West Virginia. Really?
May 11, 2011 4:53 PM Subscribe
Sometime in the next few years we're thinking of moving. We're considering a few towns in the pacific north west, but we'd also like to see if there would be anything closer to the east coast (and family) that might suit the bill. Findmyspot.com threw us a few options I wasn't expecting, so wanted to see if anyone has experience with the below, or might have other suggestions for us. We're looking for a small to mid sized college town (we both work at the local uni, but not as teachers). We're pretty liberal and passionate about social rights and animal welfare, and would enjoy a town with local arts/music/theater options. We'd love a place with four seasons, but hopefully not too extreme of weather. We'd like to have access to fun outdoorsy sorts of things - hiking and bicycling are favorites. And, a lower than average cost of living, if at all possible.
Places suggested by Findmyspot.com were:
Charleston, WV
Johnson City/Kingsport, TN
Knoxville, TN
Nashville, TN
Asheville, NC
Places suggested by Findmyspot.com were:
Charleston, WV
Johnson City/Kingsport, TN
Knoxville, TN
Nashville, TN
Asheville, NC
Harrisonburg, VA? Don't know how they are for cultural scene, though.
posted by naturalog at 4:56 PM on May 11, 2011
posted by naturalog at 4:56 PM on May 11, 2011
Athens, Ohio is a pretty special place and home of Ohio University. The town is pretty liberal and has has lots of community and university offerings to support environmental and social causes. There's a cool bike trail and decent art scene. It's worth some research or a visit.
posted by shortyJBot at 4:57 PM on May 11, 2011
posted by shortyJBot at 4:57 PM on May 11, 2011
korej: We're pretty liberal and passionate about social rights
Charleston, WV
I can't really speak to anything else on your list, but that one... no. Just no.
posted by DarlingBri at 5:03 PM on May 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
I can't really speak to anything else on your list, but that one... no. Just no.
posted by DarlingBri at 5:03 PM on May 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'll second Athens, OH. It sounds like precisely what you're looking for.
posted by shesbookish at 5:09 PM on May 11, 2011
posted by shesbookish at 5:09 PM on May 11, 2011
You just described Bellingham, WA to a T. Beautiful area!
posted by karizma at 5:15 PM on May 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by karizma at 5:15 PM on May 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
Johnson City/ Kingsport... This is where I grew up. It's intensely beautiful. Great outdoor activities. The weather is what you are looking for. But it is intensely conservative, and very religious. ETSU, the local state university is not well regarded even among TN state schools. The other colleges are community (Northeast State Tech) or Christian (King College) The art, music, and theater scene is going to be rather meager. There are some points of interest- Bristol (the third city that makes this known widely as the Tri-Cities) has the Rhythm and Roots Reunion (culminating in a multi-day festival in September) which is pretty great if you love blue grass, folk, and old time country. My parents still live in the area, and I love to visit, but no way could I live there, mainly because of the politics
Nashville is my college town. I just spent a week there, and I am trying to convince my partner that we should move back there. If you want to work in a university setting, there are plenty to choose from- Vanderbilt, MTSU (huge state school 30 miles away in Murfreesboro), TSU, and Belmont off the top of my head. It's one of the liberal outposts in TN... not without a conservative/religious streak mind you, but the diversity of the population makes it much more tolerant than other areas of the south. There's a vibrant gay community. There is an area of the city- East Nashville, that is known for it's arty, funky, hipster vibe. I saw more tattoos there than my last trip the the Lower East Side. The redevelopment in that area is focused on creating a community feeling, including bike/walkability. Arts is a mixed bag... it's a musical nirvana. Whatever you want to hear is there. Actual art and theater... not a strong point. Cost of living is great. Employment is strong. The city itself has some lovely parts and some ugly parts, but you are only minutes drive from fantastic state parks. I'm biased, but you might take a look. Although it may be a bit bigger than you want, and it's totally sliced and diced by interstates.
Knoxville have virtually no impression of, even though I've been there many times. Big uni town with UT there, but still very conservative.
posted by kimdog at 5:16 PM on May 11, 2011
Nashville is my college town. I just spent a week there, and I am trying to convince my partner that we should move back there. If you want to work in a university setting, there are plenty to choose from- Vanderbilt, MTSU (huge state school 30 miles away in Murfreesboro), TSU, and Belmont off the top of my head. It's one of the liberal outposts in TN... not without a conservative/religious streak mind you, but the diversity of the population makes it much more tolerant than other areas of the south. There's a vibrant gay community. There is an area of the city- East Nashville, that is known for it's arty, funky, hipster vibe. I saw more tattoos there than my last trip the the Lower East Side. The redevelopment in that area is focused on creating a community feeling, including bike/walkability. Arts is a mixed bag... it's a musical nirvana. Whatever you want to hear is there. Actual art and theater... not a strong point. Cost of living is great. Employment is strong. The city itself has some lovely parts and some ugly parts, but you are only minutes drive from fantastic state parks. I'm biased, but you might take a look. Although it may be a bit bigger than you want, and it's totally sliced and diced by interstates.
Knoxville have virtually no impression of, even though I've been there many times. Big uni town with UT there, but still very conservative.
posted by kimdog at 5:16 PM on May 11, 2011
findmyspot.com seems to be a collection of advertising links. Can you explain when you used that site and what it did for you, as your mentioning it twice, yet there being zero content there of any use to anything except earning someone else money per click is confusing me.
posted by Brockles at 5:19 PM on May 11, 2011
posted by Brockles at 5:19 PM on May 11, 2011
Cost of living in Asheville, NC is pretty high, but I think Raleigh-Durham would be a pretty good alternate. Maybe not quite as liberal as Asheville, but certainly better than West Virginia.
posted by Rock Steady at 5:20 PM on May 11, 2011
posted by Rock Steady at 5:20 PM on May 11, 2011
brockies -- findyourspot.com. It's pretty much a... collection of advertising links, but with a questionable quiz. =)
posted by mmdei at 5:20 PM on May 11, 2011
posted by mmdei at 5:20 PM on May 11, 2011
i grew up in kingsport in the 70s and 80s, and hated it. fled the moment i could. it's intensely conservative (and i am not). johnson city is better because of the school there (ETSU), but marginally. the vibe in that area tends towards: poor, obese, undereducated. employment there is horrible.
if you can get past all the bullshit of modern, poor tennessee, the historical culture is glorious. music, food, and nature, all worth celebrating.
knoxville, i love. the rootsy, historically-reverent culture currently dominant in the region (see: bonnaroo and yeehaw) began there. employment is diverse, so is the economy, and it's made more interesting by UTK's presence.
posted by patricking at 5:23 PM on May 11, 2011
if you can get past all the bullshit of modern, poor tennessee, the historical culture is glorious. music, food, and nature, all worth celebrating.
knoxville, i love. the rootsy, historically-reverent culture currently dominant in the region (see: bonnaroo and yeehaw) began there. employment is diverse, so is the economy, and it's made more interesting by UTK's presence.
posted by patricking at 5:23 PM on May 11, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks all- appreciate the info - please keep it coming! Brokies - used it as I'm pretty sure I'd seen it mentioned here on the green for getting a starting place on different cities to look at. No affiliation, and the repeat is simply a matter of poor editing on my part.
posted by korej at 5:26 PM on May 11, 2011
posted by korej at 5:26 PM on May 11, 2011
Smaller than Bellingham, but I gather similar in some ways, is the town where I live: Olympia, WA.
posted by epersonae at 5:28 PM on May 11, 2011
posted by epersonae at 5:28 PM on May 11, 2011
Easy answer: Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill. Three college towns all right next to each other. Raleigh is a great mid-size city, while Chapel Hill is the consummate college town. Nestled in the middle of all three cities is Research Triangle Park.
You've got the Smokey Mountains two hours to the West and the beach three hours to the East. And it's not as far South as you think--Washington DC is a 4.5 hour drive.
posted by stevenstevo at 5:44 PM on May 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
You've got the Smokey Mountains two hours to the West and the beach three hours to the East. And it's not as far South as you think--Washington DC is a 4.5 hour drive.
posted by stevenstevo at 5:44 PM on May 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
Bloomington, Indiana. Columbus, Ohio. And the triangle in North Carolina, or Asheville.
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 5:45 PM on May 11, 2011
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 5:45 PM on May 11, 2011
Note: It's FindYourSpot, not FindMYSpot.
posted by elsietheeel at 5:52 PM on May 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by elsietheeel at 5:52 PM on May 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
Apologies to epersonae in advance, because I'm sure Olympia is great for some folks, but I lived there a year and hated it but I'll try to keep down the snark.
Oly meets your criteria for liberalness and LOTS of outdoorsy things to do (kayaking!!). It is vaguely seasonal, but instead of sunny, snowy winter you've got PacNor drizzle and grayness, but you've got that anywhere in the PacNor. Theres a big urban agriculture scene.
It has Evergreen State College and a fair amount of grass roots, community based art stuff happening, but in general I found the "art" and college scenes to be tiresome and repetitive and limited to mediocre local acts, and that goes for music, art, theater and all. Lots of holier than thou wannabe Jack Kerouac types.
posted by dahliachewswell at 5:58 PM on May 11, 2011
Oly meets your criteria for liberalness and LOTS of outdoorsy things to do (kayaking!!). It is vaguely seasonal, but instead of sunny, snowy winter you've got PacNor drizzle and grayness, but you've got that anywhere in the PacNor. Theres a big urban agriculture scene.
It has Evergreen State College and a fair amount of grass roots, community based art stuff happening, but in general I found the "art" and college scenes to be tiresome and repetitive and limited to mediocre local acts, and that goes for music, art, theater and all. Lots of holier than thou wannabe Jack Kerouac types.
posted by dahliachewswell at 5:58 PM on May 11, 2011
It really sounds like Charlottesville, VA ought to be on your list, too. It's not a small school area --it's UVA, which is Big University-- but the town itself is relatively small, surrounded by rural counties. The net result is a cultural hotspot with a medium-small-town coziness. Plus, you would be 40 minutes away from the middle of gosh-darn nowhere in any direction you pick, but only an hour and a half out from a metropolitan area (Richmond, VA...not the nicest of metropolitan areas, but cities always have a few attractions worth keeping within arm's reach), and about 3 from DC. Definitely four seasons, with gorgeous springs, a reasonable chance of snow in the winter, and crisp falls. Summers are *HOT*. Plus humid :P But do add it to your list of alternatives. It has everything you mentioned, UVA may be big, but but having a fantastic teaching/research hospital close to hand isn't a bad thing.
Oh, regarding real estate: Charlottesville's not hugely expensive, but not super-cheap either. It sits smack dab in the center of Albemarle county, one of the wealthiest counties in the country, taken per capita (you'd never guess it. But there's some Big Money in them thar hills). Albemarle real estate is markedly more expensive (and gorgeous horse country). But three inches on the other side of the line, real estate is "the counties" is dirt.frickin'.cheap. So there's a lot of latitude in terms of real estate pricing within a 30 minute radius.
posted by Ys at 6:01 PM on May 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
Oh, regarding real estate: Charlottesville's not hugely expensive, but not super-cheap either. It sits smack dab in the center of Albemarle county, one of the wealthiest counties in the country, taken per capita (you'd never guess it. But there's some Big Money in them thar hills). Albemarle real estate is markedly more expensive (and gorgeous horse country). But three inches on the other side of the line, real estate is "the counties" is dirt.frickin'.cheap. So there's a lot of latitude in terms of real estate pricing within a 30 minute radius.
posted by Ys at 6:01 PM on May 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
Easy answer: Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill. Three college towns all right next to each other. Raleigh is a great mid-size city, while Chapel Hill is the consummate college town. Nestled in the middle of all three cities is Research Triangle Park.
...And Durham itself, which is more liberal than Raleigh and more affordable than Chapel Hill/Carrboro, with a great social justice and artsy scene.
posted by hydropsyche at 6:14 PM on May 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
...And Durham itself, which is more liberal than Raleigh and more affordable than Chapel Hill/Carrboro, with a great social justice and artsy scene.
posted by hydropsyche at 6:14 PM on May 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
How about Shepherdstown, WV?
It's in the tri-state (WV, VA, MD) panhandle, 90 minutes from DC. You would be a 20-mile drive to Brunswick, MD, where MARC commuter trains run into DC Monday-Friday. Amtrak passes through a few times a week Martinsburg, WV, 9 miles away.
Job opportunities exist at Shepherd College in the town; Shenandoah University in Winchester, 34 miles away; and Hood College in Frederick, 32 miles away. Hiking: you would be close to the Appalachian Trail and Shenandoah National Park; biking, the C&O towpath (now with a mostly completed connection to take you all the way to Pittsburgh, if you wanted).
The University hosts the Contemporary American Theater Festival every year--you're not too late to check out this year's offerings on July 8 - 31.
Animal welfare: PETA's headquarters is in Hampton Roads, VA--not close enough to work at, but close enough to visit (and they have volunteer opportunities all over).
And you would be close enough to the DC area to use the airports (Dulles and BWI) and link up to the I-95 corridor for travel. The closer you get to DC, the more liberal it gets, though I'm sure you'll find kindred spirits in any college town.
posted by apartment dweller at 6:14 PM on May 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
It's in the tri-state (WV, VA, MD) panhandle, 90 minutes from DC. You would be a 20-mile drive to Brunswick, MD, where MARC commuter trains run into DC Monday-Friday. Amtrak passes through a few times a week Martinsburg, WV, 9 miles away.
Job opportunities exist at Shepherd College in the town; Shenandoah University in Winchester, 34 miles away; and Hood College in Frederick, 32 miles away. Hiking: you would be close to the Appalachian Trail and Shenandoah National Park; biking, the C&O towpath (now with a mostly completed connection to take you all the way to Pittsburgh, if you wanted).
The University hosts the Contemporary American Theater Festival every year--you're not too late to check out this year's offerings on July 8 - 31.
Animal welfare: PETA's headquarters is in Hampton Roads, VA--not close enough to work at, but close enough to visit (and they have volunteer opportunities all over).
And you would be close enough to the DC area to use the airports (Dulles and BWI) and link up to the I-95 corridor for travel. The closer you get to DC, the more liberal it gets, though I'm sure you'll find kindred spirits in any college town.
posted by apartment dweller at 6:14 PM on May 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
You have Asheville, NC on your list. I lived there for a while and when I lived there it was everything on your list and beautiful to boot. Loved it. I've also lived in the pacific northwest (WA, OR, etc...) and in my humble opinion Asheville is a little spot in the east that is much like the PNW.
posted by patheral at 6:42 PM on May 11, 2011
posted by patheral at 6:42 PM on May 11, 2011
Seconding Charlottesville / environs. It's not the cheapest place in the world to live, but man, it is gorgeous.
I mostly grew up there, decided not to go to UVa because I felt stifled, and while I don't regret my school choice I do somewhat regret leaving.
posted by charmcityblues at 6:42 PM on May 11, 2011
I mostly grew up there, decided not to go to UVa because I felt stifled, and while I don't regret my school choice I do somewhat regret leaving.
posted by charmcityblues at 6:42 PM on May 11, 2011
I remember using Sperling's Best Places before to help me find a place to live. I wounded up in Austin, and couldn't be happier. If you're considering the pacific northwest, you might consider Portland.
posted by philosophistry at 6:42 PM on May 11, 2011
posted by philosophistry at 6:42 PM on May 11, 2011
Chattanooga has a lot of what you're looking for, and it's cheaper than Asheville.
posted by mareli at 6:49 PM on May 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by mareli at 6:49 PM on May 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
I second Shepherdstown, WV, it is a lovely little town with tons of hiking opportunities nearby in each direction. Not to mention civil war battle fields galore if you're interested in history. In addition to Shepherd college, there's an OPM training center there as well and its next to Harpers Ferry as well which is another historic jewel. Being so close to DC, you'd have a wealth of oppty for cultural activities both in DC and NOVA, and Winchester is a lovely nearby town. There's also a bunch of wineries out there (VA wine isn't so great but the wineries are a lovely way to spend the day. we sometimes stop after a day of hiking for a taste).
Another idea was Williamstown, MA. My bro went to Williams and what you describe is exactly how he described the town.
posted by dmbfan93 at 6:51 PM on May 11, 2011
Another idea was Williamstown, MA. My bro went to Williams and what you describe is exactly how he described the town.
posted by dmbfan93 at 6:51 PM on May 11, 2011
Columbia, Missouri, is the town for you.
Columbia does meet most of your requirements, but it's known to have fairly hot/humid summers and somewhat snowy/blizzardy winters. You might want to check its weather history for the past several years and see if meets your definition of "hopefully not too extreme of weather". (Springs and autumns were great when I lived there, though.)
posted by lisa g at 6:53 PM on May 11, 2011
Columbia does meet most of your requirements, but it's known to have fairly hot/humid summers and somewhat snowy/blizzardy winters. You might want to check its weather history for the past several years and see if meets your definition of "hopefully not too extreme of weather". (Springs and autumns were great when I lived there, though.)
posted by lisa g at 6:53 PM on May 11, 2011
I've lived in Asheville for 7 years and love it for many of the same reasons that put it on your list, but if my business went under I'd have to leave. CW on the job thing is bring your own or scrabble about in poverty for a few years.
You'd have to see it to understand why so many people take the risk.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 7:05 PM on May 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
You'd have to see it to understand why so many people take the risk.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 7:05 PM on May 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
I'll third Charlottesville. For a reasonably small town (40K or so in the actual town, but Albemarle county sort of serves as its "metropolitan area") it's pretty cosmopolitan as far as cultural events, even beyond those put on by departments at UVa.
posted by LionIndex at 7:15 PM on May 11, 2011
posted by LionIndex at 7:15 PM on May 11, 2011
Unless New England weather is what you consider too extreme, and you can be flexible about lower than average cost of living, you've described the Five College/Pioneer Valley area of western Massachusetts pretty accurately. Between Northampton, Amherst, and Easthampton, everything you are looking for is here. The cost of living is decent by New England standards, but it's definitely not small-town South cheap.
posted by otters walk among us at 7:27 PM on May 11, 2011
posted by otters walk among us at 7:27 PM on May 11, 2011
I live in Knoxville.
Its pretty safe, small college city, an arts and music scene.
There are a lot of Christian conservatives but you can ignore them like I do. Even better if you are one, though.
Four seasons that are pretty even as opposed to the most northeast.
The smokies/gatlinburg is a 25-40 minute drive with all the hiking you can imagine.
Waterfall hikes are prominent in several surrounding areas.
Greenways, parks, trails, lakes, etc.
Rafting and tubing.
Everyone is pretty friendly.
UNiversity of Tennessee has job openings frequently. There are some larger DOE/environmental companies in the area and in Oak Ridge.
Cost of living is cheap compared to the other places I've lived before.
Lots of festivals throughout the year.
posted by KogeLiz at 7:27 PM on May 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
Its pretty safe, small college city, an arts and music scene.
There are a lot of Christian conservatives but you can ignore them like I do. Even better if you are one, though.
Four seasons that are pretty even as opposed to the most northeast.
The smokies/gatlinburg is a 25-40 minute drive with all the hiking you can imagine.
Waterfall hikes are prominent in several surrounding areas.
Greenways, parks, trails, lakes, etc.
Rafting and tubing.
Everyone is pretty friendly.
UNiversity of Tennessee has job openings frequently. There are some larger DOE/environmental companies in the area and in Oak Ridge.
Cost of living is cheap compared to the other places I've lived before.
Lots of festivals throughout the year.
posted by KogeLiz at 7:27 PM on May 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
Before you consider anything in the soggy coastal Pacific Northwest proper, consider how much you like seeing the sun. Seriously. A friend of mine defected back to Minneapolis, in winter, because she was getting medicatably depressed by not seeing the sun for 3 months (man, that was a cloudy, cloudy year). I live in Portland, Oregon. The job market is getting better, but it's not great; on the other hand, the cost of living is very low, so it is possible to scrape by with a part-time job until you figure out what you're doing.
I can't speak to the job market in Bend, Oregon, but everyone I know who lives there loves it - very liberal, lots of outdoorsy stuff, easy access to winter sports. There's a lot more clear weather there.
Ashland, Oregon: home to Southern Oregon University, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Two biggest employers: same as the two above. I've only visited and have no clue what it's like to actually live there, but there's a pretty good theater scene year round.
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 7:48 PM on May 11, 2011
I can't speak to the job market in Bend, Oregon, but everyone I know who lives there loves it - very liberal, lots of outdoorsy stuff, easy access to winter sports. There's a lot more clear weather there.
Ashland, Oregon: home to Southern Oregon University, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Two biggest employers: same as the two above. I've only visited and have no clue what it's like to actually live there, but there's a pretty good theater scene year round.
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 7:48 PM on May 11, 2011
I didn't post an answer because I figured somebody else would say Madison. But nobody did! So: Madison. Medium-sized college town, liberal, lots of biking/nature, lots of music/art, maybe a little less theater, easy access to Chicago when you need big city stuff. Direct, pretty short flights to NYC and DC. Four seasons, weather not extreme if you're used to an East Coast winter (about 10 degrees colder but more sun, less snow.) Not as cheap as West Virginia but way cheaper than the coasts.
posted by escabeche at 8:50 PM on May 11, 2011
posted by escabeche at 8:50 PM on May 11, 2011
I live in Olympia, and I have to say, the rain builds character. Also, three months without even seeing the sun once is an exaggeration. It's generally only two and a half months.
Olympia is home to Evergreen. The Riot Grrl movement. Nirvana wrote Nevermind while living here. K records is here, Kill Rock Stars and Sub Pop were started here. Wolves In The Throne Room. Huge transgendered scene. Satanist bars and coffee shops. The Olympics. Mt. Rainier. Seattle is one hour north, Portland is an hour and a half south. Did I mention it rains a lot?
posted by special agent conrad uno at 8:52 PM on May 11, 2011
Olympia is home to Evergreen. The Riot Grrl movement. Nirvana wrote Nevermind while living here. K records is here, Kill Rock Stars and Sub Pop were started here. Wolves In The Throne Room. Huge transgendered scene. Satanist bars and coffee shops. The Olympics. Mt. Rainier. Seattle is one hour north, Portland is an hour and a half south. Did I mention it rains a lot?
posted by special agent conrad uno at 8:52 PM on May 11, 2011
I think pretty much anything west of the Cascades is going to be soggy and cloudy, Comrade Uno.
(I liked what little of Olympia I saw a few years ago when I missed a bus transfer. Then again, the high point was wandering through the Olympia Supply Co. for an hour waiting for the rain to stop)
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 9:35 PM on May 11, 2011
(I liked what little of Olympia I saw a few years ago when I missed a bus transfer. Then again, the high point was wandering through the Olympia Supply Co. for an hour waiting for the rain to stop)
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 9:35 PM on May 11, 2011
My dad lives in Belllingham, WA and I absolutely hate the place. The scenery is beautiful, no doubt about it, and hell, I don't even mind the rain. To be blunt, it's the people. You've got about 50% hillbilly meth-heads and 50% holier-than-thou libruls.
Speaking as something of a holier-than-thou librul myself, a few days in Bellingham make me want to puke.
It's not cheap, either. Refugees from California have been pouring in there for a few decades now driving up real estate prices, and local taxes are high.
I think it's a nice place to retire (like my Dad did) but it's not place for somebody in their prime working years. It's provincial as hell, meaning if you didn't go to Western (Western Washington University) you will be an outcast. God forbid you actually went to a better school than Western, because you will be blackballed from any sort of gainful, middle-class employment immediately.
Interestingly enough, I've also lived in Charlottesville, Virginia. It's nice but as mentioned a) kind of pricey and b) disgustingly hot and humid in the summer.
As far as other east coast places worth checking out, I regularly hear good things about Richmond, Virginia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (although again, you've got some extreme weather in those places).
posted by bardic at 11:51 PM on May 11, 2011
Speaking as something of a holier-than-thou librul myself, a few days in Bellingham make me want to puke.
It's not cheap, either. Refugees from California have been pouring in there for a few decades now driving up real estate prices, and local taxes are high.
I think it's a nice place to retire (like my Dad did) but it's not place for somebody in their prime working years. It's provincial as hell, meaning if you didn't go to Western (Western Washington University) you will be an outcast. God forbid you actually went to a better school than Western, because you will be blackballed from any sort of gainful, middle-class employment immediately.
Interestingly enough, I've also lived in Charlottesville, Virginia. It's nice but as mentioned a) kind of pricey and b) disgustingly hot and humid in the summer.
As far as other east coast places worth checking out, I regularly hear good things about Richmond, Virginia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (although again, you've got some extreme weather in those places).
posted by bardic at 11:51 PM on May 11, 2011
I'm also from Johnson City, and i'm with kimdog -- it would be a great place to live, if everyone weren't so intensely conservative. I fled as soon as I could and ended up moving to another country, if that gives you any idea. I would recommend Asheville instead - it was always the much cooler cousin that we drove to for good music and fun when I was growing up.
posted by ukdanae at 12:09 AM on May 12, 2011
posted by ukdanae at 12:09 AM on May 12, 2011
ivan ivanych samovar, only an hour? (for the rain the stop, that is. the joke being that it never stops. the ultra-joke being that the previous sentence is actually true.)
bardic, I agree with this sentiment of Bellingham. That place blows. It's like Eugene or Corvallis. Supposedly liberal, educated, interesting small city. In actuality the dominant culture is either the PNW version of frat bros, or local fucking lunatics. Olympia is not like this. Honestly. Nor is Anacortes*. Only Bellingham and Eugene and Corvallis, and honestly it's that fucking huge college-which-dominates-the-city that is the root of these problems.
*I totally recommend Anacortes. That's place has rad things happening.
posted by special agent conrad uno at 1:53 AM on May 12, 2011
bardic, I agree with this sentiment of Bellingham. That place blows. It's like Eugene or Corvallis. Supposedly liberal, educated, interesting small city. In actuality the dominant culture is either the PNW version of frat bros, or local fucking lunatics. Olympia is not like this. Honestly. Nor is Anacortes*. Only Bellingham and Eugene and Corvallis, and honestly it's that fucking huge college-which-dominates-the-city that is the root of these problems.
*I totally recommend Anacortes. That's place has rad things happening.
posted by special agent conrad uno at 1:53 AM on May 12, 2011
Anacortes is beautiful, but I'd worry about the job situation if you didn't have something already lined up.
My plan is to marry a Canadian so I can move to Vancouver.
posted by bardic at 3:54 AM on May 12, 2011
My plan is to marry a Canadian so I can move to Vancouver.
posted by bardic at 3:54 AM on May 12, 2011
I've got a friend who lives in, and loves, Knoxville. Her sentiments pretty much echo what Kogeliz says. It's stupid gorgeous around there, and I think the cost of living is a bit lower than Asheville or Raleigh-Durham.
posted by SomeTrickPony at 4:34 AM on May 12, 2011
posted by SomeTrickPony at 4:34 AM on May 12, 2011
I live in Johnson City!
I moved here as a teenager, went away for school, and moved back a few years ago. I didn't plan to stick around for the reasons the posters mention above (namely how conservative it can be), but as I've spent more time here as an adult, I am really happy and can see myself staying here for a long time.
The greatest thing about Johnson City is that it's so beautiful. Every season is lovely- I wish I had a picture or the mountain rhododendrons to show you because they look amazing right now! The second greatest thing is that it's dirt cheap to live here. Having lived in Florida, I am constantly shocked by the low cost of housing, especially. The only issue is that sales tax is high at almost 10%. Having ETSU in town is nice because there's always something to do, there are lots of cheap restaurants near campus springing up all the time. ETSU isn't doing as well financially as many would wish, so I'm not sure the job situation is that great, but overall JC and the Tri-Cities have not been hit as hard economically in the past few years (and the housing market didn't go as crazy as it did other places). ETSU is mainly a commuter campus, and it has a lot of non-traditional students. It has one of the two public medical schools in TN, a new pharmacy school, and a great education program.
As for the conservative nature of the area- what can I say? It's Tennessee, it's going to be more conservative than other areas. But to put it in perspective, I work at a fossil site that's millions of years old and I rarely encounter people who give me a problem about it or want to bend my ear about creationism. In fact, many of the locals seem pretty excited that there's a fossil site nearby. People are constantly telling that they know someone who was on the construction crew who found the site- it's a source of local pride. Are there conservatives here whose views don't even remotely match mine- sure there are! But overall I haven't found it to be nearly as overt as it is in Memphis or other parts of the deep south. I go to a very liberal church (and there's more than one to choose from!) and I know a number of people who don't go to church at all and don't get hassled over it.
Overall, I'm surprised I love it so much here. I don't know if it would be the right fit for you, but it seems to be growing and changing every day. Now that it's warmer, the street festivals are starting, the hikers and bikers are out, the flowers are blooming over the land, and you couldn't pry me out of here.
posted by Mouse Army at 1:48 PM on May 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
I moved here as a teenager, went away for school, and moved back a few years ago. I didn't plan to stick around for the reasons the posters mention above (namely how conservative it can be), but as I've spent more time here as an adult, I am really happy and can see myself staying here for a long time.
The greatest thing about Johnson City is that it's so beautiful. Every season is lovely- I wish I had a picture or the mountain rhododendrons to show you because they look amazing right now! The second greatest thing is that it's dirt cheap to live here. Having lived in Florida, I am constantly shocked by the low cost of housing, especially. The only issue is that sales tax is high at almost 10%. Having ETSU in town is nice because there's always something to do, there are lots of cheap restaurants near campus springing up all the time. ETSU isn't doing as well financially as many would wish, so I'm not sure the job situation is that great, but overall JC and the Tri-Cities have not been hit as hard economically in the past few years (and the housing market didn't go as crazy as it did other places). ETSU is mainly a commuter campus, and it has a lot of non-traditional students. It has one of the two public medical schools in TN, a new pharmacy school, and a great education program.
As for the conservative nature of the area- what can I say? It's Tennessee, it's going to be more conservative than other areas. But to put it in perspective, I work at a fossil site that's millions of years old and I rarely encounter people who give me a problem about it or want to bend my ear about creationism. In fact, many of the locals seem pretty excited that there's a fossil site nearby. People are constantly telling that they know someone who was on the construction crew who found the site- it's a source of local pride. Are there conservatives here whose views don't even remotely match mine- sure there are! But overall I haven't found it to be nearly as overt as it is in Memphis or other parts of the deep south. I go to a very liberal church (and there's more than one to choose from!) and I know a number of people who don't go to church at all and don't get hassled over it.
Overall, I'm surprised I love it so much here. I don't know if it would be the right fit for you, but it seems to be growing and changing every day. Now that it's warmer, the street festivals are starting, the hikers and bikers are out, the flowers are blooming over the land, and you couldn't pry me out of here.
posted by Mouse Army at 1:48 PM on May 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
I currently live in Lincoln, NE, and it's a pretty nice small city. Good farmer's market, lots of bike trails, great medical facilities. The university means that there are concerts, several good museums, an art scene. People are friendly, housing is much much cheaper (then again, I came here from the East Coast) and you've got easy access to Omaha or Kansas City. The weather is a bit more extreme - hot summers, cold winters, and while it's a fairly liberal town it's in the middle of a very conservative area. Really, my biggest issue with being here is that it's a bit distant from friends and family, all of whom are still on the East Coast.
posted by PussKillian at 1:53 PM on May 12, 2011
posted by PussKillian at 1:53 PM on May 12, 2011
Bellingham isn't great about having four seasons, although its otherwise a lovely town.
posted by Neofelis at 3:22 PM on May 12, 2011
posted by Neofelis at 3:22 PM on May 12, 2011
This may fall into "too extreme weather," but Kalamazoo, MI. el_lupino and I moved there for him to take a three-year job at K'zoo College. We're both from the mid-Atlantic (me D.C., him Baltimore) and we found it a surprisingly enjoyable place to live.
It was a good place for culture b/c a lot of bands would stop at the gorgeous State Theatre between Detroit and Chicago (2.5 hours to the former, 3 to the latter; there's also Amtrak right through town), and national theatre tours would come to Miller Auditorium at Western Michigan University. There was an art hop, a film society, and that's just the beginning of the cultural stuff. It's really quite impressive for how small the place is.
There's also a vibrant, walkable downtown, Bell's Brewery, a really excellent farmer's market May through Thanksgiving, and a bunch of great restaurants. There's tons of outdoorsy stuff to do - Michiganders make the most of every nice day for sure (no A/C needed in the summer), and they make the most of the snow, too. And the town is beautiful - tons of gorgeous old houses and leafy streets. Plus it's cheap.
And if you have kids, or plan to have them, check out the Kalamazoo Promise.
One issue, but it's a big one: I know the job situation is bad in Michigan.
posted by jocelmeow at 4:37 PM on May 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
It was a good place for culture b/c a lot of bands would stop at the gorgeous State Theatre between Detroit and Chicago (2.5 hours to the former, 3 to the latter; there's also Amtrak right through town), and national theatre tours would come to Miller Auditorium at Western Michigan University. There was an art hop, a film society, and that's just the beginning of the cultural stuff. It's really quite impressive for how small the place is.
There's also a vibrant, walkable downtown, Bell's Brewery, a really excellent farmer's market May through Thanksgiving, and a bunch of great restaurants. There's tons of outdoorsy stuff to do - Michiganders make the most of every nice day for sure (no A/C needed in the summer), and they make the most of the snow, too. And the town is beautiful - tons of gorgeous old houses and leafy streets. Plus it's cheap.
And if you have kids, or plan to have them, check out the Kalamazoo Promise.
One issue, but it's a big one: I know the job situation is bad in Michigan.
posted by jocelmeow at 4:37 PM on May 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thank you all - we're sorting through the list, pulling data, and I think we've got a number of road trips in our future!
posted by korej at 1:13 PM on May 18, 2011
posted by korej at 1:13 PM on May 18, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by cyndigo at 4:55 PM on May 11, 2011