If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where & why?

[packrat]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

Took it again and the results were about the same. One suggestion is a town about 45 minutes from here that we've talked about if something happened and we had to move, we'd consider.

Dee-Des Moines is about 2 1/2 hours from here!

 

[Gypsy]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

Hello all,

My husband and I are originally from the midwest (I'm from Chicago, he's from Nebraska), and we've been living in the Seattle area for almost 2 years. Before here we lived in the northshore suburbs of Chicago, and before that Rancho Palos Verdes, which is close to Los Angeles. While the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest is spectacular, we miss living in a world-class city (like our neighbor Vancouver to the north). Also, the cost of living is really high here, which we are used to. But other than the scenery/outdoor activities, we find the quality of life here is not justified by the high cost. (Sorry to any fellow Seattelites! I'm not trying to knock your home, just saying we don't want to settle here permanently, it's not the place for us).

Our oldest two kids will be graduating from HS/middle school after the next school year, and we are thinking it would be a logical time to move again - but where? Illinois and California are both low on our list because of their fiscal health. A city with amazing museums/culture/food would be nice, but we're willing to compromise on that if the cost of living is good. A major airport is a must for us.

If you had to move somewhere else in the US and could choose your next home, where would that be and why?

Thanks for any replies!

DC. Hands down. I'd live in Rockville, MD (cause I'm a suburb gal) but Northwest DC is the one city I could live in and still be happy.

 

[decodelighted]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

That quiz is SO WEIRD. My top "spot" is my own hometown that I left in 1985.

 

[Gypsy]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

That quiz is SO WEIRD. My top "spot" is my own hometown that I left in 1985.

It has me in every city in Louisiana except New Orleans.

My top four:

http://www.findyourspot.com/city-detail/200/AlexandriaLA Which admittedly looks lovely but... it's Louisiana. I clearly know nothing about Louisiana if this is where it has me living because it just doesn't sound right. Isn't bayou just a fancy name for pretty swamp with giant snakes and lizards? And... "best places to retire" in America. Really?

http://www.findyourspot.com/city-detail/227/CapeCodMA Which admittedly looks lovely but would never have occurred to me (and it's it Louisiana's polar opposite? How do you even get that both of these are right for you?)

http://www.findyourspot.com/city-detail/94/DanburyCT Also lovely, and makes sense with the Cape Cod recommendation, but how does it work with Louisiana

http://www.findyourspot.com/city-detail/204/LafayetteOpelousasLA And we're back in Louisiana. And another great place to retire. With swamps.

So am I a southern belle, a damned yankee or a schizophrenic retiree trapped in a 36 year old's body?

I changed one of my answers (added that I'd be okay in a big city) and this is what came up as the first pick.

http://www.findyourspot.com/city-detail/201/BatonRougeLA And me being me and ever curious I google it and I get to this link and think: http://www.visitbatonrouge.com/ And all I think is Baton Rogue -- where some decided that crossing sorcerer Mickey's hat with the Smurf hat and wearing it was a good idea for a band outfit.

I do like my new number 2 though:

http://www.findyourspot.com/city-detail/395/ProvidenceRI I would live here.


And Alexandria is still number 3.

I see the problem now. In the "it's not a good idea for me to live in a" desert, etc... there should have been a swamp option. Cause I gotta say... I would have outlawed swamps.

 

[tuffyluvr]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

Hello all,

My husband and I are originally from the midwest (I'm from Chicago, he's from Nebraska), and we've been living in the Seattle area for almost 2 years. Before here we lived in the northshore suburbs of Chicago, and before that Rancho Palos Verdes, which is close to Los Angeles. While the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest is spectacular, we miss living in a world-class city (like our neighbor Vancouver to the north). Also, the cost of living is really high here, which we are used to. But other than the scenery/outdoor activities, we find the quality of life here is not justified by the high cost. (Sorry to any fellow Seattelites! I'm not trying to knock your home, just saying we don't want to settle here permanently, it's not the place for us).

Our oldest two kids will be graduating from HS/middle school after the next school year, and we are thinking it would be a logical time to move again - but where? Illinois and California are both low on our list because of their fiscal health. A city with amazing museums/culture/food would be nice, but we're willing to compromise on that if the cost of living is good. A major airport is a must for us.

If you had to move somewhere else in the US and could choose your next home, where would that be and why?

Thanks for any replies!

I grew up in Palos Verdes!

 

[zoebartlett]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

I just took the quiz again and got 4 pages of results. Apparently, NC is the state we should be living in again. So many of the towns in my results are there. I think it's because of the weather. I have a love/hate relationship with the weather here in New England.

 

[Imdanny]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

I love reading threads like these. It's fun to learn about places I've never been to. I'm dying to visit Hawaii, Danny. It's SO FAR from where I am though, but to see paradise like that, I'll deal.

Thanks, Zoe. If you do come, please feel free to ask on the board for advice. If you visit the Big Island or Maui, I know them like the back of my hand, and I'd be happy to give you some tips. There are some very beautiful places you shouldn't miss if you do come all this way. I know it's a long way from anywhere! I've gone back on forth from here to Florida to visit family and that's a long trip!

 

[Missy]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

I live in Bucks County PA... less than an hour from Philly, up the street from New Hope, PA/Lambertville, NJ (artsy area), about 1 1/2 hours from NYC (by train or car- the express train less), an 1 hour drive to the New Jersey shore, 1-1/2 hours to the Poconos, less than 3 hours to upstate NY (Finger Lakes Region).

I love my location because we are never too far away from anything going on. Near the Philly, Allentown, and Newark (NJ) airports (40 mins - 1 hour away ). 20 minutes from the Trenton NJ train station.

Love that area socool! You are pretty close to my favorite jewelry store too...


I agree with those who wrote you probably have to pay to be right in the cultural action of a good city. My dh and I are faced with the same dilemma and that is one of the main reasons we sold and bought another (more suitable for full time living eventually) house at the Jersey shore. We are 35 minutes from Manhattan (by ferry) and right on the water so I was hoping when we retire and sell our NYC apt we could live here full time. Of course, it is still not as inexpensive as we would like and taxes are awfully high but it is still less expensive than where we live FT now. But then again, it is not as convenient as where we live FT now and you really need to drive here to get to places which I don't love. But much in life is a compromise as there really is very little perfect situation unless you have unlimited resources ($$$).

Good luck to you and your family. I will be watching this thread to see everyone's recommendations just in case there is something we missed when we were figuring out where we would ultimately retire.

 

[JewelFreak]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

I have been working on DH to get outta southern N. Carolina & move to central Virginia. It's within easy distance of DC & all it has to offer, Charlottesville & U.Va., Richmond, & the shore. Great jewelry stores abound; all that history (I'm a Civil War & antique house buff), and gorgeous countryside, plus city amentities not far away. Quite a few areas have amazingly, almost laughingly, low property taxes too. They have 4 seasons, with some snow in winter -- enough to enjoy but not overdo it. Fall is beautiful.

Soocool, sounds like you have it pretty great in Bucks County too. Up my alley!

--- Laurie

 

[Missy]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

Packrat, was it this quiz? http://www.findyourspot.com/

I think I took that one here a few years ago.

Wow, I just took this quiz (thanks Zoe!) and my top spot is...
Honolulu, Hawaii!!!!!!!

then LI NY, San Jose Ca, San Francisco Ca, Portland Oregon, Las Vegas Nevada, Little Rock Arkansas (don't understand the last 3 as I need to be near water!),
San Diego California, Orange County California, Oakland Ca, Boston Mass, Providence RI, Long Beach Ca, NY, NY (LOL pretty far down on the list!), New Haven Conn, LA, Ca, Norfolk Va, Hartford Conn, Washington, DC, Seattle Washington.

Not bad. I would agree with much of the list compiled for me. I am going to have my dh take this quiz.

I would love love love to live in Hawaii but I think cost of living is too high for us and it is too far from my family. It's interesting that these areas were picked because when asked area of preference I only checked Northeast but in my heart I would love to live in a mild climate such as California and so many on my list are in California. Ofc it is just a pipe dream as there is no way I could leave my family and move so far away. My mom was practically crying when we told her of our plans to retire in NJ and they don't live far away at all (in NYC).

Wow, I just realized not one of my "top spots" from then quiz are the actual area where we intend to retire...In fact, not one Jersey shore pick was on that list.

 

[anitabee]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

I'd move about 20 minutes down the street where we could have a bigger yard.

Sorry -- I LOVE living in the PNW (I'm Bellevue area) and can't imagine anything better. We have access to some of the best medical care, amazing stores (love the different Indian, Iranian, and Asian markets!), great food from around the world. Nice museums (if you haven't been yet, some of the little museums that are within a couple of hours of Seattle are just wonderful). Outdoor activities of all sorts. Near perfect weather.

Short ferry ride (after gorgeous drive!) to San Juan Islands and Vancouver BC, easy to book cruises or flights directly from Seattle to pretty much anywhere. Music. Theater. Wine. Beer. Coffee.


ETA: A few more:
a short drive (okay, couple of hours) to Portland
Leavenworth
concerts at the Gorge

I LOVE SEATTLE!!

we just got back from a weekend in seattle (we live in vancouver) and we actually talked about moving to seattle. unfortunately, it's more of a pipe dream since moving from canada to the states requires a ton of rigamarole. but anyways...

SEATTLE HAS IT ALL!
great restaurants
super hip music scene
a diversity of cultures
gorgeous views
very progressive attitudes
friendly people
awesome shopping
a great size: big city amenities
close to portland

I ALSO LOVE PORTLAND.

the pacific northwest, in general, rocks!

 

[rubybeth]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

Wow, I just took that quiz and I should be in Connecticut, Massachusetts, or Wisconsin. Currently in Minnesota and like the change of seasons (and snow!) so makes sense. We live in the mid-sized city in which we both grew up, with lots of family nearby, which we like for a variety of reasons, but I think we could adapt if we needed to move for jobs or something. Actually, I interviewed for jobs in Florida, Missouri, and Chicago before I got my current job, so we were thinking we'd pretty much have to move somewhere else.

While the weather isn't to a lot of folks' liking, Minnesota has a lot going for it. It ranks very well in terms of job growth, place to start businesses, low unemployment, diversity of jobs, usually in the top 3 states for best place to raise kids (www.kidscount.org), great schools and universities (and generally in the top 5 states in terms of people who hold college/advanced degrees), lots of arts and culture (only state with a constitutional amendment setting aside funds for this purpose), a world-class symphony orchestra, and more theatre seats per capita than anywhere except NYC. A few major sports teams, if you're into that kind of thing. Also, Minnesota has more shore line than California, Florida and Hawaii combined! Living on a lake is well within reach for a lot of folks (I can walk past a small one between my apartment and my workplace).

 

[princesss]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

I have been working on DH to get outta southern N. Carolina & move to central Virginia. It's within easy distance of DC & all it has to offer, Charlottesville & U.Va., Richmond, & the shore. Great jewelry stores abound; all that history (I'm a Civil War & antique house buff), and gorgeous countryside, plus city amentities not far away. Quite a few areas have amazingly, almost laughingly, low property taxes too. They have 4 seasons, with some snow in winter -- enough to enjoy but not overdo it. Fall is beautiful.

Soocool, sounds like you have it pretty great in Bucks County too. Up my alley!

--- Laurie

I'm not particularly thrilled with living in the US, but I will say of all the places I've lived here, VA was my favourite! If I was going to settle down in the States, it would definitely be in Virginia.

 

[Autumnovember]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

If you're interested in a smaller-sized city with a big arts, music and food scene, Richmond, VA. The cost of living in Richmond is low, the climate is great, and the food is amazing!

And put me down as another vote for Philadelphia-there is so much good food here it's amazing! Plus there's a ton of arts and music stuff going on, and the art museum is amazing! Downsides are that the city and some suburbs can be pricey, and traffic on 76 is almost always nightmarish if you do live outside center city. But you can always take regional rail from the suburbs, so that's a good option!

3rd vote for Philly. Though I'd steer clear of many of the (rather fabulous but $$$) suburbs because of the traffic.

The food is great. The city is great. Beer is great. Biking is easy. The culture is there. Very neighborhood feel in the city-- not like what I felt in Washington, DC. Love the festivals. Great airport. Close to DC and NYC if you need to get away. Mountains not too far away, same with the water.

I don't really agree with Richmond though-- there isn't enough of a "center city" for me.

Another Philly vote. I live in the city and also in the suburbs (in Bucks County with soocool) and I absolutely love it. Agreed with everything the others have said. The food here is amaaaaazing. There is always something to do and always something going on. iLander started a similar thread a while back and I made a list of all the things to do, I'll have to find it for you.

I'm moving to the Princeton area soon which I also love. Very old town but very nice and still very close to everything.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

Packrat, was it this quiz? http://www.findyourspot.com/

I think I took that one here a few years ago.

Wow, I just took this quiz (thanks Zoe!) and my top spot is...
Honolulu, Hawaii!!!!!!!

then LI NY, San Jose Ca, San Francisco Ca, Portland Oregon, Las Vegas Nevada, Little Rock Arkansas (don't understand the last 3 as I need to be near water!),:

I need to be by the water, too! During our travels, the only cities that we've found that we've thought, "hey, this would be a cool place to live," have been coastline states. I actually did pick out a house once when we were visiting San Dieog. Unfortunetly it was $1 million for a tiny little house but it HAD A POOL!!!

 

[soocool]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

Packrat, was it this quiz? http://www.findyourspot.com/

I think I took that one here a few years ago.

Thanks for posting this. DH and I are checking out places to retire within the next 10 years and it came up with a bunch of places that are of interest to us, in particular Camden, Maine and Concord, NH.

And while yes, I love where I live in SE PA (bucks county) I am finding that I don't tolerate the heat much anymore and would gladly prefer a cooler climate. My sister and I co-own a getaway place near WatchHill, RI, but I don't want to live there full time(I don't want to live with her fulltime...shhh don't tell her).

I have a few friends who have relocated to be closer to their kids, only to have their kids move and they don't know what to do now. So even though I would love to live near DD and any future grandchildren I may have, I would rather live out the rest of my life with DH doing the stuff we loved to do. I feel that DD can visit us and we can visit her whenever.

For those who are interested in Bucks County, Pa or live nearby, I found a place called the Tyler Art Center in
( http://tylerparkarts.org/ )Tyler Park (Newtown, PA) where they offer things like sewing classes for both adult and children, jewelry classes, sculpture, etc.

 

[KittyGolightly]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

I live in the South Bay area of Los Angeles, and would rather live in Southern California than anywhere else. I love the weather, the variety, and the beach. My husband, on the other hand, is not sold on it, and we may relocate to the Boston area in the next few years - possibly Newton or Lexington. It's so beautiful there during the spring and summer, but I hate the winter. DH keeps saying you get used to the snow and the cold, but I'm not sure I'm ready to join the 4WD Subaru club. But on the plus side, there are plenty or neighborhoods that hit that affordable real estate/excellent school district sweet spot.

 

[zoebartlett]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

I love reading threads like these. It's fun to learn about places I've never been to. I'm dying to visit Hawaii, Danny. It's SO FAR from where I am though, but to see paradise like that, I'll deal.

Thanks, Zoe. If you do come, please feel free to ask on the board for advice. If you visit the Big Island or Maui, I know them like the back of my hand, and I'd be happy to give you some tips. There are some very beautiful places you shouldn't miss if you do come all this way. I know it's a long way from anywhere! I've gone back on forth from here to Florida to visit family and that's a long trip!

Thanks Danny! I'll definitely ask for lots of advice.

 

[Kaleigh]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

If you're interested in a smaller-sized city with a big arts, music and food scene, Richmond, VA. The cost of living in Richmond is low, the climate is great, and the food is amazing!

And put me down as another vote for Philadelphia-there is so much good food here it's amazing! Plus there's a ton of arts and music stuff going on, and the art museum is amazing! Downsides are that the city and some suburbs can be pricey, and traffic on 76 is almost always nightmarish if you do live outside center city. But you can always take regional rail from the suburbs, so that's a good option!

3rd vote for Philly. Though I'd steer clear of many of the (rather fabulous but $$$) suburbs because of the traffic.

The food is great. The city is great. Beer is great. Biking is easy. The culture is there. Very neighborhood feel in the city-- not like what I felt in Washington, DC. Love the festivals. Great airport. Close to DC and NYC if you need to get away. Mountains not too far away, same with the water.

I don't really agree with Richmond though-- there isn't enough of a "center city" for me.

Another Philly vote. I live in the city and also in the suburbs (in Bucks County with soocool) and I absolutely love it. Agreed with everything the others have said. The food here is amaaaaazing. There is always something to do and always something going on. iLander started a similar thread a while back and I made a list of all the things to do, I'll have to find it for you.

I'm moving to the Princeton area soon which I also love. Very old town but very nice and still very close to everything.

Husband grew up in Princeton. I love it. Such a great town and so close to Philly and your friends.


We will be spending a lot of time at our house in FLA down the road. I also love Nantucket but no way would you see me there during the winter months...

 

[zoebartlett]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

Soocool, I've been looking up Camden, Maine, trying to plan a weekend get-away this summer, and my husband and I actually live really close to Concord, NH. We grew up here, so it's an area we know well. If you have any questions about Concord or the surrounding area, I'm happy to answer any questions.

 

[iLander]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

Another Philly vote. I live in the city and also in the suburbs (in Bucks County with soocool) and I absolutely love it. Agreed with everything the others have said. The food here is amaaaaazing. There is always something to do and always something going on. iLander started a similar thread a while back and I made a list of all the things to do, I'll have to find it for you.

I'm moving to the Princeton area soon which I also love. Very old town but very nice and still very close to everything.

Here you go:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/if-you-could-live-anywhere-in-the-world.158509/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/if-you-could-live-anywhere-in-the-world.158509/[/URL]

A lot of good answers in there, hope this helps.

 

[Mrsacornblue]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

I live near Philly, and while it has some great things to offer I think there are much better cities. San Francisco, Baltimore, DC and Denver come to mind. I fell in love with Denver a few years back when DH and I went to one of his work conferences there. It was an amazing city. I would love to live there one day. I also love DC and the Shenendoah Valley area of Virginia.

 

[Imdanny]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

It has me in every city in Louisiana except New Orleans.

Being born in the South, in Florida, and growing up there, I heard the siren call of New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, loud and clear. SO already had moved there after college, where we met, and when we decided to become life partners (for lack of a better word), I moved there too.

We lived there for a year and a half.

I sold my car. We lived in the garden district for awhile, and then moved to the French Quarter.

I was living in Arizona when Katrina happened. I sat in front of the television and cried.

I often wonder what New Orleans is like now after that catastrophic devastation. So much of the city was ruined and so many people had to flee.

New Orleans has always been known for corruption, even during the best of times, and I shudder to think of all of the terrible decisions that were made disadvantaging, surprise, surprise, the poor.

That whole event, Katrina, was a nightmare.

Having said that, I never found New Orleans to be a place that felt like home to me. Anyone who listens to the blues knows that New Orleans, Memphis, and later Chicago are mentioned in song after song, stretching from about the '20's to the '60's. And of course New Orleans is known as a party town.

I wanted to like it. I just didn't. I wasn't in college anymore. I had no interest in partying. And the crime, anyone who's ever lived there can tell you stories that are terrifyingly surreal.

The threat of crime was constant. Things like workers in a restaurant found shot dead and left in a freezer, someone being shot through the head and his car and body burned in the middle of a street in the next district over, convention goers getting gunned down in the street, and cops killing victims and burying their bodies under a house.

By the end of that year and a half, I just wanted to escape. And that's just what we did. We bought a new Honda Civic, packed it up, and drove away.

It's a beautiful, historic, world-renowned city, but I'll never live there again.

 

[texaskj]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

Not to thread jack here, but packrat, I grew up in Iowa. The only place I could stand to live now would probably be Iowa City.
Not that Texas is perfect, but the cost of living in the Metroplex is really low and I hate small towns. Everybody knowing your business? I'd go mad.

 

[fridays_child]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

Wow PSers, you are awesome! Thanks for all of your thoughts and comments!

TooPatient, MC, Rainwood, sonnyjane (and any other natives/lovers of Seattle I missed) - I hear ya on defending your hometown and loving Seattle. I respect that. Perhaps if we were natives of the PNW or west coast, we'd feel the same. And TooPatient - we too live in Bellevue We live in one of the coveted areas and we chose our home based on the desirability of the neighborhood schools.

I really appreciate the diversity of the replies, from Europe, and Hawaii to NYC. PSers definitely have a wide range of places they'd like to visit and live in. We are a family of six (kids were high school through preschool at the time of our move here). Uprooting ourselves from a 15+ year stint in Chicago and having a solid group of friends and a large family there was a huge deal for us. We actually thought we would never leave there, we were that firmly rooted. But if there is one thing we've learned from our move is that it has been an amazing and wonderful thing for all of us to experience new places and things. It definitely stretches you as a person to have to "start over", so to speak.

Anyway, thanks again everyone for sharing your thoughts! Some of the places that were suggested were already on our radar - Colorado, Atlanta, Richmond and other parts of Virginia, and North Carolina and to that list we will add Philadelphia, Nashville, Boston and some of the other places mentioned. Hawaii would be AMAZING, it's one of our favorite vacation places. It would just be too far for my husband to travel from regularly We also considering a move Asia and Europe as well.

Incidentally for others looking as well, there are a couple of websites (you probably already know them) that have been useful to me:

www.city-data.com
www.city-data.com/forum
http://www.bestplaces.net/

And now I'm going to take that quiz, thanks Zoe and Packrat

www.findyourspot.com

Keep the comments coming everyone

 

[rainwood]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

Now that I know you're in Bellevue, it makes more sense (sorry, TooPatient!). The schools are great, but otherwise it's just a suburb. Pretty, but still a suburb that could be almost anyplace. I work in Bellevue, but would never live there.

We have a number of empty-nester couples who've moved from the Eastside and bought houses in our neighborhood and love it. It's just a completely different experience living right in the city. And I swear it rains more in Bellevue. I don't know how many times it's pouring when I leave the office then I drive across the bridge and everything is dry. Must be something about the lake.

 

[lknvrb4]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

For the quiet life, Sanibel Is, Florida. I want my own little bike to ride around and my waterfront cottage.

 

[soocool]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

Soocool, I've been looking up Camden, Maine, trying to plan a weekend get-away this summer, and my husband and I actually live really close to Concord, NH. We grew up here, so it's an area we know well. If you have any questions about Concord or the surrounding area, I'm happy to answer any questions.

Thanks! DH and I were talking and we pretty much decided wherever we move we will probably go to a 55+ community that has luxury townhomes rather than stand alone homes. Looking very closesly at NH though - Concord area.

 

[zoebartlett]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

Fridays-child, I love the City-Data site. It's been very helpful to me at times, and it's great getting advice from people in the forum for each state.

 

[merilenda]

Re: If you had to relocate to another US city/town, where &

We've been living in PA since last year, but I'm a born and raised Midwestern gal. I love many things about south central PA. Great craft beer scene, good food, and proximity to lots of cool places on the east coast. However, I miss the Midwest a lot. If we have the career opportunity to move back to Missouri, we will absolutely take it. I'd love to settle down in St. Louis or Kansas City.