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Where to live??

6K views 47 replies 33 participants last post by  dhays 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello Folks,

My wife and I are moving in April. As of right now, we don't know where. I am hoping you can help. I started a thread in the "Learning to Sail" forum a while back and got some good ideas, and am hoping for more now. That thread was

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/learning-sail/53611-where-live-learn.html

After thinking hard about what we want we have more constraints on where we would like to live. Here are our requirements.

-My wife is a elementary teacher, so a few nearby schools

-Close enough to salt water that I could easily drive, less than an hour, to a harbor and learn to sail by volunteering, working, or some other means.

-We want to be able to grow a garden.

-Four seasons every year.

-Ability to live outside a town or city of more than 10,000, less than 20 minutes away, and rent or buy a small house with at least 2 acres for less than 120,000.

-Access to hiking, climbing, and outdoor recreation in general.

-I want to be able to play 5 on 5 basketball twice a week.

We are in our mid-twenties, love the outdoors, have an Alaskan Husky, and are no strangers to travel. We have been living in Alaska doing seasonal work for five years now and want to settle down for a while.

If you have made it this far, thank you for reading and I hope we get some suggestions.

Matthew
 
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#3 ·
Yea, you just spelled the Puget Sound area of Washington State. It hits every one of your criteria

With your 20 minute to an urban area rule, I'd say (in order of size) Seattle area, (Woodinville and Issaquah still have acreage), Everett area, Bellingham area, or Bremerton area. Depends on your income. Port Townsend, Anacortes, and Oak Harbor (Whidbey Island) are nice too, but not 20 minutes from a serious urban area. Best school districts for pay are going to be in the Seattle suburbs (Lake Washington, Northshore, and Redmond school districts). Everett and Snohomish (Everett area) school districts above the average too.
 
#4 ·
Being from SE Alaska, your no stranger to cloudy skies. If so, I think Cleveland fits your bill nicely. If you like snow, live in the snowbelt. You get Lake Erie for 7-8 months of sailing, and you can sail from here to florida or wherever else should you wish too via the ICW and canals or St Lawrence Seaway. There's plenty of rural areas, and a National Park literally in your backyard. The Great Lakes themselves of course have alot of good sailing in them, all without the issues of salt water.
 
#5 ·
I would have said Victoria, BC on Vancouver Island, but you nixed that with the 2 acres for 120,000 thing. Is there anywhere in the US where you can find 2 acres for 120,000 20 minutes from an urban area and withing striking distance of the ocean? You're looking at 4 times that for real estate around these parts. Other than that, we cover all your requirements except maybe four seasons. We usually only get a week or two of snow a year.
 
#7 ·
From time to time we get these "where should I live/move to" threads. Usually the requirements are sailing-centric. But this is a more interesting thread with some pretty specific/unusual requirements thrown in the mix.

We've already had some good replies (I've only been there once, but I loved Port Townsend!) I was going to mention Maryland/Chesapeake, but the $120K is tricky. I'll be interested to read further suggestions.

I also wanted to say "hi" and welcome to the new members posting to this thread! Welcome aboard.:)
 
#8 ·
Save yourself the destructive nature of salt water & look anywhere on Lake Michigan , Meets all your requirements & the lake can be just as much or more of a challenge than the ocean (see some of the Chicago to Mackinaw races)
Just pick a place from small town Travers city to big city Chicago to Milwaukee and more.
 
#11 ·
First, thanks for the initial responses.

Let me clarify a few things. By urban area I mean any town or city with 10,000 people or more. And we wouldn't necessarily be buying a home, we might decide to rent for a while. And anything under 900 month would be fine. I don't want to rule out a great place because of the price, I just want people to know the range.

We have lived in cabins no bigger than 16' by 20' for the last five years. We just want a small home with enough land to have a garden and not feel like our neighbors are right on top of us. We would be far more happy in a 800 sq/ft home with 5 acres than a 2500 ft. home with no yard.

Also, I grew up in northern Indiana and do not want to be in the Midwest for a while. I want to be close to salt water. I want to learn about the ocean as much as sailing.

Thanks again and hope that helps. And guys, I am really serious about moving and will really be researching the areas you recommend. So please ask questions if you want more info.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Don't let these guys whose boats are out of the water 1/2 the year confuse you.
Houston is a big place with lots of schools, no winter (it was in the low 70's today), low cost of living, low unemployment, no state income taxes, and an hours' drive to Galveston Bay (saltwater bay) or Freeport (on the ICW and 2 miles from the Gulf).
 
#15 · (Edited)
Matthew, If I start about Baldwin County Alabama, I'll never stop describing this almost Shangrila. White silky sand beaches and miles of deep water bays. Close to Central America and all those seldom visited islands and villages. A nine growing season with sandy loamy soil, no rocks and water at 30'. If you visit my web site, wwwdotbiophiliadotnet. You'll find out about a couple who built their own boat and sailed here from San Francisco 26 years ago. We avoid the Eastern Carribean and all that tourist stuff and have found peace here. Sorry tho no snow, but all year sailing, lots of seafood, wildlife and good neighbors if your sociable. We're not very, but will be happy to give you any info we can. BTW, Pensacola is about 15 miles and Mobile is about 45 miles away
Capt. Fred 30deg 24.65'N, 087deg 32.99'N
 
#17 ·
Portland Oregon

I have only driven through the area a few times, but it has always appealed. Not the city itself so much but the area around it. It seems to have a strong sailing community. The real estate seems more affordable than Puget sound area. A quick internet search will verify this.
There is lots of back country for outdoor sports. And you are never far from the fantastic coastal beaches!
Have fun in your search,
Tanya
 
#18 ·
I moved to California 35 years ago from Ohio. If I had it to do over again, I would have moved to the east coast, perhaps the Carolinas. Pacific Coast sailing is boring. After you tire of the offshore islands for weekends, if you want to really GO anywhere, it's either Mexico or freakin' FIJI! I read alot about the wonderful coastal sailing on the east coast and then there's the access to the Bahamas or Caribbean. It may be just a "grass is greener" thing for me, but the cost of living there is way lower as well. I'd investigate the east coast if I were you and then just pick how far north you want to be based on the climate you prefer.

Mike
 
#19 ·
AnzoNevis, Hi, Just a small correction about the Intercoastal Canal. It is actually the Intracoastal canal, which runs along our coast from Brownsville Texas to Long Island Sound. It's about 2500 miles long and it is the worlds longest single canal. The ICW does have one break in it along the Panhandle of Florida. Now the Intercoastal Canal consist of many interconnected canals on the inland waters of the USA. They Include the Erie Canal, the Great Lakes, The Mississippi, the Tombigbee, etc. etc. These beautiful waterways are about 6 or 7,000 miles long total. Sorry if I interrupted this thread, but according to your taste, you can pick a spot along either canal.
Capt. Fred
 
#20 · (Edited)
Please allow me to tell you about a little gem called Southport, NC. We are situated on a south facing beach with direct access to the intercoastal waterway and the Cape Fear River chanel witch takes you out to the ocean(it's about 4 nautical miles from southport marina to the ocean) Wilmington, NC is about 30min to the north. Myrtle Beach, SC is about 1hr south, and the "big city" Raleigh, NC is about 1.5hrs to the NE. We have a year-round sailing and fishing season, and there are 6 marinas, and 4 boat ramps within 15 min of my house. The area itself has a low population, and very competitive property prices and long term rental rates eg: I live ON the island in a 3br 2ba house that sits on 1 acre of land with a 16*12 greenhouse and plenty of yard leftover. I pay $750.00/mo rent. There are several uninhabited islands in the area that are great for camping/exploring, and plenty of chill people. We have a city owned gym in southport that you can go play some ball for free, but bring your A-game b/c those boys are good. We also have something like 9 public elementry schools in the county, and 3 private elementry schools right here in town. There is the davis creek that runs through the island for kayaking ect and a super wal-mart right in town so that you don't have to go to Wilmington for much. I go like 2 or 3 times a year. If you have any questions about the area, feel free to ask.
 
#21 ·
You didn't mention the need to make a living, other than your wife working, is employment for you a concern at all?
I would recommend the Bellingham/Skagit County area of WA state. I think it meets all of your requirements and you have access to great sailing areas in both WA and BC. Bellingham is a college town, prob. 30-50,000 (maybe more) and further south you have Mt. Vernon and Anacortes. Great place to live and sail year round.
Good luck.
 
#23 ·
You didn't mention the need to make a living, other than your wife working, is employment for you a concern at all?
I am a little worried about finding employment for myself. But I have experience in many fields and am flexible in what I would be doing, so I think it will be easier for me to find work than my wife. Also, I have experience building, and although I am looking to do something else, that is usually a field a person can find work in.

And thanks everyone for all the suggestions, I am looking into them all.

Closehauled, you have done a great job selling me on Southport. I need to share all this with my wife and I might have more questions.

Matthew
 
#22 · (Edited)
Eastern shore of the Chesapeake. Many places to explore on week long or weekend trips. You can keep your boat on the Cheasapake for years and never visit the same creek twice if you dont want to. Neat older towns Established as the country was born with lots of history. Cost of livig on Eastern shore may fit your bill of 120,000.

2 days to Cape May and the Atlantic. We travel this every year in the summer and take a few weekes in New England. Last year we did Northport, Mystic and Block Island. This years we are headed to Marthas Vineyard Cuttyhunk and Newport. So there is ocean sailing nearby

4 seasons. Mountains are 2 hours away by car as is the ocean. Great museums and cities within 2/2 hours, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York. Washington DC and the many museums.

NO HURRICANES like North Carolina usually, although I like NC.

Dave
 
#26 · (Edited)
I have lived in Del,Texas,SC,TENN and NY and in my IMHP the cost of life is pretty much tied to the ease of making a living


When my parents passed away a while back i had inherited a really nice NEW home in Rehoboth Beach Delaware (i am a native) and theirs No way i could have earned a living there that would have allowed me to put my children through collage LOW tax or not ;)

And depending on were you go there is a BIG outsider issue

There is also a pretty big spread in public school quality as my daughter lived with some host family's for 3 years during high school while she was in a ballet company and it was what it was even just 4 years ago
 
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