Where should I move?

In My Humble Opinion
1

OK, I’m thinking of moving. For various reasons. And need ideas for where my family might like to land.

A survey:

What location in the country has:

  1. good schools

  2. cheap real estate

  3. Good, diverse economy

  4. great broadband

  5. Intangibles – recreation, culture, scenery, weather

Rate each 1-10. Perhaps give reasons for 5.

I have kids, so #1 is non-negotiable. #4 is very important to me for my work, also not negotiable.

I live in the the south SF bay area, so my ratings above would be:

#1 - 3 (ok to bad)
#2 - 0 (outrageous real estate)
#3 - 7 (would have been 9, 2 years ago)
#4 - 1 (dial-up, bad DSL for very few, almost no cable modems, I have a satellite ISP that I hate)
#5 - 7 (great scenery, weather, recreation; culture kinda far away in SF)

For a total rating of 18 out of 50.

I’m sure the TM out there can show me paradise. Please enlighten.

Thanks for any responses.

2

How about Tucson? I’ve lived here for a year. I’ve lived previously in Denver, Las Vegas, Seattle, and Ft. Lauderdale.

good schools

I give it an 8, so far - but you neglect to mention which years of schooling interest you most. I’ve had nothing but good experiences with my kids in elementary, and I’m told the U of A is well thought of, but know little of middle schools or high schools.

cheap real estate

Hard to measure, but about anywhere is a 10 compared to the Bay area. I think it’s slightly less expensive than Las Vegas. Does that help? Apartment, townhouse/condo, or house? I would think there are some realty websites which might have more information meaningful to you on relational housing costs.

Good, diverse economy

That would depend on what your job skills are, as to whether you consider it diverse, as applies to you. Raytheon makes missiles, AOL has a call center or two, there’s an Air Force base, and some mix of misc. aerospace and technology firms. Sounds like you’re a techie, email me.

great broadband

A 7. There are cable modems (Cox, Comcast) and some DSL. A wireless solution (not satellite) is available from an independent (Sprint had such an offering, which I use, but isn’t accepting new customers)

**Intangibles – recreation, culture, scenery, weather **

Up to your personal preference. Some would consider the Las Vegas strip the ultimate in recreation, culture, and scenery, but if you’re raising a family … Again it’s what you want. For me, it’s a 7, 8, 7, 8. But I like the desert look, and it’s wet enough that them saguaro cacti get big - for several weeks each year the rains can come in buckets - Tucson has a canal system to rival Ft. Lauderdale’s. Real character to the weather.

-AmbushBug

3

Ambush bug -

Thanks for the reply about Tucson. Interesting stuff.

Re: schools - sorry, I should have specified. I have a son who’s 3, so Kindergarten is coming soon. We’re also talking about having more kids.

Re: real estate. Well, around here a basic 3/2 1000sf house is about $500k. Really. It’d be nice to find someplace where <$400 gets you 5/4, 3000sf on 1/2 acre or more. :slight_smile: And did I mention I need a home office, probably detached?

Re: jobs. Yep, I’m a programmer. Win/Mac apps. graphics, multimedia, video, etc. Shrinkwrap software mostly. I may have a gig lined up where they’d let me telecommute, which means I can live anywhere. But it’s nice to have fallback options, and Mrs Squeegee is wanting to reenter the workforce at some point.

Re: intangibles - Las vegas strip (shudder). I guess weather and interesting scenery (mountains & such) would be farther up my list.

4

I’d recommend Franklin, Tennessee. The schools are among the top in the state. I don’t know how they rate nationally, but it is a private school district (the city runs the schools rather than the county).

Housing–while not the least expensive area around Nashville, the 400K you have to spend would buy you a 4-5000 sq ft. Executive Home on an acre or more, or a smaller home on a lot of land…like a “gentleman’s farm”. More modest housing can be had for well under 200K.

Jobs-the economy is diverse, with everything from music to insurance and health care. My hubby is a contract programmer and is never out of work.

Broadband–DSL is available even in most rural areas.

Recreation opportunities abound, with parks, YMCA, etc. Lots of artsy stuff, museums, etc. in the Nashville area. Less than 2 hours from Huntsville, Al (Space Center) and Chatanooga(Aquarium, caving, etc). Lots of music. Downtown Franklin is historic and has quaint little shops, cafes, etc. Many lakes for boating, the Cumberland River, shopping, etc. MANY malls and restaurants within easy commuting distance.

The Nashville area is within 600 miles of more than half the country. Check it out.

5

I forgot about weather. We have 4 seasons with a small amount of snow in winter, two months of hot and humid in the summer, beautiful spring and colorful fall.

Also, here is a link about the area and schools, etc.
http://www.franklin-gov.com/links.htm

6

Here are national lists of top-x Ameican cities that have wisely put Madison, Wisconsin among the best.

Beat that, anyone!

7

Calliope: Thanks for the recommendation. I hadn’t even thought about the Nashville area. It certainly sounds like the weather is moderate enough, and it’s affordable enough.

yohimoguy : I’ve heard Madison is quite nice! – But that weather! Brrrr! (I lived in Chicago for 25 years, I know Madison would be similar). :slight_smile:

8

I have a friend whose family recently moved to Overland Park, KS. He said the main reason they went was the growing economy, good schools (he’s staying here to finish out his senior year, but he has younger siblings) and great deals on houses. I don’t know much about the broadband or the intangibles, but from what I hear it’s worth checking out.

9

We’re coming out of our warmest winter in history, thanks to global warming, el nino, or whatever. Bush’s decision to gut the Kyoto agreement leaves Madison looking even better down the line. :smiley:

10

yojimboguy: snicker

11

Someone on another thread recommended this, which lets you compare two cities by a buncha different criteria.

I see that San Jose (which isn’t where I live, but close enough) is more expensive than anyplace, has better weather than almost anyplace, and middlin’ schools (I find that over-optimistic).

12

I’ve lived in Madison WI. I once heard the winters described as “life-threateningly cold.” I’d have to agree. But more to the point the property taxes are killers.

Might I suggest Cincinnati OH

I don’t have any kids but I hear that schools in the suburbs are good. So I’ll say 7

Cheap real estate. I’ve read recently that Cincy is one of the best bargains in the States for real estate. For $340,000 you can expect 1/2-acre lot 2800+ sq feet 5 bedrooms in an excellent part of town. Housing I’ve got to say is a 9

Economy. Cincinnati is a nice mix of manufacturing and service. It’s a banking and transportation hub. 7

Broadband. The best: cable (like my house), high-speed phone, DSL. Cincinnati Bell and Time Warner are in a great turf war over high-speed access and price. I’d say 8

Intangibles. Weather we technically have four seasons but things have been very mild here the last 2 years. Not to hot in the (though often quite humid) and not at all cold in the winter. Not much look at scenery wise. Plenty of culture. Cincinnati has several art museums, its own symphony, opera, and ballet. Lots of local history and beautiful old homes. On the whole though I’d say a 6.