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Hello,
I have a problem. It's a good problem to have, but a problem nonetheless.
I have a job that will follow me anywhere (completely internet based). I am deciding where in the US to live and really don't know where to begin researching. I can conceivably live ANYWHERE!
Must Haves:
Safe, quiet, residential/suburban neighborhood. This includes low violent and low property crime.
Driving distance to a major airport (45 min max)
Affordable. $1300 or less to rent a 2 bed 1 bath (or larger) HOUSE. I'm very done with apartment living.
Yard
Short walk (3/4 mile or less) to a grocery store.
Longer walk (1.5 mile or less) to vet, post office, bank, some form of public transit.
Other Preferences:
Treed, green
Pet friendly
Not a desert climate
Not ultra religious/conservative (most of the South is probably a bad idea) I'm an atheist and fairly liberal.
Tall order, eh? All suggestions very welcomed!
Thank you!!
Location: ๏̯͡๏﴿ Gwinnett-That's a Civil Matter-County
2,118 posts, read 6,372,905 times
Reputation: 3547
Quote:
Originally Posted by WhereIzHome
Tall order, eh? All suggestions very welcomed!
Thank you!!
No. Not really.
What you are describing is not a city, but rather a neighborhood that can be found all over the east coast including the south, where many non-believers live in harmony with others that are religious. Which is good news for you, because with that price range, you're probably going to end up in the south.
No. Not really.
What you are describing is not a city, but rather a neighborhood that can be found all over the east coast including the south, where many non-believers live in harmony with others that are religious. Which is good news for you, because with that price range, you're probably going to end up in the south.
Exactly. Check out Chapel Hill NC, Durham NC, Columbia SC, Greensboro NC and Winston Salem NC. All have beautiful tree lined, in-town/suburban-like neighborhoods with great walkability to grocery stores like Whole Foods and/or Trader Joes, restaurants, coffee shops, shops/galleries, reliable public transit and a majority of residents similar to the OP in terms of interests. Unilaterally eliminating the South as a choice is not an educated decision which is something I don't think the OP would endorse otherwise.
Yeah I guess I'm a little biased, which admittedly isn't very fair or kind. My only personal experience in the South was Alabama which was brief but BAD.
However, I've known many exCalifornians who have moved to the South, attracted by the extremely low cost of living and are now regretting it. I have friends/acquaintances in NC, KY, AL, and GA. All are miserable and hoping to leave. ;_;
I suspect it would just be too culturally different than what I'm used to.
Upstate NY might be a good choice. I wouldn't have thought of NY as affordable or safe, but from the info provided it looks quite promising! Nice parts of MI, I may be outpriced. Min... this has the most extreme winter I think? I love snow, but what are the heating bills like or do most house rentals have heat paid by the landlord over there?
Thank you for all your help. Please keep the suggestions coming. I'm loving hearing everyone's thoughts!
Persecuted is perhaps a strong word. They do not fit in. There have been cases of open nastiness including a physical assault, but mostly it is just a sense of sticking out and being quietly disliked or that the kindness they do receive is very artificial. As non-believers this is one of the ways they do not fit in. Being liberal minded is another. Just plain dislike of outsiders and anyone that is different in any way is what they generally report. They have little in common with their neighbors/coworkers and have very few close friends.
Being a minority in your surroundings, in any sense of the word, is a tough situation to be in I think..
Location: ๏̯͡๏﴿ Gwinnett-That's a Civil Matter-County
2,118 posts, read 6,372,905 times
Reputation: 3547
I think you should look into a big city.
I live in the atlanta area and I have a couple friends who are athiest and they're very openly so. They're involved with a meetup group for like minded people. Most people are quite religious here but being that it's a rat race kind of town, everyone manages to get on with life and there's lots of people to associate with if you don't feel like you're being accepted. I don't practice religion and religion never really comes up in casual conversation. I don't label myself as this or that nor do I feel like I don't fit in because I don't practice a religion.
As for being "liberal minded", aside from certain corners of the country that are either very expensive and/or don't offer a lot of opportunity, you've got big cities all across the country that mostly vote democratic and the suburbs and rural areas usually vote republican. But there's still loud mouthed conservatives in even the bluest of liberal blue cities though.
Where I live, I'm definitely not in the majority seeing as how I don't go to church and my political beliefs but I don't feel like an outsider. The area is full of people who are in some way or another a minority.
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