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Post by housemouse on Jul 31, 2008 8:53:26 GMT -5
As most of you know my time here in the Cornfield has been less than glorious. I am probably going to be another year or so, but after that the boys and I are going to blow this hot dog stand!
Anyway, it is just too expensive to move back to California, besides, been there, done that, bought that t-shirt. So I'm thinking of going further east. I want mountains, I gotta have mountains. Beach would be nice, but is secondary. Afford-ability is important, as are good schools, and a nice family atmosphere. Accessibility is also a factor at this point. Blah, blah, blah plus all the other stuff that makes a town livable.
So, are there any recommendations from those of you who live on the coast? Or anyone who lives anywhere else for that matter! All feedback is welcome and appreciated.
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Post by shmeep on Jul 31, 2008 9:43:04 GMT -5
Well, you know I like living in Maryland. Not too many mountains in my area, but there are plenty right over in West Virginia and that's only an hour or so away and it's gorgeous there. I don't live near the beach, but we have plenty of rivers AND the Cheasepeke Bay (which is stunning). And it has the main "must have" on my list: Trees. Lots and lots of trees. Everything is green all summer and it's just lovely. I like that I can live in a quiet area but still have easy access to both Baltimore and Washington, DC. Good luck! It's exciting when you get to choose a new place to live based on what you'd like and not only on jobs.
All that said, if I could move anywhere, I would go further north and settle somewhere in New England. My husband would want to be in a big city like Boston, but I would prefer a smallish town within an hour of a big city. I love New England.
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Post by maggiethecat on Jul 31, 2008 10:55:50 GMT -5
Madame Chairwoman, the great state of Connecticut casts it's votes for . . . itself.  Great place to live, and actually affordable if you stay away from Fairfield County, a.k.a. "The Gold Coast," which, unfortunately, is where I live.  Go a little further north, into mid-state, and it's much more affordable. (Me? I'm too damn stubborn to be chased out of my home town by a bunch of real estate chiselers, which is why I'll die with approximately $7.28 in my pocket.) Anyway, you may not get actual mountains or what you think of as mountains: the mountains here on the East Coast are millions of years older than those in the West and so aren't as dramatic as The Rockies or the Sierras but what is? What you get in return is THE COAST --miles and miles of lovely coastline and beaches and your boys would love to learn to sail! The Berkshires in Massachusetts and the Catskills in New York are a short drive from just about anywhere. The Nature Conservancy is a HUGE presence in this state so there are tons of nature preserves -- and state parks -- where you can hike, camp, go white water rafting and canoeing, etc. Fall is every bit as glorious as it is in Vermont, which is also about 3 - 4 hours away by car. The public schools in Connecticut are among the best in the country, as is the state college and university system. Between New York City, Boston and Yale New Haven, the medical care is also among the best in the country, God forbid you should need it. Accessibility was legislated here decades ago so it's not an issue. The main thing that shocks Westerners here is the Interstate system, which is really crowded and outdated and has been in place so long that there really isn't any way to widen the roads. Which is why most people who live on the Coastal corridor commute by train. But Connecticut is about as blue as you can get (except for that turncoat moron Joe Lieberman and we try to pretend he crept in over the border in the dead of night). Blue, blue, blue. ;D ;D ;D
Also there's great proximity to New York City and Boston by train.
I sound like I work for the Chamber of Commerce, but, really, I love it here. |
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Post by shmeep on Jul 31, 2008 11:50:18 GMT -5
Sold! I would move there in a heartbeat if there was work all set up for The Boy. I know I could interpret and do fine, but I live in the best job market for interpreters in the world so...it would be tough to leave it unless The Boy were to acquire a really fabulous job. But about this... But Connecticut is about as blue as you can get (except for that turncoat moron Joe Lieberman and we try to pretend he crept in over the border in the dead of night). Blue, blue, blue. ;D ;D ;D Hee hee about Leiberman. But...Maryland is also just about as blue as it gets. I think it might be the very bluest state. But perhaps Connecticut is the bluest state without a large African American community. I really don't know about that, but it's a guess. |
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Post by Colorado girl on Jul 31, 2008 12:12:04 GMT -5
As most of you know my time here in the Cornfield has been less than glorious. I am probably going to be another year or so, but after that the boys and I are going to blow this hot dog stand! Anyway, it is just too expensive to move back to California, besides, been there, done that, bought that t-shirt. So I'm thinking of going further east. I want mountains, I gotta have mountains. Beach would be nice, but is secondary. Afford-ability is important, as are good schools, and a nice family atmosphere. Accessibility is also a factor at this point. Blah, blah, blah plus all the other stuff that makes a town livable. So, are there any recommendations from those of you who live on the coast? Or anyone who lives anywhere else for that matter! All feedback is welcome and appreciated. I think the East coast is so pretty, but what kind of Coloradoan would I be without at least one commercial for my state. Colorado does not have beaches but has some of the most beautiful mountains. It is not humid. It is semi-arid. I know people kind of think of us as the wild West, and that we are all gun toting hunters. I grew up in a gunless home and we have never had a gun in our home. My husband who has hunted in the past, has never kept any firearms in our home. He is more into fishing these days. Colorado has a lot of friendly people and our governor and Denver's mayor are Democrats. All of our lottery money goes to recreation which is great for the outdoorsy types, not so good for education. I am hoping that the new governor can help with funding the public schools. I am hoping that we can make the grade when the Democratic National Convention comes to town. I wish at times that I lived closer to the East coast, but what keeps me here is a good job and family. |
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Post by shmeep on Jul 31, 2008 12:28:27 GMT -5
I've thought about Colorado as an option for us--especially when I price homes. You get an awful lot for your money there and it is gorgeous. It would suit me just fine, but the job market may not be there for us (unfortunately).
My husband refuses to consider Colorado because it's within motor home distance of my parents and he doesn't want them driving to visit us because 1) they're getting old and he worries about them driving so far and 2) their RV is twenty years old and breaks down all the time so that's another reason to worry and 3) Mom will insist upon bringing all her leftover food and going-bad produce in the motor home and then will try to serve it to us at every meal until it's gone and that's more than we can face. My brother in Oregon (another beautiful place within motor home distance of my parents) says we're not wrong about Mom and the food. My husband likes my parents to fly to see us because it's a shorter trip for them and they can't lug any leftovers in their bags (although Mom would if she could).
Silly, the things we consider when we try to decide where to settle.
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Post by maggiethecat on Jul 31, 2008 13:17:55 GMT -5
3) Mom will insist upon bringing all her leftover food and going-bad produce in the motor home and then will try to serve it to us at every meal until it's gone and that's more than we can face. But just think of all the sick days you could take because of salmonella poisoning. Ai yi yi!  |
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Post by housemouse on Jul 31, 2008 16:38:46 GMT -5
I think the East coast is so pretty, but what kind of Coloradoan would I be without at least one commercial for my state. Colorado does not have beaches but has some of the most beautiful mountains. It is not humid. It is semi-arid. I know people kind of think of us as the wild West, and that we are all gun toting hunters. I grew up in a gunless home and we have never had a gun in our home. My husband who has hunted in the past, has never kept any firearms in our home. He is more into fishing these days. Colorado has a lot of friendly people and our governor and Denver's mayor are Democrats. All of our lottery money goes to recreation which is great for the outdoorsy types, not so good for education. I am hoping that the new governor can help with funding the public schools. I am hoping that we can make the grade when the Democratic National Convention comes to town. I wish at times that I lived closer to the East coast, but what keeps me here is a good job and family. Colorado was actually one of the first places we considered. We were thinking Fort Collins or Longmont. But this morning I woke up with a very strong, very intense feeling that we belong on the east coast. I have no idea why, but it just feels right. |
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Post by housemouse on Jul 31, 2008 16:42:48 GMT -5
Jane, you sold me! Connecticut or Massachusetts it is!
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Post by Colorado girl on Jul 31, 2008 16:53:28 GMT -5
I think the East coast is so pretty, but what kind of Coloradoan would I be without at least one commercial for my state. Colorado does not have beaches but has some of the most beautiful mountains. It is not humid. It is semi-arid. I know people kind of think of us as the wild West, and that we are all gun toting hunters. I grew up in a gunless home and we have never had a gun in our home. My husband who has hunted in the past, has never kept any firearms in our home. He is more into fishing these days. Colorado has a lot of friendly people and our governor and Denver's mayor are Democrats. All of our lottery money goes to recreation which is great for the outdoorsy types, not so good for education. I am hoping that the new governor can help with funding the public schools. I am hoping that we can make the grade when the Democratic National Convention comes to town. I wish at times that I lived closer to the East coast, but what keeps me here is a good job and family. Colorado was actually one of the first places we considered. We were thinking Fort Collins or Longmont. But this morning I woke up with a very strong, very intense feeling that we belong on the east coast. I have no idea why, but it just feels right. What is most important is that you are happy. I lived in Casper, Wyoming for four and a half years and it too felt like purgatory. I really think you are right to do for your family what is best for all of you. Follow your heart and you will make the right decision. |
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Post by mlm828 on Jul 31, 2008 19:17:53 GMT -5
I'm no longer an "East Coast dweller," but I was born and raised there, so this is my two cents' worth. As for the "affordability" factor, I suspect that most places in the Washington-Boston corridor are as expensive as California, and maybe more expensive in some places. I'm afraid I have more questions than answers, but here are a few, in hopes they help focus your thinking. Is it important to you to be in or near a major metropolitan area? Are you thinking of somewhere urban, suburban, small town, or rural? Shmeep mentioned that you're not limited by your job, but are there places where the job market is likely to be better for you? About those mountains -- do you want to live in the mountains, or just have them nearby? There are not many places in the East, incidentally, where the mountains are relatively close to the beaches, as they are in California, but you probably know that already. If you really want to live in the mountains, I'd say go for it, and consider Vermont. It's beautiful, although the winters there are at least as long and cold as those you've experienced in the "cornfield." I have no idea how one makes a living there, by the way. I only went to college there. Another option is the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. Shmeep has already talked about the Maryland suburbs. When I grew up in Northern Virginia, the public schools there were very good, although of course you'd have to have a specific location in mind in order to check out the specific school district. The Blue Ridge Mountains are close enough for a day trip. Another area you might want to check out, if you're not unalterably opposed to the South, is the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area of North Carolina, with its three major universities. I've never lived there, but I've heard good things about that area. |
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Post by Katryna on Aug 1, 2008 4:31:35 GMT -5
Another area you might want to check out, if you're not unalterably opposed to the South, is the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area of North Carolina, with its three major universities. I've never lived there, but I've heard good things about that area. Although my heart lies in New England, another Southern location that you might want to consider is Asheville, NC. We lived there for a year twenty years ago. I have not been back since, but the area is absolutely beautiful with lots of mountains and spectacular scenery. Here's a link for you if you want to check it out. I loved it there! www.asheville.com/ |
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Go a little further north, into mid-state, and it's much more affordable. (Me? I'm too damn stubborn to be chased out of my home town by a bunch of real estate chiselers, which is why I'll die with approximately $7.28 in my pocket.) Anyway, you may not get actual mountains or what you think of as mountains: the mountains here on the East Coast are millions of years older than those in the West and so aren't as dramatic as The Rockies or the Sierras but what is? What you get in return is THE COAST --miles and miles of lovely coastline and beaches and your boys would love to learn to sail! The Berkshires in Massachusetts and the Catskills in New York are a short drive from just about anywhere. The Nature Conservancy is a HUGE presence in this state so there are tons of nature preserves -- and state parks -- where you can hike, camp, go white water rafting and canoeing, etc. Fall is every bit as glorious as it is in Vermont, which is also about 3 - 4 hours away by car. 
