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07/07/2004 11:24:18 AM · #1
I need some help. I will be getting out of the military in less than two years and I'm starting to look into where I wanna settle down once I get out. I'm from Miami and I don't wanna go back there permanently. I'm looking for a medium to small size town, that is quiet, but not too quiet and fairly close to a bigger town. I don't really have any specific place in mind so any suggestions are welcome. I'm looking for a nice place to raise kids and be a family. Like I said, I don't want to live in a big city, but not out in the boonies either. I'm really leaning towards the central and north east and the west (not the southwest). I wanna hear your suggestions!

June

Edit: I kinda like the outdoors, so natural beauty in the surroundings is a plus.

Message edited by author 2004-07-07 11:26:07.
07/07/2004 11:48:13 AM · #2
you said you like the outdoors and natural beauty, but what type of natural beauty are you looking for? Ocean side, lakes, trees , mountains

There are down sides to some areas, Close to the cost you are prone to tropical stroms and Hurricanes, being from miami you know this all to well im sure.

The Mountains are certainly nice, but do you want to live in the snow in the winter time?

James
07/07/2004 11:53:26 AM · #3
give this link a try...

City Rating

James
07/07/2004 11:54:46 AM · #4
Originally posted by jab119:

you said you like the outdoors and natural beauty, but what type of natural beauty are you looking for? Ocean side, lakes, trees , mountains

There are down sides to some areas, Close to the cost you are prone to tropical stroms and Hurricanes, being from miami you know this all to well im sure.

The Mountains are certainly nice, but do you want to live in the snow in the winter time?

James


I'm not really a beach person, so ocean side is really not for me.
07/07/2004 11:55:04 AM · #5
Orange County, California. I'm moving to Huntington Beach this month. Beautiful area, beaches, trees, mountains not far away. City is not so big, but there are big cities pretty close by. Great schools, great fun. But, high rent/home prices, ultra-liberal state senate (though the new governator is cleaning things up left and right).
07/07/2004 12:02:47 PM · #6
You didn't mention the South, but Asheville, NC might be a possibility. It is a small city surrounded by smaller towns. It is about 3 hours from Charlotte, NC, and about 4 (or less) from Knoxville, TN, and Atlanta, GA. It has a lot of natural beauty, and has recently become a haven of sorts of outdoorsy types and activities. Plus, the weather is mild.

Asheville, NC
07/07/2004 12:07:30 PM · #7
If you like the outdoor activities like hiking, mountain climbing, kayaking, water-skiing (to name a few) then you might want to consider someplace like Chattanooga, TN (local gov, photos of surrounding areas. Its in the southeast and its not too close to any large city. Atlanta is about a 90 minute drive southeast and Birmingham is about a 2 hour drive southwest but its a pretty cool city. Its incredibly scenic around here with the mountains, river and streams. Heck, we even have some artsy activities.

You might want to check out BestPlaces.net, too.

Kev

EDIT: added links

Message edited by author 2004-07-07 12:19:14.
07/07/2004 12:10:36 PM · #8
Originally posted by chiqui74:

I need some help. I will be getting out of the military in less than two years and I'm starting to look into where I wanna settle down once I get out. I'm from Miami and I don't wanna go back there permanently. I'm looking for a medium to small size town, that is quiet, but not too quiet and fairly close to a bigger town. I don't really have any specific place in mind so any suggestions are welcome. I'm looking for a nice place to raise kids and be a family. Like I said, I don't want to live in a big city, but not out in the boonies either. I'm really leaning towards the central and north east and the west (not the southwest). I wanna hear your suggestions!

June

Edit: I kinda like the outdoors, so natural beauty in the surroundings is a plus.


Well, since you asked...

I love where I live in Racine, Wisconsin. I've only lived here about 6 months, but it's home for me already!

Racine is a city (i.e. bigger than a town) but not nearly as big as Milwaukee or Chicago (in between which it is located on the shores of Lake Michigan). It is clean, fairly quiet (at least in the nice, established suburb where I live) and Lake Michigan is just a stone's throw away, complete with beaches, marina and even a zoo (great photo ops there!). Drive a little bit north and you have some beautiful country full of wildlife and open spaces (no mountains though, so if that's what you're looking for, no can do). Cost of living is lower than Chicago but if I really wanna go down there for a night on the town, it's only a couple of hours away. Not to mention the area is a sports fan mecca, what, between the Chicago Bears, Bulls, Cubs, Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Buck and Green Bay Packers. Take your pick (just be quiet about it if you choose the Chicago teams! LOL).

The thing is, you gotta like Winter cuz Wisconsin Winters can last for what seems like forever, but Spring and Autumn more than make up for that!

Just my humble opinion.

Patty
07/07/2004 12:19:25 PM · #9
What do you consider to be a big city? What is relatively small, without being too small?

Around here, I live in the largest city in the county, that dwarfs all the others combined at a population just over 4,000. I think i have a different idea of what small and large cities are than someone that is from Miami.

It would also be helpful to know what it is you expect the 'big' city to have the relatively small one does not.

David
07/07/2004 12:23:13 PM · #10
We live in a little suburb just outside of Atlanta, Douglasville to be exact, west of the city. It's got a very small town feel to it and is far enough away from the city (about a 30-40 min. drive depending on traffic) that it feels quite rural. There are also other nice places around Atlanta to call home as well. And the city itself has alot to offer as far as sports and cultural activities go. Sometimes it snows during the winter but only on occasion and nothing you'd have to dig yourself out of and then there's the humidity.... coming from Tucson (also a nice place if you like deserts) where the temps reach 103-105, believe me, you can definetly tell the difference when it's "Dry Heat" :)

I'm from San Diego originally and have lived here about 4 years now and have grown to like it.... BIG change from San Diego. But then again, the cost of living here compared to San Diego is also a HUGE difference. :) Just my 2 cents....

Message edited by author 2004-07-07 12:27:09.
07/07/2004 02:30:25 PM · #11
Originally posted by Britannica:

What do you consider to be a big city? What is relatively small, without being too small?

Around here, I live in the largest city in the county, that dwarfs all the others combined at a population just over 4,000. I think i have a different idea of what small and large cities are than someone that is from Miami.

It would also be helpful to know what it is you expect the 'big' city to have the relatively small one does not.

David


Like I said, I'm from MIami, so pop4000 would be a small town to me, pop600 would be almost a village.

June
07/07/2004 02:41:33 PM · #12
Eugene, Oregon. Metro area is a bit shy of 200,000 making it a small city. Very beautiful location at the south end of the Willamette valley, with mountains on three sides. There's lots of outdoor things to do and places to see in the mountains, and the ocean is about an hour away. The University of Oregon is there, which keeps things interesting but it still has a small town feel. If you want to escape to a big city, Portland is an easy day trip, and Seattle is close enough for a weekend getaway. Cost of living is lower than some other college towns.

Although the winters can be gray and rainy, they're not as bad as some of the rumors make it out to be. Being further south, it's not as wet as Portland or Seattle, and the summers are great with lots of warm temperatures and sunshine.
07/07/2004 03:04:20 PM · #13
Burlington / Montpelier Vermont are both nice, but coooold during winter.

Anything near Worcester Mass has access to Boston for events, etc, but is fairly rural.

Actually, I would kill or die to live in Athens, Tennessee - I have family there and it's heaven on Earth. I just don't want too many people to know or it will ruin it, but I'll share for ya. :) The weather is pretty nice, the nature is to-die-for, there are big enough cities nearby, etc...

M


07/07/2004 03:13:55 PM · #14
check this place out!!...all four seasons!!Pueblo, Co
summer highs average 88-92 degrees
winters average 35-50 degrees

Message edited by author 2004-07-07 15:15:36.
07/07/2004 03:19:28 PM · #15
I grew up in Miami, and I am currently living in North Carolina....about 50 miles north of Charlotte. People from around here think Charlotte is " the big city"! I love to visit my family in Miami, but I don't think I would have a desire to live there again. I think some place in upper Forida would be nice...cheaper than Miami, but you still get the nicer weather, and the tax breaks too.
07/07/2004 04:48:31 PM · #16
I am from Ft. Lauderdale, grew up in S.FL and let me tell you, after living in Gainesville for 4 years (college), I went stir crazy. I needed my 'big city' back! If I were you, i'd figure out what you want to get out of your future home. Do you want to be active in your city (government), do you want a place with lots of scenery, do you want a very very urban area (not a big city, but a replicated housing community)? Are schools the most important factor? If so, do a USA best schools search.

If you want a place where you have an ocean near by (like I need) you will have to consider that as well. Do you want mountains, desert, ocean and hills? If so, come to Sunny Southern California! If you are from Miami, you may want to keep your kids entertained, you may want to pick a place with tons of activities and cultural arts. Do you like cold or warm or dry or cool or moist weather? Weather really does affect mood!!!

Take a look at Orange County and Riverside County in California. If you want to look further South, try San Diego county. San DIego is a small, big city! It's not like LA or Miami. It's like Ft.Laud but mixed with San Francisco... ports, water, warm, artistic, skyscrapers, communities, good schools!

I live in Los Angeles, and spend my time in Pasadena & Glendale, but traffic here is still bad. To avoid bad traffic, stay in Riverside or Southwest OC.

I love Asheville, NC and I plan to visit it always for my entire life, but i could not live in such a small town. It's not tiny, but it's not nearly 1/4 of the size of Ft.Lauderdale. It is sooo beautiful, and there are great arts and cultural activiites there and beautiful scenery, but damn is it cold!!!

I also love philadelphia and the nearby suburbs of Cherry Hill, NJ (where my family is from), but again... cold!!!! brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

Best of luck! Let us know what you decide :)
07/07/2004 04:55:11 PM · #17
Originally posted by chiqui74:

I need some help. I will be getting out of the military in less than two years and I'm starting to look into where I wanna settle down once I get out. I'm from Miami and I don't wanna go back there permanently. I'm looking for a medium to small size town, that is quiet, but not too quiet and fairly close to a bigger town. I don't really have any specific place in mind so any suggestions are welcome. I'm looking for a nice place to raise kids and be a family. Like I said, I don't want to live in a big city, but not out in the boonies either. I'm really leaning towards the central and north east and the west (not the southwest). I wanna hear your suggestions!

June

Edit: I kinda like the outdoors, so natural beauty in the surroundings is a plus.


To me, there is only one place to go. That would be Traverse City, Michigan. It still has "Small Town" Charm with a significant city feel. From that location, there are literally dozens upon dozens of places to go that would provide a variety of locations filled with natural beauty...

Things like Sand Dunes, Rocky Beaches, Sandy Beaches, more then a few bays, lakes, rivers and streams, old small towns and it's not insanely far from the Upper Peninsula, which provides access to a small mountain...

Michigan itself is filled with beauty, it's just the winters that can sometimes be a big... well... I won't go there...
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