List a few reasons why someone should/shouldn't move to your town ...

[In_The_Wind]

This year has been tough for people. Record breaking weather has left many homeless, jobless or both.

If someone you didn't know ask what you honestly thought about your hometown or state - how would you answer them?



What are the housing cost and availability?

Are there jobs to be gotten?

What is the cost of living like?

Is it a good place for a single person?

Is it a place to raise a family?



I'll start. New York is expensive. Rents are high. Really good paying jobs are few and far between in the smaller towns. Communities can be cold to outsiders. The sidewalks are rolled up at night in Ulster County = not a great place to lead a single life.


You're next. What would you suggest to a stranger about your town.

[XemaSab]

1. I'll answer for my former town: Oakhurst CA

Housing is hard to get and fairly expensive. There's a huge demand for apartments because of people working in Yosemite and commuting. Houses cost roughly 300 K if you're looking to buy because it's a vacation area.

Most jobs are minimum wage.

The cost of living is OK. Food's not too expensive, and propane's not bad, but gas is steep.

It's a horrible place for a single person. There's no scene, and both of the guys I met were cave-dwelling assholes working retail jobs.

It might not be a bad place to raise a family if you don't take into account meth and highway accidents. People die ALL THE TIME on the roads there. Deer, ice, drunks, windy roads... it's a scary scene. On the plus side, you're in the mountains. And there are no gangs, but it's all white and there's NO diversity. And the people are Freepers.

:P

[In_The_Wind]

2. Don't Move To Oakhurst, CA!!! Life isn't pretty there.

I've lived in 5 eastern states. Every community has it's good and bad points. I'm not planning another move but lots of Americans are.

Thank You XemaSab. I do appreciate it that you took the time to share your first hand knowledge with everyone.

[XemaSab]

4. That's the bad side

to be fair, I think it would be a nice place to retire with a spouse.

[In_The_Wind]

5. See - that is what I want everyone to hear.

The various aspects of a town from an insiders point of view.

[WCGreen]

3. Cleveland has consitently ranked as one of the most

livable cities in the country....

Outside of the colapse of the Cleveland School System, there is much to appreciate here....

The Cleveland Clinic is one of the best hospital systems in the world...

The Orchestra is top notch... The art Museaum is great...

And you can see prety good live music at least three or four times a week...

The radio stations suck...

The sport teams are all rebounding, rebuilding....

Easy to get around here....

Lot to offer....

[Magrittes Pipe]

12. And we're no longer the poorest city in the country.

Thanks, Detroit! :yourock:

[WCGreen]

13. That's a good thing.....

I think....

[In_The_Wind]

25. I'm very impressed with Cleavland. Everyone seems friendly.

The inner city is very clean.

However - the Amtrak schedules suck big time!

[PittPoliSci]

6. N. Huntingdon, PA

pro-

20 minutes away from downtown pittsburgh
low taxes
great schools
still pretty democratic
bar on every street corner

con-

turning conservative
"rednecked"
people tend to be self-important and rude (i hate the bastards)
bar on every street corner

[Omphaloskepsis]

7. I can do Portland and Eugene Oregon....

Housing is pretty reasonable. A nice one bedroom in Eugene is 500$ and in Portland it might be 650$.

Jobs: Eugene = No.. Portland = Yes..

COL: Both are doable.. No VAT. Property Tax is a Bitch..

Both rock for being single.. Portland has a good bar atmosphere. Eugene is good for house parties.

Family: Both work.. It just depends on what part of town you live in.

[Jamastiene]

8. Well, here's goes it.

It's cheap to live here and the cost of living is cheap too. I have to give the place that much. It's a retirement community. Any local bars that start end up being taken over by the "Footloose" community. That's what I call them. They are the so-called "Christians" of the community. They do things like buy out bars and borrow books they disagree with from the local library and never return them. Supervisors who run the library are in cahoots with them, so the issue of going after those who do that is never pursued.

For children, Rockingham is a dangerous place. There are no safe places to play. There is nothing for children and especially teenagers to do here. The majority of the people in this entire county are either on drugs or making them, including meth and moonshine (yes, that still goes on.) There are many private schools here, but they are full of child molestors in "preacher" clothing so they are not likely to ever get prosecuted for their crimes. You children will have their self esteem trampled in the local schools by these types of people and bullies.

Jobs here are few and far between unless you think Wal-Mart is the best place in the world to work. We have the largest Wal-Mart in the world, you know. Yipppeee, earn minimum wage selling stuff made my Chinese people for $.20 an hour while having no worker's rights. They force you to sign a anti-union waiver before working there, you know. That means you can never organize. The few unions that exist here are weak and only there for show. I know this because I have a friend from New York who moved here years ago. So he knows what real unions are supposed to be like.

Uhm, I'd tell anyone who asked me about this place that if they valued their quality of life, to not even stop for gas here. I know people who have moved here and never seem to be able to move away again no matter how hard they try. They have made comments to me that this place has trapped them here and that it is haunted that way. The feel cursed. Those of us who were born here feel the same way. Some do escape, but they never return again. They know what is good for them and they leave this place in the dark, creepy, unhappy recesses of their mind. They are the smart ones. Most of us would give almost anything to be lucky enough to have escaped this place and know we didn't have to return. I'd give my left pinky toe for that.

[pitohui]

18. good lord, sounds like a twilight zone episode

where is this place so i can avoid it? i'm geographically challenged & never heard of rockingham

[LibDemAlways]

9. I live in a suburban community just

outside of Los Angeles.

Housing costs are astronomical. $330K for a 780 sq. foot 1 bedroom condo. No single family homes (even fixers) under $675K. McMansions are well over a million. Rents are high, too. From $1200/mo for a one bedroom apartment on up.

Most people in this area commute on impossibly crowded freeways to the San Fernando Valley or West LA to work. There is virtually no local public transportation, and a car is a necessity. Lots of the locals are in the entertainment business or are self-employed as lawyers, accountants, and small business owners.

The cost of living, like the cost of housing, is high. Insurance premiums take a big bite. Homeowner's insurance tends to be especially costly because many people live near brushy areas considered fire hazards.

Many people around here spend big bucks on huge SUVs, gym memberships, and plastic surgery. There's a stiff monetary price to be paid for those who feel compelled to follow the crowd.

Most singles in this community are divorced soccer mom and dad types. Young, never married singles are rare because of the cost of housing and a complete lack of places to go to meet other people. There are a couple of noisy sports bars, but other than that, nada.

Local officials would tell you this is a great place to raise a family. But the fact is, there are few places that cater to kids. No mini golf, bowling, skatepark, or other kid-friendly recreational facilities. The parks and rec departments run a few classes here and there, but most parents end up enrolling the kids at the local karate or dance school or signing them up for a soccer or basketball team. Keeping the kids busy can run into big money.

People move here for the schools, which have a good reputation and significant parent-involvement. The community voted last year to tax each household an additional $150 a year to provide added revenue for the schools. Few objected, and the few low-income seniors, who bought their homes years ago when this community was considered a cheap place to live, are exempt.

Being Southern California, the weather is usually pretty good, though summers can get uncomfortably hot. We're 12 miles from the Malibu beaches, though, so relief is nearby.

I bought my house new in 1979, when this was a relatively affordable community. Now I might just as well be living in Stepford.

[Love Bug]

10. Don't move to the Twin Cities! Traffic is bad enough!

Just kidding -- the TC is a great place to live, but the traffic does suck. Too many cars!

[Left Is Write]

27. I'd love to move there....

I just wish I could afford to buy back the house we sold there five years ago.

Born and raised Twin Citian. Wish we'd hung onto the house when we moved.



edited typo.

[no name no slogan]

32. That's the worst part-- and public transport is sorely behind the times

Hopefully our next governor will be okay with spending more state $$ on funding real public transportation options.

[Guava Jelly]

11. because i live in kansas

no other reason

[RebelOne]

14. Please don't move to Atlanta, GA.

The traffic is horrible and we don't need any more cars on the road.

[LeftyMom]

15. About Sacramento

What are the housing cost and availability?

:rofl: Don't ask. Really a three bedroom, single-story, tract house on a quarter acre (typical Sacramento "starter home") goes for about $250K, provided it's in a bad neighborhood and a bit of a fixer.

Are there jobs to be gotten?

Yep. It's not the job market of the late 90's so you probably won't have employers competing for the privilege of employing you, but jobs aren't real scarce either.

What is the cost of living like?

The cost of housing is outrageous. Other costs are reasonable.

Is it a good place for a single person?

I have no idea what the dating scene is like around here.

Is it a place to raise a family?

I'm not crazy about the suburbification of the area. The schools suck. It's not as safe as it used to be. It's not the worst place to raise kids, but I'd rather do so someplace else.

[Chan790]

16. Hartford, Connecticut

Hartford is a mixed bag.

It's absolutely not the place to live if you are single or have desires on a social life or children though.

The entire city closes at 6PM 7 nights a week with the exception of a few "destination locations" (the meat market bars), We claim to have a great arts scene (and we do, a lot of galleries and private collection showings) but the displays never change (The big museum is the Wadsworth Atheneum and they change their featured exhibition only 2x yearly.) and they are all open from 10AM - 4PM M-F so that you can't visit. The Wadsworth is open 8AM-6PM Tues.-Sun. The live theatres and orchestra are empty yet unaffordable as we're home city to UTC, Raybestos and the military components division of GE (these are all military-industrial manufacturers); Aetna, Cigna, Phoenix, Travellers, Northeast operations for ING and Lincoln Financial (We're cheaper than NYC) all of whom buy up huge blocks of tickets at the Bushnell, TheatreWorks, RealArtWays and then don't show up. (Thanks assholes...some of us would have actually shown up to see Phantom last year if you hadn't driven demand to over $300 a ticket for an empty house.)

Our schools are horrible, we're the most illiterate city in the northeast (78% low-literate compared to 72% for P-dence, 68% for NYC and 56% for Boston and Philly), have the widest economic gap of any city in the US (our rich weekend in Manhattan condos, our poor make 50% of the average Detroiter.) And as a guy comfortable with his sexuality I can say that we have less attractive people than we should...of both genders. We're an ugly city.

We're also ironically the most literary city in America, we have more living resident published authors than any other city in America. We're close to everything...all the concerts come here, downtown is undergoing a construction boom, we have great shopping and the casino is only 40 minutes away. (That's the official Hartford sales pitch from city hall.) I will say that we're a smart and cultured city. We just need an influx of people who don't suck and are willing to invest the energy to make Hartford more than a pit-stop between NYC and Boston. We have vibrant West Indian, Dominican, Polish, Italian and Puerto Rican communities.

On to the questions:

What are the housing cost and availability?

Widely available, cheap as balls. 1BR apartments start at $350/mo.

Are there jobs to be gotten?

Yes, as long as you don't mind working for some of the reddest fiscal companies in the world, bombmakers or have an MBA. There are a lot of very high-paying jobs that require you to scam people or sell your soul. It's bad for me because I'm a socialist.

What is the cost of living like?

Highest in the Northeast region across the board, excepting rents. Hartford is a commuter city, 90% of the metro population lives in some of the wealthiest suburbs in America, municipal Hartford pop. is 212,000, metro Hartford/New Haven is 2.66M or 70% of the state population. (Note: New Haven is 25 miles away and should not be considered a combined single-metro region...but it is.)

Is it a good place for a single person?

No. It fancies itself as someplace that wants to be bad for single people even. (I have no clue why...but the Mayor told me so directly.) Most nightlife consists of driving to New Haven. There is no mass-transit between Hartford and New Haven as the suburbs of West Hartford, Simsbury and Farmington hold restraining orders to prevent domain seizures to build a transit line.

Is it a place to raise a family?

As long as you send your kids to the Catholic schools or they have the scores to get into the magnet academies: public, very-highly selective and regional but free. They are the best public schools in the region, open to everybody and admission is on merit alone. There are very few affordable private schools, ours are the nation's destination private schools: Choate, Miss Porter's, Avon Old Farms, Kingswood-Oxford. Average non-catholic private tuition is about $20k-$25k a year, compared with $7k for parochial education (Thankfully Hartford is the most liberal archdiocese in the country...I had several openly gay, feminist and/or non-christian teachers in HS.) Failing that...live in the suburbs if you can afford to. They have some of the best public schools in the nation.-

[NewJeffCT]

35. Dude, move to West Hartford

West Hartford Center is open late and has a ton of good restaurants & coffee shops. Town is pretty liberal historically due to the large Jewish population. For Connecticut, it's pretty diverse in that it has good sized Asian, Hispanic & African American communities. (it's not New York... but, for Connecticut it's very diverse) Schools are very good, with the Hall district being excellent.

And, the Hartford suburbs, including Simsbury, Avon & Farmington, are WAY cheaper than places like Ridgefield, Weston, Westport, Easton, Greenwich, etc. homefair.com says that if you made $100K in Simsbury, you would need to make like $128K in Easton, $125K in Ridgefield, $120K in Fairfield, $130K in Weston.

[Chan790]

40. I actually live right...

on the Hartford/West Hartford border. West Hartford is nice, I'll give you that...I go there to shop for groceries because nobody in Hartford carries vegetarian foodstuff.

I'm still going through withdrawal after 1 year in Philly and 6 years in Washington DC.

[GOPisEvil]

17. Austin is a nice place. Still small enough to be comfy, but with all the

stuff of the big cities. Yeah, it isn't what it used to be, but what city is?

Housing is expensive for Texas, but if you're coming from one of the coasts, you'll think housing is dirt cheap. If you want to move here, let me know. Maybe you can buy my house. It's in a good school district. ;)

[DanCa]

19. My immeadiate town is podunk usa

The winter scenery is wonderful, people keep to themselves mostly, - well except for a few, and we live off a lake. What's bad is that the my town is run by conservatives and we have a strong anti choice movement hear even though the nearest clinic is like thirty miles away.

[Seabiscuit]

20. Stay out of San Diego

Too many people have already moved here and they're beginning to clog the roads.

Housing is way too expensive.

Too many rednecks who have nothing on their minds except local sports teams when they're not regurgitating right-wing radio talking points at family functions. To them the word "theater" is always preceded by the word "movie", and the word "play" is just a sports term, and the word "book" is also always preceded by the word "sports".

Oh, and the local women aged 15-35 who were raised here all talk just like that "Band Camp" girl in the movie "American Pie".

And no one seems to have heard of the phrase "you're welcome". If you say "thank you" they respond "no problem", if they respond at all. WFT???

[1gobluedem]

21. Ann Arbor, MI -- yes!

What are the housing cost and availability?

Housing is available but relatively high cost in the city. Surrounding twps are less expensive; many are the the school district. Outstanding city services, though, you definitely get what you pay for. City Council and Mayor 100% Democrats.

Are there jobs to be gotten?

Yes. Especially high tech, medical, restaurant, and life sciences.

What is the cost of living like?

Decent. Many things are very affordable; there are high end shops and restaurants for those who can afford them. I work for a non-profit, live in the city, and manage just fine.

Is it a good place for a single person?

Very. Ann Arbor is a college town with room for grown-ups. Lots of clubs and activities, downtown bars and restaurants that aren't dominated by students.

Is it a place to raise a family?

Yes. Great neighborhoods with neighborhood schools that kids can walk to. No clustering; your fifth and first graders attend the same school. Lots of recreation leagues, many family actitivies from music to art to museums.

It's a beautiful town, too big to be small-town and too small to have urban hassles (traffic can be bad but not horrific; you can get across town in 20 minutes or less unless it's a football Saturday). Population is about 114,000. I highly recommend it!

[salin]

23. I found A2 to be both a neat city - and rather isolating

if one isn't connected to the U, and one doesn't get involved with organizations that are tied to folks from the U - it can be rather isolating. That said, it is a very enlightened city. B-ton is the same way, but a little smaller (70,000 or so, or 100,000 with students.) Now Palo Alto... rocked!

[salin]

22. Midwestern University towns can be very isolating

unless one is tied to the university, or one gets involved with local organizations - that are tied to folks tied to the university. Esp when the University is the primary thing that puts the city on the map. Also higher costs of living - when compared to prevailing wages.

That said - if hooked in - these are great places to live (have lived in two big-ten cities... and one pac-ten city - but that was in a major metro area and thus very different.)

[Liberalynn]

24. Not to Move

to my town: in the Finger Lakes Region of Upstate NY

I love Italian food don't get me wrong. I'm mostly from Italian ancestery although I'm part Irish and Scotch as well.

But almost every other resturant in our town is Italian. We do have 1 Chineese place that is not that bad, a Ponderosa which sucks, and a Dennys where you turn grey even if your ten years old, before they serve you.. And we have almost every fast food place known to man.

But for nice affordable eating- it's Italian and nothing else.

We are finally getting an Apple Bee's though so that is cause for major celebration. ;)

Also you have to drive about 40 minutes if you want to shop at a department store that isn't Walmart. Damn.

Reason to move here. Beautiful Lake, Nice Fall Colors, no major earth quakes as of yet, and a great locally owned Major Super Market that puts Wally World to shame on every front.

[Left Is Write]

26. Okay...

What are the housing cost and availability? The general Boise/Treasure Valley area has a lot of available housing, with new housing being built at any given time. Housing costs vary, but there is something for just about every range. While housing prices are still on the rise here, prices remain quite reasonable.

Are there jobs to be gotten? There are several big employers here, such as HP and Micron, St. Luke's, and St. Alphonsus. The insurance and service industries are growing here also - there are tons of new restaurants and hotels (lots of new retail also). There is a need for teachers; several disctricts are building lots of new schools.

What is the cost of living like? It's rising, but reasonably low compared to hotspot areas of the country.

Is it a good place for a single person? That I don't know. I've never viewed the area from the perspective of a single person.

Is it a place to raise a family? Yes, but with a caveat. (A caveat, I might add, that is in no way intended to be some kind of bahsing.) This is a conservative state. You will run into lots of people who are social and political conservatives, and many of them are religious fundamentalists also. We are aware of these influences, and are trying to raise our children to be thinkers and progressives, though of course, conservatives may consider that we are just propagandizing our kids. ;)

[Saphire]

28. San Antonio, housing plentyful and reasonable.

Lots of new jobs comming to town (Toyota) but most are lower paying.

cost of living is pretty cheap ( mostly because of low paying jobs)

dont know about being single, but a great place to raise a family.

weather is warm (hot) 9 months out of the year
winter is fairly warm (may get to freezing 1-2 times a year)

[merh]

29. We were bitched slapped by Katrina

and its a real mess here - give us a few years.

Oh, btw, Joani -- for you -- http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=4296489&mesg_id=4298480

:hug: :loveya:

[Initech]

30. Yorba Linda, CA

Pros:

- Good neighborhoods
- Virtually no crime

Cons:

- Definately not a place for liberals to live (after all, it's the home of Richard Nixon, the man who gave birth to the religious fundamentalist conservative movement)

- Houses are extremely expensive

- Lots of brush-related fires take place here

- Only accessible freeway (CA route 91) is a parking lot

[no name no slogan]

31. Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN: the good, the bad, the ugly

The Good:
Big enough to feel like a city, yet still has that small-town friendliness and attitude. We've also got lots of good jobs and a high standard of living, while still being affordable.

Also, MN was the only state to go "bluer" in 2004 than in 2000. We've also got a very active Democratic Party (called the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party-- the only one in the US) and a vibrant arts community.

The Bad:
It can get colder than a welldigger's ass in the winter. And only the foolhardy venture outside for more than a few minutes in mid-January. Also, some out-of-towners have a hard time making friends here at first (because it seems that nearly everybody who lives here is from here originally), but that has begun to change. In fact, we have the largest communities of Hmong and Somali immigrants outside of the west coast.

The Ugly:
Senator Norm Coleman-- the biggest political traitor/opportunist/dickhead in elected office. But he's originally from New York :evilgrin:

[mvd]

33. I'll do mine

I'm in the Collegeville/Trappe area of PA.

The good:

- Safe

- Good public schools (didn't care for the college - Ursinus College)

- History here

- Pleasant neighborhoods

- Small but suburban (can easily get to Philly)

The bad:

- Traffic getting worse as area grows

- Just beginning to get caught up with restaurants

- Many strangers don't talk to you much; community spirit is lacking

- Expensive

- Not very liberal (but getting better)

- Nuclear power plant nearby

[Tikki]

34. Where I live in California...

What are the housing cost and availability? exorbitant and no such thing as affordable

Are there jobs to be gotten? bedroom community...jobs are after a long commute

What is the cost of living like? unbelievably exorbitant

Is it a good place for a single person? absolutely NO

Is it a place to raise a family? absolutely YES


Tikki

[TallahasseeGrannie]

36. Don't move to Tallahassee

It is too freaking hot!

Actually, it's a great place but it is getting crowded, so IT IS TOO FREAKING HOT!

AND BUGS! LOTSA BUGS! AND SNAKES! GATORS! JEB BUSH!

[sakabatou]

37. My hometown

What are the housing cost and availability?
Housing in Palo Alto can be between 900k and 4 million

Are there jobs to be gotten?
Yes, but very few

What is the cost of living like?
Depends on how well you budget and where you live

Is it a good place for a single person?
Yes, but you will be bored.

Is it a place to raise a family?
Yes

[Debi]

38. Cedar Falls, Iowa is Pleasantville!

City of Cedar Falls web site:

http://www.ci.cedar-falls.ia.us/navTOC.htm

Chamber of Commerce web site:

http://www.cedarfalls.org/

From the Chamber of Commerce web site:

This is Cedar Falls...

Don't let the name fool you. Not much is falling in the city of Cedar Falls - just the colorful leaves in the fall and the beautiful snow in the winter. Growth is the word often used to describe the activities of this community located in northeastern Iowa. Opportunities for growth are everywhere - opportunities for business and industry, educational achievement, raising a family and getting involved. It's not hard to find your niche in a city that is full of opportunities.

Where else can you find the perfect combination of history, culture and technology? This is a city where one can visit the past by strolling through structures listed with the National Historic Registry, stay updated by attending a lecture at the University of Northern Iowa or catching a traveling Broadway show at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, keep in shape by traveling the miles of bike trails and catch a glimpse of the future with the latest technological offerings supplied by a municipally-owned utility company.

No matter what type of growth you are looking for - growing your business, growing your family or growing into your retirement years- look to Cedar Falls. With a population near 35,000, the community offers the comforting qualities of a small town mixed with the excitement and opportunity of a large city.

The University of Northern Iowa web site:

http://www.uni.edu/

Cedar Falls School District web site:

http://www.cedar-falls.k12.ia.us/

*sigh* life is good in Cedar Falls, Iowa!

[Dave Reynolds]

39. Why they should not.

I live there, which decreases property values across the board, makes life unsafe for small children and pets, and generally causes discord and unrest.