Where should I move??

[gdalicia]

When hubby comes home we are seriously considering relocating. We live in the CA Bay Area and home ownership is a very distant fantasy. Think crappy starter homes in the low 600s....

Now Ellie and Rhonda have already persuaded me to put the KC area on the list of possibilities. Here's what I'm looking for: cheap housing, close to a big city (hubby is NOT into roughing it and needs pro sports close by to feel sane), jobs for Spanish speakers, progressive culture (hey, I'm from CA). I'm currently interested in checking out Austin and Raleigh/Durham.

Any thoughts? Anybody live somewhere that they absolutely love? I'm all ears!

[angela256z]

I live just outside Seattle. I have a one-bedroom with a washer and dryer for $650 a month. It is very diverse here and it is beautiful. You have to deal with a little rain (not as much at everyone thinks), but it is beautiful. If you do choose this area let me know. I have help you find a good area. You want to stay out of the Rainier Beach area, but it's just lovely here. I live 15 minutes from Downtown and there is lots to do here.

[angela256z]

Also if you like to go out dancing Seattle is soooo latin friendly...Check out the site below. I have had my pics on there a few times.

http://www.seattlelatinnights.com/index2.htm

[Laura]

This is fun! Here's my pitch for Milwaukee!!!

Here's what I'm looking for: cheap housing


Our starter home cost $125,000. An ideal house for us around here could be attained for a little over $200,000. If you like burbs, there are a wide range, from quite reasonable, to quite ritzy and expensive. We like living in Milwaukee proper, but it's possible that we will move to one of the older, more urban suburbs like West Allis or Wauwatosa for the schools at some point. We could definitely find a nice bungalow in our price range in these places.

close to a big city (hubby is NOT into roughing it and needs pro sports close by to feel sane)

Well, not only do we have a full line of Wisconsin sports teams (the Green Bay Packers, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Milwaukee Brewers) but we are also just a little more than an hour to Chicago, where you have the Cubs, the Sox, the Bears and the Bulls.

Also, it's great to live an hour from Chicago!!! Other than the traffic, it's a wonderful day trip for a little boost of culture, food and shopping! It's also nice to live close to a major airport, because it means cheaper flights to Mexico and elsewhere. Milwaukee has a nice airport as well, but I always fly out of O'Hare for international to save dinero.

jobs for Spanish speakers

Definitely. Milwaukee has a growing Mexican community. It's hard to say how large it is, but certain neighborhoods are mostly Mexican immigrants. We have great Mexican grocers, a radio station, and a decent enough economy. We also have great, affordable technical colleges. I know tons of immigrants and no one goes jobless. A person with real documents could also get a job in any number of the industries around here. The main places where I know immigrants here work, however, is restaurants. My husband was making $13 per hour before he left... so, I can't really say anything bad about the opportunities available if you are an excellent cook and can manage people.


progressive culture (hey, I'm from CA).

Well, I'm a big fan of progressive culture, and while Milwaukee isn't the most liberal place in the world, Wisconsin is a solid swing state, and we have Russ Feingold :wub: as a Senator. Milwaukee has an up and coming restaurant scene, several universities, and we are also one hour from Madison (home of the great University of Wisconsin!!!), which I could also recommend as a great place to live, and definitely more progressive than Milwaukee. Also, people are really nice in the midwest, but a lot less backward than many people from "coasts" may think. ;)

Gdalicia, maybe you should take a road trip to check out your options? You can most definitely stay with us when you are in Milwaukee. :thumbup:

[angela256z]

Wow give me a minute I have to talk up Seattle more. Look At Laurafern....She knows all about her city. Oh the pressure.:shy:

[angela256z]

When hubby comes home we are seriously considering relocating. We live in the CA Bay Area and home ownership is a very distant fantasy. Think crappy starter homes in the low 600s....

Now Ellie and Rhonda have already persuaded me to put the KC area on the list of possibilities. Here's what I'm looking for: cheap housing, close to a big city (hubby is NOT into roughing it and needs pro sports close by to feel sane), jobs for Spanish speakers, progressive culture (hey, I'm from CA). I'm currently interested in checking out Austin and Raleigh/Durham.

Any thoughts? Anybody live somewhere that they absolutely love? I'm all ears!

OK here goes....Seattle is located on the water which is beautiful. You can buy a house in the city for about $350,000 - $700,000 for a nice one. Just outside of Seattle are many other cities that include Lynnwood, Bothell, Edmonds, Normandy Park, and more. These places you can buy a house for cheaper and only be about 10 - 20 minutes out of the city.

Seattle has the highest minimum wage in the nation. I believe it is $7.93 per hour, but most jobs pay a lot more. I make about $55,000 without a full degree.

We are also the most educated city in the coutry. We have great schools for working adults that give you full degrees.

Seattle is very condensed. It is about 40 miles North to South and 20 miles east to west. East to get around because the freeways all connect in the main area.

We have the Space Needle, EMP, Seattle Center, Wild Waves, Puyallup Fair, Pike Place Market, Pacific Science Center, and mucho mucho mas.

In the summer we have Hispanic Seafair. So much fun. There are bands and music and food. It was last weekend here. We also have Hispanic Puyallup Fair where people like Banda El Recodo and George Lopez come and perform.

[Dorothea]

Lol! You are all too cute!!
Okay, I would say Syracuse, but really the only thing going for us here is cheap housing.
Well, not true, plenty of agriculture! Lol.
Anyway, I guess that I haven't done a really great job promoting the area...
Laura and Angela you both win!

I will say that if you are looking in North Carolina I like Charlotte far better than Raleigh-Durham... Love Asheville!
My brother lives in Pittsburgh and loves it too! Oh, and Rochester, NY is a really great city, despite some problems!
Good luck!!

[meesh]

Well, I have to put in a good word for Portland, OR. My husband and I have lived here for almost 2 years now. We love it!

I like Portland because it is known to be a liberal city, with a progressive outlook. People here seem to be socially active and politically aware. I work at a refugee resettlement agency. There are jobs available for newcomers, but I wouldn't say the wages are high for those with limited experience. In my opinion, Portland is immigrant-friendly, comparatively speaking. Of course, there are exceptions, as we all know. My husband, who is Mexican, feels comfortable here. There is a large Spanish-speaking population too, so he's found his niche.

Plus, we are close to the ocean and the mountains. There are tons of outdoor activies, like hiking, camping, climbing, etc. I don't know about the sport scene, but there really is a lot to do here. It's a big city, but there are smaller cities just outside of Portland. You can find a decently priced home in a nice neighborhood.

I guess I should mention the rain. It happens...a lot. Other than that, it's a great place to live. We don't plan on moving back to Michigan or Alabama, where we previously lived. Oregon is definitely our home now. If you are already accustomed to life on the West coast, Portland seems like a viable option.

[Luckysprite]

I have lived in the suburbs of Minneapolis all of my life. I like it here - and probably will never leave, although housing is becoming more expensive in our area and we are sick of renting, but I have a very close family - and they are all here. The latin community is ever expanding. Minneapolis/St Paul both have great 'latin areas'. The suburbs offer the quieter lifestyle we like - but knowing we are close to the city is a good perk. 30 minutes from both major metropolitan areas. The weather leaves a lot to be desired...you get heat/humidity in the summer and bitter cold in the winter...(do I make you wanna visit here yet...lol) - but if I could live anywhere else in the US - i would have to back angela up here and say I would live near Seattle.

It is the only place that I have vacationed more than once and fell in love each time I was there. The people are super friendly - the culture is above the top - and the coffee....:p I Love it. I also like the ocean/mountains that meet the city. I am a city girl at heart - but love the scenery there - never been to Portland, Meesh, but it sounds like I would enjoy it there too!!!

I definately agree - that the midwest is quieter than the west coast - so I would consider either Portland or Seattle for your future if you like the west coast atmosphere!!!

[angela256z]

i would have to back angela up here and say I would live near Seattle.

It is the only place that I have vacationed more than once and fell in love each time I was there. The people are super friendly - the culture is above the top - and the coffee....:p I Love it. I also like the ocean/mountains that meet the city.


Yummy the coffee...Petes, Starbucks, Tully's, Cafe Ladro, Makes me jump for joy :bounce::bounce:

And if you don't drink coffee we got other yummy stuff.

[Luckysprite]

Angela - My favorite was actually this little stand down near Pike Place....he was off in the back, under the 'bridges' I believe (kind of under the overpass) in almost an alley. He was cheap - and it was the best I'd ever had. My ex and I would go down there each morning we were in Seattle - just to get that coffee.

And I dont know about too many other cities - but up until about a year ago - I had never ever seen drive through espresso stands other than in Washington!!! Starbucks has one here now where I live - but for years I thought that was the craziest thing. I like the ma & pa coffee places. Surprising what you get sometimes.

[Laura]

Haha - I raised the bar, and now I learned a little more about where you all live. :wink:

I think I would like living in either Seattle or Portland, the Northwest seems like a good area. But I think I would miss the sunshine. I get a little depressed when we have three or four overcast, rainy days in a row.

We aren't Seattle, but Milwaukee has three great local coffee roasting companies, Alterra, Stone Creek and my favorite, the smallest one Anodyne. I love coffee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :bounce::bounce::bounce:

Hehe. I want to hear about where more people live... Oh, and Luckysprite, I've been to Minneapolis several times, and thought it was a great place as well!

[nsoto]

PHOENIX!!!

You know that Phoenix is a HUGE city...but very affordable housing..
Sports, how bout the Suns, Dimondbacks, Coyotes, and Cardinals...:bounce:

I used to live in the Sacramento area, I know how expensive it is in the bay area..OMG...that is why we decided Arizona was a good choice for us!

Good Luck!

[gdalicia]

Thanks everyone for your responses! It makes me want to plan an i2us road trip and travel to all your cities. I love daydreaming about where we will end up...it helps me get through missing hubby so much!

[angela256z]

Angela - My favorite was actually this little stand down near Pike Place....he was off in the back, under the 'bridges' I believe (kind of under the overpass) in almost an alley. He was cheap - and it was the best I'd ever had. My ex and I would go down there each morning we were in Seattle - just to get that coffee.

And I dont know about too many other cities - but up until about a year ago - I had never ever seen drive through espresso stands other than in Washington!!! Starbucks has one here now where I live - but for years I thought that was the craziest thing. I like the ma & pa coffee places. Surprising what you get sometimes.

I like the Ma and Pa places too, but I thought I would name the ones that people know. Yes almost ever ma and pa stand now is drive through and I love this place called the Grinder. She is in the Fremont Area. She makes the best coffee. i like Grande iced breve Hazelnut Lattes, but Breve is bad for you at her stand I can drink it with 2 % milk and it is still just as good as the breve.

:bounce::bleh::jumpy: <-me on coffee

The northwest is great. Yes we get rain, but it makes the city look even better on the sunny days. Seattle is known as the Emerald city cause the rain makes it so green and the New England area has nothing on our fall colors.

[skamiri]

When hubby comes home we are seriously considering relocating. We live in the CA Bay Area and home ownership is a very distant fantasy. Think crappy starter homes in the low 600s....

Now Ellie and Rhonda have already persuaded me to put the KC area on the list of possibilities. Here's what I'm looking for: cheap housing, close to a big city (hubby is NOT into roughing it and needs pro sports close by to feel sane), jobs for Spanish speakers, progressive culture (hey, I'm from CA). I'm currently interested in checking out Austin and Raleigh/Durham.

Any thoughts? Anybody live somewhere that they absolutely love? I'm all ears!

We live in Austin, TX great city with a lot of traffic. There is a progressive town an hour away which has the biggest Army Base in the USA with a lot of diversity, inexpensive housing and living Killeen, TX :thumbup:

In Austin you can find everything u need and a lot of jobs. There is a lot of spanish people over here as u should know ;)

Good luck in your relocation.:D

[3inmexico]

We live in Austin and we love it. Let me know if you need any information. If you come out and visit let me know as I can be a good tour guide.

[cherrycandy001]

I live in San Antonio Texas.
The only thing that I'm not too fond of is the heat.
We do however have extremely affordable housing.
The city has grown a lot in the last 8 years I've been here.
Not the mention it is the home of the San Antonio Spurs!:thumbup:

There are plenty of Job opportunities for bilingual people.
The city is fairly big but easy to navigate.
I love that San Antonio has so many different races and
for the most part people are very acceptable.

For example my husband and I are looking at buying our
first home. It's 1353 sq ft, 2 years old, 3 bedroom, 2bath for
98,000.

-Candy

[Adriane]

I went to college in Austin- super cool, a ton of stuff to do, VERY latin-friendly- but very expensive and awful traffic (the city long-outgrew it's highways....)

I MEAN NO OFFENSE but after I lived in Austin I moved to Syracuse, and it was a very, very hard adjustment for me. That could be just me, but it found it very hard to live there (of course that was 2000.)

Have you thought about Nashvillle? I lived there for 3 years recently and LOVED it. It's totally different that it's reputation- extremely diverse (the school district prints their PTA newsletter in 34 languages), VERY latin-friendly and affordable. Plus with a booming tourist industry and 18 local colleges it's very clean, and very progressive. Starter houses in cool areas are about $150,000 or so- but you can buy an older home & gentrify yourself for a lot less.

If I hadn't already moved beyond that job market, that's where we would go!

[alec03]

Two of my best friends have moved away from So. Cal in the last year. One moved to Portland, OR and the other to Austin, TX. They both are glad they did since they got much more house for the $$. I would say, given what you're looking for, Austin may be the better choice. It's progressive, has a lot of good restaurants, near a large lake, and has some Latinos...albeit, not that many!
But definitely more affordable than No. Cal.
JV

[egonzalez1975]

Okay, let me talk up the midwest (even though I am a true east coaster by birth).

1. Housing is more than affordable (You have seen the house Gina and you know what I paid. . .need I say more)
2. Payscale is EXTREMELY competative
3. We are in the middle of the US so to go and experience other states is not that far away.
4. LARGE hispanic community with plenty of dances, grocers who market to the hispanic population, radio stations, festivities.
5. Major sports teams (Royals & Chiefs--ok so they are not that great LOL) whose fans are fanatics and it is always a lot of fun pre games.
6. A lot of cultural diversity and very progressive.
7. MOST IMPORTANTLY: CHULA AND I ARE HERE!!!!! :wave:

[Catiana]

7. MOST IMPORTANTLY: CHULA AND I ARE HERE!!!!! :wave:

Hey don’t forget me! I’m here too!! :wave: :bounce:

Here’s a couple of websites that will tell you a little bit about K.C.

Experience Kansas City (http://www.experiencekc.com/)

City of Fountains (http://www.kcfountains.org/education/index.html)

Country Club Plaza (http://www.countryclubplaza.com/)

[Chula]

Well i am not even going to go into all that is good about KANSAS Ellie about hit the nail on the head. HERE we have everything even those nice tortilla places where we get them fresh off the press baby!!!! GOSH Ellie and Catiana about said it all....KANSAS is where you have to move!!!!!!!!!!!!! My house wasn't that much but I have a 3 bedroom, 2 full baths, living room, dining room, family room, and kitchen all ranch style (what I always wanted) and I paid $30,000 13 years ago. OF course I did things to it that I wanted like new siding, and windows but then you have your much more expensive houses it just depends on what you like and what you can afford!!!! I love where I live and Ellie loves where she lives it's what you will like so you have to coem to Kansas so Ellie, Catiana, and I can convince you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pinkpig]

My brother and his family live in Austin (well, Dripping Springs). They love it there and we love to visit. It is a great area and very inexpensive housing compared to Southern California.

[Dorothea]

Adriane, what did you do in Syracuse?
I certainly wouldn't suggest moving here... ugh. :shy::wink:
You all make me want to move. I wish we could start planning where we wanted to live. Nice to think about... sigh...

[egonzalez1975]

I'm sorry Catiana IS here with us too!!!!

So see there is even more reason to move here now!!!! :wink:

[hectorswife]

I second the burbs of Minneapolis/St Paul... housing costs are going up, but I think the pay is good... I make $15/hr sitting on my tail making hotel reservations, I get to pick my schedule and get paid time off... all with a high school diploma... hubby was making almost $14 as a cook before he left. We live less than 1/2 hour from Minneapolis, a bunch of great lakes and walking/biking paths. There are TONS of lakes here, it's free entertainment. There's a large latin community in both Mpls and St. Paul and the burbs, a lot of mercados, tortilla shops, etc. We're a swing state politically (last I heard anyway) so you find the end of both sides of the rainbow here, which is interesting. There's a large international airport, and the mall of america... There are a lot of jobs for Spanish speakers, too. The weather is great, you get all 4 seasons, winters are chilly, but hot cocoa is WONDERFUL, and sledding is fun, too. The twin cities are the best kept secret of the US, or so I've been told by unhappy friends who have had to move away... that's 2 for MN, so come here!! :wink:

[Catiana]

"Goin' to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come! They got some crazy little women here and"...I am one!! Hehe!! This is not exactly the way it goes, but I think you "get" the idea!!! Come on Gina!! Goin' to Kansas City, Kansas City here you come!!!

:bounce: :bounce: I love this little "bouncer!" :cool: :cool:

[Chula]

:gathering: So the 3 of us that live here in Kansas was talking and we think you should move to Kansas.....agreed?!?!?!?!?!? :thumbup:

[inlimbo]

What a great topic! I love reading everyone's pitches for their favorite places to live! I'm in Mexico now, but in the US, I call Madison, WI my home -- not far from Milwaukee, WI -- and I have to admit that laurafern's pitch for Milwaukee had me just about ready to pick up and buy a house there!!

I think I need to save this thread as a reference for when my fiance and I are finally able to move back to the states and settled down :) Thanks everyone for sharing.

[gdalicia]

I forgot to mention that hubby is anti-snow. :D Which laurafern and I have discussed in the past because I think Milwaukee and the Madison/Minneapolis area sound awesome!! My sister and her future husband will probably end up in Ann Arbor since that's where he is from. But hubby has basically made it clear that Michigan is not in the cards. My brother and his girlfriend currently live in Tucson, which is also on the list. Only problem is...it's SUPER hot!

[Chula]

MY gosh life isnt' perfect I am tellin ya gdalicia!!!!!!!! You can't have perfect weather, perfect pay rate, perfect housing all in one state so go with the snow and let it GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! LOL!!!!

[ARodrigues]

I live in Jacksonville, FL. We have nice weather though, it gets quite steamy in the summer. Cost of living is quite low and the pace of life is slower than south Florida. (that's good or bad depending on the person) Average single family home can still be had for under 200,000. Largest city in the US by square miles. Lost of coastline. Lots of rural areas outside the city if you like that.

Cons are that its still up and coming, not a real "happening" city and you occasionally see some bad aspects of the South are still lingering..

I'm in real estate here and about 70% of homes I close are by out of towners moving in. Overall, its easy living here.

[egonzalez1975]

Why are you continuing with all this craziness Gina?

I mean you either want to freeze to death or burn up in the sun!!!!! What's up with that? :tongue:

And to add to Chula's post some of these places cannot have a progressive culture because they are freezing or burning to death!!!!! It's making people crazy!!! LOL LOL

[Adriane]

Adriane, what did you do in Syracuse?
I certainly wouldn't suggest moving here... ugh. :shy::wink:
...

I was doing an internship there, so it was temporary- but yikes! After living in Southern Texas my whole life to go spend a winter there! Omigod!

Dodorthea, have you given any thought to moving to the Canadian border You're so close......

[Laura]

I forgot to mention that hubby is anti-snow. :D Which laurafern and I have discussed in the past because I think Milwaukee and the Madison/Minneapolis area sound awesome!! My sister and her future husband will probably end up in Ann Arbor since that's where he is from. But hubby has basically made it clear that Michigan is not in the cards. My brother and his girlfriend currently live in Tucson, which is also on the list. Only problem is...it's SUPER hot!

Yeah, gdalicia, tell your hubby to buck it up a little bit. Put some (snow)pants on and stop his whining. :bounce: With global warming, there won't be much show left in about five years ANYWAY. Besides, it's really fun to play in, and we do have heat up here in Wisconsin. Ya!

[gdalicia]

Why do you guys think the Bay Area is so expensive? I'll be the first to admit that we are SUPER spoiled with the weather. It is never too hot, or too cold and there are no bugs (and no tornadoes....hehe) We live within an hour of mountains, the ocean, one of the most beautiful cities in the world (San Francisco), you name it. Jobs are abundant and everyone is very open-minded and accepting. The Silcon Valley is one of the safest, cleanest areas in the US. Sure, it's crowded and very expensive but many people I know who've moved away end up running screaming back!

Problem is I have my heart set on this little thing called home ownership....:bang:

[gdalicia]

Personally I'd take snow over heat anyday. I'm originally from MA and when we moved out here it was really hard to get used to no snow in the winter. It still doesn't quite feel right at Christmas without it! But of course I married the hot weather man. I guess opposites attract, right? :rolleyes:

[gdalicia]

And yes Kansas City Club I want it all y que??? :D

[Salsa2]

I must put my recommendation in for Denver! Yes, it does snow in winter, but the snow doesn't stay on the ground it usual melts by the next day. We frequently have temps in the 50s in the winter and OVER 300 SUNNY DAYS PER YEAR, that is more than Florida, btw! We have a large hispanic community, NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS and NHL teams, housing prices are reasonable (compared to CA), competitive pay, endless outdoor activities, etc. Boulder (30 miles northwest of Denver) is one of the most progressive minded cities in the US. My mom left Colorado (for my dad) when she was 19 and she has been trying to get back ever since! She currently lives in Namibia, so she is definitely NOT getting her way.

[karissa]

You guys crack me up!!!

I am a small town girl from Iowa and I like it that way. I am only 3 hours from Minneapolis, 2 hours from Madison, 4 hours from Des Moines, and Milwaukee. What else could a person want?!?!?! :thumbup:

[angela256z]

Well....What else can I say about Seattle.....We got the Seahawks!! We made it to the superbowl just to be shot down by a cheating ref...(he was paid to do it I know). We have the Mariners, but they suck because Griffy is not here anymore. We have the Sonic (oh please move their butts to OK, they suck spoiled little brats and then we trade out Ray Allen "WHO THE HECK MADE THAT CALL???!?!) We have the Seattle Sounders FUTBOL!!! We just had a game against Chivas USA. Such fun. I love Soccer. We also have Hockey....My husband loves it now. I forced him to go to a game with me and now he loves it. Well that is the sports....

We have beaches - Alki, Golden Gardens, Richmond, Matthews....So much fun and they are safe for swimming and most have lifeguards. There are many more, but I don't go to them because they are more than a 20 minute drive.

In 2008 we will have Light rail. a train that runs fromthe airport through downtown and up into North Seattle (damn thing runs right outside my window) GREAT transportation as long as it is not outside your house :)

We have a huge Latino community. We have places to help people who speak spanish with things to. Many stores and markets and lots of festivals. Blah blah I have already talked about those. We get lots of concerts here too. Vicente Fernandez was just here, Los temerarios, Banda El Recodo, Aventura (I can't wait for them), El Tigres del Norte and many more.

ok what fun...I am done

[angela256z]

You know I also use to live in Utah....Mormonville as my mom calls it. My family is mormon....me...well I am just confused. Baptized mormon, but attend a catholic church....

Anyways Utah....It's friendly, lots of latinos. I moved there in my senior in High school. There were 3 high schools in the whole city...I went to the regular school one day and got kicked over to the "alternative" school....I had more fun there than I had in the one day at the regular school. My school was mostly Hispanic and Samoan. Anyways....Salt Lake is nicely populated with store and such. Lots of things are closed on Sunday in the smaller cities (where I lived), but for the most part you can still see a movie, work, and get groceries on a Sunday.

They also now have Starbucks!! YEAH! When I go home I sneak there everyday. Anyways. Not a bad place. Sunny summer and cold winters but it's a dry heat in the summer so you don't sweat a bunch.

Pay sucks there, but you can buy a brand new house for under $200,000. Nice!

[Dorothea]

gdalicia, it's hard not to want it all, huh?
my husband thought he hated snow too, until he learned about snowmobiling, and now he misses it! :rolleyes:

[ce&ll]

I'm glad someone brought this topic up. Being from California I know how impossible it seems to buy a house! :cry: I anxiously await the day that I would have a home to call our "own"! I never really considered moving out of state...I don't know what hubby would say??? Both of our parents live here in Sacramento and we have very little family out of state. It's always something to consider!:wink:

[mi_corazon]

You know I also use to live in Utah....Mormonville as my mom calls it. My family is mormon....me...well I am just confused. Baptized mormon, but attend a catholic church....

Anyways Utah....It's friendly, lots of latinos. I moved there in my senior in High school. There were 3 high schools in the whole city...I went to the regular school one day and got kicked over to the "alternative" school....I had more fun there than I had in the one day at the regular school. My school was mostly Hispanic and Samoan. Anyways....Salt Lake is nicely populated with store and such. Lots of things are closed on Sunday in the smaller cities (where I lived), but for the most part you can still see a movie, work, and get groceries on a Sunday.

They also now have Starbucks!! YEAH! When I go home I sneak there everyday. Anyways. Not a bad place. Sunny summer and cold winters but it's a dry heat in the summer so you don't sweat a bunch.

Pay sucks there, but you can buy a brand new house for under $200,000. Nice!

I have to say that housing prices here in Utah sure have jumped! Salt Lake City is pretty cool, but anywhere north or south of there is Mormonville (which I am not). Weather is ok, pay ok, but I think that I have said this before...it just doesn't feel like home for me.

[dgman]

when i moved to the place i am now what i did was do some research on different areas of the country that were growing. i wrote down the names of the cities and put them in a hat. now im in south carolina. not bad though. just stay away from the north east. taxes stink there compared to here.

[Laura]

I know this thread was long deceased, but I just read an article that I had to share with gdalicia, and thought a few of the rest of you might be interested too. It's about Russ Feingold :inlove: the best U.S. Senator ever, and Wisconsin, and our wildly progressive political traditions. Enjoy (http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2007/07/24/feingold/index.html)!

[ladyb082]

Hectorswife i'm right there with you. I love Minnesota and I wouldnt want to live anywhere else. One time my husband told me that he could get a higher position with his company and about a $25,000 raised if we moved to St. Louis and I said "No" I love everything about the State . Did you metion that the mall of America is the Bigest Mall in the country, its a dream come true.. By the way, your job sound very interesting maybe once I'm back you can hook me up. MINNESOTA #1!

[Lachulagreeneyes]

Hendersonville/ Asheville NC Very nice place friendly people nice ark where the spanish people play soccer and some basketball. spanish music stores, food stores, etc. etc.

[Glühbirne]

You might want to look into the North State. Chico isn't cheap, but it's much more reasonable than the bay area. It's a University town, so it's got some progressive culture. It's pretty big, but not a big city. It has a professional baseball and soccer team. It also has some University sports. It's an hour and a half from Sacramento where there are big league sports. There are a variety of jobs there.

There's also Reno, Nevada. It has it's "yucky" parts, but my sister lives there and loves it. There are a lot of new parts with new houses and condos and they seem pretty reasonable. There are a LOT of jobs for Spanish speakers in the hospitality industry. There is a huge latino population there. We live in CAlifornia. The two nearest cities are Reno and Chico. Reno is about an hour and a half from us and Chico is about two hours. Chico is much prettier, but Reno is cheaper. Oh yeah, Reno also has the University of Nevada. So either of those towns has a lot of educational choices.

[epm525]

I have to agree with Adriane - Nashville is a great place to live. We lived there for about three years too, but recently moved back home to PA to be closer to family.

Speaking of which, central PA is NOT the place to live if you are looking for diverse culture (unless you are talking about normal people v. hillbillies.) i.e. The (very few) Mexican restaurants never have horchata and at one restaurant our server was Asian! Funny stuff...

[hectorswife]

Hectorswife i'm right there with you. I love Minnesota and I wouldnt want to live anywhere else. One time my husband told me that he could get a higher position with his company and about a $25,000 raised if we moved to St. Louis and I said "No" I love everything about the State . Did you metion that the mall of America is the Bigest Mall in the country, its a dream come true.. By the way, your job sound very interesting maybe once I'm back you can hook me up. MINNESOTA #1!

:D haha, that's funny that you say that!! The reservations center is closing while I'm on maternity leave. You should look on craigslist (www.craigslist.com) when you get back for jobs, there are a ton on there.

[Lachulagreeneyes]

Thanks for the info Heidi because I really need a job!

[wanaads]

I'm loving this thread! I daydream about moving every day and you all have given so much food for thought. I grew up in SoCal, had a brief stint in London and now live in the DC area - cannot wait to get out of here. But the boy doesn't want to leave until he's got a social security card. So, I wait....hopefully to join some of you in one of your lovely cities soon.

[angela256z]

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s242/angela256z/Seattle3.jpg

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s242/angela256z/Seattle2.jpg

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s242/angela256z/Seattle1.jpg

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s242/angela256z/Beach2.jpg

[mamacita]

Well, guess I'll throw in my 2cents worth.

I live in Dallas, it's wonderful. Not so much rain, the summer's are HOT, but all in all, it's a great cultural diversive city. Football, basketball, Soccer,
baseball, lots of lakes and not as "hick" as one would think. You can buy a really nice house for around $150K to $300K here.

Great weather, this summer has been mild, only low 90's. I work with a girl from Seattle, and this sounds like a great city too. I also think Portland, OR great, I visited there once and so laid back, big time.

Also you had inquired about Austin,,,,,great laid back city,,,,,nice weather, rolling hills, capitol of Texas and also has huge college population from UT @ Austin, about 55 thousand students, you'd love Austin. I think cost of living in Texas is great and no snow to deal with at all and if we get it, maybe 1-2 inches every 2 years?:shy::blush:
Great Hispanic population here in Texas of course. San Antonio is a beautiful city too,,,,,lots of things to do in all 3 cities.

Mamacita!:p

[aprilstorm]

My husband got a job offer from a restarunt ( can't spell..need to go back to school :bleh:) in Indiana..don't know what city but he is thinking about it..also his cousin from Montabella Ca told him he could get him a job there

[Laura]

My husband got a job offer from a restarunt ( can't spell..need to go back to school :bleh:) in Indiana..don't know what city but he is thinking about it..also his cousin from Montabella Ca told him he could get him a job there

Wow - April - Are you guys thinking of moving?? Good luck with the decisions!

[maru1979]

I live in New York and I like it here... It is really expensive over here but thanks to the fact that I grew up here ..it helps.... But I would definitely move to Madison, Wisconsin... My niece leaves there with hubby and her three girls... she loves it... and says she would never move back to the city..
I planning to visit her next month.. Hopefully... Soo from what I've read I would say pick wisconsin or kansas city....

[mpls-mexico]

It is all about Minneapolis! Although a bit extreme on the weather end. Today it is like 95 and in the winter can get to -30. I am trying to be honest and not scare you! ha, ha. Anyways I moved out here 7 years ago from Seattle where I went to jr and senior high school and college. I don't think I would live there again. Beautiful city, just not for me. I also lived in Denver for many years. So many outdoor activities to do and the mountain backdrop is priceless. HOWEVER, Minneapolis is diverse, lots of lakes, hip clubs, and lots of latino food places (more than just Mexican too) and stores. I wasn't planning on living here but then I met the "mexico" of mpls-mexico and well...ya'll know what happens then...

[Pooh79]

Well you know I had to represent AZ. We live in Tuscon it is a fairly big city and growing but no way near as big and cluttery as Phoenix or L.A. You have the big city with a homey environment. But of course you should know all this since your bro lives here lmaoooooooooooo

[Pooh79]

Thanks everyone for your responses! It makes me want to plan an i2us road trip and travel to all your cities. I love daydreaming about where we will end up...it helps me get through missing hubby so much!

I have been thinking the same! Travel and visit everyone and visit the different cities. Maybe we should all pitch in and get a tour bus and travel together :bleh::bounce:

[madrika]

My husband got a job offer from a restarunt ( can't spell..need to go back to school :bleh:) in Indiana..don't know what city but he is thinking about it..also his cousin from Montabella Ca told him he could get him a job there

I live in Indianapolise!!! Come live closer to me Sandi!!! :o