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Look at Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Aesthetically, it resembles the Champlain Valley in Vermont (though not exact). It has a proud and unique identify, with many cute small towns. It didn't have as big a presence of slavery compared to the rest of Virginia, so there's a tradition of small farms and a pride of independence (like New England). The architecture will look different from New England, but it's still historic. It also has all four seasons.
I was going to second this. As a New Englander myself, I really enjoyed visiting Roanoke. It felt like a lot of old little cities back home. Just checked Wikipedia, though, and apparently Roanoke (the city at least) skews liberal.
I was thinking that you have gotten a good school solution for your son and that would be a reason to stay.
I mentioned the horses because that could be a big deal in relocating cross country vs. to the next county.
You say you love the New England climate and scenery and so I didn't see a real good reason to pull up stakes.
I don't know why your wife is bullied at work because of her conservative politics if she has not discussed those beliefs. But I'd say I've never seen anyone bullied at work for just being a democrat or a republican. I've never seen any organization that was all one or another. But if that is the case, why not just get another job rather than leave the state?
As I said before all my friends are Trumpers and I voted for Obama. When someone in the group says something disparaging about liberals, I just say I don't think that's true and that ends the conversation. If you get along with people you won't be divided by politics, no one wants to argue about it among friends.
About vaccines, I don't know if they are mandated for older kids already attending school. I assume you are worried about the repeal of the religious exemption, but if it is repealed in CT. it might not be for existing students, and if you move elsewhere, they could remove the exemption as well.
But if it's your hearts desire to move, I hope you find a place that meets your expectations. Sometimes running from your problems works. Other times sticking it out and overcoming them works better.
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Originally Posted by mikeandaija2009
Hmmm, interesting. Well I'm glad you took the time to look me up. Yes, I live in Eastern CT and Yes, we have horses. I'm not sure what that has to do with my question.
And it is true I have a disabled son. We had looked into Iowa.....again your correct! My wife old co-worker transferred there and loves it. Said it would be a great fit for our family. Unfortunatly I did more research and found Iowa's special education services severly lacking. So we continue to research.
We are looking to move because my wife has been bullied at her work because of our Conservitive beliefs. She never did or said anything to anyone. You can look online to find what party a person is registered to, and we are registered republicans. It's a long story, and we wish it could be "live and let live".
Another reason I am "daydreaming" is because Connecticut is soon to become a No Vaccine Exemption State. The last thread I had and mentioned this...it was taken down. Too divisive of a subject I guess. It's very personnal to us, and it has to do with our special needs son. If vaccines are mandated in CT, we have to get out....no daydreaming involved.
I was going to second this. As a New Englander myself, I really enjoyed visiting Roanoke. It felt like a lot of old little cities back home. Just checked Wikipedia, though, and apparently Roanoke (the city at least) skews liberal.
It'd be tough to find many urban areas that skew conservative. Even Roanoke which I consider to be more conservative than most of New England. My friend married a woman from there (he's Navy, she and her family are very conservative) and I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the area and would agree that it resembles New England in many ways. The suburbs and rural areas around the city are far more conservative than what you'd find in MA, RI, or CT.
Now that horses are in the equation, I'd push it even more. My girlfriend's parents, conservative horse owners from the mountains of Vermont, also love the area and are considering retiring there. Many of their horse owning friends either own second homes or have moved full time to that region of Virginia. Can't speak to the schools though. And while that region of the state is red, Virginia is a swing state" that is trending more towards blue in recent years.
Northern New Hampshire and Maine were in our sights for many years. My family is originally from Northern Maine. Unfortunatly, the politics of Maine and New Hamshire have flipped and like many other states, what happens in the State capitol spreads throughout the state eventually. It's happened here in Connecticut. My wife and I were between jobs and houses in 2015 and jumped at the opportunity to spend a year in the Upper Valley region of New Hampshire - Vermont. I met many locals who were born and raised there and were looking to get out. They said a giant surge of people from NY, Mass, and CT over the past 2 decades changed the area dramatically by now being over-priced, over-taxed, and over-regulated.
One of our neighbors was heading to Arkansas! The other was waiting to retire and head to Florida. I remember chatting with an older couple who had rented a U-Haul at the same time as we did. They were headed to Northern Maine. Retired from NY, lived in NH for a few years and now were on there way to a more affordable area. They couldn't afford NH anymore and weren't quite ready for Florida yet.
I dont think NH's upper valley is a good representation for the entire state of NH. Its overrun by Liberals at Dartmouth and its bordering state of VT. Most of the mass residents moving to southern NH are actually voting conservative. as depicted in this link https://www.nytimes.com/elections/20.../new-hampshire
Plenty of good schools in Southern NH as well. Coming from CT it will feel like an enormous positive move. I know i did it.
As someone who grew up in the exurbs west of Boston, I actually think that outside of 495, Massachusetts (Pioneer Valley notwithstanding) can get pretty conservative and more mirrors national averages on politics. Of course, the majority of the population is contained within metro Boston so that skews things from a national perception standpoint. Hell, the South Shore is pretty conservative. So, would be REALLY surprised if you couldn't find anywhere else in New England that suits your tastes (unless they are extreme, and New England doesn't really do extreme, even on the left side of the spectrum.)
NH would be a pretty good start, outside Manchester perhaps. Can't comment on quality of schools there, but I'm sure they are no worse than the national average (but likely fall short of the top schools in the liberal Boston suburbs.) Even outside Worcester would probably work, in any direction except for East. Quick perusal of 2016 election results indicates that Leicester, Rutland & Sterling all went for Trump. And the other nearby towns that didn't we're fairly evenly split. Shrewsbury, the directional-boros and points east begin the liberal portion of the state so stay west of there.
Even outside of Pioneer Valley, the west is largely liberal. The only exceptions are Springfield’s western suburbs. The two big conservative strongholds in MA are central mass (excluding Sturbridge, Southbridge, and Gardner) and the interior South Shore/Coast towns.
I dont think NH's upper valley is a good representation for the entire state of NH. Its overrun by Liberals at Dartmouth and its bordering state of VT. Most of the mass residents moving to southern NH are actually voting conservative. as depicted in this link https://www.nytimes.com/elections/20.../new-hampshire
Plenty of good schools in Southern NH as well. Coming from CT it will feel like an enormous positive move. I know i did it.
That is an interesting map. Thanks for that info. I know the Upper Valley is a poor representation. I have always loved NH. A lot of aunts and uncles, as well of my parents friends, purchased vacation cabins/cottages in Fitzwilliam-Richmond NH when I was a kid....probably going back to the 1970's. My father was late in looking for something for our family, so never ended up buying anything. But I spent many weekends snowmobiling, fishing and hunting when I was older....loved every minute of it. Many great memories. Had the chance to buy my uncles neighbors place in late 1990's...for cheap $. All I can remember thinking was what the heck is a single 30 year old guy going to do with a cabin in the woods? Stupid! I know without a doubt if I bought that cabin on 28 acres in 1998, there would be a big house on it today and I would not be looking to move anywhere.
Upstate NY. Conservatives dominate north of Westchester County in NY. Try outside Albany.
Not necessarily, but it is more balanced than NYC.
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