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My husband and I have recently decided to leave DC (where we've been living for the past two years) and move to a city with a lower cost of living. We love everything about DC except for the fact that we're ready to buy a house and the housing prices here are outrageous. We've been working with a realtor here and have realized that we will never be able to get the kind of house we want within a decent commute of downtown for the price we're willing to pay. So we've decided to leave the area. We've always been renters, and we're ready to buy.
We are looking into a bunch of different cities, including such cities as Minneapolis and Hartford, CT. But we are trying to decide which would be better: do we live in a wonderful, exciting city like Minneapolis, which has lots to do in the city but where there's not much to drive to for weekend trips? Or, do we choose a city like Hartford, where there's not much to do in the city but it's in a great location for lots of exciting weekend trips?
We're really torn about this concept and aren't sure which we prefer. We have chosen a bunch of cities that have a lower cost of living than DC, and which sound interesting to us. We've been to about half of them, and are planning to look at the other half soon. But we can't seem to narrow down our list any further, especially regarding this concept.
The other cities we're considering are: Chicago, Portland (ME), Cleveland, Indy, Springfield, MA, Charlottesville, VA, Milwaukee and Philly.
We are familiar with Minneapolis, Chicago, Portland, Charlottesville, Indy, and Philly.
Last edited by doglover29; 09-01-2008 at 09:34 AM..
I added this to one of your other posts but will add it here as well since it applies more to you moving..
Dogmom, look up Williamstown, NJ 08094. We moved here 3 months ago. Back about 8 or 10 years ago, hubby & I were looking at property down here; we've always liked it down here. Little did we know that it would be the next town to be built up. Properties we looked at years ago now hold communities, we're pretty sure we looked at property pretty close to where we landed.
I don't know how you feel about skydiving but there is a skydiving place in town. We can see them come out of the plane from where we live. Granted they look like little ants with parachutes but with binoculars, you can see them.
There is so much shopping within 10 minutes or less. We have a petsmart up the street. The mall is 15 minutes, I go to the Deptford mall, has every store you can imagine and is one of the best malls I've ever been to. The Philly airport is 35 minutes, depending on what time of day you leave I'm sure but not a bad drive. If you do research on google maps, I'm over by where it says Robanna off of 322. The shopping is going up on the map, all over 322 & rt 42, I also go up 536. There are a lot of strip malls going in as well. So far I love it here.
The community I live in is Willow Woods, which can be found via google or you can send me a DM. The schools are decent, not the best, not the worst; this is if you do decide to have kids. The lady across the street from me owns a daycare less then a mile away. So far I like it. The neighbors all say hi. If you are friendly and walk your dog around the community you will meet lots of people. There is one lady that walks her dog that knows everyone just from being out walking her. I almost wish I had a dog lol So far I've seen a mix of cultures; it's a decent mix of every one. I wouldn't say it's overly white or AA.
I drink coffee btw. I used to have an 85 year old neighbor that always had coffee with me, or I'm used to my old neighbor that moved to Tennessee, I used to go to her house & help with her girls or she'd bring them over, but they had to move, so my old house was lacking.
I'd rather do a city with a lot to do around me and not as much to drive to.
I find I spent a majority of my life in the area around my work/home, and not out driving around the countryside. You just don't have THAT much time to be constantly out finding things to do away from your "home". I'd rather have everything around me than have to go find it.
Chicago doesn't have a ton right near it, but you can still be up in Lake Geneva in an hour and a half or less, Milwaukee in an hour and a half, Madison Wisonsin in 2 hours, over at the Indiana Dunes in less than an hour, and over at the resorts/beaches and Casino's in Michigan in a little over an hour. Galena and the bluffs around Dubuque are only 2.5-3 hours, and Indy is 3 hours. At least that's what I'm familiar with in my life. It would be fun on the east coast though, maybe up near Hardford or Springfield, MA. Eastern Penn or NJ...
How about Philly? There's plenty in the city to keep you occupied, and you're within an easy drive other great cities, beaches and mountains. It's also fairly cheap, though it's not the cheapest place on your list.
My husband and I have recently decided to leave DC (where we've been living for the past two years) and move to a city with a lower cost of living. We love everything about DC except for the fact that we're ready to buy a house and the housing prices here are outrageous. We've been working with a realtor here and have realized that we will never be able to get the kind of house we want within a decent commute of downtown for the price we're willing to pay. So we've decided to leave the area. We've always been renters, and we're ready to buy.
We are looking into a bunch of different cities, including such cities as Minneapolis and Hartford, CT. But we are trying to decide which would be better: do we live in a wonderful, exciting city like Minneapolis, which has lots to do in the city but where there's not much to drive to for weekend trips? Or, do we choose a city like Hartford, where there's not much to do in the city but it's in a great location for lots of exciting weekend trips?
We're really torn about this concept and aren't sure which we prefer. We have chosen a bunch of cities that have a lower cost of living than DC, and which sound interesting to us. We've been to about half of them, and are planning to look at the other half soon. But we can't seem to narrow down our list any further, especially regarding this concept.
The other cities we're considering are: Chicago, Portland (ME), Cleveland, Indy, Springfield, MA, Charlottesville, VA, Milwaukee and Philly.
We are familiar with Minneapolis, Chicago, Portland, Charlottesville, Indy, and Philly.
Not sure how much you need for out-of -town trips, but we live in the Twin Cities (St. Paul, actually) and have found plenty of places to go for short trips, including Duluth and the North Shore, the bluff country in SE MN, the Apostle Island in WI, Madison, WI, Door County, WI, the lake country in northern MN, the BWCA in the Arrowhead region, Thunder Bay, Ont., dozens of fantastic state parks, and Chicago (that would be a long weekend!)
Indy is nice because there is enough here to keep me entertained, but if I want to do a weekend trip to another city, there are a few options within a four hour drive (such as Chicago or St. Louis). I think that there is a balance between the loaded city and the empty city near a loaded city. Given the choice, I would be inclined to take a Scranton or Hartford over NYC; but that is just me. I enjoy visiting Chicago, but I would never want to live there.
I say go in the Philly area. There's plenty to do as well as plenty potential weekend trips. The poconos, jersey shore, NYC, lancaster county, and Del. water gap are all within reach. even Boston isnt THAT far.
Chicago doesn't have a ton right near it, but you can still be up in Lake Geneva in an hour and a half or less, Milwaukee in an hour and a half, Madison Wisonsin in 2 hours, over at the Indiana Dunes in less than an hour, and over at the resorts/beaches and Casino's in Michigan in a little over an hour. Galena and the bluffs around Dubuque are only 2.5-3 hours, and Indy is 3 hours..
Plus St. Louis, the Quad Cities, Detroit, Cleveland, Toledo, Ft. Wayne, Wisconsin Dells, Door County, Springfield, Green Bay, Brown County, Ind., Parke County, Ind., Lafayette, Peoria, Hannibal, Quincy, Nauvoo, South Bend, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Appleton, Sheboygan, Oshkosh, Shipshewana, Arcola, etc., etc., etc.
Nope, not much of anything around Chicago.
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