Let me give a shout out to Madison - if you’re thinking about it, then you should give it very close consideration. Madison’s fantastic (says the UW grad of 2000). I’d move back there in a heartbeat.
Yes, it snows there. It’s Wisconsin. But. Winters haven’t been what they used to be - we haven’t had a bad winter in ages. This year, and last year, and the year before were pretty mild - three, maybe four big snowstorms, but then the sun comes out and the snow melts. We were lucky to have 2 - 3 inches of snow on the ground this year. Mostly, it was bare. Yes, it gets cold. But our winters are also quite sunny. Yes, there are days when it’s cloudy, but then the sun’ll come out for days at a stretch. There’s nothing more dazzling than a bright sunny winter day. Yes, it gets dark here earlier, but it seems that you can manage the SAD with bright lights and medications.
Madison really has a lot of the things you’re looking for. There’s all kinds of culture. It’s also pretty well known for its restaurants - there’s tons, and I’m certain the good Dr would easily be able to find something that fits him. There’s a large jewish population. School’s are excellent (even the public ones). Cost of living, while higher than a lot of places in the country, is less than what you’ve got now - your current rent will get you a very nice 2 bedroom apartment in Madison or you could rent a 3ish bedroom house as well, but you’re probably better served putting it down on a house - I’m certain you’d be able to find something (there’s a lot of new developments). The university keeps it vibrant, State Street’s always good for burning an afternoon, and the farmers market around the capitol can’t be beat. Daycare can be expensive, but there’s a large number of working families, so it’s not hard to find. There’s parks, a plethora of bike trails and walking/hiking paths, lakes - all kinds of things to do that don’t cost a cent. And they’re packed, even when it’s cold.
Please feel free to contact me if you’d like to hear more about Madtown. If you’re thinking about that big a move, I really don’t think you could go wrong in Madison. Addy’s in the profile.
I really can’t argue with that … I speak as one who left the Bay Area to live in the mother lode & would never go back. It’s wonderful up here, but the summer heat would definitely not work for you. For that matter, if SoCal heat was a problem, anywhere over in the Pleasanon to Walnut Creek area would be just as bad.
If you want to stay within commuting distance of Hayward, I would second Alameda as an excellent choice, as well as Oakland if you choose your neighborhood carefully. If DLG is willing to look for another restaurant, but you want to consider staying in the Bay Area … I’d suggest Pacifica as the perfect climate for you - cool & foggy all summer, remarkably sunny in the winter. Last I knew, it was even relatively affordable. It would even open up job opportunities in SF, and working restaurant hours would (I presume) mean not having to drive during the worst traffic.
We sure do. In my city, I pay $515 for a two bedroom with parking. In Halifax, I’d pay $875. In Toronto or Vancouver, I would be living in a freaking box on the street.
Here, here could get a decent house for $100K (okay, we couldn’t, but other better-off people could). You could not buy any house, decent or not, in Toronto for that amount.
Wow, $1,000 is about mid-range for a 2 bedroom apartment in this part of New Hampshire. It’d be hard to get a one bedroom apartment for under $700, unless it was a studio or in a basement. Are things much better in CT? I know that central/seacoast NH is amongst the 10 most expensive places in the US to live (the top 3 spots are all in California) but, it seems hard to believe that there are parts of the north east that would save the GunBerrys much money if they moved back this way.