Where should I move?

[jeryst]

I live in a small town on western PA. Advantages: Low cost of living, no hurricanes, no earthquakes, low crime rate. Disadvantages: The four seasons are summer, almost winter, winter, and still winter. Every year, I hate winter a little more. It's getting to where I can't stand it. Cars get pulled out for about 4 months, then put away for 8. No flea markets, no swap meets, no car shows! Every year, I want to move, more and more.

So, where can I move? I want someplace where it's warm, and where it's car season all year long, yet I'd like to keep all of the advantages that I have living here. I still have 4 kids at home, so a safe, gang-free, small town atmosphere is essential. I don't care for "Big City" life. I'm 2 hours away from the closest big city, and I have no problem with that. My job doesn't matter either, because I'm sick of what I have been doing for the last 25 years, and I plan on selling everything, and just buying a small store or restaurant, and doing that for the rest of my life.

Just wondering if someone can offer a few suggestions from personal experience.

[Rare_T_A]

In the next couple of years we are going to retire and we have been looking into a small town in Ark or Ms or maybe Tn. We also want small town living of around 2k of people. We want to get someplace it's ok in the winter also. We don't want to be where it's unbarrable(SP) in the summer to. We don't need jobs just a nice small town life.

[4Cruizn]

If you're serious about it, I can help sell your current property and then find you an agent where you are moving to find you a new property.  Just let me know!  That goes for everyone!    

[Bullitt-]

http://www.huntsville.org/                           http://www.ci.madison.al.us
I live in Huntsville in north Alabama and have most of my life. While still relatively small this area is still growing,especially our neighboring city Madison, and you would find many opportunities.There has been ongoing growth in the area with four thousand jobs coming in the next few years due to base realignment. Our cost of living is relatively low with one of the highest avg. incomes in the nation.  Far enough south that the winters are mild, too far north for the hurricanes not to effect us, Summer is the worst season to endure as the humidity is pretty severe. Central to a lot of places 2 hrs from Nashville, Birmingham,  4hrs to Atlanta, Memphis, Knoxville, Gatlinburg, 6-8hrs from Florida panhandle , Mobile, New Orleans, Hilton Head. The best recommendations come to me from the many military people that have lived all over the world that choose to live here after retiring. I've also met a couple of engineers one from California and one from Florida that wanted to move and after researching options chose to relocate here having never lived here. Just about everyone over the age of 45 is not from here, very diverse community.
Two of the best high schools anywhere Grissom in Huntsville and Bob Jones in Madison .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgil_Grissom_High_School
http://www.hsv.k12.al.us/schools/high/ghs/
http://bjhs.madisoncity.k12.al.us/School_Info.asp

If I had to move I would look just down the road at Guntersville, a very small lakeside town. http://www.lakeguntersville.org/

[Hopalong]

I do not recomend Nebraska as it is a balmy 2 degrees right now!

[Rare_T_A]

Here in Fargo it's almost 10:00 Am and it's already to -18. This is why we want out. The wife and I have lived in this area all ous life and thnk it's time for a change. I told her when we leave it's going to be a pleasure to give my snowblower away just to see it go down the driveway for good!

Thanks for the input.

[BIGSHCLUNK]

Not WIZ-CON-SIN thats for sure. High taxes high health care! Personally I'm leaning toward northwest Arkansas but there's lots of other spots! BTW It's -6 here now not including wind chill! 

[HemiOrange70]

HEY jeryst, come visit me now...-50 and you will appreciate your balmy winter alot more. You have to remember that eveywhre is givee and take....cold winter but hot summers...nice weather-hurricanes, tornadoes, high cost of living,  or/and high crime rate. you just need a balance of warm, peaceful and low cost of living- i think they refer to it as Eden LOL Good luck

[IMNCARN82]

I have made a promise to myself to go visit mom for 4 months a year-every year-down in FLA.  Mayby my semi-transient,old dead head bro. has it right. If it's cold he goes South.Too hot he goes North. I always thought he was loony......now I'm not so sure.     

[whitesatinmopar]

So ya live in western Pa.? The big city you refer to must be Pittsburg. We live in eastern Ohio and about the same distance or less from Pittsburgh. Yes our gereral area is not the best during this time of year and since your elevation is higher than ours your yes would be "worse" than ours. I have lived in eastern Pa. (way too many snobby ass people over there), I have lived in Wisconsin (wonderful friendly people, the fishing is great, but the winter weather SUCKS), I've lived in Colorado ( a huge transiant population around the big towns, but a very beautiful state and the weather can be extreme),................I could go on,...............there is always some positives and negatives to experience. But overall personally the general area we share is the best suited for raising a family for the exact reason you shared. And even at that unfortunately even in our small towns and rural areas the crime rates seem to still increase.  But we have traved to Pa. to attend car shows, there are many just across the panhandle of W.Va. and into the river towns of Ohio, there is even a big Mopar club called Ohio Vally Mopars in that area. We do not belong to any car clubs (except c-c.c   ) but I know quite a few who belong the OVM and a few are even from Pa.

I do however understand your anxiousness about moving, we have talked about it too, but we are close to retirement age and have no family at home which obviously makes a decision easier. Should we move it wourld be.................Ga. bound, but the north west corner of the state for us, rolling hills and generally speaking a rural setting, I don't like big cities, I don't even like driving through them. Give me a front porch with a tin roof and just let me listen to the crickets and the bull frogs an watch the evening sun drop below the horizon.    

[Moparal]

I live in Holly pond Alabama , population 306 ...dry county and low taxes. very quiet. Land is cheap and nice weather conditions. Local race track 7 miles away and 110 pump gas race fuel at the station

[Chryco Psycho]

I wish I had the option , nowhere warm in Canaduh I can move to 

[4Cruizn]

I think what I'll do is have two homes . . . that seems to be the answer.  I will sell real estate in Michigan in the spring summer and fall . . . then go to the other house for the winter months . . maybe Mexico or some tropical island would be cool!  

[Chryco Psycho]

or the US 51 st state Puerto Rico

[Bullitt-]

I live in Holly pond Alabama , population 306 ...dry county and low taxes. very quiet. Land is cheap and nice weather conditions. Local race track 7 miles away and 110 pump gas race fuel at the station

Alan, That is paradise. Would you let CP park his motor home in your driveway for the winter?