have been traveling the country for the past year 1/2 (during school vacations etc.) to find a new home. I start loving one place- then another - then ruling out this one- then that one and so on. It is really the same "old" story. I am putting a lot of pressure on myself to find the RIGHT spot because I do not want to move there and then move here and then so on... I am not running away from anything. I just know I want more. So, here it goes - just suggest/help if you can.

Me: - 40 ish - Single - no kids - teacher by day so my salary is - well it is what it is... low.

I want to live in an area with mountains. The more trailheads the better. Generally I am the "outdoorsy" type.

I like four seasons - where I am now gets OVER 100" of snow - too much for me! We also have humid hot days in the summer and I don't appreciate the humidity.

I am a small town girl. I like small towns for their sense of community.
However, I would like to be near something of relative size for the culture/stuff to do/etc. I would also like to date and meet people in an eventual effort to settle down once I find my new home.

In my travels I have found to adore these areas: Tennessee (Smoky Mts.) - West of Denver - Evergreen/Conifer and the Seattle area. Please do not think I am limited to these areas - I am just sending out a picture of what I have liked in the past. I know there are several other mountains to look at!

I have tried ****.com - and the program does a great job and finding what you like but I am trying this resource as well. This one has a soul.

Thank you...
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 01-07-2008, 05:14 PM
 
1,569 posts, read 3,397,785 times
Reputation: 943
It is difficult because I don't know what turned you off to what you've tried and what the "same old story" means. ?? People problems--not enough natural resources? And how big is a small town?

I have lived in Olympia WA for the last four and a half years and find it a charming smallish town and it is not far from Seattle. I'm moving to NM because I couldn't find a job here that compares to what I now have in NM. I got very tired of the rain but I think if I had found a bigger place that had more nature around it, I would have been fine. I have wonderful friends here and easy access to many natural areas--the ocean--National Parks everywhere--Capital Forest. The art scene is good--The Procession of the Species is lots of fun. The teachers make more here than they do in NM but the cost of living isn't cheap. And sometimes the mountains come out--spectacular.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-07-2008, 08:25 PM
 
1,727 posts, read 1,991,962 times
Reputation: 388
Hi,

Well, I grew up in Salt Lake and I have to say that it is hard to beat those mountains. I don't know if it fits other criteria - something like Park City would be so neat, but expensive.

Olympia just sounds wonderful, although I don't know the pros and cons. (I was born in Seattle, it has always sounded like my kind of place).

I sort of know Tennessee, Gatlinburg, etc. Real estate is relatively inexpensive there and it seems quite nice.

In Colorado I am familiar with Boulder, Aspen and Fort Collins. People love Fort Collins and that would really fit a lot of your criteria.

Have to run, if I have more deep thoughts I'll return
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-08-2008, 08:17 AM
 
Location: Western NY
43 posts, read 160,287 times
Reputation: 35
By the same old story...

I mean that a lot of people seem to state they are in a similar situation of wanting to move - but they don't know where - or they are fearful - and then they freeze in the decision making process. I have read a lot of posts from people who sound like I feel...

Tennessee - is beautiful.. I am afraid of the heat. The cost of living does seem perfect though.

Denver- gorgeous - higher cost of living- teacher salary a little less so it may be hard. The city per se was not my cup of tea. The Denver Public School System wasn't a match for me.

Seattle - gorgeous again - very expensive - I live in an area that actually records fewer sunny days than Seattle so the rain doesn't scare me.
Mild weather all around does sound great. Teacher salaries go up where the population goes up.

These are all incomplete thoughts. I am just thinking aloud so that you may be able to help some more.

Thank you for your thoughts so far!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-08-2008, 08:57 AM
 
3,031 posts, read 9,075,883 times
Reputation: 842
Quote:
Originally Posted by jmc0270 View Post
By the same old story...

I mean that a lot of people seem to state they are in a similar situation of wanting to move - but they don't know where - or they are fearful - and then they freeze in the decision making process. I have read a lot of posts from people who sound like I feel...

Tennessee - is beautiful.. I am afraid of the heat. The cost of living does seem perfect though.

Denver- gorgeous - higher cost of living- teacher salary a little less so it may be hard. The city per se was not my cup of tea. The Denver Public School System wasn't a match for me.

Seattle - gorgeous again - very expensive - I live in an area that actually records fewer sunny days than Seattle so the rain doesn't scare me.
Mild weather all around does sound great. Teacher salaries go up where the population goes up.

These are all incomplete thoughts. I am just thinking aloud so that you may be able to help some more.

Thank you for your thoughts so far!
Bellevue WA has a great school system. Seattle and its surrounding areas is a wonderful place to live. It is expensive, unfortunately, but depending on how much you might be willing to drive, you can find a nice place to live.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-08-2008, 09:40 AM
Status: "Open for work" (set 10 days ago)
 
Location: Just south of Denver since 1989
11,822 posts, read 34,358,409 times
Reputation: 8950
Try on Colorado Springs.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-08-2008, 11:06 AM
 
Location: Western NY
43 posts, read 160,287 times
Reputation: 35
NChomesomeday-

I have heard that Bellevue is rated very high and the salaries there are among the best in the area. How far is "far" in order to find a nice place to live?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-08-2008, 11:06 AM
 
Location: SoFlo to SoCal (Hacienda Heights)
1,510 posts, read 5,061,765 times
Reputation: 671
How about northern GA? Rome? Plenty of hills and outdoorsy type of things. I am unsure about cost of living in that specific area, but I lived in Gwinnett County and it was relatively low (at least it was to me, coming from South Florida).
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-08-2008, 12:05 PM
 
1,569 posts, read 3,397,785 times
Reputation: 943
Quote:
Originally Posted by jmc0270 View Post
By the same old story...

I mean that a lot of people seem to state they are in a similar situation of wanting to move - but they don't know where - or they are fearful - and then they freeze in the decision making process. I have read a lot of posts from people who sound like I feel...

Tennessee - is beautiful.. I am afraid of the heat. The cost of living does seem perfect though.

Denver- gorgeous - higher cost of living- teacher salary a little less so it may be hard. The city per se was not my cup of tea. The Denver Public School System wasn't a match for me.

Seattle - gorgeous again - very expensive - I live in an area that actually records fewer sunny days than Seattle so the rain doesn't scare me.
Mild weather all around does sound great. Teacher salaries go up where the population goes up.

These are all incomplete thoughts. I am just thinking aloud so that you may be able to help some more.

Thank you for your thoughts so far!
Now I get you. Deciding to move is a difficult process--woke up this morning wondering if I have made the right choice. There are always trade offs--friends versus a good job, the known for the unknown. It can take me a couple years to make up my mind but then I do it and shock the friends who thought I was just talking. If I had gotten the one job here that I interviewed for that I would have enjoyed, I'd have stayed here in spite of the rain because there are so many good things about the area. But I didn't and the other jobs available dismay me to think about going to work every day and be underpaid and bored.

My son lived in Seattle and finds Olympia has easier access to the outdoor activities he enjoys. Check out house prices on-line. Housing has gone up a lot since I moved here four years ago. I find the social life for singles is lacking but I have made very good friends (mostly couples.) If you don't mind driving there are more social opportunities north--Tacoma--Seattle. Other areas I looked at were Bellingham and Port Townsend. Both cute small towns. I'd pick Bellingham over Port Townsend because there is a university and it is closer to Seattle.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-09-2008, 11:34 AM
 
Location: Western NY
43 posts, read 160,287 times
Reputation: 35
goldenmom7500-

I just spent a good amount of time on the utah.gov website- wow - now I have another place to add to my list-

If you had 3 things a person "should" know about the area - what would they be?

Thanks!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:

Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > General Moving Issues
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:55 AM.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top