Quote: (11-14-2018 04:44 PM)RoastBeefCurtains4Me Wrote:
Arvada and Lakewood are actually Denver suburbs, not separate cities. Arvada is nice, but Lakewood is not as nice (not horrible though).
Both are very expensive. You'll have to work to find a place to live for less than $1000/month. Also, the air can be smoggy sometimes.
The pros are that both cities are minutes from downtown Denver, and minutes from the mountains. There are only a few other places on your list that are near big cities, and each of these has drawbacks too. Denver is a pretty decent place to live.
Smoggy is an issue for me as clean water and clean air are important requirements. Most people neglect these things and then eventually find themselves spending their life savings on fighting cancer or who knows what else.
Quote: (11-14-2018 04:49 PM)Eugenics Wrote:
Billings MT is a cool place. If youre down with the mid-west vibe it can be a really nice place to live. Also the people are incredibly nice if you put a little effort into fitting in the culture, and at worst a bit weary of you if you don't.
Cosign on Idaho being a safe bet. I've lived and traveled in the state a bit. Can recommend some mid-sized towns but have never been to Boise
Montana is absolutely on my list and yes the cold long winters are something we would have to learn to live with, especially after Spain. But clearly one of the most rewarding places when it comes to the sheer splendor of nature.
I don't think we would have trouble fitting in to be honest, we are cultural chameleons.
Quote: (11-14-2018 05:11 PM)Jaxon Wrote:
Like kosko said, many of the highest-paying jobs in America are located in diverse places (Silicon Valley, Austin, Chicago, NY, parts of Florida, Minneapolis, Atlanta, etc).
Exactly the types of places you couldn't pay me to ever live (in some of those
again). I am not dependent on a job, all I need is a stable Internet connection. Again, my list of criteria is pretty concise and an active job market was not on that list. Which per your comment is actually a huge advantage as it gives us a lot of freedom in picking a spot.
Quote: (11-14-2018 05:44 PM)Aquarius Wrote:
For those who suggest Scottsdale, keep in mind that its not a standalone small town, but just a nice, happening suburb of Phoenix. Maricopa County, which is pretty much all of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, is only 55% white. And it is already solidly purple at 45% Democratic in the 2016 elections. The state of Arizona itself is also purple.
Its a decent choice if OP wants to be in a major metropolitan area and all the amenities that go along with it, but if OP just wants a white, conservative area, there are much better choices out there.
That does not sound very encouraging and yes it's what I suspected. In a civil war type of scenario it would be easy to be compromised. Pray tell which choices you would favor.
Quote: (11-14-2018 05:44 PM)Dr Mantis Toboggan Wrote:
Be careful with Washington state and Oregon. While there are many places in those states that fit your criteria currently, they are dominated politically by Seattle and Portland respectively along with massive influx of Californians and are both rapidly transforming into California without the nice weather. If you like that part of the country, Idaho is probably a safer bet long-term.
Yes, Oregon was on the top of my list until a few months ago when I realized (from afar) what was going on there politically and in particular with the excesses of Antifa in Portland. Plus of course there is the rain. I prefer cold with more sunshine over warmer with sunshine any day.
Quote: (11-14-2018 05:53 PM)John Michael Kane Wrote:
Word. There are many conservatives in these states that live out in the boondocks, but the big leftist cities dictate state policy. Washington state just passed some very awful gun control bills. I would advise against moving there if you care about the 2nd Amendment.
Washingon state is notorious obviously and I have very little desire to every live there. Plus again, the constant rain. See above reg. Oregon.
Quote: (11-14-2018 06:22 PM)debeguiled Wrote:
I was under the impression that those Southwest states have been in a constant state of drought for about 20 years.
I know that at least New Mexico has.
It is nice to have that desert air and mild winters, but without water, well, you already know.
If I were going to settle in the Southwest I would do a deep dive in researching the fragility of their infrastructure. How do they get their water, electricity, and natural gas. Would suck to get all settled just to find out that a few years of low snowpack and water has to be trucked in.
I have thought about somewhere like Coeur d'Alene, and my only reservations would be if it was too redneck for me or not, and if I could handle heavy snow every year.
Some pretty good houses for 300,000 or less.
Zillow Coeur d'Alene Houses Under 300.000
Never head of that place but will research it. Idaho is in my top list of desirable states along with Montana, Utah, and Wyoming. I take it gets similar weather than Washington...
Here's a great link that shows you 'perceived pleasant places', i.e. weather across the U.S.
Quote: (11-14-2018 06:22 PM)Jetset Wrote:
Since you mentioned the boonies, Cave Creek or Fountain Hills are further out - first one is more of an eccentric biker/cowboy scene, second is quieter and retirement-oriented. Both tend to mean a lot of trips into Scottsdale for amenities. Further up in the mountains there's Prescott/Prescott Valley, quieter small city with pine forests, cooler in the summer because of the elevation and you get a little winter snowfall, you'd have all the basics of town life there if you don't care about being close to the city.
You had me at eccentric biker/cowboy scene. Prescott Valley sounds like a little slice of heaven, will definitely check that out. Thanks!
Quote: (11-14-2018 06:33 PM)jordypip23 Wrote:
Generally speaking I think a good chunk of America's "exurban" areas could fit your criteria as well (in addition to some of those college town type places listed). You might be about 50, 60 miles or more out from a mid-sized or larger city, but at least you'd be commutable from a decent airport from a lot of America's exurban towns. Even from a city like Detroit you'd be surprised at how white the population is once you get deep into the exurbs lol. Michigan is very gun friendly with a hunting culture that is quite thriving up towards the Northern ends of the state & the Upper Peninsula. Matter of fact if you want to check out a smaller city in Northern Michigan maybe have a look at Traverse City. This is its own independent small city (not an exurb at all). White folk are over 94% of the population & the area is super scenic (on Lake Michigan in the Northwestern part of mainland Michigan). One of the biggest drawbacks, however, is that it is cold as balls in the winter lol. Nasty lake effect snow & bone chilling temperatures. But hey if you're the hardy type it just might be paradise. Wealthier folks from the Detroit & Chicago metropolitan areas love to visit & obtain vacation properties in the area as well.
I would love to consider Michigan or places near the Oznard, but once again the weather... shudder...