USNR: Integration? When did you leave NC? I didn't realize cctraveler was thinking about moving south in a time machine.

I live in Midlothian VA. I highly recommend this town for good schools and good location. We are 1 and half hours to the mountains and 1 and half hours to the beach and two hours to washington. Lots of great history and good schools. Housing is still reasonable but rising every day. We are not that small of a town, but it has everything else you want.The Yankees like you and me live mostly in Midlothian which is the suburb of Richmond. Richmond is mostly confederate die hards!!! Ha ha... true Richmonders as they say. We have loved living here and now call this home. We both grew up in NJ.

I am a transplant from the east coast and the midwest and I currently live on the south end of the Salt Lake valley in Utah. I have found no prejudice against outsiders (I'm Catholic) and have found only beautiful scenery and the proud western spirit among the people. Salt Lake City is a beautiful and clean city with a very diverse populations of Filipino, Asian, Pacific Islander populations and the University of Utah has a gorgeous campus and a great football team! Don't rule-out Utah even with the comments from the liberal bigots on this forum.

Just scanning through this and want to know... What is LDS?

Believe it's Later Day Saints

No. It's Latter Day Saints.

Transplanted Westerngirl,

Don't you think "liberal bigots" is rather harsh? Just because others have different experiences and opinions than your own?

I was born in Columbia, SC, grew up in Greenwood, SC and moved to Atlanta, GA as an adult in the mid-80's.

I did not like Columbia growing up as a child, but that was many years ago. My brother lived there until his untimely death five years ago, his son grew up there. They have never been crazy about it. My sister left Columbia to move to Atlanta 12 years ago. My oldest brother left to live in Goose Creek, SC 20 years ago.

My oldest brother now lives in Charleston and loves it. I like Charleston, too. But, keep in mind that none of these cities are small, at all.

I grew up in Greenwood, SC which is the county seat and it is also, not small, but close to the mountains. Schools are not the best as when my children came here (Atlanta) they had to "catch" up with their peers (we are in Gwinnett County which has many National Schools of Excellence).

There are several small towns around Greenwood (Laurens, 96-yes, that is the name of a town, Honea Path, Abbeville, Saluda)all of which are quaint and may fall in your size range. But, remember that the south is not renowned for its education even in larger cities.

I almost moved to Hickory, NC instead of Atlanta back in the 80's which I feel is a beautiful town and may be around your size range. You would need to research the schools.

Good luck. Try to get back and let us know where you end up.

DD

USNR would you please move into the new millenium with the rest of us?

The racist bill of which you write was introduced into congress in the 1950s. Mr. Pearsall has been dead for over 25 years.

I don't think cc is planning on moving back to the 1950s.

CCTraveler, I apologize for the late replay but I just saw this thread for the first time (and I see you are still keeping up with it, so it's worth a response).

I grew up in Niceville. It has changed -- a lot -- since I lived there, but because I visit there often I still feel like I am familiar with the area. Based on your criteria I think this would be a great place to look into. The school system is great, and there is a lot to do there (besides the beach, which is obvious). Because the AFB is so close by, there is a wide tolerance for accepting outsiders--in fact, you'll find a variety of people from all over. Like a previous poster said, you'll experience the seasons without a totally dramatic change in summer or winter. It fits your criteria well... except for one thing: I think it is much bigger than pop. 10,000!

Good luck in your relocation.

Came across your message as I was looking for good places to visit in Colorado--lots of good responses!

I second "GirlontheGo" on recommending Midlothian, Virginia as a future home. I've been in Richmond since '76, having moved here from the suburbs of Chicago, and love this area.

Also, I work for Chesterfield County Public Schools as a therapist and recommend the county, as well as the neighboring counties of Henrico (well established), Powhatan and Hanover (growing in quality.)

The Richmond area offers lots to do. There are the classic items like theatre, symphony, Botanical Garden (small but every bit as interesting as the Chicago Botanical Garden in Glencoe.) For jazz lovers you can go to minor clubs in town or drive up to DC for shows. Although Richmond is quite conservative in many ways, just walk around the campus of VCU to see a variety of "looks." As a medical person, I feel comfortable with the range of health care here.

45 minutes away from town you can buy land for $10-12K per acre and have a 10-20 acre horse mini farm. Or, you can pay $50-100K an acre and live in a high faluting neighborhood closer in to town (northern Midlothian.) The housing prices are so cheap compared to Chicago suburbs.

People have been very friendly to me, although I retain my Chicago accent. People really do say hello here. I had to learn to greet people first and ask how their weekends were before settling down to business, but what's the harm in that?

Air conditioning in the late spring, summer and early fall is a must. It can be very humid here.

There are tons of soccer organizations, swim teams and other sports venues for kids. There are a couple of places for competitive gymnastics. Lots of stables for decent horsebackriding lessons.

I would definitely suggest renting and checking out which part of town suits you best prior to purchasing a home. With the opening of Rt. 288 it is much easier to get downtown than it was a couple of months ago.

Hope this helps.

Thanks again for the additional feedback. I'm still open to suggestions and do appreciate each and ever one.
For an update..just before Christmas, I interviewed for a job in Grand Junction, CO. But no luck this time.

I think Heber could be a good fit for you. Provo's population is over 100,000, which doesn't include the neighboring cities. Heber's housing is more affordable. I think the LDS influence in Heber isn't as pervasive as in Provo and you would be welcomed. I've seen lots of good-old-boys at the local rodeo. The neighborhoods are safe, the schools are good, and there are tons of recreational activities within minutes.

Hey, if anyone is still following this thread, especially GirlontheGo and FabricMaverick, I have similar questions about Virginia. Rather than take up more on this one, would you go to my post "Relocating to VA" (or something like that)? I've had a couple responses but would like some more input about maybe moving to the Richmond/ Wmsbg area. Thanks!

I have similar criteria for wanting to relocate out of the midwest. I've looked at Charlottesville, VA. Anything thoughts on that for the poster?

slipperblue: Charlottesville is a lovely area. It is set near the picturesque Blue RidgeMts. It has the University of VA in town. It is a quaint town with many cute restaurants. It has beautiful homes in the area. I live near the Richmond area and I am only a visitor to the Charlottesville area. There is also the home of Thomas Jefferson (Monticello).

Hi there. Don't know if you're still looking into this, but my vote is Utah! I am LDS and have lived here my entire life, but half my extended family aren't LDS and wouldn't live anywhere else.

As for places to live, Heber is beautiful, but I also love most of the cities in Utah county. My favorites are Alpine and Highland (about a ten to fifteen minute drive from Provo and twenty to thirty minutes from Salt Lake). The schools in Alpine and Highland, for the most part, are very good, the population is a bit smaller, and it's just a beautiful place! Provo's a great place, very clean and safe, but it does tend to be very LDS--more so than other cities. If you're OK with that, I really don't think it would be a problem. Orem is right next to Provo and has the same advantages.

If you want to go north, Kaysville and Farmington are also really beautiful places to live, but close to Salt Lake (about half an hour drive).

There is a majority of LDS here, but I think as long as you're OK with your kids getting involved in a few LDS activities (scouts, young women activities, etc.) if their friends are LDS, there should be no problem at all with them being accepted. If, on the other hand, you are adverse to them being involved with the LDS kids in some of these things (which, by the way are extra-curricular activities), it may be more difficult for them to be accepted.

As for someone's reply about LDS parents not socializing with you, it's a bunch of bologna. Sure, there are the few who are into themselves, but it's not necessarily because they're LDS, that's just the way they are. Isn't that the same with people everywhere? We live in Salt Lake and half our neighbors (and many of our favorite neighbors) are non-LDS and we do quite a bit with them because we enjoy them as people.

Good luck with this! We'd love to have you in Utah and recommend it highly. I think it's a perfect place for families and think you'd love it!

Hi again. I know I haven't posted in a while, but I'm still in the process of looking. Based on employment opportunities, I also need to consider Arizona. Specifically the Tucson, Phoenix and possible Flagstaff areas. My major concern here is the heat. From what I've read on other posts I'm a bit worried that I'll end up spending much of the summer inside. Is this true? Another possible area is College Station, Texas. thanks.

Scottsdale is a great place to live. I have a good friend who relocated there 9 years ago. She always goes away during the month of July. I think man people plan their vacations at that time to avoid the heat. But other than that, she seems to love it there. I've visited a few times and wouldn't mind living there. Flagstaff was beautiful too. It's nothing like the Scottsdale area.
Good luck!

CC- I think the best thing you could do is take a few extended family vacations and check out some of these areas. It sounds like you are employed now, and so you don't have to move immediately, so this summer take a two or three week vacation and either head south or west and check out different cities along the way. I did that myself when I was looking for a place to move. I started in Wilmington, NC and kept driving almost till I reached the FL state line. I chose St Simons Island, GA, and Brunswick might meet some of your needs, although I don
t have a clue about the schools. My criterea is much different than yours.

As far as the heat in some parts of the country, in some ways, it's not that big a deal, you go from air-conditioned house to ac'd car to ac'd mall, office, whatever. However, in some places, it is really too hot in the summer for children to go out and play much. That might drive y'all batty with kids the ages of yours.

Good luck to you. Moving to a different part of the country or the world is always an adventure!

I have relatives who have a house in Scottsdale and a condo in Flagstaff ("Flag" as it's affectionately known) for the summer months. Yes, Phoenix is blasing in the summer but it is a car-driven place (like FL where I live). You go from AC house to AC car. Everyone is savvy about cooling the place down. That is just the way it is, no mass transit to swelter in.

Thanks for the info. Ok... how bout
a new one... Huntsville, Alabama area?
The job search is causing me to consider
many area's other than what I originally
planned. Thanks!

This may sound very crazy but here goes. Northwest Arkansas is an outstanding choice for relocating. The Boston and Ouchita Mountains are beautiful along with many outstanding lakes. This area has the feel of a big city as far as retaurants and amenities are concerned but still has small town hospitality. The Rogers school district is nationally recognized. There are many outsiders who make up the corridor of Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale, amd Fayetteville. In addition, the U of A is located in Fayetteville. This area is 2 hours to Tulsa, and approximately 5 hours to St. Louis or Memphis. I freaked out when my husband was transferred to the area but now don't ever want to leave. With Wal-Mart and their vendors, Tysons, and G.E. Capital, just to name a few, there should be many tech jobs available.

I'm heading to jacksonville, fl next
week for an interview. I've read the
previous posts regarding the area, but
still have a couple of questions.
The first is regarding the crime in the
area. I've seen what seems to be
conflicting data. So what is the real
scoop? Are there neighborhoods to
avoid buying in?
The second is regarding commute time.
I would be working in the downtown area
but would like to relocate to one of
the towns outside of jacksonville. Is
this crazy? In any case, thanks for
any and all feedback.

Take the little quiz on www.findyourspot.com and see what comes up. It's pretty specific but you'll get a good list of choices!

OMG--Can't believe there is a Huntsville Alabama relocatoin post twice in a couple of weeks. Huntsville is FABULOUS. I have live din the Florida panhandle, and all over Alabama, as well as SW Florida. Huntsville tops my list. Our city is biffer than 10,000 but has a real small town feel--with big city conveniences and culture. The mountains are beautiful, if small. School systems are GREAT. Acceptance of outsiders is awesome--you will not have a problem moving here, as it is a very accepting place to live. With Boeing, the space industry, the arsenal and the medical industry all being huge employers in our city, there are lots of new poeple all the time...hardly anyone actually grew up here.

If your Jacksonville interview does not work out, you might want to reconsider Huntsville!

Ugh. Typos. Sorry!

Thanks bamakelly. I'm still looking, but so far no bites on jobs. Know any local recruiters :-) In any case, thanks for the info.

So USNR doesn't like North Carolina and the sort of people they elect to office. I can think of one state way north of the Mason-Dixon line which regularly re-elects a man who drove drunk off a bridge with a girl not his wife late at night and, instead of calling the police and rescue for help, sought legal help while the woman suffocated in a car in a salt pond. As we know, this man got away with his revolting behavior scot free. So, before you get your Yankee superiority all in an uproar, USNR, look at your own skeletons and those of your pals.

In the end, North Carolina "don't need you around, anyhow!" It's the greatest state in the country, bar none.

Howdy cctrav!

Just wanted to reiterate:

WWW.FINDYOURSPOT.COM

It's a totally free quiz that matches a town/city with the items that are most important to you. When I took it, it popped up with 3 cities I have lived in already and 3 or 4 more I would definitely consider. Awesome site!

Hi CC,
I'm a So. Mainer and I know why you're looking to leave the area as far as real is concerned. The only thing I can say is really really really do your research as far as education is concerned. The best education is in New England, so don't be surprised by anything you read about school systems elsewhere. Class size and SAT scores aren't everything.

I read further along and saw you mentioned Arizona. I went through Flagstaff in February 02. It was pleasant. I think it was in the 40s. The scenery was great! I am pretty sure it is not nearly as hot there in the summer as it is in Phoenix.

My friend has lived in Washington State twice (her husband is in the Navy). She has 3 children under 8. I think she liked it where she was...Bremerton/Silverdale I think.

Also, my aunt and uncle live in Washington State and they seem to like it. They used to live on Whidbey Island. I visted about 13 years ago and it seemed nice then.

But what about Maine or New Hampshire or Vermont? :)

I hope you find your dream job soon in a great area! good luck!

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm headed for Knoxville, TN for a job interview. The family and I are making a vacation out of it.
We are headed to VA and Busch Gardens first. Any suggestions on best driving route(s)?

Boston to VA...
VA to Knoxville...

I've done some research on Knoxville, but any additional comments on area appreciated. I'll be spending 3 days in Knoxville area. Suggestions for things to do/see that children would appreciate? ( ages 5, 7, 9 ).
Thanks in advance.

Wow (from Missouri)! I am wondering what kind of job you are seeking with prospects in so many places. Seems you really are covering lots of territory in your quest. You talk of different places to interview with each posting it seems. So much for your original idea of being near to mountains or ocean...that may or may not be the case.

But then why mountain or ocean? How about rolling hills and lakes and trout streams? That would be the case here in the Ozarks and also in Arkansas or Tennesee, etc. And the quality of life, safety, and cost of living very decent. We have lots of Californians arriving every week it seems.
Ozarks Bill

Believe it or not, you should consider the upper Hudson Valley, Eastern Mowhawk Valley of New York. I moved here in 1974 from NYC to go to college and I have not looked back since. Consider the five or six counties surrounding the State Capital of Albany. The cities have their good and bad points, but there are many excellent suburban and rural communities nearby. Some have excellent schools, others less good. We are in the Hilltowns 20 miles southwest of Albany, still rural, but building up some, good school, paid around $3000 in school and local taxes last year (low for this region) Our zoning reqires 5 acres of land to build and many properties have a lot more. We are surrounded by woods and farms. The Greater Albany Area (the Capital District) is rich in entertainment, restaurant, cultural opportunities, great shopping, reasonable roads. We are rich in collges and universities (SUNY, Siena, Union, RPI, Skidmore, to name just a few). Best of all, the rivers, streams, hills and country roads. I moved here due to the proximity to the mountains of the Catskills, Adirondacks and Vermont. Some of the greatest trout fishing streams anywhere are within 1 to 3 hours of my door. I can go on: Saratoga Race Track and Performing Arts Center, Nordic and Alpine skiing. Lake George! Great Hospitals and medical care. Excellent public libraries. Nice sports venues. The area is promoting and trying to get a reputation for "high tech". The jury is still out on this, I think. Anyway, I'm staying. FA

if your still considering NW montana make it the flathead valley, really nice. you have a huge lake valley, very similar to midwestern farmland, a massive and beautiful lake, flathead lake, whitefish and bigmountain ski resort to the north, moutains and beautiful foothills all around, the gateway to glacier national park to the east the list goes on.

Have you ever considered Oregon? I don't know much about the cost of living but it has everything else you mentioned.

HI CC My husband is a systems Architect and we ahve just moved from ct to Charlotte NC. Charlotte is considered a programming hub , check out DICE.com to see where there are programming hotspots. We also decided to leave New ENgland where I spent all my 43 years and venture to a warmer climate, alsod ecided to capitalize on all the equity we had accumulated in our house in ct. What we have found here is that Charlotte is not one big city but a group of smaller areas witht here own unique persoanlities that form a bigger city.
I lived on the cape as a child and know it well. I may not have a beach on the end of my street anymore but I have acsess to 2 great lakes and short drives to Wilmington and Charlseton. I have friendly neighbors, magnificent homes to choose from all custom built, short drive to the mountains of Ashville and 1 day drive to florida.
The cost of living here is 30% less on a daily basis then it was in fairfield county. The employment oppurtunites for my husband have tripled ( he is a dot.net guru ) he has more clients now then he ever did in ct. FOr a programmer this is the place, we also had considered HOuston and Austin and decided it was too hot and Austin was just as expensive as ct . good luck email if you want i would be happy to tell you the joys of living in Charlotte. We have never been happier. [email protected]

mrsbu: Thanks for the info. I have done some research on the area based on your comments. I've also applied for a couple of positions. Could you comment on the school systems, areas to avoid, average commute time? I will send you a direct email as well. Once again thanks.
As for Oregon, I'm afraid that it would be a bit too far from family for us.

ttt

Well, cctraveler, you've probably moved by now!
I read alot about Utah but not about St. George! We recently relocated here and we LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!
It's your fault, UTAHTEA! We went on all your trip suggestions and fell in love with the area!
We are not LDS, and we have met only the nicest people everywhere!
Gorgeous scenery all around, close to Mesquite (40 minutes) and Las Vegas NV (2 hrs).
Check it out!