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Hello everyone. I am still searching for my new home. I see a lot of people here ask for good places to live, and a common response is that more info would be helpful/ needed. So I thought I would take different catagories and put down my thoughts, and what I consider to be important or not. My only guidelines are that I want to be out of the northeast as I live in upstate NY and have most of my life, and I have ruled out raleigh, NC as that is the other town I have lived in and I want to go somewhere totally new. Oh, I am a 30 year old, white male. I have never been married and have no children. So whoever is interested, help me find a new town to call home.
Weather- I need sun. According to weathertoday.net, Binghamton, NY has 52 sunny days a year. Yes you read that right, 52! So for me it doesn't have to be sunny everyday, but I would like a lot more sun. I deal with heat pretty well and cold even better. If its 50 degrees or more outside, I'm in shorts. I don't mind rain or snow, but I'm not a fan of places that are windy all the time. But sun is #1 for weather.
Cost of Living- I am not concerned with housing costs as I will be renting so I would like a town with reasonable rent rates. I do consume a lot of meat and dairy so food costs are important as well. Otherwise I'm not a big spender, so I feel I could make it most places. But lower is always better in my case.
Schools- Right now I only have a high school diploma. That is my biggest regret, and enrolling back into school is the first thing I plan to do when I move. So I need a town that has a good community college and hopefully a 4 year school near by so my credits could transfer and I wouldn't have to move again. I am looking for health sciences if that helps at all. I know that I will have to pay out of state tuition the first year, so reasonable tuition is a big plus
Jobs- The jobs here stink and so does the pay. So I'm guessing just about anywhere is a step up. I will eventually want to work as a personal trainer but I know that might take some time. I have worked in almost every type of job that no college can get you so as long as there are those type of jobs I should be able to find something. But if you know of places where they always seem to be looking for personal trainers and dietitians thats what I'm really looking for.
Transportation- A car will be my primary transportation, but I would like a town with many options. With gas prices the way they are, I would like the option good public transportation. Also drinking and driving is never an option so having public transportation available at night would be a great thing. I may be buying a motorcycle soon, so a cycle friendly town and a good riding season is not necessary, but it would be nice. I also like to walk and inline skate places and smooth roads and sidewalks would also be a plus. I can deal with traffic to an extent, probably more than most, but no jams every single day.
People- I am looking for a place where people are somewhat friendly and polite. I can't stand where I am now. Nobody ever says hello to each other, or even acknowledges you are there. I've had it living this way. I know people are people wherever you go, but I'm just tired of miserable, frowning, people. I figure where there is better living, there will be happier people.
I am an upstate new yorker so no matter where I go I will probably be referred to as a yankee, and I'm okay with that. But I plan to integrate myself with my new town/culture and not just tell everyone how we do things, and why we're better. Unfortunately I have seen many northerners act that way across the country, but I just wanted to say I am not one of them. As far as my personality, I am usually laid back. I like to help others whenever I can, and I would give the shirt off my back to just about anyone. I love a good story, and I would always prefer to listen than to talk. I tend to get along with people, and I don't care about about a persons color, religion, sexual preference etc.
I am not all peaches and cream though, lol. My personal hell would be surrounded by two faced people. I can't stand liars, s**ttalkers, and one-uppers. I also don't like fake, plastic people and all the keeping up with the joneses that goes with it. I am an individual and I enjoy other individuals around me. Like many others up north, you won't have to guess how I feel about you. You will know if I like you or not. I don't want to sound harsh, but we all can't like everyone can we, lol.
Religion- I consider myself a non-denominational Christian. I would love to find a good church in my new home. Up here I haven't found what I'm looking for yet. My thinking is church might be a nice place to meet someone as I am tired of being single. But here people seem to be 8 and younger or 80 and older. Some people in there 20's through 60's would be nice. Also I could see myself in a baptist, lutheran, methodist church etc. All I really look for is a good bible based church, thats helps in the community.
Laws, Politics, Taxes- I am a registered republican, but only so I can vote in a primary. My closest political ideal would be the constitutionalists or some of the libretarian values. To put it bluntly, I believe the government should keep its laws off our bodies and off our properties. I know your not going to find that anywhere, so I guess I like places that put more responsibility on the individual, instead of having laws for every stupid thing people can think of. I love freedom, whats left of it anyway. As far as taxes I have no problem paying my fair share. We get taxed to death in NY its no where near fair. So anywhere with less state tax or even no state tax would be nice. We pay 8% sales too so a lower % is always cool by me.
Crime- I don't need to be isolated from the world, but I don't want an apt. in the middle of a gang war either. I can handle my own in most situations, but I would rather not have to if I had a choice. So I guess I feel like most people would feel I guess. Crime is not my biggest concern.
Landscape, City Size- There are things I like about all different regions of the country. I would like to have either nice lakes or the ocean within driving distance, but other than that I can adapt to wherever I am. City size doesn't matter much either as long as its a good fit for me. This town is a dump, so no more dumps please.
Recreation and Leisure- I am a bodybuilder so good gyms are a must. I am an athlete before anything else so I like a place where there is tons of stuff going on. I can't find a pickup basketball game in this town to save my life. So good courts and people playing on them would be good. I also love to disc golf so the more courses the happier I'll be. We have 0 here. I inline skate so Im always looking for nice parks to skate around. I have also wanted to try inline hockey, but not sure how popular it is around the states. Basically if its athletic I'm down for it. I would especially like an area that has lots of amateur leagues to join in various sports.
I love sporting events as well, so the more teams to go see the better, college or pro. I like neighborhood bars, and live bands. I prefer to shop at mom and pop shops but will go anywhere as long as its not walmart. I will not shop there for any reason, so this town will need more options. I enjoy being around water and the woods as well. Well stocked libraries are really nice to have if possible.
Here are some things I have no use for. Golf, museums, opera, theatre, hunting, fishing, nightclubs, and of course golf, lol.
Well first I want to thank anyone that actually read all this, it is much appreciated. I just wanted to be as specific as I could, but like the title says it is a challenge. But I am dead set on moving in the very near future, and the people on this site are by far the most helpful of anything moving related I have seen. So is there a good town for me, or is the only one called fantasyland?
Great Post Man! You really spent some time on that. Middleton, WI has a few health clubs and I know that Madison has always been known for its beautiful lakes. Madison is a liberal community but the rest of Wisconsin seems pretty republican. Middleton borders Madison. The population in Middelton is about 17,000. You said you wanted clean, well believe me, Middelton is very eye pleasing. It has that perfect town feel. Plus Middelton has many shopping opportunities. As for friendly people, Wisconsin has plenty of them. I really think you should check out Middleton.
Try the Denver area. People from all over the country and world have moved there making it a very multi cultural metro area. Great mass transit too and people are at worst, cordial and friendly at best. Outdoor activities abound but I am certain you will find plenty of training facilities in the area.
Madison, WI might suit you well. Heck, there are TONS of places that sound exactly what youre looking for. Places in Chicagoland would also do you some good. Its not as expensive as the coasts, but more expensive than the south and southwest. Theres alot more sun here than where you come from, but not enough to drive you crazy. Yearly averages are around 180-200 sunny days a year. Jobs here pay very well and are abundant. Chicago's nightlife/cuisine/culture/arts/etc are world class. Overall its a great place to live if you can handle the cold winters (which average in the 30s and 40s with occasional single digit days). We should get alot less snow than where youre from as well, Im guessing.
Out here in the western burbs there are several skateparks to rollerblade/skate. There are inline hockey teams too, but Id have to get that info for you. There are also a quintillion gyms here as well. We have Golds Gyms, X-Sport Fitness, Lifetime Fitness, L.A. Fitness,Cardinal Fitness, etc, etc, etc.
Some shots from Chicagos western burbs:
I have a TON more photos if youre interested. Just let me know.
I think San Diego would be a good city too look at.
The weather is close to perfect, unless you like seasonal weather. Very mild and sunny year round, usually highs are 65-80 year round at the coast, a bit warmer inland. Doesn't rain often, low humidity, no severe weather, and plenty of sun. It's boring but very nice overall and great for being outside year round.
Cost of living is high but a good deal compared to other parts of CA like SF or LA. Rent and gas are the main things that will cost more.
Lots of community colleges and if you establish residency you can go to a local state college or university for a good price and its easy to transfer.
Plenty of good jobs that pay decently, good growing economy always.
Public transit overall is decent but better in Central SD the closer you are to downtown. There is a bus and 2 train systems.
People here are pretty friendly and polite overall and very laid back, more so than elsewhere in CA. There are some fake, plastic types that migrate down from LA and Orange County but it's not the majority or really a problem for most people. Many people here are transplants, lots of NY, NJ, and the northeast and they are all great people. I think for the large CA coastal metro areas San Diegan's are the lest pretentious and full of themselves compared to LA/OC and the Bay Area.
Ca probably has many of the same type of political BS you deal with in NY but San Diego is a "conservative" part of CA. We are a military town but it's not that religious, social conservatism. It's more libertarian, keep the govt out of my personal life type conservatism. We are socially liberal but fiscally conservative for the most part. We have some of the lowest taxes and fees of any major CA city, we don't even pay for trash service in the City of SD. It's fairly moderate overall.
San Diego is one of the safest large cities in America and crime is not really an issue for most people.
It's on the ocean and there are lakes in the nearby mountains.
SD is a great city for recreation and leisure. There are tons of sports leagues that play year round, people are always outside exercising, playing sports, roller blading, ect.. People are always on the beach boardwalk cruising, running, in line skating, ect.. My roommate plays softball year round and you can do pretty much any sport here except ice hockey. Skiing and snowboarding are about 2.5 hours away. There are plenty of gyms and many people here are fit and workout; 1/2 the guys at the beach look like they are body builders. And the climate allows you to be outside year round doing whatever you want.
I like SD. The people are nice, lots of outdoor activities year round, great weather, close to many destinations like LA, Vegas, the mountains, desert, ect... The city is pretty laid back and we're not all pretentious with a bunch of high culture crap like the opera, ballet, ect... like SF or LA. Just a laid back beach city and lifestyle. So I'd check out SD and see if it appeals to you.
Great Post Man! You really spent some time on that. Middleton, WI has a few health clubs and I know that Madison has always been known for its beautiful lakes. Madison is a liberal community but the rest of Wisconsin seems pretty republican. Middleton borders Madison. The population in Middelton is about 17,000. You said you wanted clean, well believe me, Middelton is very eye pleasing. It has that perfect town feel. Plus Middelton has many shopping opportunities. As for friendly people, Wisconsin has plenty of them. I really think you should check out Middleton.
I'm going to look into Middleton. I have never looked into wisconsin yet. I have to admit, I don't know much about the state. Thanks for the idea.
Madison, WI might suit you well. Heck, there are TONS of places that sound exactly what youre looking for. Places in Chicagoland would also do you some good. Its not as expensive as the coasts, but more expensive than the south and southwest. Theres alot more sun here than where you come from, but not enough to drive you crazy. Yearly averages are around 180-200 sunny days a year. Jobs here pay very well and are abundant. Chicago's nightlife/cuisine/culture/arts/etc are world class. Overall its a great place to live if you can handle the cold winters (which average in the 30s and 40s with occasional single digit days). We should get alot less snow than where youre from as well, Im guessing.
Out here in the western burbs there are several skateparks to rollerblade/skate. There are inline hockey teams too, but Id have to get that info for you. There are also a quintillion gyms here as well. We have Golds Gyms, X-Sport Fitness, Lifetime Fitness, L.A. Fitness,Cardinal Fitness, etc, etc, etc.
Some shots from Chicagos western burbs:
I have a TON more photos if youre interested. Just let me know.
Chicagoland is another place I never thought to look into. It sounds like there is tons of stuff to do, I like that. What would an average rent look like for a small one bedroom apt in a nice neighborhood?
I think San Diego would be a good city too look at.
The weather is close to perfect, unless you like seasonal weather. Very mild and sunny year round, usually highs are 65-80 year round at the coast, a bit warmer inland. Doesn't rain often, low humidity, no severe weather, and plenty of sun. It's boring but very nice overall and great for being outside year round.
Cost of living is high but a good deal compared to other parts of CA like SF or LA. Rent and gas are the main things that will cost more.
Lots of community colleges and if you establish residency you can go to a local state college or university for a good price and its easy to transfer.
Plenty of good jobs that pay decently, good growing economy always.
Public transit overall is decent but better in Central SD the closer you are to downtown. There is a bus and 2 train systems.
People here are pretty friendly and polite overall and very laid back, more so than elsewhere in CA. There are some fake, plastic types that migrate down from LA and Orange County but it's not the majority or really a problem for most people. Many people here are transplants, lots of NY, NJ, and the northeast and they are all great people. I think for the large CA coastal metro areas San Diegan's are the lest pretentious and full of themselves compared to LA/OC and the Bay Area.
Ca probably has many of the same type of political BS you deal with in NY but San Diego is a "conservative" part of CA. We are a military town but it's not that religious, social conservatism. It's more libertarian, keep the govt out of my personal life type conservatism. We are socially liberal but fiscally conservative for the most part. We have some of the lowest taxes and fees of any major CA city, we don't even pay for trash service in the City of SD. It's fairly moderate overall.
San Diego is one of the safest large cities in America and crime is not really an issue for most people.
It's on the ocean and there are lakes in the nearby mountains.
SD is a great city for recreation and leisure. There are tons of sports leagues that play year round, people are always outside exercising, playing sports, roller blading, ect.. People are always on the beach boardwalk cruising, running, in line skating, ect.. My roommate plays softball year round and you can do pretty much any sport here except ice hockey. Skiing and snowboarding are about 2.5 hours away. There are plenty of gyms and many people here are fit and workout; 1/2 the guys at the beach look like they are body builders. And the climate allows you to be outside year round doing whatever you want.
I like SD. The people are nice, lots of outdoor activities year round, great weather, close to many destinations like LA, Vegas, the mountains, desert, ect... The city is pretty laid back and we're not all pretentious with a bunch of high culture crap like the opera, ballet, ect... like SF or LA. Just a laid back beach city and lifestyle. So I'd check out SD and see if it appeals to you.
I have to admit that San Diego is a place I have been looking at since I decided to move the first time right out of high school. I love so many things I hear and read its makes me want to leave tomorrow. But I do have the same concerns that I did then.
1. I have never been to California before. It is one of the few states I haven't seen in person. So there is a healthy amount of anxiety about it. My family is either in NY or Florida so I would be far away from everyone, and a few of them might be hurt by me moving so far away.
2. I read that the cost of living is so high that its just unaffordable unless your wealthy, which I am not. But then a lot of times they are talking about homes and property, and I'm only looking to rent. Any chance you could ballpark what rent might be, and just some everyday expenses? If I could work it I probably would be there this year. I just don't want to have to struggle to live.
3. I only speak english, and I have no idea what the culture is, but are people expected to speak spanish?
4. At first I thought that I would miss the 4 seasons we have around here, but now I realize I can hop on a plane at christmas time if I need to see snow. It would be a great time to visit the family as well. So this is no longer a problem.
But overall I would love to be in the San Diego climate. I am in dire need of sun and daily activities. Thank you for all the great info, and I'll be looking at San Diego again.
Thank you everyone for taking the time to read and the great replies. If anyone else has ideas please share, I'm open to all ideas.
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