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Hi everyone. My family is thinking of making a move. Any ideas on where to find this would be very much appreciated! These are the things that we are looking for:
Nice family community
4 seasons, we enjoy all seasons including fall and snowstorms in the winter
pretty area with mature trees and some lakes
good schools
prefer an area with a university near by but doesn't have to be
progressive thinking area, no redneck areas
affordable housing
Also, any website suggestions for further research?
Thank you for your suggestions!!!!
I thought of Minneapolis.
Of course you have to look into the area, some of it is not so nice...
But i mean... Minnesota has like lakes everywhere.
Housing prices arn't like Los Angeles or NYC...
4 Seasons, maybe sort of a weak summer, but thats ok...
I personally, as a NON-redneck...trust me...I'm not even white... find your comment on red-necks as offensive.
Who said red necks (which IS an offensive term) aren't progressive? SOME CONCERVATIVE CHRISTIAN groups may have racist and sexist views but as if all liberals were angles.
Go too far in either political party and they seem the same. Either way, I'm not here to lecture you or make you feel bad so I guess I'll stop before I start some kind of war which I probably will already do.
If you mean I don't want an area filled with Conservative Christians all over the place then say that...and Minnesota is pretty liberal anyways... or even if you're conservative its not like San Fransisco or NYC, its a fair mix.
I can't recommend city schools, though. But there are some good magnets and private schools in the area.
And 3 universities in the area (Saint Louis University, Washington University, University of Missouri-St. Louis).
And you can get a 3 BR for maybe $200-$250k in the suburbs. The city sometimes is cheaper, but in suburbs you pay for schools with your housing. More expensive houses because suburban schools are generally better.
I'll assume "redneck" isn't terribly offensive, considering that most people who fit that description are proud to call themselves that...
Anyway, you'll have a hard time finding any place in the midwest, south, and, well, the whole U.S., that are completely free of rednecks. I saw the type in New England and southwest, and I work with a guy from Oregon that say they're up there, too. Sorry.
Having said that, Minneapolis seems closest to what you want.
I think Madison would fit your description. Madison is very progressive, has lakes and scenery, as well as a great university. Depending on what size city you are looking for, Madison has a lot of positives. It can be expensive, but there are plenty of affordable areas as well.
I'll assume "redneck" isn't terribly offensive, considering that most people who fit that description are proud to call themselves that...
Anyway, you'll have a hard time finding any place in the midwest, south, and, well, the whole U.S., that are completely free of rednecks. I saw the type in New England and southwest, and I work with a guy from Oregon that say they're up there, too. Sorry.
Having said that, Minneapolis seems closest to what you want.
Agree on the rednecks being everywhere, but I disagree about your argument of lots of rednecks in St. Louis. Most if not all of the suburbs are completely free of them. I have yet to meet a redneck from St. Louis County. Most rednecks in the Midwest from my experience tend to be in the rural areas outside of the cities, not in them per se.
South-central Indiana, in the vicinity of Bloomington, Bloomington itself, or a nearby town if you'd prefer to avoid a pure college town with noisy students, etc.
In or near Ann Arbor, MI. If you don't necessarily need to be close to a large city, and if you would like, or would not mind, serious winters, a couple of areas in the UP that could work would be the areas of Hancock/Houghton and Marquette.
Central Ohio is an area that has weathered well the economic decline of the Rust Belt in general. There are several nice suburbs of Columbus, if suburban living works for you, with plenty of colleges in the area. A few good suburbs are Dublin, Worthington, and Westerville. I'm sure that people on the Cols. sub-forum could suggest other towns in the area as well. About twenty miles north of Columbus is Delaware, the site of Ohio Wesleyan University, a small liberal arts college, the "university" title notwithstanding. Delaware is a town of about 30k, with a growing suburban character but with its own identity--for now at least. If you'd like a smaller town, a good one in that area is Granville, home of Denison University (another liberal arts college not so aptly named "university"). Granville is the epitome of a quaint, tree-shaded small town. It's in a nice area of small hills, with a collection of the basic local businesses right in town, and more comprehensive shopping and dining in the larger town of Newark, which is maybe five or six or seven miles away. A nice town without a local college, but still close to Columbus with its collection of colleges, is Lancaster. Lancaster is an easy drive to some decent hiking in Hocking Hills State Park. In the central Ohio area in general, there are not a lot of natural lakes, but there are a few scattered around, and there are some nice large man-made lakes in the area, especially several north of Columbus, which don't especially have an artificual feel about them.
Indianapolis is nice and affordable, but not too pretty. Minneapolis has lakes and is probably more progressive. I would look into those two.
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