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Tabbyking
| Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 8:57 pm
schoolmarm, i would pick atherton (a few miles from stanford university) because it is ritzy and has wonderful stores and wonderful weather (a hot summer day is 80 with a breeze); maine has so much gorgeous coastline, i was just in awe when i was there--but it snowed in late may when i was visiting! so you have to go in june, after the snow, and before the bugs come out! other than the winter snow at mt. shasta (and i don't ski, but i love to look at the beautiful mountain and sip drambuie--or a good merlot--and read a good book by firelight.....), most of the areas i picked have weather that is anywhere from 55-80 degrees at the time i would be there. i, too, have dry skin and cannot take too much heat--or too much cold, for that matter. i also cannot breathe when it is too damp or humid. that's what is so great about the oakland, california area, actually. wonderful weather!
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Texannie
| Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 9:00 pm
Marm, I am an SMU Mustang class of '76..Bachelor of Arts (degree in Journalism and PR) LOVED it!!! Of course, I was WOWed living in Dallas cause they all ALL the seasons, not like Houston! LOL And Darlin', I tain't never thought I was weak cause someone called me 'sugah' and held the door open for me! ;)
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Foliage
| Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 9:44 pm
Ok, I have lived in Wilmington, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Davidson, and Raleigh, NC; Atlanta, GA; Orlando, FL; and Loveland (Cincy), OH plus my DH is from St. Louis. Eight years ago we dropped out of corporate life (too many transfers!) and picked Wilmington, NC to begin our entrepreneurial endeavors. I admit we were biased since this is my hometown. I'm opposite schoolmarm on climates, put me in a heated room and I dry up like a raisin. I need humidity! North Charleston is very similar to us environmentally and as a hurricane target. We do have four seasons but pine trees and live oaks don't make for a lot of fall colors. I find the coastal Carolinas to be a good balance of economic & cultural opportunity without being a huge city. Wilmington has historic charm, old houses (like mine!), tons of new houses, the beach, good regional theatre, music, a thriving film industry, a university, good churches with pipe organs for Marm (my local favorite is an old Skinner),competitive schools. Plus the state funded university system in NC is hard to beat. Some bad things are mosquitos, some local politicians are Bozos (I don't think that is unique to here tho.), hurricane season can get exciting and when it does finally snow here the schools close for days!, we may be growing a bit too fast. Some of our schools are fabulous, some not. Let me know if I can shed anymore light on the Carolinas.
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Max
| Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 9:47 pm
Well, if you have MAJOR bucks, then Atherton and Hillsborough, CA might be great spots. But unless you can afford to pay a LOT of money, you might be disappointed. Heck, rents in Cupertino (which is not NEARLY the caliber of locale as the other two spots) are more for a one bedroom apartment than I pay for my mortgage on a 3bedroom/2bath home. That's one of the reasons I left California.
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Landi
| Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 9:58 pm
i wish i had the money to live in atherton. i just don't, that's why i live in napa. and it's too dang expensive here too. but i can't afford to move - a good friend of mine lives in las vegas. she got this GREAT house for under $200k! i couldn't believe it! and it's in a gated community too!
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Mamie316
| Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 10:13 pm
Eliz, I love the San Francisco bay area and have lived here all my life but I would not move here! The cost of living is one of the highest in the country. It is a struggle. The people are great and diversified but truly, with a young family, move somewhere else. Not that I wouldn't love having you in the neighborhood!
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Hoosiergirl
| Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 11:24 pm
I can address your questions regarding Virginia. If you want an area with the best opportunities and schools, I'd suggest either Northern Virginia or the Tidewater area (Southeast). I have lived in both places. Both offer good and bad points. Northern Virginia: Good: has tons of cultural offerings, Bad: expensive, crowded, awful traffic ALL the time. Southeastern Virginia (Norfolk/Virginia Beach/Chesapeake/Suffolk) Good: seasonal climates (negligible snow); the beach, Virginia Opera, Virginia Ballet, Virginia Symphony, many festivals, largest naval base in the world; largest shipbuilding facility in the world; Bad: summer tourists overrun the oceanfront in summer, some school districts, traffic's bad in summer on the weekends (those toursist again); Virginia Beach's City Council (they LOVE to develop....anything and EVERYTHING). And Chesapeake is one of Money's Best Cities to Live. http://money.cnn.com/best/bplive/details/5116000.html/ This site might be useful as well: http://www.bestplaces.net/ With your husband's background as an electrical engineer, there is a good possiblity that he could find work with either the Norfolk Naval Base or Newport News Shipbuilding. If you haven't already tried, here's is the USA federal job website. You can search for Engineering jobs all over the world. http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/ If I can give you any other info, let me know.
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Tabbyking
| Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 11:25 pm
max, i grew up in a 7-bedroom home in the hills above los gatos, with an inground pool and 3 acres. we bought it for 69k years ago. i saw that the last time it sold, it went for over 6 million dollars! i am living 90 miles from my hometown, and this is what we can afford; husband (you met him when we went to see you in modesto last spring!) commutes 92 miles each way to sunnyvale. our home here is 2300 sf, custom, with hardwood floors and an inside bbq--we paid 145k in 1989 and it's now worth about 300k. in los gatos, it would be at least 800,00 to 1,000,000 bucks. my mom used to live in a 4-story house on masonic avenue in san francisco. wonder what it would go for these days?
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Teachmichigan
| Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 11:37 pm
I live in Michigan and teach at a rural school. Our students (and the majority of them on the West side of the state) perform WELL above the state average, and if you do a bit of research, you'll find our schools and education system have extremely high standards! Other benefits to living on the West side of the state: Lovely, NON-BUSY beaches within minutes; rail trails for biking, snowmobiling, rollerblading, etc.; four seasons and the most gorgeous autumns you'll see anywhere; the bluest skies you can imagine (from being surround, literally, by water); vacation spots like Mackinaw Island, Traverse City, and even Detroit offer a wide variety of activities and atmospheres; great neighbors! With the exception of my immediate family, all my relatives live in NW Ohio. I must say, after spending almost every holiday down there for 10+ years, the weather in Mich. is much nicer. It cools down here almost every night...that lake effect is such a gift! The drinking water is much better here, too. With "fine sand" down even beyond 12 feet (perk test on our new land said so)....the water is well-filtered and generally free of sulphur, rust, etc. that so often plagues Ohio's water. That said, Ohio is not very far, so if you need to return, it's easy to do on very short notice. The cost of living is quite affordable where we're at as well. As long as you're not right on top of Lk. Michigan, taxes are low and even our state sales tax is lower than some. GOOD LUCK with your decision!!!
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Urgrace
| Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 1:51 am
Babyruth, I didn't say anything about Michigan that isn't true. I was born there and moved back when my children were small. Teach: My decision to move there was after researching for a better education for them. At the time (1975) Michigan was 3rd in the country for a good education. It has dropped since then, but I'm sure it is still above the average. You have to check the area you are going to for the best stats. The roads: I've driven over a lot of the state and recently, too. BTW did you know that Michigan will tax you on your social security income? That's just wrong.
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Serate
| Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 1:56 am
"I also was taken aback at the male taxi drivers and bus drivers etc. calling the women "sugar" or "honey" and treating me as if I were a helpless little girl...I know that they think it is polite," My fiance just moved to the Lousiville area and while the majority of the people are nice, I can't STAND being called honey or sweetie. And it's not just by the men, the women do it too. Some days it annoys me so much I'd rather rake my fingernails down a chalkboard than hear the word honey again.
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Reiki
| Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 10:16 am
I don't know about ideal, but the New York Capital District Area (Albany and surrounding communities) has been named the least stressful large metropolitan area in America. Albany Times Union story link The study was done for BestPlaces.net, you might want to check out that site. It has a lot of interesting information about things like climate, crime rates, schools, cost of living, etc. >>>>> BestPlaces
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Spygirl
| Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 11:01 am
I love Wichita, Kansas! I don't have any major complaints yet. Health-wise, I prefer a slightly more humid climate than Kansas, but it isn't anything like west Texas or the southwest part of the country, so I'm very happy. People always ask rather incredulously, "You live WHERE???" And yet I love it here. The city is underrated, growing out and now up (so it doesn't feel like a big city), and has a lot going on. It is less than 3 hours from Kansas City, 2.5 hours from Oklahoma City, and less than 5 hours from Dallas/Ft. Worth. It is centrally located to the entire country. The airport needs some expansion (that it is getting and will continue to get in the next several years), but once they improve it, this place is going to explode. Great schools, three local universities, and a trillion restaurants. On another note...When thinking of having children and settling down for life and if I could move anywhere and have a job like I have here, I would move to Austin, Texas, hands down. I wouldn't even have to think about it. Everything Gracie said about it is true - and then some.
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Rosie
| Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 12:14 pm
AOL has a news story that Tacoma, WA. is the most stressful city. I was afraid to copy it and put it here tho.
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Tabbyking
| Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 12:28 pm
LOL, rosie. i know the places i have picked are outrageously expensive...but the title of this topic says "IDEAL" ideally, i would have a lot of money, ehehehehehe
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Ocean_Islands
| Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 12:29 pm
This is the kind of thread that is going to drive me bonkers, but I'll try to keep it under control. I've heard lots of good things about Kansas City and Wichita, though not having been to either place, am not sure what to think. They both sound like nice places. Just having read this thread most of the talk is about California and the Carolinas and Texas. I have lots to say about what is bad about places (and I'll chime in about that later), but to be honest, "there is no place like home". If where you live you have someone who loves you, friends, a job, maybe family, and weather that is not always the same... then I think you have a lot and probably all you need. Magazine ratings are always entertaining, but have you noticed that they change drastically from year to year? How could the nation's best city by one place one year, and some totally different place the next year (with the prior year's winning falling down in the rankings)? I think on the whole it is a lot of hooey made up to sell magazines. Money magazine's best place to live, Central, is "Naperville, IL" ... one mile from where I grew up. Of course, they didn't say that all the yuppies came in and ruined the place for good, the prices are going up and the mallsprawl is horrendous ....... I've lived in many places, but at this point it seems that we have to settle first the age-old argument, "Who is happier, the country mouse or the city mouse?" There's no answer to that question, which is why I have to fall back on, "Home is where the heart is."
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Hippyt
| Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 12:46 pm
Spy,my brother lives in Austin,and it is a great city. BUT,the boom from the 90's has created monster horrific traffic there! It's bad enough,that I couldn't live there for that fact alone. And,that's a pretty strong statement,coming from someone who lives in Houston.
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Urgrace
| Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 1:32 pm
Luckily they will have some of the traffic problems, meaning new highways, resolved in the near future and are planning on another loop to the southeast of the city, but I did say that the traffic is one of Austin's bad points.
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Colordeagua
| Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 1:33 pm
Was it Max who earlier mentioned the rainbows over Oregon? The following is from a totally unrelated message board I also visit: Quote:Last year, I had to travel to Eugene for the [surgery], it being the closest city outside Portland there was a [specialist]. A very dear friend was driving me up, and would be with me my entire hospital stay. It was raining off and on the entire three hour trip. The sun did break through the clouds on several occasions, each time accompanied by beautiful rainbows. In fact, there were so many rainbows we started to lose count. My friend pointed out that this was a sign to me that all would be well.
She goes on to tell of more rainbows she saw over the next few weeks. I'd love to see something like that. Only once or twice have I seen a sky-full of stars. Another beautiful sight.
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Max
| Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 1:46 pm
Colordeaqua said Quote:Only once or twice have I seen a sky-full of stars. Another beautiful sight.
Oh my! You need to get out of the city, girlfriend! I grew up in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. One of my favorite things to do in the summertime was to go out to a hayfield or other open space, lie down on the ground, and watch the stars. When you do that, you can pretty much see the curvature of the horizon. I used to say it looked like we were lying on a giant platter with a star-covered dome covering us. It's just an amazing thing to do and helps to remind us that we are just tiny specs in the scheme of the universe. Living here in the Portland area, I have literally stopped in my tracks in parking lots when I saw a spectacular rainbow. Sometimes, they are so big and so bright and you can see the entire arch from one point on earth reaching high into the sky, then arcing down and touching the earth at another point. When you can see five or more distinct lines of brilliant color in them, you know you must have done something right and that everything is going to be fine. What amazes me, is the number of people who, when such a wonder appears in the sky, just keep walking into the store as though nothing spectaculr and miraculous were occuring in front of them. I always feel a little sad for them and hope they can learn to better appreciate such beauty. 
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Spygirl
| Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 2:08 pm
Hippy, Grace, good points about the traffic. Most likely, I would live and work either just outside of Austin or else I would live right on top of where I work. I detest traffic - just ask any of my close friends and family - but I would consider dealing with it in Austin. That should tell you how much I like the city
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Goddessatlaw
| Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 4:15 pm
Naperville is from hell. If you want every opportunity in the world, a change of seasons, nothing too hideously bad in the winter, your choice of suburban options, easy access without regular or unmanageable traffic entanglements, a nice place to raise a family, a welcoming place to express your individuality, an open-armed arena for racial equality, plentiful job opportunities, and completely affordable housing options, come to Indianapolis. It has all the accoutrement of a large city, with small-town charm intermixed. We love living here.
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Tabbyking
| Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 4:49 pm
it also has colossus.....sigh.......
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Colordeagua
| Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 6:22 pm
The one time I particularly remember seeing a sky full of stars was when I was at the Copper Canyon in northern Mexico. A heavenly sight!!!
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Urgrace
| Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 10:36 pm
Indiana is beautiful! Almost every lawn, roadside, barnyard, public or private is well taken care of and people flew their flags proudly long before 9/11 happened. There are flowers everywhere, nice roads (mostly) and the state doesn't abide by the dumb daylight savings time like the rest of the goof... well anyway.
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