mommymilkies Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 I'm looking at jobs in these three areas. We're on a teacher's salary (under $50k), want at least .5 acre and need room for 5 kids (at least 1500 sq ft). I'm looking for a safe area with lots of historical or cultural stuff to do, possibly a secular homeschooling group, good coffee shop, etc. Any info would be great. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkyandtheBrains. Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 No help, but I almost moved near Frederick a few years back :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
school17777 Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 Frederick has all the stuff you are looking for as far as historical and cultural stuff (not sure about secular homeschooling group, but would be surprised if there wasn't one). Real estate has gotten expensive, but you should be able to find 1500 sf in a good price range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
school17777 Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 Frederick has a lot of cultural stuff on a regular basis in the downtown and park. Here's a link of activities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 I don't think of Tacoma as a safe area. And it has a high cost of living. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hypatia. Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 No help, but I'm not too far away from Tacoma so if you end up there then we'll have to get our broods together. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda's Mommy Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 I'm looking at jobs in these three areas. We're on a teacher's salary (under $50k), want at least .5 acre and need room for 5 kids (at least 1500 sq ft). I'm looking for a safe area with lots of historical or cultural stuff to do, possibly a secular homeschooling group, good coffee shop, etc. Any info would be great. :) Klamath Falls does not have much historical or cultural. Our homeschool group just does field trips, no co-ops. No coffee shops. Don't know about safe areas as we live on 5 acres 30 miles out of town. I can't wait to get out of here when DH retires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted December 8, 2013 Author Share Posted December 8, 2013 I don't think of Tacoma as a safe area. And it has a high cost of living. :( Klamath Falls does not have much historical or cultural. Our homeschool group just does field trips, no co-ops. No coffee shops. Don't know about safe areas as we live on 5 acres 30 miles out of town. I can't wait to get out of here when DH retires. Well, I live in a very homogenous corn town in the boonies, so by cultural I mean more diversity, any sort of music/art/anything at all besides Walmart. :) Though a theatre/opera house would be nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mnemosyne Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 I live by Tacoma (DuPont), but wouldn't live right in it if you can avoid it. Steilacoom, DuPont, Gig Harbor, Lacey are all nice, Lakewood isn't bad. Good sized homeschooling group as far as I know, but I'm not involved as my kids are too young. Nice part of the country all around, but can get dreary during the winter. Lots to do around here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicAnn Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 I wouldn't live in Tacoma, unless you had a much larger salary and afford a nice neighborhood. But the surrounding areas are wonderful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Frederick, MD is in a beautiful area and near to many historic areas, plus the ocean is only 4 hours away and the mountains are nearby. Frederick County real estate has gotten very expensive but you could check Thurmont and Emmitsburg for possibly less $$ than Frederick. I have a friend who sells real estate in Frederick County and if you're interested you can pm me. Harpers Ferry and Gettysburg are close enough, easy drive. I wish I was back in Maryland. WAAHAAHAA. Frederick is near enough to Washington, DC and Baltimore too and great for day trips. Plus, Quill lives nearby. You might also check Brunswick area, Boonsboro, and even Washington County of Maryland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xixstar Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I vote Frederick but am biased as it is my closest city oh choice. I am not sure on housing costs though, I do not think affordable or reasonable when I think MD but maybe because I grew up in Oklahoma and major COL differences. But I am always suggesting people move to Frederick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rzberrymom Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 My good friends live in Tacoma near the University of Puget Sound (North Tacoma), and it's very safe and quiet--to me, it feels like a small town near the university. It seems very affordable to me, for a university area. If you don't mind a ferry ride, Vashon Island is across the water and the coolest place ever! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 If you don't mind a ferry ride, Vashon Island is across the water and the coolest place ever! the thing about living somewhere you have to use the ferry - you end up spending everything you saved on housing on commuting. vashon is nice, but I sure wouldn't want to live there unless i never needed to go anywhere. there are three ferries on/off the island. one goes to tacoma near pt defiance state park (very worthwhile park no matter where you live), one to west seattle and one to southworth - which is their gateway to the olympic penninsula. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rzberrymom Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 the thing about living somewhere you have to use the ferry - you end up spending everything you saved on housing on commuting. vashon is nice, but I sure wouldn't want to live there unless i never needed to go anywhere. I used to live there--nearly everyone I knew had at least one wage earner commuting off the island. The commute from the south (Tacoma) end is the much easier crossing--it goes right into Tacoma with a quick crossing. And the south end is cheaper because the jobs are much more plentiful in Seattle, making the the north end more expensive. Vashon is very do-able to a Tacoma job. I'm not sure I'd want to teach in the Tacoma schools though. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 Tacoma has gotten a lot better than its reputation recently. And I say this as someone mainly raised in a city where Tacoma was widely thought of as the worst place on earth. :lol: There are many nicer areas in Tacoma and near, plus many places that are improving. I would say they are getting a fair bit of small city urban renewal. It used to be that when someone said they were moving to Tacoma, you felt sorry for them and doubted their sanity. Now, it's like "Oh, that's nice" and you really mean it. Puyallup is near Tacoma, and it's a cute little spot as well. It's also commutable to a large number of places like Gig Harbor and Federal Way. My brother and his husband live in a nice subdivision in the Federal Way school district. Their 4bdrm house was quite cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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