i live in the dallas/fort worth metro-mess. i hate it. it sucks, and i can't stand it. the population, the noise, the traffic... well, i wish i could express my true feelings, but i tend to hold them inside
The geography and weather is right here in C/western MA. Employment is certainly dependent on your line of work. I've managed to raise three kids and own a nice-enough home, working an OK paying job.
I guess am going to have to do a little more travelling up and down the coastal states.
Most people I know from here that moved away have gone on to NC or Texas. I am a computer geek, could probably work most anywhere, but being near the government is sort of helpful. Lots of IT jobs here, though cost of living is rather high and the A-hole/sq mile ratio is pretty crazy. Especially when on the roads.
I guess am going to have to do a little more travelling up and down the coastal states.
Most people I know from here that moved away have gone on to NC or Texas. I am a computer geek, could probably work most anywhere, but being near the government is sort of helpful. Lots of IT jobs here, though cost of living is rather high and the A-hole/sq mile ratio is pretty crazy. Especially when on the roads.
Well It is different strokes for different folks. I grew up outside of Kansas city and the hunting and fishing is great. Went to Denver for 7 years loved the mountains and the bars. Now I am in riverside Ca. and yes the taxes are high and the traffic can be a pain and there are a lot of Morons that do live here. But while I do have 4 months of summer I have the other months of shirt sleeve weather. The local mnts or hills really are only 45 minutes away and the ocean is a little over one hour. In the summer I can get out of the shower and be dry quickly because of the low humidity. I c ant see myself going back to the high humidity and the weeks with out seeing the sun.
Traffic Sucks, but I still Love Arlington, Va.
I was just in Leesburg Sunday at the outlets and wegmans. That's not far from Winchester. Maybe we should meet up and exchange homebrews or something. I'm up there on the weekends.
Hey!! I live in Gainesville!
I don't mind it. I like Gainesville actually. As they add more stores it gives me more and more reasons to never have to go to Manassas again.. Except to go to Jay's Brewing or Tobaccology.
That being said, I work from home, so I don't deal with the traffic.
I also work in IT but I refuse to work for the government or a govt contractor. There are still a lot of private companies around that require a lot of IT help though. The pay isn't as good but the benefits I have at my current gig are awesome and better than any govt benies.
The cost of living here is insane. We sold our house in Gainesville because of that. Now renting it's a little cheaper but not much and we're not gaining any equity. The only plus side of renting is I feel we can pick up and move a little easier without having to worry about selling a house.
And yes... lots of aholes around here. That's pretty much my main gripe with this area is the traffic and the uncultured aholes. You can leave work at 2:30 and sit in a pile up trying to get home.
The humidity suuuuucks here in VA during the summer. It's awful. I'm 6'2 230 lbs and all I do is sweat in the summer without doing anything.
I used to live in Chico, CA and the heat there was so dry. I was there during a big 112 degree heat wave and I remember I could get in the shower with my clothes on and walk downtown. I'd be dry before I even got down there and it was only 5 blocks or so away. I'd take the dry heat over the muggy swamp heat any day.
We have a lot of parks and mountains around here too for lots of hiking, tubing, and camping. During the summer they're pretty crowded though which sort of kills the outing for me. You have to go sort of off the grid in the national forest to not see anyone.
Contracting is just legal prostitution. Think about it. The Contractor company arranges for then gets a percentage for you doing all of the working...
Surprisingly, I bought my house inside the beltway. WHen I bought it, it was fully rented out and I was making $200/month over my mortgage payments. Now, since I am young enough and unmarried I am renting out the other 3 bedrooms and am making some 80% of it. When I do some further upgrading and find that special lady and if she decides to move in, I will be able to get that much by converting the basement to an apartment and renting that part out alone. I guess my point is that with how ridiculous cost of living is, if you are willing to commit it can cost less to own than rent.
Proximity to work is key. And timing of when you go. I managed to talk my bosses into letting me start work at 6:30, out by around 3:15. 20 minute commute in the morning, just a smidge longer in the afternoon.
Ah, the humidity. Yeah that is a pain. Mosquitos can get pretty terrible too. I swear one of my neighbors has set up a breeding ground for them. I cant go outside in the summer for 10 minutes without having 2 dozen land on me. I have since started only going outside when I am accompanied by people who mosquitos like better than me.
Contracting is just legal prostitution. Think about it. The Contractor company arranges for then gets a percentage for you doing all of the working... Mosquitos can get pretty terrible too. .
We lived in Gainesville for 3 years and it changed 10 fold from the day we moved there to the day we left. They're cramming more and more folks in there and those road ways were never meant to work with that many people. 29 is always a mess and 15 is pretty bad too. We were lucky enough to live around the back roads that people hadn't seemed to figure out yet. It's very beautiful out there though and you're a short drive from the Blue Ridge and Skyline drive which is awesome any day of the week. The Mexican place in Haymarket is off the chain too. I think I miss that the most!
I've been living here since 2005, so you can imagine how much it's changed for me! 29 is not as bad since they opened the one overpass over the train and once they finish the other one on Linton Hall it should be great. I live on the edge, over toward Wegmans, so I don't get a hole lot of the traffic and I can escape toward Warrenton if I really want to. I'm a bit of a homebody and I like staying in my neighborhood.
I've never been to the restaurant (El Vaquero?). I have heard it's good. We'll have to head over there. Thanks for the heads up.
I agree with the jmcquesten, we should all set up a time to trade home brews.
I guess it really would help to know what kind of community you are looking for and what kind of activities you are looking for. I have live in KY -hot and humid didn't get out to see anything so I can't say much else. Lived in VA tons to do but crowded. Lived in FL panhandle inland waterway across the street. Hot from may to November was nice only having a couple of weeks of winter usually picked the last of the garden Christmas day to go with Christmas dinner. Great fishing and beautiful beaches and plenty of summertime activities - parties, parades, festivals. Visited Denver for a few months liked it but expensive and crowded but plenty to do. Originally from Vancouver WA. Lots to do not too cold in the winter or too hot in the summer and it is basically a suburb of Portland so you can find any thing in the world there. Lived in Vernonia OR for a year quiet town closer to the ocean far enough away from the big cities to enjoy the peace and quiet and great fishing. A place you can still swim in a river and see your feet when standing in chest deep water. Live in Lincoln NE, as long as you can tolerate the bo polene talk you can live here. Winter is long and cold, summer hot. We have low unemployment 3.2 and top ten of almost every list of great things about cities you can think of, i can't think of anything right now because of my head but it's easy to look up. Schools I would say are at best average if you are planning kids. Cost of living is low about on par with ft Walton Beach area of FL panhandle although car insurance and food is cheaper here. NE also has its share of idiots and seems to be in the news lately for stupid things. (Bo badmouthed so n so, AG suing CO, no pipeline etc) who cares and get off your high horse. (Pun intended). Oil in a pipe is safer than oil in a train and you can lease my yard. But I'm rambling now so I better go to bed.
I think what I'm looking for doesn't exist. I have most of it where I am now but I can't stand how expensive it is here and the crowds. The lack of culture is also very annoying to me.
We just had my daughter in June so where ever we go has to have good schools and low crime.
I've lived in FL before, in the Tampa area, and it's not for me. Great place to vacation but living there sucks.
I'd love to live on the coast but it's just too risky these days. Erosion is going to take away a lot of the coast line in the next 50 years and i don't want to be at risk of losing my house. So, living by the coast is an important thing to me. Maybe an hour away.
I love the mountains too because I like to snowboard in the winter and hike/camp/bike in the spring/fall/summer. So living an hour or so away from that is preferable. I also like fishing, sports, live music, good food/beer, and restaurants that are not big chains.
I love the 4 seasons too. I missed it when I lived in FL and CA. I think winter could be a little shorter but with the right gear you can have some fun outside in it.
Obviously jobs are important too. The area has to have a decent job market. I work in IT so it should be getting easier and easier to find a job doing something IT related as the years go by.
So in conclusion good job market, good schools, 4 seasons, close to the beach and mountains, not crazy expensive to live, not super crowded, nice locals, a good culture, and things for kids to do. Is THAT so much to ask for?? :fro:
So, you want to live in a place where everybody wants to live...but nobody has chosen to live there. Sounds like it should be easy to find...
So, you want to live in a place where everybody wants to live...but nobody has chosen to live there. Sounds like it should be easy to find...
I LOVE where I live.....
I LOVE where I live- that's why I chose it. I moved to the UP of Michigan as an adult, after growing up in Youngstown Ohio and spending time traveling in the military.
My house is never locked, nor is my car. I'm pretty sure my purse is in my car right now, but not totally sure.
There are 10,000 people in my whole county, and one traffic light in the county which is only "on" Monday-Friday during the day.
We live in town, but have a cottage on a lake. There are over 200 lakes in our county, and millions of acres of National Forests and State Forests surrounding us. The nearest four lane highway is over 150 miles away.
We kayak, hike, fish, hunt, go on canoe trips, etc. I love it here. It's a wonderful place to raise a family, and to grow up.
The winters suck now, though. I used to play hockey, and ski (both cross country and downhill), and snowshoe and that made winter a lot more fun. So we go to S. Texas for two months in the winter.
I vacation or visit a city if I want to, and do that at least once or twice a year. I wouldn't change where I live for anything!
Asheville, NC baby! Beer City USA.
Livin in the Blue Ridge Mtns and within 3 hours you can be on the coast.
Moved here 9 years ago. Love it here. Never leaving. Weather is perfect in summer, and never too cold in winter. You get all four seasons.
Doesn't hurt that Sierra Nevada, Oskar Blues and New Belgium decided to jump on board.
What's the town called? What is the job market like up there?
Moved from DFW, Texas to Portland, OR suburbs 1.5yrs ago. Love Oregon. Living somewhere green and beautiful just does so much to your mental health. Drive or go hiking in The Gorge and let me know if there's any place else you'd rather be.
I live on the edge of the Cincinnati suburbs (albeit on the KY side of the Ohio River).
Pros:
Reasonable cost of living
Good job prospects
Cincinnati constantly has new breweries opening, N. KY has a burgeoning wine industry, and bourbon country is a short drive away.
Safe, close-knit communities (for the most part)
There are lots of other big cities to visit within a couple hours' drive (Indianapolis, Columbus, Lexington, Louisville). So are parks and wilderness if that's what you're going for.
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Cons:
It snows just enough that everyone loses their s**t and forgets how to drive...and there are a lot of hills.
The Cincinnati/N. KY airport consistently ranks near the top for highest airfares in the US
Having a bunch of small-ish cities directly adjacent to one another usually means a bunch of bickering over what is best for the area.
The city where I live is almost quiet to a fault. Low crime rates are a plus, but there isn't much in the way of interesting stuff going on either.
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