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Seeking friendly affordable small mountain towns, good health care, school districts, friendly people, low crime rates, love snow and four seasons, construction, nursing and teaching employment
Jsn, do you know of a website for St.Mary's job ops? I've googled it, but couldn't find much.
Thanks! My DH and I are excited! We feel like we are on the verge of a new adventure! And it feels wonderful, lol, as long as we have a roof over our heads and food in the pantry!
I know we all like to plug our own regions, but I think northern New England might be worth a look, particularly New Hampshire. I think it's hard to match the four seasons we have here - especially our fall, which is one of the most beautiful in the world.
Small towns abound here - over 75% of our towns and villages have fewer than 6,000 people, and there are only 8 towns and cities in the state with more than 20,000. We also have the White Mountains, which are arguably the most impressive mountains east of the Rockies. The state is heavily forested (85% of land is forest) and with the number and concentration of lakes, rivers, beaches, ski slopes, hiking trails, etc. it's hard to be at a loss for things to do in the outdoors.
New Hampshire has the lowest crime rate in the nation. It also ranks very high in terms of health care and education.
Despite being a mostly rural state, festivals and other cultural opportunities are plentiful. You might want to look into towns like Meredith and Sandwich in the middle of the state.
Although New England is more expensive than other places in the U.S., you could definitely find something in your price range. Bear in mind that since NH has no state income tax or sales tax, some towns compensate with very high property taxes; but each town is different.
I know we all like to plug our own regions, but I think northern New England might be worth a look, particularly New Hampshire. I think it's hard to match the four seasons we have here - especially our fall, which is one of the most beautiful in the world.
Small towns abound here - over 75% of our towns and villages have fewer than 6,000 people, and there are only 8 towns and cities in the state with more than 20,000. We also have the White Mountains, which are arguably the most impressive mountains east of the Rockies. The state is heavily forested (85% of land is forest) and with the number and concentration of lakes, rivers, beaches, ski slopes, hiking trails, etc. it's hard to be at a loss for things to do in the outdoors.
New Hampshire has the lowest crime rate in the nation. It also ranks very high in terms of health care and education.
Despite being a mostly rural state, festivals and other cultural opportunities are plentiful. You might want to look into towns like Meredith and Sandwich in the middle of the state.
Although New England is more expensive than other places in the U.S., you could definitely find something in your price range. Bear in mind that since NH has no state income tax or sales tax, some towns compensate with very high property taxes; but each town is different.
I know you are sick of the same ol threads asking the same old questions.But here's what we want:
Mountains
smallish town (Flexible on this as long as crime is low)
low crime
affordability
LOVE snow and all four seasons
friendly and willing to accept others
good healthcare and schools
I really want to live in a town that has a lot of festivals and outdoorsy things to do.
My husband works in construction, but can do a few other things as well. I am finishing school and will work as either a nurse or a teacher.
I appreciate you taking the time to read and answer my questions!
Another city is Plattsburgh, which has about 18,000 people and also close to the Adirondacks. It's right on Lake Champlain and close to Canada too. It's a city that recently had an openly Gay mayor too. Here's information on that city:Experience Plattsburgh, NY
Another community to think about is Saranac Lake or the Tri-Lakes area, which includes Lake Placid and Tupper Lake in the middle of the Adirondacks. Saranac Lake has about 5,000, Tupper Lake about 4,000 and Lake Placid about 2500-3000. Here's information on that area:Shop The Tri-Lakes
Saranac Lake, New York Winter Carnival, Sara the Snowy Owl and the Winter Carnival Schedule In The Adirondack Mountains, NY. (http://www.saranaclake.com/carny.shtml - broken link)
Actually, NH has the 6th lowest unemployment rate in the country. Because the state lacks major urban areas, there may not be as wide a selection of jobs (as in, say, the nearby Boston metro area), but it doesn't sound like the OP wants to live in an urban area anyway.
Rapid City, SD has about 80,000 people, it's at the foothills of the Black Hills and next to some of the most pristine and fun National Parks and Forests in America. There is so much to do in any season. You can ski, snowboard, ice climb, snowmobile, and sled all winter long and then in summer you can swim, boat, hike, mountain bike, rock climb, and waterski whenever you want. Rapid City is only a 20 minutes drive from most lakes and trails in the Black Hills.
Rapid City is very affordable and has an excelent healthcare system that heads a 3 state area. There are great public schools, private schools, and after school programs and there are so many sports leagues to choose from. There are tons of festivals, concerts, plays, and events that cover all four seasons. Hockey is getting really big here and Rapid City now has 3 ice rinks and a huge aquatics center.
Demographics- Saint Marys is a small city with roughly 15,000 residents. The Saint Marys MSA (micropolitan statistical area) has a population of 35,000. Saint Marys has a somewhat unique culture. Most of the population in the city is descendent of German-Bavarian peoples. Saint Marys is predominantly caucasion, but a growing variety of ethnicities is calling the city home.
Employment- In Saint Marys, you will find many different types of jobs requiring many different and varied skills. Saint Marys is home to many large, international firms. Industry and manufacturing are the foundation of the local economy, but growth in the service and healthcare oriented fields have come to prevalence in the economy as well. The largest private employer in Saint Marys is Elk Regional Health System. This growth is fueled by the growing retiree sect of the population. Increased global competition in the powdered metal and automotive fields has lead to slowed industrial growth. Work in the industrial field as chemical and structural engineers, as well as supervisors, business managers and sales representatives are competitive. Saint Marys has a large middle class and enjoys good earning power. Many famous companies in Saint Marys include, Osram Sylvania (World famous for production of incandescent lightbulbs and consumer electronics) Carbone Lorraine, Keystone Carbon (Powdered metal-used in automotive and household appliances), GKN, General Electric, Mex-America (Mexican food manufacturer-"Culinary Institute Taste Test Winner") Pepsi Co, Straub Brewery, Morgan AM&T (technology used to protect U.S. soldiers) and CG, a company mentioned at this years democratic national convention. CG is the only manufacturer in the entire United States to produce a certain type of electrode used in manufacturing. It was mentioned because it is embarking on a $200 million dollar expansion in the near future.
Recreation- Saint Marys is home to many recreational and sporting activities. The city has a large and well-funded park system. Baseball, football, soccer, basketball, swimming and skating needs are all met. There are a variety of health clubs and gyms. The Saint Marys are is home to many outdoor recreation activities as well. You can canoe down the Clarion River. Go waterskiing, tubing or fishing in the East Branch Dam. Cross country skiing, snowmobiling, atv riding, hiking and bicycling are some other options. Alleghany National Forest, the largest national forest in the Northeast, is just a quick drive to the north. The Pennsylvania Elk (a major tourist attraction) also call the area around Saint Marys home.
Entertainment- Saint Marys offers many shopping opportunites in the downtown and commercial areas. Downtown Saint Marys offers a small community college (offering courses from the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State, Clarion University and others), many banking institutions, furniture stores, youth centers, bakeries and a theater. Straub Brewery, a regionally distrubuted brewer, also calls downtown home. There are a few large department and grocery stores to choose from, Including Wal-Mart, Peebles, Bi-Lo, Rite-Aid, Fashion Bug and others. The downtown is experiencing some major growth through the Impact St. Marys plan. It includes the construction of downtown condos, new retail spaces, a senior center and senior apartments, a parking garage, a hotel and a large new downtown park with walking trails, fountains and flower gardens.
St. Marys is roughly 100 miles north of Pittsburgh and 100 miles south of Buffalo, leaving a 2 1/2 hour drive to get to either city.
And for more general information and a little help with the job search! (I will warn you though... this area has been hit hard by the recent troubles in the auto industry so jobs are becoming more and more scarce. The unemployment rate was around 4.5% in like August, but has shot up to 6.5% in the past few months.)
Good Luck!!! I hope this helps!
I know you are sick of the same ol threads asking the same old questions.But here's what we want:
Mountains
smallish town (Flexible on this as long as crime is low)
low crime
affordability
LOVE snow and all four seasons
friendly and willing to accept others
good healthcare and schools
I really want to live in a town that has a lot of festivals and outdoorsy things to do.
My husband works in construction, but can do a few other things as well. I am finishing school and will work as either a nurse or a teacher.
I appreciate you taking the time to read and answer my questions!
Scranton fits your needs in all of those categories. I wouldn't consider it a "small town," although someone from a big city probably would. Its a small city of around 72,000. Safe, low cost of living, good schools, in a valley surrounded by mountains, city conveniences and outdoor recreation (skiing, hiking, camping, fishing, boating, hunting, you name it), four seasons, healthcare is good and also a new medical school opening next fall, lots of festivals. And if you ever get the itch to go to a big city, New York City and Philadelphia are both only a 2 hour drive. The Jersey beaches are also within 3 hours.
Scranton fits your needs in all of those categories. I wouldn't consider it a "small town," although someone from a big city probably would. Its a small city of around 72,000. Safe, low cost of living, good schools, in a valley surrounded by mountains, city conveniences and outdoor recreation (skiing, hiking, camping, fishing, boating, hunting, you name it), four seasons, healthcare is good and also a new medical school opening next fall, lots of festivals. And if you ever get the itch to go to a big city, New York City and Philadelphia are both only a 2 hour drive. The Jersey beaches are also within 3 hours.
Here's another positive plug for Scranton. If nothing else the location we have is absolutely UNBEATABLE! You can be sipping a latte downtown while tooling around with your iPhone and be within a 5-minute drive of a waterfall in a city park or a ski resort in the city limits. We're a half-hour from the Poconos or Endless Mountains. We're two hours from Philadelphia or NYC for fun day-trips. We're three hours from the beach or the Finger Lakes wineries. There's two popular casinos within a 45-minute drive of the city, and there is now almost every big-box chain store and restaurant imaginable on the outskirts as well. We also have an international airport (albeit horribly overpriced).
Last edited by SteelCityRising; 12-31-2008 at 11:40 AM..
Reason: Addition of Images
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I think it's hard to match the four seasons we have here - especially our fall, which is one of the most beautiful in the world.
