Relocation: Diversity is important
 

My husband and I are thinking about moving out of California next year. The price of housing is insane in the Bay Area.

We are both Asian and want to live in a diverse area. Do any of you have any suggestions as to where we could live?

We're hoping to start a family in the next two years, and though we'd prefer an area where there are new communities that are being developed(KBHomes, Centex, etc.), it isn't necessary.

If any of you could point us in the right direction, that would be helpful. Also, if you know communities that are being developed, it would be helpful to know who the developers are.

Thanks!

Austin, Texas.
M (SMdA, Gto.)

Philadelphia is much more diverse than it used to be. The suburbs aren't quite as diverse, but some of them are still pretty wonderful places to live.
(I'm assuming you have jobs or job skills that are highly portable.)

In the Philly burbs, you might want to look at the Hankin Group developments.

http://www.hankingroup.com/index.html
http://www.10000friends.org/Web_Page...ds/files/3.htm

Full disclosure: I admit to being biased as Bob Hankin was my best friend's college boyfriend :-)

MDHuang, I'm meeting, and hearing more and more about, folks who are leaving the Bay Area and moving to.... Texas! as in Mikemo's recommendation.
My daughter will be moving in the Spring from the East Bay to NE Texas. She got a gorgeous 3 br 1800sf home in a lovely family-oriented (young kids to retirees) "diverse" neighborhood in a city of 60,000, with a great school district, for a "whopping" $142,000.
I plan to retire there eventually.

Other friends have also given up on purchasing or renting housing in the Bay Area, or have sold what they had to head SE to TX. Some have bought in Houston, some nr Dallas. As for the diversity factor, these folks are Asian, African American, Caucasian, and a variety of religions. My own family is "mixed" ethnically and religiously, so I wouldn't ever consider living some place where we all would not feel welcome and comfortable, from the old 'uns like me, to the grandchildren.
I'm sorry I don't know of any big subdivsion builders specifically to tell you about. As you start to investigate, you'll be happily surprised by how (compared to Bay Area) reasonable it is to find the home of your dreams, either already built, or to the specs of however you want it.
Good luck with your search for the right place for you two, and for your future family.

What kind of climate are you looking for?

Which part of the country?

Are you looking for a large city or a smaller one?

What are your professions?

Is religion important? (I ask because some areas may be diverse, but not in a religious way.)

We're use to California weather where it's pretty sunny and there are only "two" seasons. However, we're open to anywhere.

We're hoping to stay in the West Coast, but we're totally open to ANYWHERE!

A small or large city if fine with us. We both grew up in the suburbs, but like living in the Oakland Area where there is a lot of mom and pop shops, diversity, and some parking (not like San Francisco). However, with starting a family, we're thinking about going back to the suburbs.

I'm a teacher, and my husband will be a dentist. I can find a job anywhere and we'd prefer to find an area where it's growing so he can build his own practice, but that's not necessary.

Religion is important to us. We are both Christian. Living near San Francisco where there is a lot of diversity, but not 'religious,' hasn't been a problem. We were able to find a great Asian American church to go to, but would prefer a strong growing church that is multicultural.

Seattle.

CaliNurse... where in NE Texas?
Don't worry, there is no danger in disclosing the city.
My neighbors just picked up and moved from Northern CA to Texas just because of the housing costs.
They decided to move here then found excellent jobs in like a week! Their only regret is that they did not do it years ago!

My vote is Seattle. We have a very diverse population in all income groups.

Another vote for Seattle!

We have a large, lively and thriving Asian population that is an important part of our community here.

New communities (with nice new homes for young families) are being developed about 15-20 miles to the east----Snoqualmie Ridge, for example.

The Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon is filled with
your former neighbors from the Bay Area.
http://www.ashlandchamber.com
http://www.southernoregon.org
There's a fairly visble Asian Presence in Southern Oregon.
You would enjoy it. Much less Rain than further North in the PNW, and little to no snow.

"We're use to California weather where it's pretty sunny"....how willing are you to give that up?

Another vote for Seattle, it sounds like just what you are looking for.

I actually think Austin does NOT meet the description you state: diversity.

Compared to many other areas of the country Austin is in fact much more homogeneous population, especially compared to California. On the broader scale yes, there is a diverse population, but on closer inspection there really is a lot of latent segragation in Austin. SW, W, and NW are very white. Yes there are many Asian professional families in those families, and they are fully integrated and a valuable part of the community. No signs of discrimination at all. But definitely a very small minority.

Many people in Austin refer to one mall as the 'black mall' (Highland) in N Austin, and the other 'white mall' (Barton Creek) in SW. Most of the large hispanic population lives East of I35.

I'm not talking about the mindset or the intent of those that live in KB, Toll Bro, or Centex type communities, but rather an observers look in. Austinites

Diversity in the SW, W, and NW areas often means preferring County Line BBQ vs Salt Lick, or UT fans vs Aggie fans, or Dell vs Motorola employees, etc.

The benefits of Austin for young families may in fact outweigh any lack of diversity - only you can decide that. I would encourage you to look further at Austin as an option.

TxTravelPro--in Texarkana. So many people here (Bay Area , Calif) have no idea where it is, so I've started writing, "NE Texas"
I love it there--way more than i thought i would. Go figure. i keep joking that there must be something inthe water: people are so warm, welcoming, pleasant, civil, nice, and down to earth. I'd heard Texans have that reputation, but the reality was even better.

Mdhuang, you wrote of a "growing" area--this is one. Within the next 10 yrs Texarkana is expecting lots of growth/development, as it will have new Interstate Highway added to the one already there (I-30 which runs through LIttle Rock, Dallas, etc) and will be one of the few places in the US where two interstate highways intersect.
For selfish reasons, I hope it doesn't grow too too much. My first trip there, i planned to get on the highway early to beat weekday morning rush hour traffic. There was none. Since you live in the Bay Area, you will understand what a treat an unclogged freeway was!

Milwuakee.

I live in Seattle and love it. There is a large Asian population - and a lot of new development. However, I do not consider it "diverse" as far as racially. Having lived in San Diego, San Francisco, Boston, Atlanta and Cleveland - I consider it to be the least diverse city in the group - racially and financially. That is just my opinion - and I do belive that the Asian community is very active - and very welcoming - but if you are looking for representation from many ethnic groups, Seattle does not immediately come to mind.

Thank you everyone for the responses!!! They are really helpful in pointing us in the right direction, and all of your comments are giving us things to think about.

If possible, can you write specific cities you are talking about? For example, some of you wrote about Seattle, but there are so many cities in the area (Kirkland, Snoqualmie Ridge, etc.).

Also, my husband and I are willing to live in an area where it isn't as sunny.

Thanks everyone!

Hey Cali... 'my people' are from Tyler, Paris and Gladewater. Texarkana is in a really good spot. I would even go so far as to say the outdoor sporting opportunities rival California. Weather is mild and land is just dirt cheap and the people are just awesome.
The only downside is business opportunities. I have a virtual position at a high tech company. I -could- move back to NE Texas. But I fear I will get all settled in and get laid off. It would be really hard to get a similar job in Texarkana. I'd have to come back to Dallas. One day I'll get back...

Generally speaking the outlying areas are all less "diverse" than in the city itself (Seattle).

Dallas, Texas
Portland, Oregon

When I say "Seattle," I'm thinking of the whole metropolitan area...which would include the east side (Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Newcastle, Issaquah) as well as Renton, Kent, West Seattle, Federal Way, etc. We have Asian families everywhere. My primary physician is a woman from Japanese stock; my dentist is a Chinese lady, my opthalmologist is from India...and I'm a caucasian male.

There is new construction everywhere...the priciest seems (to me) to be east of the city. Go to www.nwsource.com and look at some ads to get a feel for price, then jump on Horizon or Southwest to come up and check areas out.

Northern Virginia: Fairfax County, Loudoun County (and Arlington and Alexandria) are all very diverse.

Both KBHome and Centex build communities here, too - esp. in Loudoun County and southern Fairfax County. There are also dozens of other developers in these areas as well.

Seattle is inifintely more diverse than the East side. However, there are many churches thoughout the east side.
My sister lives in Redmond(which is not so diverse) and is surrounded by any number of congregations.

Aside from Austin in TX you might want to consider San Antonio. We've lived in both cities and are currently in San Antonio. Housing is TX is very low cost compared to most other areas of the country. San Antonio has less traffic problems than Austin, and it is possible to live centrally ('inside the loop') with middle-class income. There are areas that are being gentrified downtown that are still very reasonably priced. Or tons of suburbs to choose from too. The city is diverse. There are LOADS of things for families to do here.

The downside - Austin and San Antonio are both HOT HOT HOT for about 60-70% of the year. Winters are nice here. Summers are brutal.

Portland & Seattle came to mind. I love Austin (my daughter is going to law school there), but I could not take the heat. My dautghter's having a very hard time with the heat also.
FYI, I'm not far from you in San Jose (close to Los Gatos & Cambell).

I wouldn't say that Seattle is "infinitely more diverse" than the eastside, at least not with respect to Asian professional people. Virtually all of the many Asians whom my husband and I know as friends and colleages (he is a doctor, I am a laywer) live either on Mercer Island or the eastside, mainly Bellevue. As do all the Asian teachers at our daughter's school, and our dentist, who is Asian. And I know that mdhuang expressed a preference for an ethnically-diverse church, there are several Asian churches (including ones with services in languages other than English) on the eastside.

Try shopping at the Bellevue Uwajimaya or Trader Joes and you'll see.

Again, thanks, everyone, for all the responses. My husband and I are having some valuable discussions based on all of your comments, and we're thinking about going over to visit Texas and Washington at some point during the year.

We have heard great things about Seattle, but some of the areas, like Bellevue and Kirkland, are pretty expensive (it's up there with the Bay Area).

Any other areas in Seattle that are somewhat affordable... with diversity?

Hello mdhuang,

I'm glad you came back to see the resonses and ask questions. Yes, most areas around Seattle are expensive for a young family. I suggested you look at Snoqualmie Ridge based on the experience of some friends of my son, a couple in their late 20's who bought a very nice home there a few years ago and have started their family. I go to visit them with my son, and I see a neighborhood with lots of Asian and South Asian families. The homes are new, and it is a 30-minute commute to Seattle; much shorter to Bellevue. If you check the website and scroll to "Quadrant Homes", you will see they have homes in "the 300's" (sometimes I hate this real estate jargon, but it is useful). You will also see one of their real estate agents is Asian. Perhaps you could contact Ms. Lee and ask her if the community would be a good fit for you?
http://www.srmpc.com/homes/

Have you considered the midwest? Very affordable and believe it or not, but there are alot of Asians where I am (Dublin, OH)b/c of Honda here and also OSU. We moved here from Emeryville after our DD was born. It is a beautiful, growing family friendly community with excellent schools. Dublin is really well planned (new developments but tons of bike paths/parks and greenspace) and is close enough to Columbus so there is still alot of cultural opportunities. The weather though...not so great from Nov-March, but the positives far outweigh the negatives for us. Also Chicago and Chicago suburbs although more expensive than here, are terrific. I suspect you'd have alot more diversity since its such a large city. We lived there 7 years ago before kids and had a blast. Good luck in your decision!

just back from atlanta area, pretty diverse, stockbridge/henry county area new development we saw (Heron's Bay?) very nice and growing. this is south of atlanta wehre there is more diversity than in north atlanta. north is just about built out and now attention seems to be in south. this particular area is southeast. southwest is newnan, peachtree city, etc., with growing populations and good schools. houses not as inexp. as texas, apparently, but fairly good quality and many amenities.

I have never really thought about moving towards the midwest, mainly because I'm not familiar with the area. I appreciate how specific everyone is about which cities to look into and where to find new developments.

enzian: Thanks for leading us in the right direction. The Quadrant Homes look good awesome and they are below our price range!

MDHuang, there's another thread that mentions the website www.findyourspot.com which may be a good place to start.
TxTravel--too cool that you're from our "new" area!! I've just topped a thread about taht part of the state for brief trip ideas from Texarkana.
Hope you can return some day soon!! They say T'kana will be "booming" wehn I-49 crossed the I-30 there--more tech jobs?? If you don't mind me asking, where do you live now?
Good luck to the OP another idea is to just browse through realtor.com in different cities/areas mentioned above to see what housing your $$ can buy . Try plugging in 75503 for starters (-:

You mentioned diversity but what else is really important? I LOVE Seattle, its one of my favorite places! Prepare for traffic, rain and high prices though. There is some areas not too far from Seattle. I know someone who loves Bainebridge Island, (I spelled that way wrong!), and another who moved to Bothell. They love it there. In Eastern WA there is the tri cities. Less rain, less crime. Many people are moving there. High desert and water.
Of course Bend is the big choice but its being innundated now. Everyone loves Bend. Water, snow, sun and high desert. We are spending Christmas in Sun River ... beautiful!!!

Seattle area.

You can look at the US census for statistics on minority populations. Here is a school district guide which has information by geographic area and school district. If you look at the high schools, you get a quick overview of the ethnic mix of different areas.

http://community.seattletimes.nwsour.../?vortex/index

This guide doesn't include Tacoma, which is very diverse. The eastside has a large Asian population, particularly Bellevue. As you note, though, the price of housing is pretty insane, but it isn't as bad as the Bay Area, from what I hear.

If you're interested in taking another look at the Midwest, I'd recommend West Michigan - specifically Grand Rapids, Kentwood, Rockford, or even closer to Lake Michigan - Grand Haven or Holland.

All of those cities offer diversity with large Asian populations as well. They're all growing and I think you & your spouse could easily find work in your fields. Christianity is a big part of this community so you'll fit in right there. (Grand Rapids has been called the city of churches)

In the Kentwood or SE Grand Rapids area, we have several Asian grocery stores too. And because we're in the midwest, housing is very affordable and it's mostly safe here. We have lots of suburbs, parks, lakes, and things to do for children. Most of our schools around here are excellent. (I have several family members & friends in the education field so if you want more specifics, e-mail me at heidi623 at gmail dot com.)

We have four seasons here and they're all beautiful. It snows in the winter here, but it's quite pretty. Spring, with all the greenery & flowers is very colorful, summer is warm and sunny, and fall is beautiful with all the trees changing colors.

Here's a web site for more info:
http://www.michiganswestcoast.com/

Feel free to e-mail me with more questions.

Heidi

No matter where you look, don't assume that the suburbs will be "white bread." I live in north Texas and even 20 years ago, my area was probably 90% white. Now, however, our community is incredibly diverse. I look at my kids' schools and I's so grateful for the diversity. They don't think a thing of it, which is fantastic.

Until 9th grade, I went to schools that were 100% white. (Not forced segregation of the schools; it just reflected the population of our town.) The only Asians were a few childen of "war brides" (Japanese or Korean moms).

The population of "middle America" has become so much more diverse than it used to be. So if I were you, I'd think of an area/city I liked, THEN check out the diversity. I bet you'll be surprised at how diverse many areas are.

Since someone else mentioned Michigan, I guess I'd throw in Ann Arbor as well. Only problem is that they're still close enough to Detroit to get the automaker implosion that's going on here now.

Coincidentally, I may be relocating to Seattle in the next couple of weeks.

You should really consider Dallas Texas. Some of the best school districts in the state are located in and around Dallas.

We are definately a melting pot.

Good luck.

When I lived in Dallas (25 years) nearly all the wonderful folks in many entry level positions were from my now estado de Guanajuato.
A car is a liability here and the weather is orders of magnitude better than Texas.
Given the 2.6-3% property and 8.25% sales taxes, Texas is no bargain for retirees
M (SMdA, Gto.)