best places to live part 2 / moving away

Thanks for the lead. I think for the most part just thinking about moving somewhere north makes me feel cooler. I swear that I am the only person I know that wants to retire to the north and not the south.

 

Port Aransas, Texas is where I hope to retire.

I just need to convince my wife that S. Texas is a great place to live. The fishing is excellent, the view is wonderful, and it is very cheap to live compared to other island destinations.
My wife's biggest concern is education and a lack of things to do. She is from the big city and so that is why we are moving to Dallas in August.

Dallas is nice but the traffic is beyond horrible (better than Houston though IMO).

 

I have to warn you in the summer the temps can get up into the 90s and the humidity can be really high. Usually July and August.

 

Exactly...and when it's 90 degrees with 85% humidity it can be miserable! Oh, and the cool, wet weather we've been having in the northeast lately is definitely not typical June weather!

 

So where would be the ideal place for someone who doesn't like hot weather? I love cold weather, I feel energized when the temperature is low.

 

Alberta Canada is nice. Northern Maine might not be to bad. But I have never been up there in the summer time.

 

My kind of town is Chicago! I couldn't live without the change of seasons. I love the snow in the winter, the colors in the fall, the flowers in the springtime and the long lazy days of summer. I'm a city girl, born and bred. We have wonderful museums, parks, beaches, and entertainment. To be even more specific, the north side of Chicago is wonderful. I've never lived on the south side, but people tell me it's pretty good as well. When Floridians rave about their great weather, all I think is HURRICANES!!! My sister was hit twice last year. No thank you! Of course, we're all so wonderfully different, aren't we?

 

It's funny how nobody's recommended California. I've lived here my entired life (24 years). I would have to say, other than the weather and the beaches, California has nothing going for it. It's a great place to visit, but not to live. As soon as I get some teaching experience under my belt and pay off my student loans, I'm moving over to Texas.

 

I am looking to relocate from IL to AZ Phoenix area. You said that it has 4 seasons, can you explain this? What are the winters like and I know there is no humidity like IL so what are like summers like? Any other tips about Phoenix would be great! Thanks Im going for special education jobs. I am getting my certification through AZ (University of Phoenix) and I just think it would be easier to get a job there and quicker than having to transfer all my licences and take more test. Thanks!

 

YEAH for texas! Whats your reason? I like texas and really don't want to live anywhere else. I know after reading the cost of housing on these threads I couldn't afford it! Houses here are so much cheaper!

 

I moved to Virginia Beach fresh out of college (30 years) ago. It's a pretty great place to live.....ocean nearby.....always rated as among the safest cities for it's size (approx 450,000)...and when you consider the three neighbor cities (Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Portsmouth) you get a metro area of 1.5 million...that's still MOSTLY suburban and rural! Cost of living is still quite reasonable....yet we have lots of "classy" places to eat and visit. I highly recommend it!

 

hmmmmmmmmm any kindergarten teachers needed? jk. I love Maine. But if I don't find a job by August I might decide I hate it.

 

Well, I'll put in my vote for FL as well. I live in Central/west coast FL and my husband and I transplanted here about 3 years ago (he was actually born and raised 30 mins from here) from Phoenix, AZ.

AZ was the pits (and I do mean the armpit!) I lived there several years and watched the Phoenix area sprawl into a gigantic glob of LA transplants (no offense to the LA-ites. My dad lives there...but you can keep your crime and high-paced lifestyles all to yourselves!...lol). The housing prices are out of control (my mother's house has increased in value 700% in 10 years) and the gang lifestyle is starting to become a real problem. Phoenix has a bad problem with car theft and Meth production (number 1 in the nation for 2 years running when I lived there - on both accounts). The weather is HORRID in PHX. I don't care what they say about dry heat - your oven is a dry heat too - you wouldn't want to live there. Not to mention the pace of life. I just didn't like living in a place where an "old" (read: run down) house was 20 years old. If you have a car more than 2 years old...well...pah!... you're a degenerate! In phoenix they want BIGGER! BETTER! BADDER! NEWER!

Now FL is a whole different muffin alltogether (Cranberry since I like cranberry. Phoenix would be more like bran....with nuts...I hate nuts in muffins). I get the sun yet relief from the heat is a 5 min drive to the beach. The pace of life is slower here - my 30 year old house is considered "new" by many standards and don't believe all you hear about housing prices. Here in Pasco I have a nice little 2 bed house with a big yard and a redwood deck - my husband and I recently did a complete remodel (I never want to lay tile again!) and when we refi'd 7 months ago we appraised in at $157K (Not bad since we bought our home 2 years ago for 85). Insurance is a wreck though. It is a little "down south" in some ways - forget health food stores ... everything here is deep fried and smothered in gravy.

I don't know about working in the school system since I start in Aug but thus far I am finding many rumors about the school systems out here to be less than "real". I'll get back with you on that one in about a year.

As far as the seasons -I have 5 nice turkey oaks on my property that turn a lovely red in fall and I grow a FANTASTIC garden. Just about anything grows out here if you plop it into the ground and neglect it. I have AMAZING sunflowers all over my yard right now and some pretty healthy pumpkins and watermelons. And it gets cold enough to havge fires in our firepit every weekend during the winter. We have lots of friendly neighbors who come over and sip brandy and smoke cigars with us out by the fire during the winter.

Football here is a religion and I consider myself a priestess - so GO BUCS! And you really can't beat living in a place where 8 out of 10 restaurants play live calypso music on the weekends!

The hurricanes suck, but there is always a catch in paradise!

~J


BTW- the places in AZ with 4 seasons are up north - where ther eare few jobs to be had and where real estate prices are for "second homes" so people who live there can't usually afford homes. If you want AZ and 4 seasons you'll have to look for Flagstaff, Sedona, Prescott, etc. Never heard of those towns? Thats because no one lives there. AZ is Phoenix. You couldn't pay me a bazillion dollars to move back.

 

you want cold?... How about Alaska?

We're always in need of teachers. Alaska is usually among the top when it comes to starting salaries as well. Check out alaskateacher.org for jobs all over the state or asdk12.org for Anchorage's district info.

The cost of living really varies throughout the state. If one were to teach in a rural village (off the raod system) the district usually provides what's known as "teacher housing" - not free, but reasonable.

Although to be perfectly honest, Alaska isn't for everone; yes the scenary is breathtaking, but the winters are long and cold and long and dark and long...

 

The 4 seasons referred to are not in Phoenix. However, if you drive up to northern Arizona there are 4 seasons, snow and all! I love the Phoenix area. It is beautiful here. Be ready for the heat, the summers are not fun but the other 9 months of the year are amazing. The summers are hot. I know there's not much humidity but there is not humidity in an oven either and it is hot. It's been over 100 since early May and will not truly get cool again til close to October. The worst of it in my opinion is late August/September. I live in Chandler and work in Tempe. I don't think you will have problems getting a job, I graduated in December 2004 and was working within a few weeks.

However, the teacher pay is not great. I started at $30,000 and the cost of housing has gotten out of control. I want to buy a place but can't touch anything on my salary. For instance, a one bedroom apartment that is now being sold as a condo will go for between $130,000-160,000. That is why I am moving to Houston where you can buy a large 3 bedroom house for that price.

If you are married and have 2 incomes and can afford the housing, this is a great place to live. It's not so great for those of us who are living on a single teachers salary. Best of luck.

 

East Tennessee is a great place to live! We have 4 distinct seasons. Mountains for hiking, mountain biking, camping, etc. Lots of lakes and rivers if you love fishing and boating. Great golfing! 3 Hours and you are in Nashville - love that country music!

 

I live in Cincinnati, but grew up more in central Ohio. I like it, although if you have allergies don't come here! The season are pretty mild - we usually get 1-2 snow days a year (which I'd bet you Wisconsin folks would guffaw at), and summers aren't too hot. There is still a fair amount of farmland, which I like, along with all the malls and retail. Cincinnati itself isn't TOO exciting, but the river is cool and there's a lot of fun development right across the river in Newport, KY. There are a lot of arts activities and some good museums. LOTS of stuff for kids here! Cincinnati and Northern KY are really just one big area--the Cinti airport is actually in KY!

 

cwp - My son is a student at the University of Cincinnati. He is doing his first co-op job (computer science) right now. He just moved into an apartment on Wheeler Street - just down the hill from UC.

We were just down there on Saturday and went to the Underground Railroad Museum. Interesting, but not my favorite. I love going to the Museum Center and watching the OMNIMAX shows!

 

My sister and brother-in-law live in Cinci and I love to visit there. I am also from central Ohio and I hate the cold so I headed west. The spring and summer in Ohio is nice though. In what area of central Ohio did you live?

 

I like Cincinnati but hate the traffic. It took over 3 hours to get from Dayton to Cinci for the Indians/Reds game last week (notice which team I put first!).
I grew up in Worthington, a really nice area of central Ohio.

 

Wow! You must have hit the traffic at a really bad time! We can count on getting from our house (about half an hour north of Dayton) to Cincinnati - exit 3 - in 90 minutes.

 

Glendall and Missy --

Although I love living out here in the desert -- you guys are making me a little homesick! I lived in Worthington for about 4 years and grew up in Marysville so not so far from Dayton! Hello fellow Buckeyes!

 

AZ - I bet you wish you were here right now. The temperature is in the low 70 degrees, sun shining, soft breeze, low humidity. Lovely!!

My husband and I are moving to the REAL Buckeye country soon! He is getting transferred to the Columbus DFAS (Defense Finance and Accounting Services) office - near the Columbus airport. His report date is October 15th. So, we are looking to move to the east side of Columbus - Pickerington, Reynoldsburg, Canal Winchester.

Go Bucks!

 

I vote for Pickerington, Glenda!! Must be nice to finally know something definite about a date.

 

Pickerington is the violet capital of Ohio. They are having their Violet Festival the last weekend of July. I think that we are going over there to check things out.

Yes, finally a date! Hopefully, everything will fall into place!

 

I'll have to tell my mother-in-law about the Violet Festival; her name is Violet, and she goes by Vi.

 

I'm from NC and love it. We're usually warm up to blistering hot (humidity is bad in summer, but I still would rather have it hot), yet still get the snow days in the winter sometimes. They say the 4 seasons in NC are almost summer, summer, still summer, and Christmas...but it's usually very pleasant. I'm in the Charlotte area and I love it alot-everything is within driving distance in NC-mountains, beaches, etc. Most of the people that are moving here-in droves-are from the north-so many people from NJ, NY, PA, and especially OH. I guess the pleasant overall yearly weather is what attracts them.

 

Yellow Springs, OH. It was an awesome place to grow up!

 

I love Yellow Springs!! I did my M.Ed. work at Antioch.

 

Tell her to check this out!
http://www.violetfestival.org/

 

Savannah!

I'm from Michigan, love it here except for the winters. Just got a call from Savannah for a job interview. Everything I've heard about it is good thus far. Any input??

 

Savannah GA?

 

yes ma'am

 

Savannah is very warm in the summer. Great beaches and lots of good food!! Close to Charleston and Atlanta. Georgia pays well - I have had several friends leave TN. to go there for more money and better working conditions!

 

Hmmm...I tend to disagree! I've lived here my whole life and I love it here. The only thing I really really hate is how I'll have to pay around 500k for a condo!! Other than that, the weather is always perfect and it's just beautiful. Unless you are in Southern California--it's way too smoggy down there and the people are always in a hurry! I would never move out of this state...everything is here.

 

On Wisconsin!
I've lived in 6 states during my life, a little taste of everywhere, and nothing beats where I am now.
People are so friendlyand easy to please.
Winters may be long, but it sure builds neighborhood friends in the spring. It's hard to explain, but it's like coming out of hibernation all fresh and new.
Of course the QEO rots for teacher salaries

 

Mizz Lucy....looks like I may be moving to Wisconsin in the next month....Beaver Dam area??? Husband will be getting a job offer we can't refuse in the next few days. Do you know anything about the area?? From what I can tell, it's pretty small and you have to drive to get to a Target or mall. But I've heard it's a nice town as well. It seems as if the job market is pretty saturated as it is here in Michigan