I've been mulling over the idea of moving again. After 3 long shitty years of being here, I still despise east TN as much as the day I moved here. I also have no desire to move back to my hometown in VA.
I'm really open to anything. All I ask for, in order of importance, is:
At least a little building still going on (I'm a carpenter)
Manageable cost of living (somewhere I can live on $35K-$50K, and not live in my truck)
Decent music scene (lots of bands and venues)
Shit to do
Less than 2 hours to a respectable airport
Decent roads to ride
I am considering applying for jobs in Charlotte, Nashville and Phoenix but don't really know where else to look. I think I would like to move closer to the left coast, since I've never been further west than Memphis. Also, I own guns, a pitbull and prefer to CCW where legal, so I'm sure that there are cities that probably don't want me.
Lots of rebuilding going on in Houston, TX and the surrounding area and it has most of your list covered except decent roads (have to ride an hour outside of the area to begin to find any).
Inland Empire CA
Quote from: trouble on December 01, 2008, 07:31:27 PM
Inland Empire CA
Not entirely sold on the "things to do" part of the IE but then again I'm kind of a hermit.
I know it might sound funny because every time a boring place is mentioned in movies or tv its Ohio but you really might like Columbus.
Cost of living is right in your range. Housing market sucks here so you could get a decent place fairly cheep but there are lots of apartment complexes being built along with a good bit of bigger businesses expanding for work. We have a really great Ducati Club here in town (Desmohio). Music scene is awesome (lots of venues (big and small) and bigger bands always stop here). NHL (Blue Jackets) AFL (Destroyers) of course the Buckeyes. Awesome roads an hour or so south of Columbus. The Hocking hills and Southern Ohio is a great place to ride with lots of twisties. Plenty of other crap to do here musuems, art, two or three nice areas with great art, dining, and bar scenes for all different types of personalities. Plus two other big cities are about an hour and a half away (Cinnci and Cleveland). Oh yeah the theme park with the most coasters on the planet is 2 hours away as well as another really big amusement park in Cinnci. Camping, hunting, fishing. Just about anything you could want you can find within 2 hours of Columbus and much more affordable than most places.
You've been PM'd.
Where in VA are you from?
I live in MD but Im considering moving to Loudoun County, VA; Leesburg or Lucketts specifically. Beautiful country, CCW Permit friendly, music ranges from live Bluegrass in Lucketts all the way to Name your Death Metal band playing at the 9:30 club, 35 miles away, great backroads up through Harpers Ferry/Point of Rocks. Am I forgetting anything?
Oh yea, there should be a crapload of houses on the market after the first of the year. Should be some killer deals.
Quote from: rgramjet on December 01, 2008, 07:51:47 PMat the 9:30 club
Wow, I haven't heard that in years. I used to go when it was the "Atlantis Club". In the early 70's. ;D
Quote from: rgramjet on December 01, 2008, 07:51:47 PM
Where in VA are you from?
I'm from Staunton, about 45 min east of Charlottesville.
Quote from: Bick on December 01, 2008, 07:39:32 PM
You've been PM'd.
Appreciate it!! I'll keep it in mind for sure.
Austin is cool
they are always building in FL cause of hurricanes.
Utah sucks
don't move here
Virginia beach is nice
+1 for Norfolk/Virginia Beach.
In your price range, good music scene, gun shows every month or so, airport(ORF), beach full of squiffy all summer, decent fishing and hunting within an hours travel, some decent scenic rides, but it's all completely, totally flat. Flat as a pancake, flat as Kansas. I'm a contractor, and we're working. Maybe not as much as we'd like, but working.
Quote from: Bun-bun on December 01, 2008, 09:28:40 PM
+1 for Norfolk/Virginia Beach.
In your price range, good music scene, gun shows every month or so, airport(ORF), beach full of squiffy all summer, decent fishing and hunting within an hours travel, some decent scenic rides, but it's all completely, totally flat. Flat as a pancake, flat as Kansas. I'm a contractor, and we're working. Maybe not as much as we'd like, but working.
You live there Bun-Bun? My dad is actually thinking about moving back there since he and mom split up.
My mom and pregnant sister are realtors in Michigan. Move there. They need the $ badly.
The western coast of Michigan is beautiful! (In summer and fall.) ;D
Between Chattanooga, Tn and Grenville, SC is good living and the roads are great.
Building's gonna be slow for a while at best anywhere you go, but the housing market down here is not as bad as many areas of the country.
You around Knoxville? That's pretty good country too.
Asheville, NC is good too.
Southeast is the best IMHO.
LA
Quote from: LA on December 01, 2008, 10:06:22 PM
Between Chattanooga, Tn and Grenville, SC is good living and the roads are great.
Building's gonna be slow for a while at best anywhere you go, but the housing market down here is not as bad as many areas of the country.
You around Knoxville? That's pretty good country too.
Asheville, NC is good too.
SouthWEST is the best IMHO.
LA
Fixed for ya [thumbsup]
Houston or Austin.
I would look into property around Ouray.
Every jackass on here is going to invite you to the state they live in, fyi.
Which is weird-we all know California's the best ;)
Quote from: LA on December 01, 2008, 10:06:22 PM
You around Knoxville? That's pretty good country too.
Asheville, NC is good too.
Knoxville and Asheville are both 1.25 hours away, and I work in both towns a lot, especially Knoxville. Knoxville is pretty cool, I usually spend my weekends doing shit there. But I'm kinda over it.
I'm really looking to go somewhere new. Phoenix really, really interests me, but I don't know if I can deal with that kinda summer heat for that long.
Also, somewhere w/ an abundance of decent looking women would be nice. That's one thing we do seem to have plenty of here in TN.
Quote from: Timmy Tucker on December 01, 2008, 08:32:24 PM
I'm from Staunton, about 45 min east of Charlottesville.
Yer from Staunton?? That explains alot! ;D
That prison for the criminally insane creeps me out even on a bright sunny day! Cool history there though.
Quote from: Timmy Tucker on December 01, 2008, 07:14:53 PM
Also, I own guns, a pitbull and prefer to CCW where legal, so I'm sure that there are cities that probably don't want me.
Well, California isn't for you [thumbsup]
-1 to Columbus, OH
It sucks here.
Portland or Fort Collins.
Both have everything youre looking for and Portland can be year-round riding if you dont mind rain...
Albuquerque ,NM
ya i know it doesnt sound like much [roll]
but its actually not that bad! its not that big of a city easy to get around, cheap cost of living, close airport...
we have the Crest for some good twities!( which is close for lunch time wuick ride) and were only 3-4 hrs away from really spankin twisties in CO!
the music scene isnt too bad! we dont very many awesome spankin bands....alot of the local bands are pretty good!
ummm...oh and we have year round riding weather...alot people move here for the climate! winters arent that cold and summers not hot! [thumbsup]
[moto] [moto] [moto] [moto]
San Antonio or Austin. Both are the gateway to the beautiful Texas hill country and meet all your requirements.
Quote from: Timmy Tucker on December 01, 2008, 09:47:24 PM
You live there Bun-Bun? My dad is actually thinking about moving back there since he and mom split up.
Lived here since 1986. It's grown a lot, but you can still find country living within 30 miles, or pick up a decent house in a decent neighborhood in the city for @ $250K. You can even be a trendy asshole and buy a loft in Ghent and walk to all the trendy restaurants to meet your trendy friends. Of course, in that case, the pitbull and the shoulder harness would be frowned upon. ;D
Quote from: Timmy Tucker on December 01, 2008, 10:26:01 PM
Knoxville and Asheville are both 1.25 hours away
I'm 30 minutes from Asheville, maybe 90 or so from Knoxvegas. Asheville can be a really fun town if you live in down town and can walk the bar & downtown scene. Lots of stuff going on within a few blocks. I'm coming to Knoxville on the 22nd for a concert [thumbsup]
Charlotte you or some else mentioned can be good too, there's a few here that live there that can weigh in on that area ~
JM
Quote from: Bun-bun on December 02, 2008, 10:16:58 AM
You can even be a trendy asshole and buy a loft in Ghent and walk to all the trendy restaurants to meet your trendy friends. Of course, in that case, the pitbull and the shoulder harness would be frowned upon. ;D
Those out of style already?
Quote from: somebastid on December 01, 2008, 10:25:46 PM
Every jackass on here is going to invite you to the state they live in, fyi.
Which is weird-we all know California's the best ;)
Stay the make the beast with two backs out of NH... ;D
Seriously there isn't much work, and there isn't much to do unless you live in Manchester or Concord.
Now let's discuss the weather.
Moscow Idaho is great for everything but the music scene. Idaho has nearly nothing when it comes to gun restrictions.
So if California is so great why do you all keep moving to Idaho? hmmmmmmmm? [cheeky]
Quote from: VisceralReaction on December 02, 2008, 12:00:51 PM
So if California is so great why do you all keep moving to Idaho? hmmmmmmmm? [cheeky]
And Austin? And New Orleans? And... :P
Quote from: VisceralReaction on December 02, 2008, 12:00:51 PM
So if California is so great why do you all keep moving to Idaho? hmmmmmmmm? [cheeky]
I have asked the same thing of Texans living here when they go on and on about how much better Texas is.
Quote from: the_Journeyman on December 02, 2008, 10:40:50 AM
I'm coming to Knoxville on the 22nd for a concert [thumbsup]
TSO or O.A.R.?
Quote from: Bun-bun on December 02, 2008, 10:16:58 AM
Lived here since 1986. It's grown a lot, but you can still find country living within 30 miles, or pick up a decent house in a decent neighborhood in the city for @ $250K. You can even be a trendy asshole and buy a loft in Ghent and walk to all the trendy restaurants to meet your trendy friends. Of course, in that case, the pitbull and the shoulder harness would be frowned upon. ;D
I may have told this before (my memory is shite), but that's where I'm originally from. Lived all over Tidewater (mostly Hampton and Newport News) till I was 5. All of dad's family is still there, so I've been visiting there all my life. I even worked there every few weeks back in '03 when I had a management job. Also, there's a road in Hampton named after my family (Brogden LN).
Arizona meets all of your requirements you listed except for your work. It is a "right to work" state, which means most construction/carpentry jobs are filled by unskilled people who are willing to work for not very much money and are usually "day laborers" (read into that whatever you want, you are probably correct). Unions have no strength here.
respect da burgh.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2297/2063810884_8d5ff1b1ff.jpg?v=0)
It's got everything you want, and some things you dont.
But if you like the urban lifestyle, with a cheap price tag, and don't mind more rainy/gray days a year than Seattle... Then you're in for a treat.
EDIT: Forgot to mention the air quality. Recently rated worst in the nation, just above L.A. (although i still think the testing was skewed).
PA is relatively forgiving when it comes to driving/riding offenses though. Only state cops are allowed to use radar guns. Local authorities have to use other methods like lidar and enradd. you can get away with alot here. and more often than not get out of it when you DO get busted.
+1 for Pittsburgh, housing market is stable, lots of music venues and bands pass through all the time. plus you can still travel back to your home town to visit friends.
The Pacific Northwest is nice. Both Portland and Seattle meet your needs except for cost of living. Lots of construction here (maybe more in Seattle???)...you will likely get paid more which may balanace out the cost factor. ???
Quote from: SheMonster on December 03, 2008, 06:16:02 AM
Arizona meets all of your requirements you listed except for your work. It is a "right to work" state, which means most construction/carpentry jobs are filled by unskilled people who are willing to work for not very much money and are usually "day laborers" (read into that whatever you want, you are probably correct). Unions have no strength here.
I wouldn't worry about this too much. I'm in construction in CO, also right to work, and our carpenters get paid very very well. There is a lot of unskilled labor as well, but they don't make carpenters wages.
Colorado is full though, sorry. Try again later.
Quote from: NvrSummer on December 03, 2008, 10:53:14 AM
Colorado is full though, sorry. Try again later.
[laugh]
Quote from: VisceralReaction on December 02, 2008, 12:00:51 PM
Moscow Idaho is great for everything but the music scene. Idaho has nearly nothing when it comes to gun restrictions.
So if California is so great why do you all keep moving to Idaho? hmmmmmmmm? [cheeky]
There are 40M people in CA. A small % of them makes a big dent in a state that, if it were a county in CA, would be the 8th most populus.
Whoever said Phoenix - Phoenix is probably my personal least favorite metropolis I've been to. Strip malls and housing tracts and everything's centered around air conditioning.
^^^^^ +1
I agree I lived in Phoenix for a year and while it was a great time there really isn't that much there and everything starts to blend together. Cyrus disagrees but I still say Columbus has everything you're looking for. Especially the music scene.
Quote from: SheMonster on December 03, 2008, 06:16:02 AM
Arizona meets all of your requirements you listed except for your work. It is a "right to work" state, which means most construction/carpentry jobs are filled by unskilled people who are willing to work for not very much money and are usually "day laborers" (read into that whatever you want, you are probably correct). Unions have no strength here.
Are you maybe referring to the 9% of the population that is illegal?
+1 for Phoenix area. I think you'll like it there. Lots of building, lots of music, hot as hell, 350 days of sunshine a year.
I live in oregon
I think you should move to Seattle, WA
Quote from: MrIncredible on December 01, 2008, 10:25:46 PM
Every jackass on here is going to invite you to the state they live in, fyi.
[cheeky]
California is great if you can afford to live here. Probably higher wages here, but less disposable income b/c of housing costs.