DragonFaerie Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 I've been following GretaLynne's thread, but my needs are a bit different than hers, so I decided to start my own. I have my house up for sale because it's way too big and I just can't maintain it anymore. And so long as we're moving, I think it's time to get out of our small town and go somewhere completely new. My brother lives in Simi Valley, CA, and my mom would love for us to go there (she's planning to move soon, too, and hopes to move there). But, I can't afford SoCal. Housing is just way too expensive there. So, where should I go? I have my pick of the whole country, but I do have a few requirements: * We need a youth orchestra or symphony for DD * Decent apartment options (I don't want to rent a house) that are affordable ($1000 give or take for a 3-bdrm) * I LOVE rain, so the desert SW would not be an option. * I'd really like to have all four seasons. * We'd like our new area to have a zoo and aquarium. * We'd like to have community colleges and/or universities nearby. * Good schools as the kids may want to go back to PS in our new location. * Easy homeschooling in case they don't. :-D * Not an overly religious area (I'm Pagan). So, oh, great Hive mind, where should we go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Somewhere in Western Oregon or Western Washington would be your best bet. Boise, Idaho would have less rain but has some and is more affordable and has a GREAT youth orchestra, the downtown Boise area is more bohemian and less religious than the rest of Idaho. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Where do you live now? Generally, for every plus in QOL (quality of life), you get a plus in COL: weather, quality schools, facilities (zoo, universities, colleges, aquariums, youth symphony), less government intervention (usually inversely related to facilities, though not always) diversity of thought I'd add about $500/month from a base of $500 for each one of those. You can have weather and live in the ghetto for $1000 for a 3brdm. Also, do you work from home? How long can the commute be? Not a lot of jobs in Eugene, Oregon, but otherwise it's a fantastic place to live. We have great schools here, but like most parts of the country, the price goes up with the schools. We rent a 4 bedroom in an excellent school district. It is $1600/month but if we moved it would be $1000 more because it's super cheap in our place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 Where do you live now? Generally, for every plus in QOL (quality of life), you get a plus in COL: weather, quality schools, facilities (zoo, universities, colleges, aquariums, youth symphony), less government intervention (usually inversely related to facilities, though not always) diversity of thought I'd add about $500/month from a base of $500 for each one of those. You can have weather and live in the ghetto for $1000 for a 3brdm. Also, do you work from home? How long can the commute be? Not a lot of jobs in Eugene, Oregon, but otherwise it's a fantastic place to live. We have great schools here, but like most parts of the country, the price goes up with the schools. We rent a 4 bedroom in an excellent school district. It is $1600/month but if we moved it would be $1000 more because it's super cheap in our place. I'm not sure I understand. So you're saying that to find everything on my list, I should expect to pay at least $3000 per month for housing??? I do work from home right now, but I hope to teach community college classes when I finish with my master's degree. I want to teach online classes, but I realize that I may have to teach on campus until I have some experience, hence the need for some type of local higher education. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 Somewhere in Western Oregon or Western Washington would be your best bet. Boise, Idaho would have less rain but has some and is more affordable and has a GREAT youth orchestra, the downtown Boise area is more bohemian and less religious than the rest of Idaho. I've been looking at Boise, and DD has fallen in love with it online. LOL... But I was worried about the religious aspect of it. Are you familiar enough with that area to suggest good neighborhoods with decent schools? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 I've been looking at Boise, and DD has fallen in love with it online. LOL... But I was worried about the religious aspect of it. Are you familiar enough with that area to suggest good neighborhoods with decent schools?Neighborhoods, no. But, it is a safe city overall and any neighborhood will be at least fine. Schools, yes. You want the area around the downtown zoned for Boise High. The others have a substantial percentage of Mormons and/or Evangelical Protestants. Boise High is majority atheist or agnostic or C and E Protestant or Catholic. (Christmas and Easter.) The elementary in that area is similar. The Meridian area has a large Mormon presence. If you live near the Greenbelt and bike in you could get more space, but you should be able to find something small in that price range fairly close to the area you want. There is a zoo and the really cool Birds of Prey center. I don't think they have an aquarium, but Seattle is only an 8 hour drive, they have an awesome aquarium and lots of cool other things to do. All of the Boise schools are good quality, some are more top 100 in the nation than others, but all are highly rated. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 Neighborhoods, no. But, it is a safe city overall and any neighborhood will be at least fine. Schools, yes. You want the area around the downtown zoned for Boise High. The others have a substantial percentage of Mormons and/or Evangelical Protestants. Boise High is majority atheist or agnostic or C and E Protestant or Catholic. (Christmas and Easter.) The elementary in that area is similar. The Meridian area has a large Mormon presence. If you live near the Greenbelt and bike in you could get more space, but you should be able to find something small in that price range fairly close to the area you want. There is a zoo and the really cool Birds of Prey center. I don't think they have an aquarium, but Seattle is only an 8 hour drive, they have an awesome aquarium and lots of cool other things to do. All of the Boise schools are good quality, some are more top 100 in the nation than others, but all are highly rated. Thanks for all the info! I'll definitely look into the Boise High area. And I found this online: Aquarium of Boise! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Oh, they also have the cool half day STEM school for either homeschool or public school, the other half you do either at home or in another school. But, again, all the schools are good. We have lived in a lot of different states and they are truly well ranked compared to the rest of the nation, you will only find better schools in $1 million dollar areas Ike Fairfax, VA or $1 million dollar LA districts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Thanks for all the info! I'll definitely look into the Boise High area. And I found this online: Aquarium of Boise! Right, I remember now...we didn't go because we have been to so many cooler Aquariums, but now I remember being invited, we are aquarium snobs after living near 3 of the the top 5 aquariums in the nation... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 Oh, they also have the cool half day STEM school for either homeschool or public school, the other half you do either at home or in another school. But, again, all the schools are good. We have lived in a lot of different states and they are truly well ranked compared to the rest of the nation, you will only find better schools in $1 million dollar areas Ike Fairfax, VA or $1 million dollar LA districts. Do you happen to know the name of that half day STEM school? DD wants to go to PS when we move, but the half day STEM sounds perfect for DS. Right, I remember now...we didn't go because we have been to so many cooler Aquariums, but now I remember being invited, we are aquarium snobs after living near 3 of the the top 5 aquariums in the nation... I know what you mean. Our aquarium is the Georgia Aquarium, the largest in the world. It will be hard to "downsize." :D 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Thanks for all the info! I'll definitely look into the Boise High area. And I found this online: Aquarium of Boise! I love Boise. I grew up there, my family lives there, and we are really trying to find a way to move back:) By the way, this 'aquarium' is a joke. It is actually more like a little store (in fact, it shares a building with a bail bond place if I remember correctly!)) it had a reasonable number of small tanks and some larger ones, but is more like a place for small children to go. There are so many things amazing about Boise. And yes, it does have quite a large Mormon population. But the area does not feel oppressive, and believe me, I live in Central Texas where it does! Boise itself is really quite bohemian and crunchy in many ways. Lots of outdoor activities and a general outdoors lifestyle. Always new growth for the kids and some really great opportunities for kids. I have a PG kiddo I am looking for opportunities for and I am quite surprised at the possibilities I have found there for her that have popped up since I have been gone. We were there for a month last summer visiting my family and will be going back this summer with the intent of planning a long term move:) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 It would be funny if we both ended up in Boise! It's still on my list. Hubby and I are considering taking a road trip soon to check it out. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 It would be funny if we both ended up in Boise! It's still on my list. Hubby and I are considering taking a road trip soon to check it out. Let me know what you think of it. :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Yep, you too should move to Mpls/St Paul! ;) 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 I'm not sure I understand. So you're saying that to find everything on my list, I should expect to pay at least $3000 per month for housing??? I do work from home right now, but I hope to teach community college classes when I finish with my master's degree. I want to teach online classes, but I realize that I may have to teach on campus until I have some experience, hence the need for some type of local higher education. In my zip code you would be paying about $2500 unless you found an amazing deal, but then WA is not necessarily homeschooling friendly, either. I know a lot of homeschoolers. But you do have to submit some paperwork and kids have to be tested by a certified teacher or take the state tests. You know Jean in Newcastle? Here are rentals in her area: http://www.zillow.com/newcastle-wa/rent-houses/ Newcastle feeds to Issaquah and Renton school districts. Issaquah schools are really highly ranked. Property values in Newcastle are directly related to where they fall in a school district. Here is south of there, in Renton. Renton is a working class town, or was, which is kind of moving up in the world: http://www.zillow.com/renton-wa/rent-houses/ http://www.apartmentguide.com/apartments/Washington/Renton/ Renton is ranked 79th of 220 school districts. There are tons of community colleges around here. Seattle has three, Renton has a technical college, there's one in Shoreline, Bellevue, Green River, I could go on. Everett. Cascadia in Seattle on top of the other community colleges. They are all looking for STEM teachers. AFAIK there is not much hiring in the non-STEM areas, but there might be a few positions here and there. Boise sounds really nice. I'd miss the ocean and the rain. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3 ladybugs Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Check out Princeton, NJ. You will spend about double, if not triple ($3000) to rent in the good school district. However if you are homeschooling there are cheaper option outside that area. It does not have the aquarium right there but it is 1 hour to NYC or Philly so you have everything not far. There is Westminster choir school in Princeton that I think would work for your dd. Colleges abound if you want to teach. NJ is a non reporting state to homeschool. You don't even have to do testing. It isn't close to SoCal but I am sure that you can catch daily flights there. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Do you happen to know the name of that half day STEM school? DD wants to go to PS when we move, but the half day STEM sounds perfect for DS. Treasure Valley Math and Science Center http://treasurevalley.school.boiseschools.org/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=290109&sessionid=191e64c7346ad55f89d0baa4ac182f83&sessionid=191e64c7346ad55f89d0baa4ac182f83 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 Treasure Valley Math and Science Center http://treasurevalley.school.boiseschools.org/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=290109&sessionid=191e64c7346ad55f89d0baa4ac182f83&sessionid=191e64c7346ad55f89d0baa4ac182f83 Excellent! Thank you! I went Googling after you mentioned it but couldn't find anything. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 I think WA is a piece of cake to homeschool in. You send in a declarationof intent, evaluate once a year (that you turn into no one). I'd say with the exception of rent we have all your requirements in Western WA. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 I think WA is a piece of cake to homeschool in. You send in a declarationof intent, evaluate once a year (that you turn into no one). I'd say with the exception of rent we have all your requirements in Western WA. Sadly, the price of housing is a HUGE factor for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 I think most of the bigger cities in Minnesota would fit your criteria. Duluth is especially awesome. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 I think most of the bigger cities in Minnesota would fit your criteria. Duluth is especially awesome. Thanks. The only thing that worries me about MN is the never-ending winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 I have heard Minnesota is very nice, though. There's a reason things cost what they do, frankly. Costs are qualities put into numbers. However if you're looking at homeschooling / private schooling you have an advantage, because you can move into a really crappy school district. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Thanks. The only thing that worries me about MN is the never-ending winter. It's not so bad. Heck, it's already spring here now. We'll have fantastic weather until October or November. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirstenhill Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 It's not so bad. Heck, it's already spring here now. We'll have fantastic weather until October or November. Yes! MN makes up for its sometimes-awful winters (not every year -- this year was mostly quite mild) with wonderful summers. I feel sorry for all the people who live in places where it is too hot to go outside in the summer, when we have such beautiful summers. :-) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted March 29, 2015 Author Share Posted March 29, 2015 Okay, so if I'm looking at Minneapolis, what areas are the good ones as far as good schools and low crime? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne in CA Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 If you really want to live in SoCal, is there no way to be creative? Maybe you and your mom could go in together on a foreclosure? I have a good friend who lives in an RV to afford SoCal, because he has family there, but could never afford a real home and do the traveling he loves. A tiny home somewhere? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted March 29, 2015 Author Share Posted March 29, 2015 If you really want to live in SoCal, is there no way to be creative? Maybe you and your mom could go in together on a foreclosure? I have a good friend who lives in an RV to afford SoCal, because he has family there, but could never afford a real home and do the traveling he loves. A tiny home somewhere? My mom and I could NOT live together. And the problem I have with a tiny home is that both my kids are teens (or almost). Being older and different genders, I'm not willing to have them share a room, which means we have to have 3 bedrooms. I've thought about an RV, but I am not able to buy anything. I have to rent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Knoxville, Tn fits your bill. The more rural areas surrounding it are pretty religious, but the city proper has all sorts of people. The only thing on that list we don't have is an aquarium, but there are two within a couple of hours drive that are nice. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted March 29, 2015 Author Share Posted March 29, 2015 Knoxville, Tn fits your bill. The more rural areas surrounding it are pretty religious, but the city proper has all sorts of people. The only thing on that list we don't have is an aquarium, but there are two within a couple of hours drive that are nice. That's a possibility. I'm not familiar with Knoxville, but I've been to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge several times, and I'm somewhat familiar with Chattanooga. Do you know which parts of Knoxville would be good? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMom Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Again, I recommend the Portland, OR area! :) Meets your requirements. There is a community college with three full campuses and other satellite location as well as a university. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Sadly, the price of housing is a HUGE factor for me. We live exactly two hours east of Seattle, up over the Cascade mountains, in a town with a population of 17,000 or so that includes a state university with a very good music program. We love it here and it fits most things on your list. Western Washington gets more rain, but we get a fair amount of rain, too. We have more of the four seasons than western Washington (cold, snowy winters and hot summers; great springs and autumns). It can be very windy here at times, so you'd have to be okay with that. We don't have a zoo or aquarium, but those things are a very easy drive two hours away. It's not hard at all to go to Seattle for the day (except the mountain pass can be snowy/icy in the winter sometimes). Housing costs are definitely more reasonable here! There's a smaller town about 20 minutes back toward Seattle so that puts you closer to the city, with only half an hour or so to the university here. Just some thoughts! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted March 29, 2015 Author Share Posted March 29, 2015 Again, I recommend the Portland, OR area! :) Meets your requirements. There is a community college with three full campuses and other satellite location as well as a university. Can you suggest specific areas of Portland that would be good? ("Good" as in low crime and decent schools.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted March 29, 2015 Author Share Posted March 29, 2015 We live exactly two hours east of Seattle, up over the Cascade mountains, in a town with a population of 17,000 or so that includes a state university with a very good music program. We love it here and it fits most things on your list. Western Washington gets more rain, but we get a fair amount of rain, too. We have more of the four seasons than western Washington (cold, snowy winters and hot summers; great springs and autumns). It can be very windy here at times, so you'd have to be okay with that. We don't have a zoo or aquarium, but those things are a very easy drive two hours away. It's not hard at all to go to Seattle for the day (except the mountain pass can be snowy/icy in the winter sometimes). Housing costs are definitely more reasonable here! There's a smaller town about 20 minutes back toward Seattle so that puts you closer to the city, with only half an hour or so to the university here. Just some thoughts! Care to share (or PM) the name of your town? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirstenhill Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Okay, so if I'm looking at Minneapolis, what areas are the good ones as far as good schools and low crime? I live in Mpls itself, so I am most familiar with that. The further you go South and Southwest within the neighborhoods of the city, generally speaking, the lower the crime and generally the better the schools. City of Minneapolis has crime maps so you can see what the crime rates are like. We found that helpful when we first moved here: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/police/statistics/crime-statistics_codefor_index. We live in an area that is slightly less safe (some of the public school options are not as good either -- but since we are homeschooling it is not a big concern at the moment!), but is very vibrant and diverse (you can PM me if you want to know the specific neighborhood). If you are more of a suburb kind of a family, we have friends that live in Richfield, Bloomington, Edina and other suburbs fairly close in to Mpls (to the south and west), and they all seem to be pretty happy with crime rates and school options. Lots of great suburbs with great schools. I really have no idea how apartment prices are in any of these areas since we've never shopped for apartments. Some of the suburbs immediately north of Mpls are ones to avoid in terms of higher crime from what I have heard. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted March 29, 2015 Author Share Posted March 29, 2015 I live in Mpls itself, so I am most familiar with that. The further you go South and Southwest within the neighborhoods of the city, generally speaking, the lower the crime and generally the better the schools. City of Minneapolis has crime maps so you can see what the crime rates are like. We found that helpful when we first moved here: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/police/statistics/crime-statistics_codefor_index. We live in an area that is slightly less safe (some of the public school options are not as good either -- but since we are homeschooling it is not a big concern at the moment!), but is very vibrant and diverse (you can PM me if you want to know the specific neighborhood). If you are more of a suburb kind of a family, we have friends that live in Richfield, Bloomington, Edina and other suburbs fairly close in to Mpls (to the south and west), and they all seem to be pretty happy with crime rates and school options. Lots of great suburbs with great schools. I really have no idea how apartment prices are in any of these areas since we've never shopped for apartments. Some of the suburbs immediately north of Mpls are ones to avoid in terms of higher crime from what I have heard. Thank you. This gives me a starting point as to where to begin looking for that area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Since you are talking about Minneapolis...we lived in St. Paul for many years and really enjoyed it. Lots of family neighborhoods, great architecture and tons of outdoor space. At the time it was less expensive in general with less crime than Mpls, but it's been 15 years or so so things might have changed. At the time Mpls was a pretty run down city, other than near the lakes. People talk about the winter weather; it is cold but also very dry, so it's really not bad if you get outside and embrace it. Summers, OTOH, can be brutal. Definitely look for a place with air conditioning. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 I can't say for sure about Milovany, but Ellensburg is a beautiful town in central WA a couple hours from Seattle with a university renowned for a few key programs. Olympia is also nice, but more expensive than you may want. They also have the Evergreen State College there. Salem, OR is another nice spot. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 We're moving to Colorado Springs (while having our pick of the whole country, as we have a small online business) - we have many of the same requirements as you, except we're not Pagans, we're just not religious. It is a very religious place, and fairly conservative, but it has a public charter Waldorf-inspired school that has a one-day-a-week homeschool program (homeschooling in general looks great there) and there is a lot of variety in the local schools as far as type goes. I have an uncle who has lived in Ellensburg for decades (he worked in the music program at the university there, I think). His assessment of it was: lovely, snowy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SebastianCat Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Tampa or Orlando fits your criteria except for having 4 seasons. If you live in Atlanta now, the climate would be comparable, with Tampa being more tropical, so a bit cooler in the summers but warmer in the winters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 I was going to say Chattanooga, only because of the youth orchestra--it's so awesome. They travel to Europe every few years (by invitation), too. My homeschooled niece played with them for a while. She lives in NC, and they'd drive for a few hours, spend the night at a friend's house, and then in the morning, she'd go to homeschool co-op and then orchestra. I sat in on a rehearsal and was very impressed. You say you know the area already, so perhaps it's not really on your radar. I've heard Hamilton County schools are ok, but that may have changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share Posted March 31, 2015 We're moving to Colorado Springs (while having our pick of the whole country, as we have a small online business) - we have many of the same requirements as you, except we're not Pagans, we're just not religious. It is a very religious place, and fairly conservative, but it has a public charter Waldorf-inspired school that has a one-day-a-week homeschool program (homeschooling in general looks great there) and there is a lot of variety in the local schools as far as type goes. I have an uncle who has lived in Ellensburg for decades (he worked in the music program at the university there, I think). His assessment of it was: lovely, snowy. DD was actually born in Colorado Springs. I love it there! It's definitely on my list. Care to share the name of that one-day-a-week homeschool program? I'd love to look them up online. Tampa or Orlando fits your criteria except for having 4 seasons. If you live in Atlanta now, the climate would be comparable, with Tampa being more tropical, so a bit cooler in the summers but warmer in the winters. DD's best friend just moved to central FL last fall, so Tampa is very, very high on her wish list. :-) I was going to say Chattanooga, only because of the youth orchestra--it's so awesome. They travel to Europe every few years (by invitation), too. My homeschooled niece played with them for a while. She lives in NC, and they'd drive for a few hours, spend the night at a friend's house, and then in the morning, she'd go to homeschool co-op and then orchestra. I sat in on a rehearsal and was very impressed. You say you know the area already, so perhaps it's not really on your radar. I've heard Hamilton County schools are ok, but that may have changed. Several of my IRL friends are recommending the Chattanooga/Nashville area. I love the aquarium in Chattanooga. I didn't know their youth orchestra was so good. Definitely worth looking into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Hmm. Well... ... I have my pick of the whole country, but I do have a few requirements: * We need a youth orchestra or symphony for DD * Decent apartment options (I don't want to rent a house) that are affordable ($1000 give or take for a 3-bdrm) * I LOVE rain, so the desert SW would not be an option. * I'd really like to have all four seasons. * We'd like our new area to have a zoo and aquarium. * We'd like to have community colleges and/or universities nearby. * Good schools as the kids may want to go back to PS in our new location. * Easy homeschooling in case they don't. :-D * Not an overly religious area (I'm Pagan). So, oh, great Hive mind, where should we go? Aside from, ahem, COL, you might take a look at Norwalk CT. X Youth symphony X Four seasons (well, it's been a long winter and a lot of us about to give up hope lol, but MOST years we get 4...) X Zoo (small but sweet) (nearby) X Aquarium (terrific) X Community college (other universities nearby as well) X STEM high school (nearby) X Easy homeschool state (legal responsibility to educate lies with parents, not state) X Not overly religious (but enough diversity that most people who wish to can find a good-enough-fit community) COL is lamentably high, though. Good luck figuring it out -- how extraordinary, to be thinking this out from a blank sheet of paper! Daunting, but exciting at the same time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share Posted March 31, 2015 Hmm. Well... Aside from, ahem, COL, you might take a look at Norwalk CT. X Youth symphony X Four seasons (well, it's been a long winter and a lot of us about to give up hope lol, but MOST years we get 4...) X Zoo (small but sweet) (nearby) X Aquarium (terrific) X Community college (other universities nearby as well) X STEM high school (nearby) X Easy homeschool state (legal responsibility to educate lies with parents, not state) X Not overly religious (but enough diversity that most people who wish to can find a good-enough-fit community) COL is lamentably high, though. Good luck figuring it out -- how extraordinary, to be thinking this out from a blank sheet of paper! Daunting, but exciting at the same time. It is exciting but so very, very overwhelming. Some days I feel like, "Ah, forget it. We're staying here," to which my daughter immediately frowns at me. She's very much in favor of moving somewhere new. We love our sweet little town, but it is very small, and we'd like to have more....stuff. I think I would absolutely LOVE the northeast, but that cost of living is a killer. It's the same with trying to move to SoCal. I was chatting with my SIL last night, and she tells me that in order to get anything remotely decent in a safe area, we'd have to spend $2300 or better on rent. *sigh* So, no SoCal for us. I'm afraid the northeast would be much the same. Oh, and just for clarification, universities don't help me any. When I finish my master's degree, I'll be able to teach at the community college level, hence the need for one or two of those nearby. Thank you all so much for your help! This really is a daunting thing for me, but I don't want to just wimp out and stay here. Too many things have happened for me here. I need a fresh start. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Where I live hits every single one of your bullet points. I live in Cobb County, Georgia, which is a suburb of Atlanta. We need a youth orchestra or symphony for DD: Check * Decent apartment options (I don't want to rent a house) that are affordable ($1000 give or take for a 3-bdrm): Very nice but inexpensive housing options * I LOVE rain, so the desert SW would not be an option. Check * I'd really like to have all four seasons: We do, although it never gets as cold as it does up North, and we don't get much snow, so if that's a requirement then we may be a bit too far South * We'd like our new area to have a zoo and aquarium: Very nice zoo, largest aquarium in the world * We'd like to have community colleges and/or universities nearby. There is a university, and several community colleges, within less than 10 miles from my house * Good schools as the kids may want to go back to PS in our new location: Some of the top public schools in the state, although it IS Georgia, so that's all relative. Also, there are pockets of the county that aren't that great. * Easy homeschooling in case they don't. :-D: Easy homeschooling. * Not an overly religious area (I'm Pagan): I'm atheist. :-) No issues at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share Posted March 31, 2015 Where I live hits every single one of your bullet points. I live in Cobb County, Georgia, which is a suburb of Atlanta. We need a youth orchestra or symphony for DD: Check * Decent apartment options (I don't want to rent a house) that are affordable ($1000 give or take for a 3-bdrm): Very nice but inexpensive housing options * I LOVE rain, so the desert SW would not be an option. Check * I'd really like to have all four seasons: We do, although it never gets as cold as it does up North, and we don't get much snow, so if that's a requirement then we may be a bit too far South * We'd like our new area to have a zoo and aquarium: Very nice zoo, largest aquarium in the world * We'd like to have community colleges and/or universities nearby. There is a university, and several community colleges, within less than 10 miles from my house * Good schools as the kids may want to go back to PS in our new location: Some of the top public schools in the state, although it IS Georgia, so that's all relative. Also, there are pockets of the county that aren't that great. * Easy homeschooling in case they don't. :-D: Easy homeschooling. * Not an overly religious area (I'm Pagan): I'm atheist. :-) No issues at all. LOL... I live in GA now, though on the other side of the state, closer to SC. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 In my zip code you would be paying about $2500 unless you found an amazing deal, but then WA is not necessarily homeschooling friendly, either. I know a lot of homeschoolers. But you do have to submit some paperwork and kids have to be tested by a certified teacher or take the state tests. You know Jean in Newcastle? Here are rentals in her area: http://www.zillow.com/newcastle-wa/rent-houses/ Yeah. Newcastle is relatively cheap for the area. We lived in a 2 bedroom apartment there -- 6-9 years ago. It was like $950/month when we left. And we were in a cheaper complex (no pool or other amenities to increase the price) Renton was cheaper. But there are better and worse areas to live there. My best friend lives in the Renton Highlands and homeschooled all three of her kids. One went to Renton tech and the other two to Bellevue College. My impression from her was that homeschooling was very easy. Acceptable bus options. I don't know, even in REnton, you're going to find 3 bedrooms for $1000 though. Maybe Kent? its farther away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stratford Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Pittsburgh fits most, if not all, of your requirements. Great youth symphony, 4 seasons, reasonable COL (we had a large 2 bd apartment for $800/month when we lived there), lots of museums, great zoo, lots of higher education options in the area. (Homeschooling in PA isn't as bad is it seems; if I can do it, anybody could.) We loved living there! It's a city full of neighborhoods, a very livable city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 LOL... I live in GA now, though on the other side of the state, closer to SC. :lol: Oh. Weeeeelllllllllll.......never mind, then. :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMom Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Can you suggest specific areas of Portland that would be good? ("Good" as in low crime and decent schools.) Here's an example: http://www.apartments.com/20908-sw-edgemont-st-beaverton-or/jqldv14/ This is in Beaverton, OR which is a suburb on the west side of Portland. I'm in this area all the time and it is a nice place. It's close to Orenco Station which is in Hillsboro and has lots of rentals nearby. Orenco Station is a stop on the TriMet which is the commuter train and takes you right into downtown Portland. This area is easy access to everything you could possibly need and the Rock Creek Campus of Portland Community College is not far at all. I would say it is safe. After living in Southern CA all of my life, it is definitely safe IMO. I'm not too familiar with schools as I live father west of Portland and homeschool. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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