Small Town America
 

My DH and I are looking to relocate from NJ to a slower, more relaxed way of life;One where you know your neighbors and you help one another out. We are a couple in our late 40's with 2 teens.Is there any place left like that in america?
Thanks
melissa

You have to consider many things before deciding. Just for fun go to www.findmyspot.com
We live in a small town, don't know many neighbors as all of us are preoccupied with own busy lives.

Honestly, you are not the only one.

From NJ, you will LOVE the small to mid towns of SouthWest or Western Michigan.

Depending on your kids' ages you may still get free or 75% paid college tuition if moving to Kalamazoo (Kalamazoo Promise- 6 wealthy donors have taken on all costs for MI state schools- Ann Arbor included).

I have a 2nd home in one of these small towns on a lake, and the entity you desire DOES exist. People are neighbors and they know you personally. They'll open the town office on Sunday to get you an address change, etc. etc.

I believe there are lots of places in the South and the greater Midwest that would fill your expectations. Populations are from 15,000 to 30,000 in some of these, they aren't all Podunk by any means. Nor are all the negative stereotypes of small towns usual either.

Some I know: Dexter (near Detroit but getting expensive), Paw Paw, Kalamazoo or any of 30 or 40 small towns surrounding them (you could get lake living at the same time)- some of the Western MI Lake Michigan shore cities. Travese City is bigger, but relaxed, just not as much as interior Northern MI. Grainger IN, and some of the Southern IN towns near Evansville. Relaxed, slower sped of life like the South, and good community spirit and feel as well. "We" people, not "me" people.

Rolla, Mo. Not REAl small town, but not a city either. It is in a beautiful area, the residents are very friendly, schools are good, they have a big engineering college (maybe the teens would be interested in). About an hour outside of St. Louis for necessities such as airports, major entertainment. Also about an hour away from the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks. Rolla is slower, it is larger than po-dunk towns, but is a small town feel.

Athens, GA Hour and a half outside Atlanta. Check it out....

I lived in a city of a million and now live in a very rural area. I don't think there is any difference in how friendly your neighbors are. I have neighbors who I have never met. But you do loose some of your privacy because things get around really quickly. Be prepared to get your personal business aired.

Amen! Jorr.

Yep, jorr. That's the downside of small town living. Not only does everyone know your business, they have an opinion on it! :D

Sometimes in small towns your neighbors not only know your personal business and have opinion about it but also know better than you how you suppose to conduct yourself, when, where and why. On the other hand it is so peaceful living in a small community. I love being surrounded by trees. When 15 years ago I lived in Manhattan on East 63rd Street I had wonderful and very helpful neighbours. I still keep in touch with two of them.

You also need to consider healthcare availability and jobs when you move to a small town.
Like some of the other posters, I think you can know your neighbors regardless of where you live -- you just have to put out the effort. I have lived in small town and small cities, and I am the kind of person who really doesn't want my neighbors to be too involved in my personal affairs, but that is just me. I am naturally suspicious, whereas my DH is more open.
Also, having lived in a very small town, not only do your neighbors know all your business, they will often know BEFORE you do. They will also know MORE about your husband and your children than you think is possible.
When I was a teen, we lived in a town of less than 7,000. I had been doing something I shouldn't and felt very guilty about it. One afternoon, my mother sat me down and told me that someone had come to her and told her what I was doing. Actually, it was a bluff, but I fell for it and spilled my guts. My point is that it is very likely that a townsperson COULD have snitched on me.

Red Devil, Alaska.

Believe me, you will know your neighbors and they will know you.

Be careful what you wish for.

(Sorry, couldn't resist. ;) )

Here's an example of how your personal business can potentially end up all over town. During my doctors appointment on Friday in which very personal tests were done and information with my doctor was exchanged quess who was acting as my doctor's nurse that day? My "next door" neighbor!!! who is married to a man who I do business with and who keeps in touch with my dad all the time. Now I don't know who knows what.

There is no way this situation would have happened when I lived in the city.

I shuffle between my real life which is fast-paced in Silicon Valley and the very slow pace of life in Western New York in a small town on Chautauqua Lake. I believe the schools are better in NY, although my schools are the among the best in California.

I love the huge trees and the rolling hills and the fresh air. There is even an intellectual element that I didn't think I would find. And a summer of cultural activities.

It is fun to see kids just hanging around playing tag!

I don't "belong" to anything....but the church members sure don't have any privacy. Everybody knows everything about everyone! Maybe that is true in any small "community" - such as a church.

What qualifies as a small town to you guys and gals?
Anything under a Million, 500,000, 250,000 people for the Metro?
How far from Major services?
Schools, shopping, health care, what matters to you?

How far to interstate/international transportation?
What about Entertainment/Leisure?
There are a ton of small towns, some dying, some flourishing....
I live in one myself in Southern Oregon, but we're 7000 in a 2 county valley of 250,000.We have everything but a "Nordstrom's" level of Shopping, and I find it doesn't matter much anyway.

Check out the mobility and demographics of the population. It's easy to get online; read all recent census information re towns of interest.

My Southside city of Chicago neighborhood has/had more town criers and people who know everyone's business (especially teenagers) than any small town I have lived in yet. And this has much to do with house/turnover mobility figures, and not overall size of the entire town.

My step daughter and her husband moved to Wotonga Oklahoma last fall. His father is living there...was raised there..and the "kids" went because housing etc. is so expensive in Reno now that don't know if they ever could have afforded to buy. I haven't been there yet...going in October..but it's about an hour from Oaklahoma City I believe from what they said. It is very nice in the sense that its quieter, more rural and they bought a house for 35,000. The down side is there is almost no employment. He works at the prison..the biggest employer..and my step daughter finally got a job at like a..well, Woolworths kind of store. It of course pays nothing, but then the cost of living is pretty cheap compared to other areas. She's hoping to get a job at the bank eventually, but somebody has to retire or ...God forbid...die before there is an opening. There's no where to shop, nothing going on...although the Cheese Festival will be going on while I'm there. So, there's an up and down side to just about anywhere. I think we often want things to be the way "they used to be" but you can't ever "go back". I'm not sure "Mayberry" exists anymore, if it ever truly did. However, do your homework, and I'm sure there are a lot of small towns all over the country that are wonderful places and hopefully you'll find one that fits just perfectly.

IF you're interested in the East Coast, I love my relatively new hometown of Andover, MA. Pop. of about 30,000, so big enough that EVERYBODY doesn't know your business, but fantastic neighbors and a good sense of community. High home prices, though. Close to Boston, so city life nearby. Also close to Manchester, NH, so no need always to go to Logan airport to go elsewhere. Within an hour to an hour and a half you can hit the ocean, Maine, hiking in NH, western Mass., Rhode Island, Cape Cod (depending on where). I think it's great! I also love that the kids all play outside - the town culture is very sports-oriented, and a great school system.

I think Gardyloo said it well...be careful of what you wish for.

We live in a town that I call Mayberry. For the good AND bad. When we moved here and I went to one of the schools to get our son settled, everyone there already knew all about us. I am used to it by now, but it was a bit unnerving.

Yes, Melissa, there are still places like that. But I'm not at all sure it's possible to just walk in and be a part of it.

I think before you make a very drastic change, like moving from a metropolitan area to a small rural town, you need to make very sure that it's what you're really looking for. crefloors had some very good observations about life in a small town.

I grew up in a town that was then 2500, now a whopping 4000! It's about 45 miles out of St. Louis and many residents work in the city. But it's definitely not a suburb. I'm not sure you'd exactly call it a farming community either. But it's surrounded by farms. Although, as the towns expand, some of that rich farmland is being swallowed up by subdivisions.

Yes, there are some locally owned stores in town. But if you want something bigger, you have to drive 9 miles to a small WalMart, 25 or so to the Super Walmart and a bit further in another direction for the mall, all the chain stores, restaurants, etc.

But the major point I wanted to make is that, while your neighbors <b>will</b> know your business, it's likely that they'll never really consider you to be one of them. We lived in that small town for over 20 years. Both my parents were from small towns (my father a town of 500!), but not <b>that</b> small town. My father loved that town. My mother hated it. Largley because she never felt she was &quot;accepted&quot;.

jorr's story was the perfect case in point. My kids get a tremendous kick out of the fact that everyone in that county of small towns is somehow connected. But, as an outsider, you won't have those connections. (At least not until one of your kids marries someone from there!) And that's always going to make you just a little &quot;suspect&quot;. Unlike everyone else in town, they don't know who your parents and grandparets were, who your mother dated in high school, the story about your Aunt Mary, etc., etc.!

You may well have not had a town that small in mind. But if you were having one of those urban stress moments when the thought of life in bucolic small town America seemed like perfection, think again! There are many wonderful aspects of life in a small town. Other than the time he spent in the army during WWII, my FIL lived on the same street in that small town all of his 79 years. And he was very happy there. On the other hand, I would move back there only if I were promised upwards of a million dollars a year!

I went to college in a small town in Virginia and in many cases this is true; unless you've lived there all your life, you will not really ever be accepted. Tolerated yes, accepted no.

I would check out small towns by visiting and the first time someone asks, &quot;What is your family name?&quot; or &quot;What kind of name is Beckoff&quot; cross that town off your list and move on.

Also, having lived in a fast paced town all your lives, are you sure you will be able to adapt or will it just bring a higher level of frustration to you and your husband.

While a slower lifestyle may sound better, it can be infuriating.

I know many of the transplanted New Jerseyans down here in South Carolina go crazy with our slower paced lifestyle.

&quot;Small&quot; is certainly a relative term. I grew up in a town of 1500 people. My FIL is the doctor, my husband's great uncle is the other doctor, my husband's uncle is the dentist (and my parent's next door neighbor).

My parent's have been there 17 years, but my husband's family has had a ranch there for just over 100 years. My parents are definately still &quot;new.&quot;

It can be harder to live in a small community because people already have established relationships, and they don't always have the time to make new friends. I know my MIL struggles to keep track of elderly aunts, uncles, parents, and her own siblings that live in town.

And the town is 24 miles from the nearest Wal-Mart. There's one small grocery store, two locally owned restuarants, one hardware shop, one quilting store, the drugstore, post office, medical clinic, one bank, and a weekly newspaper.

I love small towns but I'd make sure that you do before moving to one.

If you like to travel you should also check out where is the closest airport, how many major airlines come there and how many flights per day connect to a major hub, how easy or difficult it is to get to the airport in a winter. Whatever you decide enjoy your search

Here is another echo for the part about never truly being accepted in a small town. My grandfather moved to the town where I grew up before 1920. My father was born there in 1921, and my brother in 1951. However, my sister-in-law is not considered a &quot;local&quot; as she married my brother and moved there in 1977. My SIL was from a small city and it took a few years for her to adjust to the slower pace of life, and the lack of amenities, but now she is very happy, as she took the effort to get involved in local civic clubs and her church (choir and teaching Sunday School).

I do recall though that when she had breast cancer 9 years ago, she had to drive, or be driven, 60 miles for more than six weeks (120 round trip) for chemotherapy, as there was no one to administer the treatment in her town. And when she was sick, so many friends helped out with cooking.

My nephew recently married out of state, and several of her friends planned and hosted a large reception at her home for over 200 people. These friends did all the decorating, cooking, serving, and cleaning up. All my SIL and brother had to do was open their house up and their friends did all the work.

Living in a small town has its rewards, and you will be fine if you understand the challenges.

I think MelissaBeckoff asked about a slower, more relaxed way of life and only used the catch phrase &quot;SMALL town America&quot; in her title. I might be wrong, but I don't think she meant tiny or dwindling.

The negatives some of you say are &quot;small&quot; town are perfectly applicable to my ethnic Chicago neighborhood. It's VERY hard to establish roots in old and established areas. And one neighborhood over, you are just a face in a crowd.

There are places with many of the best of both worlds in the USA. Be it within 50 or 60 miles of a big city, near college towns with cultural events, a steady arts scene location, or good shopping areas, there are still towns or villages with 15,000-30,000 that have great acceptability, a much slower pace and more human/personal approaches to life overall, and sometimes more of what I call community &quot;values&quot; (sense of a
community pride and identity, yet accepting of personal spaces where most newcomers and older residents alike feel secure and safe within their emotional and cultural sensibilities.) For instance, not having to deal commonly with levels of local crime OR rigid police visibility either, because the peace makes it a non-issue 95% of the time.

It is not either/or. There's a lot out there beyond the big cities. Some have quality of life equal to any on earth.

I could name about 15 places like this off the top of my head in the Midwest, that are diverse, have great acceptability and intelligence of design. Some are 100 years old, some are 20 years old. Some are about 10,000 people and have failing economies and some are bigger and are thriving housing markets plus.

Things change, but they are out there.

I would like Melissa's idea of small town by size of population.

Washington State and Oregon have some really nice small towns.

I think the following is importatnt to consider:
medcial care and distance to large medical center or University med ctr.
(Don't underestimate this one)
Airport flyin/out
State taxes..for example Washington state has no state income tax but sales tax on home when you sell it will be huge..my DAd's was 18% of sale price. Ouch!!!
Kids--schools are big issues
Shopping--while you can get alot INternet ...if live remote you will have to deal with 1-day deliver often actuallly being 2 day etc...
My Dad moved to Wyoming. Cody is a an hour away and nice place. THank God for the Walmart in Cody ...
his tiny in town grocery store in Greybull is expensive...

And it's not just the fact about your business..often times there is only 1 plumber..and if the Plumber gets mad at you....well.....

bbqboy, for me what qualifies as a small town is living miles away from a town of 11,000 and your nearest neighbor lives 1/4 mile away and there are about ten neighbors within a half mile radius.

CAPH52, what you said about being &quot;suspect&quot; is so true. I grew up and finished high school in my small town then moved away for several years. When I moved back I was already &quot;suspect&quot;. I was told several times that I had a Texas accent and that I could not have come from here. I was dismissed many times until I got my Minnesota accent back.

I was also going to suggest Athens, GA. Ithaca, NY is also a fantastic town, if you can tolerate the winters.

this is basically whay we are looking for.
Yes, we are willing to slow down at this point in our lives.

There are places with many of the best of both worlds in the USA. Be it within 50 or 60 miles of a big city, near college towns with cultural events, a steady arts scene location, or good shopping areas, there are still towns or villages with 15,000-30,000 that have great acceptability, a much slower pace and more human/personal approaches to life overall, and sometimes more of what I call community &quot;values&quot; (sense of a
community pride and identity, yet accepting of personal spaces where most newcomers and older residents alike feel secure and safe within their emotional and cultural sensibilities.) For instance, not having to deal commonly with levels of local crime OR rigid police visibility either, because the peace makes it a non-issue 95% of the time.

Melissa

Shenandoah County, VA---I-81 runs through it.

Towns of Strasburg, Toms Brook, Woodstock (pop. 4000), Edinburg, Mt. Jackson, or New Market. Smaller hamlets to the west along rte 42.

Melissa, you sound like a chamber of Commerce ad for the Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon.
Moderate 4 season, Add in The Ocean 2 hours away and a Ski area at the South End of the Valley.
Almost Perfect. You can live on a Mountaintop or in a small urban setting.
Bunch of small towns strung together, ranging from funky rural to Art town cool.
Concerts, plays, abound, and sf and Portland are 5 hours away.

Be careful of which you wish for. The further you move away from the major metro areas, the lower the salaries. One to 2 hour commutes suck. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

Being in your late 40's, you are probably not near retirement. Look for jobs/salary first, then location, depending upon your financial situation.

I know people who live in central/southern Jersey and commute to NYC/that area. The quality of life for their family is wonderful, but for the bread winner, oh, well. :-) ((b))

Here's a good overview of Oregon.
http://www.oregonlive.com/special/ninestates/

Hey, Melissa- don't know how far west you're willing to move. My hometown might be ideal, though.

Walla Walla, WA. About 30,000 people, with several smaller towns near by. Surrounded by wheatfields, but the town itself is flat, green, with many lovely old trees. We have fairly mild winters, but all four seasons, and we're close to several good skiing areas. WW has grown quite a bit in the last ten years- but it's retained the small rural town feel- no traffic jams, no serious crime, no overt police presence, and until 2 years ago almost unlimited July 4 personal fireworks and safe &quot;trick or treating&quot;. (The last two practices have been restricted or died down due to safety issues). But several great restaurants, a revitalized downtown, good theatre, great local festivals, and the local Whitman College make up for that! Great Fair and Rodeo, as well. Trace Adkins coming this year!

My parents are in your age bracket/situation, and they love it there. Frankly, the only age it may suck is late teens/single 20s- it's not a party town. (As in- everything neat closes by six and there are no &quot;hopping&quot; clubs) But my idea of a good time as a teen was reading and biking around town:)

Decent public schools, fantastic Catholic schools, and well respected Seventh Day Adventist schools. Active homeschooling community. Active community sports.


Spokane- 3 hrs
N. Idaho- 2 hrs
Couer d'elane- 3 hrs 45 min
Oregon- 10 min
Pullman (WSU)-2 Hrs
Seattle area- 5 hours
Portland Area/coast- 4-6 hrs.
Tri Cities (Pasco, Richland, Kennewick)- 45 min. This is where the closest mall and most chain stores are located. Also the location of the hydroplane races.


Best way to enjoy the small town life (especially in Walla Walla)

Get involved!

Join FFA/4-H

Volunteer at schools/museum/theatre

Join a church- the Catholic community, for example, is very tight-knit (mostly through the schools)

Go to High school sports (FB and BB)- Esp. in a town smaller than Walla Walla!!! Sports are everything in a rural town.

Move to an older neighborhood- not a new development.

Go to town events- BBQs, theatre productions, 4 of July in the park, etc.

Subscribe to the local newspaper, even if it's a total waste of $10/mo

The neighbor thing- well, that really depends on you- NYC, or &quot;pop.213&quot;, USA.
15 yrs. ago I knew everyone in a three block radius. People move. Some die. I don't know many of my neighbors now (mostly young couples vs. families) but then, I also don't know the psycho-people-two-doors-down-who-are-suing-their-neighbors-over-6-freaking-inches-of-backyard-after-20-years-of-apparent-peaceful-coexistence:) Really- lots of people help each other, but you can't always choose your neighbors, and trust me- you don't WANT to know everything about everyone (my grandmother lives in a TINY town south of Spokane- she knows who died of what, who cheated on who, and why Jack divorce Diane (not to mention how much Diane took Jack for.) Small towns can be creeeepy- as in, TMI. Way too much TMI.



What else? No smog, little pollution. Great roads. Summer max temp- 104, Winter min temp- prob. 15. Quiet over all. One of the few drive in theatres left only 15 min away! And the winery industry is huge right now. Wal-mart, Hastings, most fast food chains.

Good healthcare, okay job market (unless you're a farmer or teacher)

Word of advice- any town less than 15000 will have fewer services and be far less accepting (esp. of teens.) Walla Walla's a good size b/c there's still a strong sense of community, close knit, but everyone doesn't know everyone else (more like 6 degrees of separation)!

So, best of luck! Hope you find your dream town!

Do you need to be able to find work in said small town? That could make a big difference in where is possible for you to move.

There are good small towns left, probably in every state in America, depending on your needs and how far you're willing to drive for entertainment, health care, etc.

If you give us more details about what you need, we could probably give you a better list.

Joanne
http://www.vacationing-with-kids.com

It was interesting reading everyone's opinions. I'll second the motion to get involved by joining local organizations such as 4-H. However, what do your teens think about such a move? And would they join 4-H? Our son recently moved back to our small town so he and his wife could raise their children the same way they'd been raised with grandparents nearby. It's been interesting to see the kids who graduated from high school 9 years ago settling down and rekindling old ties. Some of the kids are returning to 4-H as adult volunteers after being away for college etc. Personally I'd just as soon not have WalMart within a 1/2 hour drive but our once farm community is now pretty much a bedroom community for a nearby small city. I think the type of jobs you have can cause a lot of stress. I was able to be home when our son was small, be a home room mother every year during grade school, know what was going on, etc but now that I work outside of town I have far less involvement with the community. Surprisingly our son had some great teen years thanks to working for some newcomers who have an exciting hobby and friends from all over. At one time we considered private school so he could get a better education and this is something quite a few parents do. When he was young I actively encouraged the neighbors to report anything amiss when we first allowed him to ride his bike around town. My husband thinks there's always going to be problems when people live too close to one another. Unfortunately I don't think our regional school has a lot of school spirit.
Try subscribing to the newspapers in towns you are interesting in moving to. It's a good way to get an initial feel for a community. See what's going on, what kind of problems are reported, etc.
Good luck to you.

Yes, they are in every, single state of the Union.

Re Budman's post, there are poor states and more wealthy states, so besides the job and income level consideration, you also have to really think about the state's economic picture.

For instance, IL is 46th and dropping for creating new jobs and wealth, despite Chicago successes, because its government has put the budget in the red constantly while at the same time not solilicating new business, nor making any incentives re taxes for business movements.

Walla Walla is tops but you have to REALLY look at Washington state's tax cut when you sell your home. EEEEK!

Right now, some of the best quality of life reports are coming out of poor states on the way up. IN has done miracles with new business, and its present governor has put IN on the most improved path in the nation.

Michigan is a very poor state and has every quality you want. The weather is no different than what you have now, except many more winter sports. It is filled with 300 to 1000 acre lakes and for the most part drop dead beautiful.

The towns the size you cite are extremely accepting. Actually it has the multiple college, art scene, diversity, progressive government etc. - all of that going. They have something called &quot;Friday Night Frenzy&quot; during the Fall. The entire Western half of the state stops for high school football. Everyone is out.

There are lots of places in Missouri, Iowa (Quad Cities and the beautiful Mississippi)that are similar, many of them in close proximity to large population college towns and cultural centers. Grand Rapids, Cleveland Clinic are two of the biggest and best medical facilities in the USA.

And another thing about the size town you describe. There are poor people and there are rich people, nearly in all of them- but for the most part in my experience with this, they often know each other and their lives are NOT all that much different. And they often, but not always, share the same community values because they are not faceless to each other.

Moosleywild, you said &quot;Join a church- the Catholic community, for example, is very tight-knit (mostly through the schools)&quot; There in lies part of the problem in a small town. That tight-knit group ends up a click and unaccepting of other people. Just like in High School.

Budman, The wages in a rural area are lower but so is the cost of living including taxes, home prices, and retail. Also, you may live in &quot;rural&quot; NJ but on the east coast it is really a web of higher priced towns and cities.

People living anywhere within an hour of D.C. for example pay much more for everything than in a truly rural area such as where I live in the midwest. I used to watch a cable TV show about home buying which was focused on the D.C. area. The price of homes even an hour out were staggering compared to where I live. Sort of like &quot;A quarter million for that out dated crappy house?&quot; That quarter million dollar house would sell for well under a hundred thousand here.

Be careful. We've known a few people who sold everything for &quot;small town America&quot;, hated it (especially the lack of quality education in some schools - not saying this is true of all &quot;small towns&quot;), and wanted to move back &quot;home&quot; only to find that they could no longer afford to do so.

If you own you own home, that's something to think about.

BTW, I love my &quot;small town America&quot; village - right outside NYC and wouldn't change it for the world. As the saying goes (made this one up myself)...&quot;friendly is as friendly does&quot;...or something to that nature. :)

&lt;The wages in a rural area are lower but so is the cost of living including taxes, home prices, and retail.&gt;

That's not quite how it works. Even with the highest property tax in the nation, the highest car insurance rates in the nation, high property rates, along with the 7% state sales tax, tire tax, and whatever other fricken tax &amp; fee the Governor can rob you of, the salaries overcompensate for anything you could possibly get in rural areas. I did the math. ((b))

jorr- yeah, but in Walla Walla there are three Catholic churches, and there ARE cliques, but everyone is fairly welcoming, esp. if your teens attend the local Catholic HS (which is, quite frankly, more known for the sports and academics than religion). Most Catholic around here are fairly secular and unrabid. Oh, there are idiots, but the religion isn't the reason:)

The unwelcoming churches- Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah Witnesses are amoung the top offenders In WW.

As with anywhere, it takes a while to settle down and make friends.

Cheaper to live in a small town- not necessarily. And JJ5 is right about the taxes. Walla Walla is only cheaper in comparison to the Western part of the state, most major cities, etc.

Average nice house in nice neighborhood 20 yrs ago- $90,000. Same house now- 180-200, 000. Most people live in Walla Walla for the quality of life and good economy rather than the affordability.

Most people now fall in love with WW because of the location/ &quot;charm&quot; and downtown. In contrast, my parents settled here 25 years ago because Dad had been raised out on Stateline, and they were tired of the east coast (Virginia).

The biggest mistake I've seen new residents make is to think they're still in the city: ie, openly announce their &quot;liberal&quot; views or badmouth others- Reputation is very important in Walla Walla because no matter how &quot;urban&quot; it seems, it's still a small farming town at heart.

Like I said- WA's expensive, but the services are good and the state university system is excellent.

Eh- best advice would be to go in with eyes wide open. Take off the rose colored glasses and ask the teens where they'd be comfortable moving to. The teens here who don't work or play sports or have some other hobby- they mostly drink and fool around. Not something you'd want for your own kids....


Good luck!