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Hi everyone,
I've posted on several other state/city forums but am still looking for some answers. I know there is no perfect place to live, but I think my family and I are ready for a change. We are from CT but currently live in KS. I won't go into details of what I like and don't like about these 2 places. But likes/dislikes/hobbies/career necessities have changed over the last few years, so now we are looking for somewhere that fits our needs better. Here is what we are looking for....
1) Need to be within an hour or so of a major US airport. My husband travels a lot for work.
2) Great schools for our 2 daughters ages 7 and 10. Especially high school. Willing to go private if not too expensive (less than 18,000/yr for both kids COMBINED.)
3) Home with some land so that we can have a garden and some chickens and maybe an extra outbuilding we can add.
4) We are ok with 4 seasons as long as the winter is more mild than the Northeast. Done with massive amounts of snow like in New England (so the Northeast is out!) Would be ok with hot all year.
5) Love hiking and fishing. So some mountains and river fishing is a must! Skiing is a plus.
I think that's pretty much it. Thanks in advance for your time and input!
The western suburbs of Charlotte (where I live) would be good. We can see Crowder's Mnt. from our neighborhood. It's (the mnt.) in a state park 5 minutes from our house and is over 5k acres. It is in the city limits of the city I live in (Gastonia), yet you feel you're in the middle of nowhere (totally awesome). Miles and miles of trails, a big lake, and nature center. Our middle son takes our dog for a hike up the mountain 2-3 times a week. There's another SP (Kings Mnt.) that connects to it and it's over 6k acres. The U.S. National Whitewater Center is 15-20 minutes away in Charlotte (700 acres). Whitewater rapids when the Olympic team trains, tons of trails, zip lines, kayaking on the Catawba River, gift shop, very nice restaurant. Downtown Charlotte is 25-30 minutes away and the airport (7th busiest in the nation) is 25 minutes away. In this part of the metro area, you can get some acreage on the outskirts of towns at a decent price that's not too far from I-85. We average about 6" of snow per year. The climate is great (sunny and 78, with our windows open right now). Schools are good. We loved Kings Mnt. HS (our 4 kids are young adults now 20-25). We have Lake Norman, Lake Wylie, Moss Lake, Catawba River, and South Fork River for fishing/boating/kayaking. Lake Lure is not far and really nice too. Skiing in Boone is 1.5 hours away. We absolutely love it here and don't plan on leaving. We never run out of things to do. Hope this helps a little. Good luck in your search!
Thank you so much for all this info! Sounds like a great place! Would you mind telling me which zip codes you think I should look into? Again, thank you so much for your response!
Thank you so much for all this info! Sounds like a great place! Would you mind telling me which zip codes you think I should look into? Again, thank you so much for your response!
28052 & 28086. If you get to the point you'd like to look into the area further, our daughter is a real estate agent. I could give you her number. Just message me. If you'd like to look on your own, that's fine too. Good luck wherever you and your family lands.
Charlotte? Crowders is one hill. Charlotte is flat as a pancake. When I lived there I had to drive almost 2 hours to get to decent hiking. The water is also super red with clay. Look for a place closer to the Mountains. The water is clear up in the mountains. Try Greenville (SC) or Northern GA. There is skiing in TN and VA. Actually Tenn would be less humid as well. The heat in Charlotte is terrible in the summer.
Charlotte? Crowders is one hill. Charlotte is flat as a pancake. When I lived there I had to drive almost 2 hours to get to decent hiking. The water is also super red with clay. Look for a place closer to the Mountains. The water is clear up in the mountains. Try Greenville (SC) or Northern GA. There is skiing in TN and VA. Actually Tenn would be less humid as well. The heat in Charlotte is terrible in the summer.
I live here, blue. Have for 50 years. I think I know a tad (just a tad) more about this area; go figure, lol. You're dead wrong. When you lived here, you obviously weren't looking (a "hill", lol). And, nope, Charlotte isn't "flat as a pancake". Awesome! Perfect record. To be so off in your assessment, you've clearly got an ax to grind for whatever reason. So, there you go
I live here, blue. Have for 50 years. I think I know a tad (just a tad) more about this area; go figure, lol. You're dead wrong. When you lived here, you obviously weren't looking (a "hill", lol). And, nope, Charlotte isn't "flat as a pancake". Awesome! Perfect record. To be so off in your assessment, you've clearly got an ax to grind for whatever reason. So, there you go
I just know the difference between the mountains and flatlands. Stating a fact.
1) Need to be within an hour or so of a major US airport. My husband travels a lot for work.
2) Great schools for our 2 daughters ages 7 and 10. Especially high school. Willing to go private if not too expensive (less than 18,000/yr for both kids COMBINED.)
3) Home with some land so that we can have a garden and some chickens and maybe an extra outbuilding we can add.
4) We are ok with 4 seasons as long as the winter is more mild than the Northeast. Done with massive amounts of snow like in New England (so the Northeast is out!) Would be ok with hot all year.
5) Love hiking and fishing. So some mountains and river fishing is a must! Skiing is a plus.
Budget? Renting or buying?
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