Best Place for well-off young liberal family to live/retire
Feb 12th, 2007, 04:05 PM
#43
Gotta be a Trool (at least I truly, TRULY hope so)
But just w/ the tiny chance this is legit "Santa Cruz, and San Luis Obispo all sound wonderful and worth further exploration. Berkeley would also be ideal but there is a 60% chance of a major earthquake in the next 32 years" Sorry kimmywen, but Santa Cruz and SLO are just as likely to have earthquakes as Berkeley. Santa Cruz maybe even more so.
But just w/ the tiny chance this is legit "Santa Cruz, and San Luis Obispo all sound wonderful and worth further exploration. Berkeley would also be ideal but there is a 60% chance of a major earthquake in the next 32 years" Sorry kimmywen, but Santa Cruz and SLO are just as likely to have earthquakes as Berkeley. Santa Cruz maybe even more so.
Feb 12th, 2007, 04:07 PM
#44
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Nix Santa Cruz because of earthquakes. It's just as likely to get hit with the big one same as Berkeley. What about Arcata up in Northern California? They're some of the nicest people I've ever met, the kind who will invite you into their home to relax and enjoy the sunset every evening.
Feb 12th, 2007, 06:01 PM
#48
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I assure you that most men with half a brain (at least in the New York, Boston, D.C. so-called liberal elite corridor) who are not your typical NFL beer guzzling, popcorn munching, TV nuts do not care much for women with big hair, makeup worthy of a Botero painting, and silicon gel. All of you women out there who wake up every morning and strive to look like a 45-year-old Britney Spears are doing yourself a great disservice. Just be who you are and, to the extent it's there, your inner beauty will shine. It appears that a troll is someone who posts simply to bait others. This has not been my intention. I just started taking a look at this site (I usually go to Rough Guides for travel advice) and thus decided to post my question. Thanks to all who have given me wonderful ideas. Of course, I have visited some of the recommended places but I'd be surprised if "most educated liberals have visited them all" as posited above.
Feb 12th, 2007, 06:46 PM
#51
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Curiouser and curiouser. . .
Caledonia, who apparently has never posted before either, wants to send the OP to Orange County, California--one of the most conservative places around. Plastic surgeons are rampant, and "smart growth", and low consumerism are pretty much unknown unknown concepts in those beach towns. Lots of money, big fancy houses, and expensive cars.
Caledonia, who apparently has never posted before either, wants to send the OP to Orange County, California--one of the most conservative places around. Plastic surgeons are rampant, and "smart growth", and low consumerism are pretty much unknown unknown concepts in those beach towns. Lots of money, big fancy houses, and expensive cars.
Feb 12th, 2007, 07:12 PM
#53
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Marin County (San Rafael, Tiburon, Sausalito, Mill Valley) has a temperate climate and seems to meet your criteria. Davis, CA is also a liberal, college town, with a great farmer's market -- but, alas, heavy fog and rain in the winter.
Feb 12th, 2007, 07:21 PM
#54
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Yeah, nix southern California entirely. I live here and I buy a new car every three years...and I spend two grand on the Nav system just because it looks much nicer built into the car than an after-market Nav system would look sitting on top of my dash. You don't want to live here.
Feb 12th, 2007, 07:54 PM
#55
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LOL packmule..
No, I don't think you want the Davis/ Southern Sacramento area kimmywen. A lot of fog and colds days in winter. Real hot in the summer as in a lot of days around 105 or so degrees.
And Developers keep building McMansions and people keep buying them.
Lots of Big Box stores and stip malls. Oh, most people drive SUV's also.
Defintely not the area you want to settle in I think.
No, I don't think you want the Davis/ Southern Sacramento area kimmywen. A lot of fog and colds days in winter. Real hot in the summer as in a lot of days around 105 or so degrees.
And Developers keep building McMansions and people keep buying them.
Lots of Big Box stores and stip malls. Oh, most people drive SUV's also.
Defintely not the area you want to settle in I think.
Feb 12th, 2007, 08:35 PM
#57
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For some reason these answers are all striking me as hilarious!
San Luis Obispo is teeny... a few years ago the shopping was "purer" but now they have a Costco, Victoria's Secret and GAP just like everyone else! The housing costs are relatively high... so where are you living now and just how well off are you? Let's be frank, this part of California has some of the highest housing costs... along with Santa Barbara and Palo Alto! Also, the San Andreas Fault runs just north...and there are lots of SUV's. No humidity though... so that's in the plus column.
San Luis Obispo is teeny... a few years ago the shopping was "purer" but now they have a Costco, Victoria's Secret and GAP just like everyone else! The housing costs are relatively high... so where are you living now and just how well off are you? Let's be frank, this part of California has some of the highest housing costs... along with Santa Barbara and Palo Alto! Also, the San Andreas Fault runs just north...and there are lots of SUV's. No humidity though... so that's in the plus column.
gt;
Feb 12th, 2007, 11:33 PM
#59
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Okay, MR kimmywen, let me submit my community, McLean in Fairfax County, VA, for your consideration.
McLean is only 15 minutes away from Washington DC so you can easily access the amenities and attractions of our nation’s capital. Elite schools like St. Albans, Georgetown Day and National Cathedral are just a carpool away. We’ve also excellent public schools, especially the top-ranking Thomas Jefferson HS for Science and Technology. Mind you, my friends prepare their children in utero for this school’s rigorous entrance exam.
We also have organic markets, farmers market, Fresh Fields, flea markets, and oh! an annual children’s Christmas market where our youngsters sell their gently used toys and books. How quaint, you might think! But the event serves dual purposes: we’re teaching the children how to conserve/recycle and how to handle their trust funds responsibly.
We have “controlled” growth (the “smart” aspect is subject to debate). We’ve preserved a lot of green space and we’re not allowing any more of those pesky townhouses to be built. For those European jaunts, we have a choice of two airports, Reagan National and Dulles. Three actually, if you even want to consider traveling all the way to BWI which I don’t recommend because, sure, you’d have saved a measly fifty bucks on airfare but then, you contributed to the global warming….
However, I must confess that there is consumerism in McLean, as evidenced by retailers like Tiffany, Gucci, Best Buy and Euro-Motors. But you can hardly blame us. Where rich people live, there too shall you find the brand-name stores. As you very well know, it’s a curse we all have to deal with. But we do try hard to be inconspicuous with our wealth and to balance the Hummers with hybrid cars, the McMansions with eco-friendly construction materials and the catered political parties with meals-on-wheels.
We’re also very civic-minded especially when we want to display our NIMBY-ism. Why, just last year, some of my neighbors were threatening to sue the county because of a soccer field! I can’t remember now if the underlying complaint was about the field lights being too bright at night (but the letter expressed “concern” over “electric consumption”) or if it had something to do with the number of cars parked by the roadside (and they phrased the petition in terms of “reducing air pollution”). I didn’t sign, of course; my children play soccer.
And judging from the last elections, I would say that we’re mostly liberals in McLean. There are enough conservatives to intellectually spar with and make us Clintonites feel vindicated. However, they peeled off their Dubya bumper stickers so it’s been hard to spot them lately.
Lastly, regarding those excessive make-up, plastic surgery and fake stuff….no need to worry. “Desperate Housewives” is only something seen on TV and none of my friends watches that, I swear. Here in McLean, the only phonies that we have to beware of are those nouveaux riches who think money can buy everything. Even the guise of superiority.
Good luck with your search.
McLean is only 15 minutes away from Washington DC so you can easily access the amenities and attractions of our nation’s capital. Elite schools like St. Albans, Georgetown Day and National Cathedral are just a carpool away. We’ve also excellent public schools, especially the top-ranking Thomas Jefferson HS for Science and Technology. Mind you, my friends prepare their children in utero for this school’s rigorous entrance exam.
We also have organic markets, farmers market, Fresh Fields, flea markets, and oh! an annual children’s Christmas market where our youngsters sell their gently used toys and books. How quaint, you might think! But the event serves dual purposes: we’re teaching the children how to conserve/recycle and how to handle their trust funds responsibly.
We have “controlled” growth (the “smart” aspect is subject to debate). We’ve preserved a lot of green space and we’re not allowing any more of those pesky townhouses to be built. For those European jaunts, we have a choice of two airports, Reagan National and Dulles. Three actually, if you even want to consider traveling all the way to BWI which I don’t recommend because, sure, you’d have saved a measly fifty bucks on airfare but then, you contributed to the global warming….
However, I must confess that there is consumerism in McLean, as evidenced by retailers like Tiffany, Gucci, Best Buy and Euro-Motors. But you can hardly blame us. Where rich people live, there too shall you find the brand-name stores. As you very well know, it’s a curse we all have to deal with. But we do try hard to be inconspicuous with our wealth and to balance the Hummers with hybrid cars, the McMansions with eco-friendly construction materials and the catered political parties with meals-on-wheels.
We’re also very civic-minded especially when we want to display our NIMBY-ism. Why, just last year, some of my neighbors were threatening to sue the county because of a soccer field! I can’t remember now if the underlying complaint was about the field lights being too bright at night (but the letter expressed “concern” over “electric consumption”) or if it had something to do with the number of cars parked by the roadside (and they phrased the petition in terms of “reducing air pollution”). I didn’t sign, of course; my children play soccer.
And judging from the last elections, I would say that we’re mostly liberals in McLean. There are enough conservatives to intellectually spar with and make us Clintonites feel vindicated. However, they peeled off their Dubya bumper stickers so it’s been hard to spot them lately.
Lastly, regarding those excessive make-up, plastic surgery and fake stuff….no need to worry. “Desperate Housewives” is only something seen on TV and none of my friends watches that, I swear. Here in McLean, the only phonies that we have to beware of are those nouveaux riches who think money can buy everything. Even the guise of superiority.
Good luck with your search.
Feb 13th, 2007, 04:28 AM
#60
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Southern towns with larger universities tend to be more liberal than the South in general. Charlottesville, VA. Chapel Hill, NC. Austin, TX. Gainesville, FL. Athens, GA. Even Oxford, MS (relatively).
