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I live in Hickory about an hour from Ashville and it has a great farmers market and a lot of history with the Biltmore House and Winery we love to go up there for a day trip and I think it could be a cool place to live.
But no one is snowed in "for weeks." New Englanders are used to snow. A really harsh blizzard might keep you in for a couple of days, but they do their best to keep the roads clear.
Ha, see how ignorant I am about snow.
Last edited by Yac; 09-12-2006 at 03:15 PM..
Reason: quote fixed
Oo. Stay out of Houston. It's a pit. Very dangerous city, too.
Care to share your experience? Everyone reccomends this city because its a big fun city with very cheap housing. I know theres some crime there, but is it that bad that I should avoid it? What makes Houston worse than other cities, even including San Diego and Los Angeles?
I agree, the Seattle area is a disaster. We drove up a few weeks ago and were shocked to find traffic on the 5 literally stopped at Olympia and never went faster than about 20 MPH all the way to Seattle. Yikes.
I was looking for some "under the radar" places, so thanks for the input everyone. Never would have thought of Missouri or Wisconsin.
Houston, I think, would be an absolute nightmare. Austin always intrigues me but I'm looking for a smaller town rather than a city. Maybe somewhere near Austin? I'll check out the Austin board.
I keep wondering about New England, too. VT and NH in particular. Aside from the snow, I wonder about the whole "old money" thing that I've never been around. Some New Englanders I've known have a real keen sense of class divide and the "us and them" mentality that I find hard to take. Is it a day-to-day factor and does it depend on where you are?
I agree, the Seattle area is a disaster. We drove up a few weeks ago and were shocked to find traffic on the 5 literally stopped at Olympia and never went faster than about 20 MPH all the way to Seattle. Yikes.
I was looking for some "under the radar" places, so thanks for the input everyone. Never would have thought of Missouri or Wisconsin.
Houston, I think, would be an absolute nightmare. Austin always intrigues me but I'm looking for a smaller town rather than a city. Maybe somewhere near Austin? I'll check out the Austin board.
I keep wondering about New England, too. VT and NH in particular. Aside from the snow, I wonder about the whole "old money" thing that I've never been around. Some New Englanders I've known have a real keen sense of class divide and the "us and them" mentality that I find hard to take. Is it a day-to-day factor and does it depend on where you are?
I'm not from Boise and due to weather I am not considering it but since you like 4 seasons, I want to concur that in my research Boise really has everything you listed as wanting. I would double check on this recommendation from someone else and see if it is from you. It is an up and coming town, in foothills or Rockies so hills galore, beautiful city aesthetically and not an "old money town" which was your concern, 4 season, not west coast prices, lots of new people in town etc.
Asheville NC also is a great consideration for you - considered 'liberal', its in the foothills of the mountains as well, so you dont get the same heat and humidity levels as most of the Carolinas and quant. Not the cheapest place in the world but compared to New England or Cal its cheap.
Austin is also very well thought of, so if you don't mind the summer heat its one to consider. If you don't mind the winter, Minneapolis, MN or Madison, WI might be options for you - progressive towns.
I have cousins in Boise and they absolutely love it. They moved there 5 years ago from southern CA. They have been so happy there that another cousin is moving to Boise next week. It does fit the criteria that you have.
Wow. I love Seattle. I guess I love the green and the water. OK. You are right. It rains and it's cloudy, but I love it here. I am from Seattle, though I have lived for 10 years in Orange County California (awful) and 2 years in Honolulu (expensive). I do agree with the idea of Boise. The only concern with Boise is that it seems to be a suburb of Salt Lake City, as it is a big LDS (Mormon) enclave. I have no problem with that, but my son is there and would have an easier time finding a new job if he were LDS. Maybe he should convert?
I'd say Asheville, NC or Greenville, SC. They're exactly what you discribed you wanted (4-season climate, small/mid-sized, affordable ((especially Greenville)), safe, clean & green, very nice, accepting people, good mix of beliefs/ideas and no one ((liberal or conservative)) feels they have to compromise or hide who they are, ect). Two AWESOME places! If you rule out the entire south because of rebel flags you saw in the past, you'll be missing out on MANY awesome places. South doesn't = racism. I've lived here in NC (the Charlotte area) all of my 41 years, and almost never see one. It's an unfair stereotype. Come on down! We'd love to have ya!!!
We're in Portland now. Great culture although I pine for the smaller town feel that I had with regards to quality of life issues. Problem is so many towns around here are...what's the word...lacking in educated people, and too "RED" for us. I also miss CA's beautiful landscape, the golden hills, oaks, etc. The main problem with Portland is the gray--9 months of it. It's been very hard to take. Locals cope by taking long vacations to Hawaii or other sunny places but that seems like a luxury I'm not sure we can budget for every year (just to stay sane.)
We can go anywhere. We have an online income, though not enough to afford the expensive places. I'd like what most people want: safety, cleanliness, mellow lifestyle, some sense of culture or creative activities happening, mix of ideologies, not strip-mall hell. Small or mid size towns are ideal.
My only climate considerations are:
1. 4 seasons...longer growing season would be nice as I garden.
2. A lovely autumn, not the drizzly mess they call "fall" here. Autumn's crisp breezy days and foliage colors are truly one of my great joys in life.
Others on my wish list:
1. Homeschooling OK or else superior public school system
2. Local produce
3. Influx/new people accepted, not stared at
4. Away from west coast prices
5. Not the south or southeast (I'll pass on the humidity and rebel flags--it's where I came from.)
6. Hills
Well hello there! I can think of a few communities in Northeastern Pennsylvania (just a few hours from New England), that may fit your bill. I'll start first with Clarks Summit, an upper-middle-class, well-educated enclave just to the northwest of Scranton. The town proper has around 5,000 people, and the surrounding area, known as "The Abingtons", is home to around 25,000.
1.) The Abington Heights School District is ranked among the "Top 100 Public School Districts in the Nation."
2.) Clarks Summit isn't really an agricultural community, but local nearby favorites include Roba's Family Farm and the Scranton Farmers' Market, both of which aren't far at all from Clarks Summit.
3.) Clarks Summit is quite popular among new transplants to the region who immediately scoff at the idea of Scranton's neighborhoods being liveable (They are indeed quite liveable, but I digress). The Abingtons, overall, are a "Welcome Wagon" type of community, especially South Abington.
4.) Housing prices in Clarks Summit, overall, are the most-expensive in the Scranton metro area, but even then you can still get a very nice home in the Abingtons for around $200,000.
5.) There's not a Confederate flag in sight in this town of eggheads.
6.) Clarks Summit is a very leafy, hilly community, perched upon a mountain (hence the name "summit") over the city of Scranton. It's not uncommon in the winter for the Abingtons to be at 31 degrees and snowing while it's 35 and raining in Downtown Scranton due to the difference in elevation.
Clarks Summit is among the most educated, literate towns in the region, and it shows as the Abingtons are home to various eccentric shops, cafes, and boutiques. However, Clarks Summit is also very heavily "red"; the Republicans in Clarks Summit aren't the types that you seem to be aghast by though in OR---they are still well-educated people. Clarks Summit's main drag is home to stores such as Everything Natural organic groceries, Talbot's, United Colors of Bennetton, Wonders of the World gifts, Taylor Hobby Store, State Street Grille, etc. The median household income in some parts of the Abingtons (especially Waverly), hovers near $100,000. I suspect this is why the school district scores so well on standardized tests (Children of attorneys, doctors, professors, and politicians are more likely to excel in school as compared to children in the lower socio-economic rungs of society, wouldn't you agree?)
Last edited by SteelCityRising; 12-09-2006 at 05:29 PM..
Reason: Typo
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Boise
I can think of a few communities in Northeastern Pennsylvania (just a few hours from New England), that may fit your bill. I'll start first with Clarks Summit, an upper-middle-class, well-educated enclave just to the northwest of Scranton. The town proper has around 5,000 people, and the surrounding area, known as "The Abingtons", is home to around 25,000. 
