quote: Originally posted by Oiznop Ok...I have to ask...as you have no idea where to move, so it's not about taking a new job somewhere obviously....a few years ago Seattle was "heaven!".....why this uproot then???....please don't tell me it got too hot for you up there???....and I am not asking to be a smart ass...I am genuinely curious.....if weather is your main purpose and your still trying to avoid heat, don't go to Texas...you'd better make AK your final destination.....

It's hot. No doubt. My next place will have A/C. I've suffered too long without. Haha! [:D] But mainly because we are homeschooling the kiddos & want to be able to travel more (several months at a time). Spending $3250+/month on a 2BR place if we aren't going to be around most of the year doesn't make sense. Also, in WA state there's annual requirements for school district testing even if you homeschool. We'd like a bit more freedom. If we are tied to a state that requires academic check-ins/testing and costs a crap ton of money for housing, then travel is pretty pointless. So assuming we could find a cheaper place in a state that doesn't require constant tracking of the schooling we provide, then we would be able to go visit more and see more (also, learn more... [;)] )... I do love Seattle and it's my home. Forever. If I find a way to return, I will. (I assume it would be after the kiddos are a bit older, however.) But for the family and what we'd like to do, sadly it isn't very practical. My husband's job has changed allowing for a lot more adventure and exploration, so it'd be a shame to confine ourselves if we don't need to. No reason to stick around, really. Seattle will always be my home. But as the family grows, so do the needs of the family. As a mom, I have to consider that and can't be locked down to only what I want.

Have to name Washington as my favourite. Closest to where I live, the beer situation is first rate, nice people (bad freeway drivers, though!), Seattle is always an excellent visit.

Recently, my wife and I decided we're locking ourselves into Connecticut and opening a brewery here. We had thought about other places, but ultimately this is where we want to be. A lot of our decision was based on the fact that our families are nearby, but there are a lot of other reasons to like CT. Some state-thoughts. We're near the ocean. Short drive to sound beaches, shortish drive to the cape or to RI ocean beaches. Awesome food culture. And not just in New Haven/Hartford areas. There are tons of seaside communities like Mystic and Niantic that have awesome food cultures. I lived in Mystic for a year, and had to move out when I realized we were spending some $800/month in restaurants. Fresh seafood in abundance, and lots of other awesome choices too. Most specialties you can think of can be found somewhere, there are a lot of different cultures in the area, so good cultural foods are easy to find, as well as progressive meals. Oh, and New Haven Style Pizza. Wouldn't trade it for any other pizza... Awesome beer culture. The state lagged behind in this regard, but recently lawmakers have opened up the floodgates by revising some older laws. Where there were 7 breweries in the state 12 years ago when I first got into beer, there are over 40 now. It's taking off like crazy right now, a big reason why we've decided that now's the time to open our own. Great balance of city and country living. Our home is on an acre and near lots of farmland, with a park with hiking trails just down the road. There are CT "blue trails" all over the place, just look for a blue square spraypainted on a tree and pull over for a short hike. Beyond that, if you don't mind a drive, New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont are not far off, and offer some of the best fishing and hiking you can imagine. If you're done with the great outdoors, there are a ton of options. Locally you have the aforementioned sea side communities. Semi-locally you have cities like Hartford and New Haven. If you want a bigger city, New York and Boston are not far off. Yesterday, we took a day trip to Boston. It really is a great city to walk around and get lost in the food or history. And New York is just massive, tons to do and find if you know where to look. Providence isn't far off although it's overshadowed by Boston, but Federal Hill rivals the North End of Boston if you ask me in terms of Italian food. History. If you're a history geek, there are all kinds of historical landmarks to be discovered. Much of our country was developed in New England, and there's just no shortage of museums, landmarks, parks, and events recognizing this rich history. The culture here is pretty liberal, if that's a pro or a con is up to you, I've suffered my fair share of annoyances with local politics, but my views are not the popular opinion locally. It's expensive. Not Seattle expensive, but still pricey. 6% sales tax, and property taxes are a little looney... depending on your town. If you buy a house out here, pay very close attention to the town's tax rates. The town I live in has no real industry, and we end up paying a lot on taxes. My sister lives near-by in a 2200sq ft house on half an acre and pays over $7k/year in taxes. I have a 1300 sq ft house on an acre and we pay about $4.5k/year. The house was only $219k. Other towns bordering us are significantly cheaper. We're not incredibly friendly. I mean, we're not New York mean or Boston aggressive, but don't expect a random conversation in the grocery store. If you chat it up with a stranger, they will be suspicious that you're going to ask them for something. Not sure what it is about New Englanders, we just don't want to chat and we're always too busy. Everyone seems to be in a rush and everyone keeps to themselves. That said, there's plenty of social outlets, but it's not like in the south where the guy in line behind you is going to say hi. I've lived in this house 2 years and have never met any of my neighbors. Traffic is a suck on I95 which runs from NYC to Rhode Island along the south coast of CT. I84 and I91 aren't fun either. But, it won't take long before you figure out how to avoid these routes for the most part. And if you're not living along those routes, then traffic barely needs a mention. You'll move fine. The malls? We have 'em. I don't spend much time in them so I won't say too much... Providence Place mall is very popular and only about an hour drive for me... there's also much closer ones. There are outlets too - Clinton, Westbrook and Ledyard have large outlets that draw in a lot of people. Ledyard's is in the casino, the casinos are love or hate. Personally, I've never gambled in them, but I do go to shows and to eat there. A lot of good restaurants, and there's always some event there that's worth seeing. The weather is... interesting. If you don't like the weather in New England, just wait. 32F and snowing on Monday, 65F and sunny on Tuesday. Highs in the summer hit 80s typically, and lows in the winter are around 10-20F. Highly, highly variable though... spring is very wet, summers are dry but the water tables stay high enough that we never have drought problems. Along the coastline the weather is typically more temperate, the ocean keeps the air a bit warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. That said, we do get hit occasionally by tropical storms and/or hurricanes. Thunderstorms are common in spring through early summer, and maybe once a year a small tornado is reported... I can't ever recall a serious storm though. I would recommend moving near the coast... maybe it's my local bias, but I like Southeastern CT. It's far enough away from the cities that it's still quiet, but not too far that you can't find something to do. Low crime rates in most of the towns, but there are some bad sections. If you seriously consider CT, let me know and I can help you find some possible locations. Of the other states on your list, I've only been to Illinois, Indiana, and New Jersey. I really loved Chicago and agree with Heemer's take on it, but I don't think it offers much more than New York or Boston. And getting into Boston is a breeze if you catch the T from Quincy Adams station. New Jersey and Indiana I didn't really think had much to offer but I had limited time there. Seemed like everyone from those states is just trying to get out. Devil's Hopyard - great Hiking in Haddam [img]http://www.naturallyamazing.com/americasparks/11600.jpg[/img] I eat my lunch parked in my car at Avery Point looking out at the ledge lighthouse. Can be a bit ominous in rough weather, but it's little known places like this that give Southeastern CT it's charm. [img]http://www.ledgelighthouse.org/images/700_Abandoned_Light.jpg[/img] [img]http://newenglandboating.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/New-London-Ledge-Light.jpg[/img] Great fishing/hiking at Diana's Pool [img]http://icons.wunderground.com/data/wximagenew/h/Hamptonite/1113.jpg[/img] The entrance to Hole in the Wall Beach in Niantic [img]http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2008/03/04/1204659415_6831.jpg[/img] Gillette Castle [img]http://www.ct.gov/deep/lib/deep/stateparks/parks/gilext1.jpg[/img] Covered bridge at Salmon River [img]http://www.jgcoleman.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/comstock-covered-bridge-colchester-connecticut.jpg[/img] Good luck, keep us posted on the move.

Stay the heck out and away from NJ. Tons of traffic, pollution, crime, and a very anti 2nd ammendment state governed by a peoples republic communistic culture. Heck, the government there doesn't even trust the citizen to pump his/her own gas. Enough said. Michigan or Alaska would fit that bill of goals you mentioned. However, travel from Alaska isn't gonna be generally by drive, so if you like flying, parking it there isn't a bad option. I'm intrigued by Michigan and the UP and will head to the latter by the end of this Summer. Love the more rural countryside, yet proximity to Canada and civilization as much as you want. Not sure about their home schooling regulations there, but they are country culture friendly towards outdoors. Greater Detroit area isn't bad, the city itself is an armpit of crime, so you wouldn't see me park a home too close. Texas has always intrigued me, but I don't think I could live there. It's too hot and with Global Warming coming on strong (another 2015 of record average temps across the globe), it can only get hotter. Good luck. Beer is ubiquitous, I think you could find good stuff in most states. Oklahoma and Idaho don't excite me, though, lol.

quote: quote: quote: Originally posted by eaglefan538 Stay the heck out and away from NJ... Heck, the government there doesn't even trust the citizen to pump his/her own gas. Enough said.

Ha! Yes! OR is the only other state that is like that. Car insurance is ridiculously high there too, and many carriers don't serve NJ. The bullshit tolls along the Parkway that slows everything down are a real hassle. The Turnpike has a ticket system, why can't the Parkway do this? NJ is also the only state (that I know of) where you have to pay to leave. You can come in from any direction (Philly, NYC, etc) for free, but you have to pay to get out. They know you will do it, and gladly too.

Thanks for all of the input! I really appreciate it!

quote: quote: Originally posted by eaglefan538 Texas has always intrigued me, but I don't think I could live there. It's too hot and with Global Warming coming on strong (another 2015 of record average temps across the globe), it can only get hotter.

[:p][:p][:p][:p][:p][:p][:p][:p][:p][:p][:p][:p][:p][:p][:p][:p][:p][;)][:D]

quote: Originally posted by Gezatron quote: quote: Originally posted by Oiznop Ok...I have to ask...as you have no idea where to move, so it's not about taking a new job somewhere obviously....a few years ago Seattle was "heaven!".....why this uproot then???....please don't tell me it got too hot for you up there???....and I am not asking to be a smart ass...I am genuinely curious.....if weather is your main purpose and your still trying to avoid heat, don't go to Texas...you'd better make AK your final destination..... It's hot. No doubt. My next place will have A/C. I've suffered too long without. Haha! [:D] But mainly because we are homeschooling the kiddos & want to be able to travel more (several months at a time). Spending $3250+/month on a 2BR place if we aren't going to be around most of the year doesn't make sense. Also, in WA state there's annual requirements for school district testing even if you homeschool. We'd like a bit more freedom. If we are tied to a state that requires academic check-ins/testing and costs a crap ton of money for housing, then travel is pretty pointless. So assuming we could find a cheaper place in a state that doesn't require constant tracking of the schooling we provide, then we would be able to go visit more and see more (also, learn more... [;)] )... I do love Seattle and it's my home. Forever. If I find a way to return, I will. (I assume it would be after the kiddos are a bit older, however.) But for the family and what we'd like to do, sadly it isn't very practical. My husband's job has changed allowing for a lot more adventure and exploration, so it'd be a shame to confine ourselves if we don't need to. No reason to stick around, really. Seattle will always be my home. But as the family grows, so do the needs of the family. As a mom, I have to consider that and can't be locked down to only what I want.

Seattle Hot???....really???....(keep in mind, I have a different idea as to what hot and cold are/should be than most people)....OK ...if you say so....and I thought your original home was Georgia???....not sure about the home schooling situation...I am all for it being up to parents to make those decisions without Government intrusion/objection, but I am not real big on the issue....my advice regarding that is to analyze each state, and pick the one that is most conservative regarding home schooling....and you should be at ease.....

Technically my mother gave birth to me in Tennessee and I spent some time in GA before moving WA. I consider myself actually *from* Seattle, as that's where I had the space to grow, expand, and reinvent myself in a positive manner to become the awesome individual that I am now. So yes, I moved here from the south, but this will always be my home. Where I became who I am (new name, new identity, new way of life, new look, new outlook, new personal beliefs, etc). [;)]

quote: Originally posted by fargingbastige6 Oklahoma - the weather varies wildly, often in the same day. Cold, wet/snow in winter; dry and hot in the summer. Tornados. Wide open spaces for the most part.... even OK City and Tulsa have no real traffic issues. Forget public transportation. Not a great beer scene, but a few places scattered about. Same malls as eveyone else, I suppose; I don't really "do" malls. I like OKC, Tulsa and Norman. Lawton's a dump. The country surrounding the lawton area is very nice.

That's pretty accurate. There's more natural beauty in the eastern side and way less tornadoes. To sum it up, there's just not many people here so there's less of everything including craft beer. But, if you look closely enough, there's some gems. I like midtown Tulsa as much as any place I've been. Good food, art, beer and non-mall shopping. There's some awesome places in the TX hill country. It's so wildly diverse in that area that it could accomodate most lifestyles.