I want to move....where do you live? Do you love it?

Crissyjo30

We live in Southern California.  The home prices are ridiculous.  The materialism is out.of.control.  DH and I dream of moving somewhere family friendly with mild weather (we have become wussies growing up here) and more down-to-earth people.

Do you live somewhere like that?

Gina418

I live in Westchester NY - high COL area, but great schools, friendly neighborhoods and only about an hour north of NYC!

Califlorida

i opened this post thinking i'd tell you do NOT move to LA. lol. but you already know that.

dh and i are trying to figure out when we might be able to move to northern california.  somewhere close to santa cruz, but maybe even closer to san francisco.  not to say home prices will be that much better.

but after yesterday, overhearing two 11 yr olds and a 15 yr old talk about their private schools and ambitions for the future (hmmm, director, actor, writer, producer?  which makes the most $$$?  which job can my dad get me easiest?)  i am certain that i need to get the fuuck out of this city before my kids are corrupted.

lhuttlinger

We moved from OC (dh is from Hb, i'm from irvine!)

to just outside of raleigh, nc! We LOVE it!

Lucky_Dragonfly

well you can see under my SN wher I live and it gets really cold in the winter here. Not as cold at the dakotas and the Rockies, but still cold. It's not my dream place to live but its not bad and its my home.

pawleygirl77

I live in coastal South Carolina and love it! Of course, I've never lived anywhere else for comparison but I've never felt the desire to leave! The cost of living is decent, the people are friendly and the weather is fantastic!

hudsaunt1

i was all ready to tell you to come to North Dakota, until I saw "mild weather".....it is really nice here from April to Oct/Nov...sometimes the winters aren't that bad either.

faBriezy

I grew up in So Cal and I know what you mean. Denver (and surrounding areas) is really wonderful. In fact there are 6 families on our block who are CA transplants. It's really beatiful here, quick access to the mountains, really friendly people, lots of families with young kids, and lots to do. The weather is great too, it's sunny like 300 days of the year. We do get snow but it melts pretty fast since we have so much sun.

adri77

I see what you are saying about So. Cal- my brother in law and his wife life in San Diego, are almost one hundred thousand dollars in debt- yet they drive an Escalade and Mercedes, she has a Burberry and Coach diaper bag.....I could go on and on about all of the frivilous crap they have.

I live in the Philly suburbs and love it, but that would be quite a hike/culture shock for you!  And not so mild weather either! But everyone is really nice, and I feel so safe here.  We have the best neighbors.   Good luck finding a place that makes you happy!

Crissyjo30

Califlorida:

i opened this post thinking i'd tell you do NOT move to LA. lol. but you already know that.

dh and i are trying to figure out when we might be able to move to northern california.  somewhere close to santa cruz, but maybe even closer to san francisco.  not to say home prices will be that much better.

but after yesterday, overhearing two 11 yr olds and a 15 yr old talk about their private schools and ambitions for the future (hmmm, director, actor, writer, producer?  which makes the most $$$?  which job can my dad get me easiest?)  i am certain that i need to get the fuuck out of this city before my kids are corrupted.

 

That reason, more than ANYTHING, is why I want out.  I can deal with the home prices, I just can't deal with the people.  I want DD to know she is worth more in life than the cost of her car/shoes/education/etc.

Tess12

SE Virginia.  Slow pace, humid summers, but the rest of the year, the weather's great.

Baby Humphrey

We moved from Iowa to NC.  We love NC, but all our family is in IA.  However, we have become very spoiled by the weather here in NC.  No snow! 

AngeNAndy4106

I live in suburban Philadelphia and always have.  I love being close to 3 major cities (NYC, Washington, D.C., and Philly..and not too far to Boston).  The area is pretty HCOL (not like SoCal), but the schools are great and the neighborhoods are nice, in my experience.  Also, our weather is not too shabby. I mean, we usually have seasons, so it does get cold from somewhere in October or November through February or March, but I love it. If I were to move b/c I wanted milder weather and nice neighborhoods, I'd move to Virginia or North Carolina. We have friends in both areas and love visiting them!

CrazeyJaneyR

Gina418:

I live in Westchester NY - high COL area, but great schools, friendly neighborhoods and only about an hour north of NYC!

?

I grew up in Westchester, and it was very materialistic!!?

JessMil10

We live in Indiana and it has it's pros. Low cost of living, small town feel, friendly people, Chicago near by... but I find it 'meh' worthy a lot.  I grew up in the suburbs of Philly and LOVED it. I wish we lived there now.

kirbabe

I love living in Boise.  Not too big, not too small.  People are extremely friendly (probably 'cuz of all the mormons around here, but that just means it's a family friendly place).  Close to just about any outdoor activity you could possibly want to do.  We have actual seasons, it does get cold here in the winter and it snows (but not a ton in the valley, it snows in the mountains, which makes for 3 ski resorts within 100 miles), but this just makes it fun for your kid to play in the snow (oh, and since you're from California, we'll either make fun of you for not being able to drive in the snow or ridicule you for thinking you HAVE to have an SUV to drive in the snow - word of warning, most of the cars around here involved in snow accidents are Californians driving an SUV thinking they can go as fast as they want because they drive a Denali and sliding off the road).

MrsTotty

Everyone else in CA is moving to TX, so you should too!  There is new nestie on the DFW board who just relocated from the LA area.  She just bought a huge home in one of the nicest areas in the metroplex ... I'm assuming she made a killing on her home sale, and since the COL here is much lower ... she's pretty much set. 

We have very little cold weather, and great BBQ 

missfire

I love the Seattle area. We recycle, we do lots of stuff outdoors, we have farmers markets in every neighborhood in summer, we still have great restaurants and shopping and jobs nearby.

Portland, OR is also great. They are a bit less expensive and have great mass transit on top of that. Just driving through Portland makes me feel relaxed, even though it's still a good-sized city.

StylishMom

lhuttlinger:

We moved from OC (dh is from Hb, i'm from irvine!)

to just outside of raleigh, nc! We LOVE it!

i lived outside of raleigh..(cary) for mannnny yrs. great area..schools..safe..everything at your finger tips. the beach is only about an hour n ahalf away. you got the mountains about 3 hrs away. RTP (research triangle park) has wide variety of careers. check it out!

Crissyjo30

MrsTotty:

Everyone else in CA is moving to TX, so you should too!  There is new nestie on the DFW board who just relocated from the LA area.  She just bought a huge home in one of the nicest areas in the metroplex ... I'm assuming she made a killing on her home sale, and since the COL here is much lower ... she's pretty much set. 

We have very little cold weather, and great BBQ 

My Dad grew up in TX (Irving) and his whole family still lives there.  I used to spend the summers with my Grandparents in Athens on the lake.  I LOVE Texas.  DH is a wuss about the humidity, though.  Although I did tell him that we can have a baseball diamond in our backyard if we move there....I think that might change his mind

 

punkfiction

the humidity in the dallas area isn't bad. its south texas that makes you want to die.

eta: oh and the housing market/jobs seem to be pretty stable. we don't know anyone (at least i cant think of any off the top of my head) that have lost their jobs.

meglew

kirbabe:

I love living in Boise.  Not too big, not too small.  People are extremely friendly (probably 'cuz of all the mormons around here, but that just means it's a family friendly place).  Close to just about any outdoor activity you could possibly want to do.  We have actual seasons, it does get cold here in the winter and it snows (but not a ton in the valley, it snows in the mountains, which makes for 3 ski resorts within 100 miles), but this just makes it fun for your kid to play in the snow (oh, and since you're from California, we'll either make fun of you for not being able to drive in the snow or ridicule you for thinking you HAVE to have an SUV to drive in the snow - word of warning, most of the cars around here involved in snow accidents are Californians driving an SUV thinking they can go as fast as they want because they drive a Denali and sliding off the road).

Replace the word snow with "rain", and this would also describe how Oregon feels about California drivers. :-)  But seriously, Oregon is a great place to live with the beach, mountains and desert close by.  Right now it is beautiful.  Sunny, 65 and the leaves on the trees are starting to turn colors.  It does rain quite a bit, but hey, it gives it a "cozy feel"! :-)

fIowerchild

I'm kind of fond of where we are in NC. The COL is not crazy high, but the job market and pay levels are good. If you're in high tech or the medical / biotech fields there are lots of opportunties. Great public universities, very family friendly, close to the beach and the mountains, lots to do, etc. I'm not sure about the school system though. All of my neighbors in North Raleigh send their kids to private school and I need to find out why.

And outside of 2 hot, humid summer months, you can't beat the NC weather.

ali2005jason

I live in Greenwood, Indiana and I love it here. I am just south of Indy so if I need to go to the city, it's maybe a 10-15 minute drive. The weather is ok. This summer was a little muggy but then cooled down and feels great now! Winters can be rough but then they can be really mild too. I love the school DS is in. He went to a different last year when we lived in Indy and I hated that one. The one here in Greenwood is amazing! COL is relatively low. Really good prices IMO....

MegGary

I'm in Jersey. Don't come here. I hate it! COL is rediculous. Unless you move down south.

I'm from the OC in NY. About an hour outside NYC & I miss it so much. I love living in a small town where the cost of living is moderate & the people aren't jerks. lol. Not to mention I moved from a quaint little town to a dump in NJ. Yeah I'm not happy here.

We want to move to PA. Winters are hard there but it's the country & the people are nice.

CrazyNLove

Crissyjo30:

MrsTotty:

Everyone else in CA is moving to TX, so you should too!  There is new nestie on the DFW board who just relocated from the LA area.  She just bought a huge home in one of the nicest areas in the metroplex ... I'm assuming she made a killing on her home sale, and since the COL here is much lower ... she's pretty much set. 

We have very little cold weather, and great BBQ 

My Dad grew up in TX (Irving) and his whole family still lives there.  I used to spend the summers with my Grandparents in Athens on the lake.  I LOVE Texas.  DH is a wuss about the humidity, though.  Although I did tell him that we can have a baseball diamond in our backyard if we move there....I think that might change his mind

 

Austin, Texas is where it's at!!  It gets pretty hot in the summer - cool in the winter.  Today it's 80 - lovely weather!  It can get humid but nothing like Houston.  Austin is very laid back - outdoorsy - not too large and not "snooty" at all.  There is a lot to do here.  Lots of festivals.  Live music.  It's a culture all it's own. 

schnappycat

We also live in Denver (suburbs) and LOVE it. I can't say enough good about it (except maybe the lack of humidity, which my skin hates). The weather is generally awesome, there is so much outdoorsy to do, it's very family friendly, and it's a short drive to beautiful mountains. Where I live the schools are good and there are walking/running trails everywhere.

fIowerchild

I've always thought that if/when we move it would be to the Denver area, or Austin. Nice to see the Bumpies who live there have good things to say.

ladeebri

Another vote for Denver!

Not snobbish at all.  Love being able to see the mountains all the time (sunsets can be incredible!).  And all the reasons Briezy and Schnappycat mentioned.

abrtpk1

We live in NC:O) We love it here...the weather is AMAZING (unless its CRAZY hot and humid...) but that only lasts a short little while during the summer. We grew up in the midwest (Me in IL, DH in IN) went to school in IN,  moved from IL/IN ---> Upstate NY--->Philly--->to here. This is 100% the best place we've lived (although I really loved Philly, too)

We live in the middle of RTP (Research Triangle Park...Raleigh/Durham) close to work, shopping, airport, Beach is 2 hrs east and the mountains are 2 hrs west. It's awesome! 

MsLindseyLou

i know you said mild weather but ND has 9,000, barely any foreclosures, LCOL, low house prices and we are wholesome as can be!

you can travel to Minneapolis to get away for a weekend...

 

it's not as bad as you might think. just our weather kind of sucks.

VTbride05

Come to central Vermont. Yeah the winters are long, but put on some snowshoes, and a baby on your back and it's a lot of fun. We LOVE living here. It's friendly, there is a reasonable COL, great schools, and a wonderful community. I think that people wanting to raise a child in a small town/city setting should move here.