CHALLENGE: does this city exist?

[Cortana]

Seattle is great. I would never leave. It does not get brutally hot in summer but winters are mild. It usually snows once good enough to let the kids play in it and make me sick of it. I don't think there are many strictly conservative areas anymore. Eastern wa is, but it's tumbleweeds and wind.

 

No we are not tumbleweeds and wind, lol! Depends on the exact area, here in the northern half of Eastern WA (Spokane area north to Canada) we have mountains, lakes, rivers and trees trees trees! ;)

 

Eastern WA is much more conservative but the winters here can be pretty rough. Definately get snow and cold temps.

 

If it wasn't for the winters, Spokane would fit the bill.

[Quiver0f10]

North West Arkansas.

[ssexton]

Nashville, TN!!!

 

1. Mild winters (It can be super hot in the summer, we are used to it. But I cannot handle brutal winters) Occassionally we get some snow flurries in winter, but it seldom sticks.

 

2. Culturally diverse (Moreso than just white people and black people. We have a Korean child and an Indian child so diversity is important to us. Also, the diversity of the city should be looked at as a positive thing by the residents, not a negative thing. :glare:) Nashville is little Kurdistan. There is a huge Kurdish population. There is also a huge Hispanic population. There are also large groups of Indians and Somalis. There is a large enough Chinese population to support a Chinese school and numerous Chinese New Year celebrations. There is a large Hindu Temple, a Baha'i center and a few mosques, but tons of Christian churches. I also know of at least one Korean Christian church in my area.

 

3. Educated populace (I don't mean rich and snobby but I want to live around people who highly value education, the arts, politics, religion, speak in full sentences, etc.)

Certainly true in south Nashville and Williamson county, but it is also true that these areas have higher income levels. Although even with higher income, I would never call the people of Nashville snobby.

 

4. Socially conservative

Nashville is definitely conservative.

 

Does a place like this exist in America?

Yes, Nashville!

 

:iagree:Williamson County also has many homeschoolers and international adoption is very common.

[ssexton]

Wanted to add that in Williamson County a lot of homeschool families have adopted, so there are many multi-cultural families in the homeschool community.

 

Mandy

 

Oh! should have read just a bit further before I posted! :)

[unfrumpable.]

Yes.

 

St Augustine is a college town.

 

I love St Augustine, but I would never have thought of it as socially conservative.

[Ipsey]

I guess I should have put socially/politically conservative to be specific. Sorry about that!

 

Yes, that's kind of tough. I love my area. It's one of the most educated cities in the nation, a fair bit of diversity, and our governor is a Tea Partier. Our Planned Parenthoods have recently had to cut services, so that's pretty conservative I think.

 

About other issues. . .

 

Does it mean you wouldn't want gay families in your neighborhood? Or, just that you don't want them to be married in your state?

 

For instance, where I live, my state doesn't have gay marriages, but there are two long-term lesbian couples on my block.

 

Would it be ok to have a gay-friendly church in your area, or not?

 

. . . I'm afraid I don't know what socially conservative means apart from anti-gay and anti-abortion.

[sassenach]

I just want to point out that a few of the places suggested may be diverse, that that doesn't mean they lack racism. Someone suggested New Orleans. Oh, heck no! I lived there and it is a really neat town. I love the people and the culture (which is really a world all its own), but in no way, shape or form would I live there with a blended family. My husband is mexican and we ran into issues. It's so pervasive, I don't think the locals even register it as racist.

 

So, with all of those southern towns on your list, I would evaluate carefully whether or not true diversity exists. I've done a lot of moving around, and I think local culture is a hard thing to evaluate until you've lived there for awhile. Second best might be to talk to someone who moved there from outside the area (preferably from a truly diverse area, like California) and ask them about diversity. By truly diverse, I mean an actual melting pot of cultures rather than an area who has different races all segregated into their own neighborhoods/churches/schools. As a native Southern Californian who grew up on the same street as black, filipino, chinese, korean, mexican and white people, the difference was pretty easy for me to spot.

 

Also, to further pick apart the suggestions, I wouldn't call any of Florida cultured, highly educated or especially diverse. Lovely people, I'd move back in a heartbeat, but those are not qualities that exist widely.

 

I gotta say, California is awesome. I live just north of San Francisco and I LOVE it. It is not religiously conservative, but you'd be surprised how family oriented and conservative feeling it can be. That said, I've seen people move here who really prefer to be surrounded by conservative Christians and they are miserable. You have to have a missional mindset to live here. Personally, I don't theologically agree with the idea of living surrounded by people who already know and love Jesus. I would suffocate without living in the mission field (Marin County is the most influential mission field in our country). Although I do recognize that every area has lost souls.

 

That said, do look into the suburbs north of Sacramento. I have friends in Rocklin and Auburn and I think both of those areas would meet your requirements. Auburn is a particularly lovely town at the base of the Sierra Nevadas, a short drive from Lake Tahoe.

[Joker]

I love St Augustine, but I would never have thought of it as socially conservative.

 

I didn't either until I lived here. I've been here over five years now and it is more conservative in many areas than the Texas town I grew up in.

[In the Rain]

:iagree: I was going to suggest north DFW. Check out Flower Mound, Highland Village, McKinney, Carrollton, and Coppell.

 

:iagree: We've only been here 2 years, but it seems to fit all of your criteria.

[amey311]

Phoenix meets several of your requirements in general. I know there are pockets of ethnic diversity, like so many major cities. Much of the populace are transplants - I think I can count on one hand the number of people I know socially who were actually raised here.

 

However, despite being politically and social conservative in general, there are pockets of liberalness (as one might expect in a diverse populace - not everyone agrees with the people in power).

 

I agree with the PP who mention that ethnically diverse does not equal non-racist. Different people see the legislation and enforcement here differently, so you'd definitely have to investigate that in depth for your family.

[JessReplanted]

I would say the suburbs of Austin, Texas meet all your requirements!

 

We just moved to Denton, TX, (outside of Dallas), and I was going to suggest this area as well.

[lauranc]

Sorry, didn't read through all the replies... but I should think the Raleigh area might fit the bill.

 

It's a bit of a mix with regards to liberal and conservative that I find actually kind of interesting. Definitely a diverse mix of people---

[Juniper]

There are some really fun suburbs to Houston that I would recommend. Missouri City, and area's north towards the Woodlands.:001_smile:

[Devan]

Huntsville, AL (or Madison, AL)

 

I know what you're thinking when you hear Alabama, most likely. I thought the same thing when my husband got a job here 8 years ago.

Edited July 19, 2012 by Devan

[Singingmom]

Hi, Heather!

 

You have gotten some great responses from all the others here, but I couldn't help chiming in. Your criteria for an area to settle in are identical to mine, it sounds like.

 

Right now, we live in Orange Co., CA. It fits all your criteria ( well, the social conservative thing is a mixed bag, but it is mostly Republican) . It is beautiful,and there is so much to do; good Colleges and Universities ( including good Christian ones like Biola) . But, it is so expensive to live here. That is the main reason we are leaving. That, and we have had a hard time finding a church we love here.

 

If we could live anywhere in the US, we would move in a heartbeat to the Nashville area. I believe Nashville/ Franklin etc. Would meet all your criteria, except maybe the warm weather one. They do have a winter there, albeit mild compared to most places. We are hoping to get to retire there.

 

Having said that, we are moving to Spring TX, a suburb of Houston. I believe that you would find the social environment you seek near the Woodlands. Look it up....it's a beautiful Master Planned area, and full of very interesting, educated people, and has an international feel from what I can see. I think you would find many good colleges/ universities in the area, as well. There is also tons of homeschool support there. I am also encouraged to see churches that

will likely fit our bill....ymmv. One of the best parts? You can get so much house for the money there!! And the cost of living is just generally lower. We cannot afford to buy where we are, but we are having new house built in Spring, that I would actually be happy never to leave! Check out Spring/ Woodlands. I think you'd like it!

Edited July 19, 2012 by Singingmom

[Disney Dreaming]

:iagree: Traffic is AWFUL though.

 

:iagree:Atlanta's traffic is awful!

Edited July 20, 2012 by ugamom11

[Singingmom]

Oh, and DFW would also fit your bill, I think. You'll get a bit less for. Your money real estate wise than you would in Houston suburb, but it is also a very Internationally- minded, conservative area, with warm people and warm weather!

[JennyD]

We live in Nashville and while people are constantly telling me how diverse the city is, my half-Chinese kids are asked with shocking frequency why they look "different" or what country they're from. It is not at all mean-spirited, I hasten to add, but I find it bizarre, and I have to say that I was entirely unprepared for this. I mean, Nashville is a pretty cosmopolitan place, and this is 2012. But we are definitely more 'visible' than we were in the NYC metro area, and that has taken some getting used to, for me (the white person) at least.

[pfamilygal]

Dallas! There are many educated folks here (lots of hicks too). Lots of art, culture, diversity, etc. Very conservative.

[SKL]

Are you willing to deal with a lot of diversity in education levels? I used to work with a lot of Japanese-based automotive manufacturers at their headquarters in the Bible Belt. Basically in the right-to-work states that have sufficient population to staff factories. The cultural diversity comes from the foreign expats (though not all of them bring their families over). Because these are US headquarters, there are plenty of smart people around (in addition to the not-so-educated). The winters are mild and the area is socially conservative. One negative would be - I suspect there is racism among the less educated. But if you are coming to the USA, it will be hard to completely escape racism. Especially if you are going for socially conservative.

[SKL]

We live in Nashville and while people are constantly telling me how diverse the city is, my half-Chinese kids are asked with shocking frequency why they look "different" or what country they're from. It is not at all mean-spirited, I hasten to add, but I find it bizarre, and I have to say that I was entirely unprepared for this. I mean, Nashville is a pretty cosmopolitan place, and this is 2012. But we are definitely more 'visible' than we were in the NYC metro area, and that has taken some getting used to, for me (the white person) at least.

 

This suprises me too, as there is a lot of international adoption in that neck of the woods.

[Singingmom]

This suprises me too, as there is a lot of international adoption in that neck of the woods.

 

Yeah, that surprises me too, for the same reason. :001_huh:

[Alessandra]

I just want to point out that a few of the places suggested may be diverse, that that doesn't mean they lack racism. Someone suggested New Orleans. Oh, heck no! I lived there and it is a really neat town. I love the people and the culture (which is really a world all its own), but in no way, shape or form would I live there with a blended family. My husband is mexican and we ran into issues. It's so pervasive, I don't think the locals even register it as racist.

 

So, with all of those southern towns on your list, I would evaluate carefully whether or not true diversity exists. I've done a lot of moving around, and I think local culture is a hard thing to evaluate until you've lived there for awhile. Second best might be to talk to someone who moved there from outside the area (preferably from a truly diverse area, like California) and ask them about diversity. By truly diverse, I mean an actual melting pot of cultures rather than an area who has different races all segregated into their own neighborhoods/churches/schools. As a native Southern Californian who grew up on the same street as black, filipino, chinese, korean, mexican and white people, the difference was pretty easy for me to spot.

 

Also, to further pick apart the suggestions, I wouldn't call any of Florida cultured, highly educated or especially diverse. Lovely people, I'd move back in a heartbeat, but those are not qualities that exist widely.

 

I gotta say, California is awesome. I live just north of San Francisco and I LOVE it. It is not religiously conservative, but you'd be surprised how family oriented and conservative feeling it can be. That said, I've seen people move here who really prefer to be surrounded by conservative Christians and they are miserable. You have to have a missional mindset to live here. Personally, I don't theologically agree with the idea of living surrounded by people who already know and love Jesus. I would suffocate without living in the mission field (Marin County is the most influential mission field in our country). Although I do recognize that every area has lost souls.

 

That said, do look into the suburbs north of Sacramento. I have friends in Rocklin and Auburn and I think both of those areas would meet your requirements. Auburn is a particularly lovely town at the base of the Sierra Nevadas, a short drive from Lake Tahoe.

 

We live in Nashville and while people are constantly telling me how diverse the city is, my half-Chinese kids are asked with shocking frequency why they look "different" or what country they're from. It is not at all mean-spirited, I hasten to add, but I find it bizarre, and I have to say that I was entirely unprepared for this. I mean, Nashville is a pretty cosmopolitan place, and this is 2012. But we are definitely more 'visible' than we were in the NYC metro area, and that has taken some getting used to, for me (the white person) at least.

 

Good points.

 

I was thinking of this thread today as I read about opposition to a mosque in Nashville. I know nothing about Nashville, but I was struck by the anti-Islamic sentiments expressed by the local government/judicial system. Here is the first article in my google search:

 

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-18/news/sns-rt-us-usa-mosquebre86h1mi-20120718_1_mosque-ossama-bahloul-islamic-center

[acurtis75]

I will admit to not reading all the responses so sorry if this is a repeat but Houston meets your criteria. It's very diverse, lots of culture but still the south and if you live in the suburbs you'll find it to be pretty conservative. Some suburbs more than others of course but it's the Bible belt. There's a church on every corner where I live. I don't want to get too specific on neighborhoods but if you want any information on the area feel free to pm me.

 

Because of large employers like Nasa & oil & gas companies there are people from all over the world in Houston. The economy is also pretty steady here. Our house market hasn't suffered like a lot of the rest of the country and unemployment is low.

 

The negatives about Houston are heat and mosquitos but you said you can handle that.

[Joker]

I just want to point out that a few of the places suggested may be diverse, that that doesn't mean they lack racism. Someone suggested New Orleans. Oh, heck no! I lived there and it is a really neat town. I love the people and the culture (which is really a world all its own), but in no way, shape or form would I live there with a blended family. My husband is mexican and we ran into issues. It's so pervasive, I don't think the locals even register it as racist.

 

So, with all of those southern towns on your list, I would evaluate carefully whether or not true diversity exists. I've done a lot of moving around, and I think local culture is a hard thing to evaluate until you've lived there for awhile. Second best might be to talk to someone who moved there from outside the area (preferably from a truly diverse area, like California) and ask them about diversity. By truly diverse, I mean an actual melting pot of cultures rather than an area who has different races all segregated into their own neighborhoods/churches/schools. As a native Southern Californian who grew up on the same street as black, filipino, chinese, korean, mexican and white people, the difference was pretty easy for me to spot.

 

Also, to further pick apart the suggestions, I wouldn't call any of Florida cultured, highly educated or especially diverse. Lovely people, I'd move back in a heartbeat, but those are not qualities that exist widely.

 

I gotta say, California is awesome. I live just north of San Francisco and I LOVE it. It is not religiously conservative, but you'd be surprised how family oriented and conservative feeling it can be. That said, I've seen people move here who really prefer to be surrounded by conservative Christians and they are miserable. You have to have a missional mindset to live here. Personally, I don't theologically agree with the idea of living surrounded by people who already know and love Jesus. I would suffocate without living in the mission field (Marin County is the most influential mission field in our country). Although I do recognize that every area has lost souls.

 

That said, do look into the suburbs north of Sacramento. I have friends in Rocklin and Auburn and I think both of those areas would meet your requirements. Auburn is a particularly lovely town at the base of the Sierra Nevadas, a short drive from Lake Tahoe.

 

In regards to the bolded ~ I've lived significant amounts of time in Oregon, California, Iowa, Texas, and now Florida. I don't agree they lag behind the others. Florida was the last place we ever wanted to live, but there are definitely parts that are great to be in. My dh is a native California boy and doesn't wish to ever return and raise our family there.

[sassenach]

In regards to the bolded ~ I've lived significant amounts of time in Oregon, California, Iowa, Texas, and now Florida. I don't agree they lag behind the others. Florida was the last place we ever wanted to live, but there are definitely parts that are great to be in. My dh is a native California boy and doesn't wish to ever return and raise our family there.

 

I lived there for a decade and cried for months after we left. I love that place. Still, I wouldn't call it highly cultured, highly diverse or highly educated. That doesn't mean I'm saying that everyone there is stupid white trash. But most of my friends did not have post grad degrees. Many of them were just blue collar folks. There wasn't a whole lot of arts, theater, or symphonies going on beyond a few things that made national tours into the major cities. There certainly wasn't a big arts culture. The majority of people there are white unless you're in extreme south Fl. My friend who cross culturally adopted had to work hard to find a church that had the type of diversity her family needed.

 

Don't know what to tell you....agree to disagree?

[LizzyBee]

So dh and I were talking about our eventual exit plan from Malaysia. We plan to stay 4 more years until ds graduates high school then most likely move back to the states when he comes back for college (although the idea of leaving Malaysia makes me very sad).

 

At any rate, we do not have strong ties to any one area so we were tossing around ideas for where we could possibly live and we came up with these 4 requirements:

 

1. Mild winters (It can be super hot in the summer, we are used to it. But I cannot handle brutal winters)

 

2. Culturally diverse (Moreso than just white people and black people. We have a Korean child and an Indian child so diversity is important to us. Also, the diversity of the city should be looked at as a positive thing by the residents, not a negative thing. :glare:)

 

3. Educated populace (I don't mean rich and snobby but I want to live around people who highly value education, the arts, politics, religion, speak in full sentences, etc.)

 

4. Socially conservative

 

Does a place like this exist in America?

 

.

 

I live there! Raleigh, NC. It's not as diverse as Boston or NY, but it's not just white/black, either.

[Joker]

I lived there for a decade and cried for months after we left. I love that place. Still, I wouldn't call it highly cultured, highly diverse or highly educated. That doesn't mean I'm saying that everyone there is stupid white trash. But most of my friends did not have post grad degrees. Many of them were just blue collar folks. There wasn't a whole lot of arts, theater, or symphonies going on beyond a few things that made national tours into the major cities. There certainly wasn't a big arts culture. The majority of people there are white unless you're in extreme south Fl. My friend who cross culturally adopted had to work hard to find a church that had the type of diversity her family needed.

 

Don't know what to tell you....agree to disagree?

 

We'll definitely have to just agree to disagree. We're in North Florida and I don't see the problems you saw when you were here. My dh was transferred here due to his job which is full of people with post grad degrees. My older dd is in public middle school and 5 (out of 6) of her teachers have post grad degrees. We've enjoyed the arts, theatre, and symphonies in Jacksonville and St. Augustine. I'm not upset by your post or want to argue, but I just find it so funny how people can live in the same place but see different things.

[Farrar]

Demographically speaking, I think Heather's desire to be somewhere with great racial and ethnic diversity is at odds with her desire to be somewhere politically conservative. While obviously individuals always have their own views, I believe I read that non-white voters voted 80% for Obama in the last election. Therefore anywhere that has a diverse, politically engaged population is also going to have at least a significant segment of that population voting democratic. And most major American cities, at least within the city limits, are liberal. That's just a fact.

 

But hopefully there's somewhere that has a balance. :) All I can say is, don't move here to DC. Mild winters (usually), diversity (there's no longer a racial majority in the city), educated and culturally rich (big check), but you have to register Democrat to even vote, with what little vote there is to be had.

[Shawna in Texas]

Demographically speaking, I think Heather's desire to be somewhere with great racial and ethnic diversity is at odds with her desire to be somewhere politically conservative. While obviously individuals always have their own views, I believe I read that non-white voters voted 80% for Obama in the last election. Therefore anywhere that has a diverse, politically engaged population is also going to have at least a significant segment of that population voting democratic. And most major American cities, at least within the city limits, are liberal. That's just a fact.

 

But hopefully there's somewhere that has a balance. :) All I can say is, don't move here to DC. Mild winters (usually), diversity (there's no longer a racial majority in the city), educated and culturally rich (big check), but you have to register Democrat to even vote, with what little vote there is to be had.

 

I was thinking about this some today. How I survive Texas (being a liberal) is to stay near the heart of larger cities. Houston has generally been conservative, but last election was about 50/50 because of the increase of minority turn-out. We also elected a democratic gay female mayor. The suburbs are pretty conservative, though.

 

I don't know enough about the suburbs of San Antonio, yet. I just know the voting record for the city.

 

Austin is liberal, but some short miles north in Williamson Co. is not.

 

I think a suburb would probably be her best bet.

[Jilly]

Irvine, CA has a very high Asian population (something like 40%) and is pretty conservative. Very safe area, close to the beach and tons of cultural stuff.... High cost of living though.

 

:iagree:This was my first thought when I read your criteria. Irvine is very diverse, has mild winters (and summers), is a college town, and leans towards the conservative. Actually most cities in Orange County would probably meet your criteria, but I am partial to Irvine. I live here, and it is a wonderful place to raise kids. You should look into it. :001_smile:

[*Jen*]

Huntsville AL. It meets all of your criteria and the summers are usually not that bad either.

 

Another one that would suggest Huntsville AL. Huntsville is not like most of Alabama. With a large group of defense contracting companies having sites in Huntsville the population is diverse and not many people are originally from the area.

 

I was not looking forward to moving to Alabama when my husband suggested it, but Huntsville has been an amazing place to raise a family.

[WiseOwlKnits]

Move to Austin, TX.

 

1. Brutally hot summers, but it snows MAYBE once a year. People complain when the temperature hits 50*.

2. Austin has a large Asian, Middle Eastern, Russian population. The city's motto is "Keep Austin Weird," which symbolizes their interest in recognizing and respecting differing beliefs and such.

3. UT Austin is in Austin and it's a Tier 1 school.

4. Socially conservative is the one area you might have issues with Austin. It's a liberal city, but southern liberal isn't the same as northern liberal - i.e., it's still pretty conservative. And it's deep in the heart of a VERY VERY red state. People joke that Austin is a tiny little island of blue in a sea of red. You'd definitely find people who are conservatives in Austin though, without much issue.

[Mandy in TN]

We live in Nashville and while people are constantly telling me how diverse the city is, my half-Chinese kids are asked with shocking frequency why they look "different" or what country they're from. It is not at all mean-spirited, I hasten to add, but I find it bizarre, and I have to say that I was entirely unprepared for this. I mean, Nashville is a pretty cosmopolitan place, and this is 2012. But we are definitely more 'visible' than we were in the NYC metro area, and that has taken some getting used to, for me (the white person) at least.

Maybe people are just curious. Of the three families my big boys ran around with the most there were 2 boys adopted from Latvia, a girl from China, and a girl from Korea. One of their friends from these families is now seriously dating a girl from Madagascar. My dh is Iranian. Our Kumon center is primarily Indian: Caucasian European-Americans are definitely a minority. The boy that my son talks to from Kumon has a father that is Chinese and a mother that is half Chinese and half Philippino.

 

I have heard people ask where some of these kids are from, but like you said they were not being mean. It is just normal curiosity or an easy conversation starter. Actually, I am more surprised when after asking where they are from they ask nothing else.

 

Except we did once have a little girl at Chik-fil-A family night tell my son and my df's Chinese daughter that she could tell they were related because their hair was the same color. :confused: She even had them put their heads together- which they did, while laughing. We thought she was a riot.

 

Year before last there were several classes at our CC that had more Asian kids that Caucasian kids.

 

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-18/news/sns-rt-us-usa-mosquebre86h1mi-20120718_1_mosque-ossama-bahloul-islamic-center

This isn't in Nashville- not even in Davidson County. Nashville has both an Arab mosque and a Persian mosque. It may have more, but I know it has those two. My dh is Persian and Muslim and he has said that Nashville feels like home. He feels bonded to the area and the people in ways that he never did in some of the other countries where he has lived.

 

Now that I have said all of this I do have to add that the homeschool community can be quite Caucasian and quite conservative Christian. This is part of the reason I decided to start taking ds to Kumon.

 

Mandy

Edited July 20, 2012 by Mandy in TN

[cstitches]

I haven't read through the other posts, but I would suggest Bellevue, WA. Western Washington tends to have mild weather all around. I had a professor who moved to Bellevue specifically because it was listed as the most diverse city in the state 9http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/bellevueblog/2010147723_bellevuewashingtonsmostdiversecitybyonemeasure.html). With Microsoft nearby, and lots of other tech companies, it draws both an educated and diverse population (definitely substantial Asian and Indian populations). My impression has always been that the diversity is considered positive. Finally, Bellevue is actually fairly conservative. Washington itself, despite usually leaning liberal, still has a noticeable conservative streak, even on the west side. I know the current two state Senators for the area are a very moderate Democrat and a moderate Republican.

 

The only possible downside is it can be an expensive area, but it depends on the area. You could also look at Redmond, Kirkland, north Seattle, or Everett if Washington sounds appealing. We do get a lot of gray, drizzly skies (it's not just Seattle) but it's beautiful and green.

 

Hope that helps!

[Alessandra]

 

 

This isn't in Nashville- not even in Davidson County. Nashville has both an Arab mosque and a Persian mosque. It may have more, but I know it has those two. My dh is Persian and Muslim and he has said that Nashville feels like home. He feels bonded to the area and the people in ways that he never did in some of the other countries where he has lived.

 

Now that I have said all of this I do have to add that the homeschool community can be quite Caucasian and quite conservative Christian. This is part of the reason I decided to start taking ds to Kumon.

 

Mandy

 

Thank you for clearing that up. I see now the mosque is in Murfreesboro. that story was pretty big yesterday here in NJ, where there a large Muslim population, and the story up set me too. I think I must have heard something on the radio like 'reporting from Nashville." My knowledge of Tennessee is too limited! Sorry for inadvertently bashing Nashville!

Edited July 20, 2012 by Alessandra

[deacongirl]

:iagree: Traffic is AWFUL though.

Sadly for husband, the commute is bad--but no worse than any other city IMO. For me, everything I need day to day is within 10 minutes of my house. Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Fresh Market, Library, big beautiful park, gymnastics, tennis club, swim team in the neighborhood, tons of churches, great drs. (even specialists) I really don't have to deal with the traffic. Beautiful places to hike etc., museums, galleries, concerts, plays. If I need to go into the city I just don't do it during rush hour. 2 1/2 hrs. from Asheville.

 

edited to add: my area has 15-20% Asian population, I think Atlanta metro has one of the fastest growing Asian populations.

[ChristyB in TN]

Maybe people are just curious. Of the three families my big boys ran around with the most there were 2 boys adopted from Latvia, a girl from China, and a girl from Korea. One of their friends from these families is now seriously dating a girl from Madagascar. My dh is Iranian. Our Kumon center is primarily Indian: Caucasian European-Americans are definitely a minority. The boy that my son talks to from Kumon has a father that is Chinese and a mother that is half Chinese and half Philippino.

 

I have heard people ask where some of these kids are from, but like you said they were not being mean. It is just normal curiosity or an easy conversation starter. Actually, I am more surprised when after asking where they are from they ask nothing else.

 

Except we did once have a little girl at Chik-fil-A family night tell my son and my df's Chinese daughter that she could tell they were related because their hair was the same color. :confused: She even had them put their heads together- which they did, while laughing. We thought she was a riot.

 

Year before last there were several classes at our CC that had more Asian kids that Caucasian kids.

 

This isn't in Nashville- not even in Davidson County. Nashville has both an Arab mosque and a Persian mosque. It may have more, but I know it has those two. My dh is Persian and Muslim and he has said that Nashville feels like home. He feels bonded to the area and the people in ways that he never did in some of the other countries where he has lived.

 

Now that I have said all of this I do have to add that the homeschool community can be quite Caucasian and quite conservative Christian. This is part of the reason I decided to start taking ds to Kumon.

 

Mandy

 

Great points. The opposition to the mosque in Murfreesboro (NOT Nashville) has been awful. At least 3 nights a week I run past a mosque on 12th Ave S. in Nashville and it has no problems existing in a fantastic community. Murfreesboro is just going to have to adjust and grow with the the community a little. Just yesterday a judge ordered that they can move in to their new mosque as soon as the exit signs are hung and the sprinkler system has been approved. :001_smile:

Nashville, of course, is not going to be as diverse as NYC or LA or DC...but our area is largely educated, mostly employed and growing like crazy. I love it here. The universities are fantastic!

[acurtis75]

There are a lot of interesting articles on the internet right now about Houston because Jeremy Lin (or the Tim Tebow of the NBA this year) just signed a contract to play for Houston. Since he's coming from New York lots of know it all reporters feel the need to compare Houston and New York but I saw this article about church options for Lin and thought of this thread.

 

http://blog.chron.com/believeitornot/2012/07/for-jeremy-lin-houston-church-hunting-advice/

 

I would also say that the idea that a place can't be conservative and diverse isn't necessarily true. We recently moved from a very small (approx. 100 members) mostly African American church that was VERY conservative to a large church with 6000+ members that is very diverse but still convervative.

 

I forgot to mention the medical center in my previous post. It is another great reason to live hear and a contributing factor to diversity because there are lots of jobs.

 

I love Austin to visit but it is a more liberal culture in general. Dallas is also nice but Houston imho has more to offer.

[Cera]

Richmond, VA

 

I have been very pleasantly surprised by the area. (We live in a more liberal section as that is how I lean but it is Virginia and more conservative is definitely the norm)

[Free Indeed]

Texas

[NotSoObvious]

Oh there are lots of places in Southern California that would fit your needs. Look at the wealthier suburbs outside of Los Angeles. You might be surprised at how many conservative pockets you'll find.

 

We live just outside of Charlottesville, VA and I think it would fit your needs. Charlottesville offers all of what you are looking for (though nowhere near as diverse as L.A.) and the surrounding county is conservative. Tons of homeschoolers and adoptive families here!