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Hello, we're a couple in our late 30s (I'm black, husband is white) and we have an infant and a toddler. We would like to leave Chicago for somewhere with warmer weather, quality schools and good housing for our family, and cheaper taxes. We have friends in Austin and Houston in TX and Murfreesboro, TN, so ideally we'd like to focus on one of the areas where we would know at least one other family (well, my husband is more of a homebody so he couldn't care less, but I need to socialize a little).
We keep hearing from our Austin friends that the cost of living is ever-increasing, so it's not likely we will settle there, however I like the vibe of Austin (not necessarily the music-scene, but that the people seemed friendly when we visited). We do need to live somewhere where our kids won't feel out of place, being biracial. Another caveat, though not too huge: having lived in the city the past 15 years, I don't drive and have high anxiety driving on expressways. I am willing to take a driver's ed refresher though, but I'm just saying I would prefer to live somewhere where the driving isn't panic-inducing/highly congested or where I can keep it to a minimum. Husband prefers smaller towns vs. cities, though we're fine working in a city. We don't need anything trendy, we're both pretty "average", middle-of-the-road in terms of politics and such/middle-class. I would like a good non-denominational or Lutheran church to attend as well. So, given all of this, any thoughts on areas in Houston or Tennessee that come to mind, please, and thank you in advance!
Both Austin and Houston have a large freeway system, and unless you plan to stay put in some very walkable area of Austin, you will need to use them.
Murfreesboro, TN, no idea. Never heard of it. I assume it's a small town. Just a warning, Tennessee is not far enough south to escape cold weather. Though it will be an improvement. I assume since it's in the south the small town will have a lot of blacks, and a lot of whites.
My advice is to get on the TN forum ( often Murfreesboro is discussed on the Nashville forum) to get info on walkability and transit options. That is if your friends can't inform you. Also get recommendations for an integrated neighborhood close-in. Murfreesboro is a college town so it has that going for it. A bonus is you are close to Nashville for entertainment/shopping options though I presume Hubby will drive.
A lot of the suburbs that ring around Houston would fit. For the most part, race is a non-issue. Right now, Austin is the 'cool' place to be, so it is flooded with people from other states. I have relatives in Austin who no longer like living there. Anyway, I am from a small town, so I prefer living in smaller areas rather than the city itself. That's why I suggested the the multiple areas around Houston - Friendswood, Pearland, Katy, Cypress, Kingwood, Summerwood, Sugar Land, Mo City, League City, etc. Many of these places are suburban. Many are simply small towns. You can, for example, live and work in a place like Sugar Land and never have to jump on a freeway. That's kind of why I am where I am now!
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