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Help Deciding Where to Move


Christoph
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Okay, so I'm looking to move to another state. I've never liked the state I'm presently in.

 

Somewhere with seasons preferably, and veg* friendly. Oh, and MUST have forests. I also don't like places that are hot.

 

At the moment I'm playing with the ideas of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. But, I also don't want to live somewhere with a really high cost of living. I want somewhere safe, with relatively low crime, and lots of nature.

 

Recomendations on states, cities, and towns are all welcome.

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Hmmm. I have an idea. Do a little research and pick somewhere you feel comfortable with. Everywhere is different. Oregon is a nice place but there's lots of other places.

 

I see you have Oregon down already as a possible place. Lots of people on here are from there. That might be a place you'd like. But I'd suggest checking it out first.

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I can recommand you the province I live in Quebec. Of course it's outside US so my post is like a joke but at the same time it's serious because it meets all your specifications... and it's not far away from the US frontier, less than an hour from the states you mentioned Vermont, etc. As you may have seen in Micheal Moore's Bowling for Columbine, you can't have a lower crime rate than in Canada and Quebec. Well there's some violence and streetgangs in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver but they use less guns, lol.

The vegan community is present but not enought, but people are nice.

There's lots of forest in Quebec, it's a really huge province (3x France superficiy I think), most of it is still forest and water (we have like 20% of all world fresh water I think). If you prefer cold than hot, you'll be happy, the summer is only like 2 months long and the rest of the year it's rain and snow. Cost of living is not expensive. Rents are really low in Montreal compared to cities like Toronto, Vancouver, New York or Paris. But rent prices are going higher every year. Except outside city it's not expensive at all.

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Christoph;

 

All of those states sound like good choices.

 

I have seen a few friends move only to lose their jobs a short time afterwards and have their financial lives ruined. Wherever you go, make sure that your profession is well represented in the employment sector......not just 1-2 companies.

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I can recommand you the province I live in Quebec. Of course it's outside US so my post is like a joke but at the same time it's serious because it meets all your specifications... and it's not far away from the US frontier, less than an hour from the states you mentioned Vermont, etc. As you may have seen in Micheal Moore's Bowling for Columbine, you can't have a lower crime rate than in Canada and Quebec. Well there's some violence and streetgangs in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver but they use less guns, lol.

The vegan community is present but not enought, but people are nice.

There's lots of forest in Quebec, it's a really huge province (3x France superficiy I think), most of it is still forest and water (we have like 20% of all world fresh water I think). If you prefer cold than hot, you'll be happy, the summer is only like 2 months long and the rest of the year it's rain and snow. Cost of living is not expensive. Rents are really low in Montreal compared to cities like Toronto, Vancouver, New York or Paris. But rent prices are going higher every year. Except outside city it's not expensive at all.

 

I wouldn't mind living in Canada. But, someone told me it's hard for Americans to live and get citizenship in Canada. Said Canadians don't want us. *lol*

Edited by Christoph
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Christoph;

 

All of those states sound like good choices.

 

I have seen a few friends move only to lose their jobs a short time afterwards and have their financial lives ruined. Wherever you go, make sure that your profession is well represented in the employment sector......not just 1-2 companies.

 

Well, I only have an Associate degree at the moment, and don't really have a career, but a job that pays the bills. That's about it. Making money isn't important to me. Being happy is.

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Have you thought about Boulder, CO? Not as vegan friendly as Portland (which, of course, is an incredible city and probably as vegan friendly as you can possibly get; I personally couldn't move there because I would spend 90% of my income on things like gourmet vegan donuts) . . . but definitely more vegan friendly than most cities. Lots of nature, lots of stuff to do, lots of cycling paths and hiking treks and bookstores and coffeehouses, good public transportation. The housing market is insanely high but if you don't mind renting rather than buying then I think it would pretty affordable, especially if you don't mind being in a rooommate situation. If you haven't been you should check it out.

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I can recommand you the province I live in Quebec. Of course it's outside US so my post is like a joke but at the same time it's serious because it meets all your specifications... and it's not far away from the US frontier, less than an hour from the states you mentioned Vermont, etc. As you may have seen in Micheal Moore's Bowling for Columbine, you can't have a lower crime rate than in Canada and Quebec. Well there's some violence and streetgangs in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver but they use less guns, lol.

The vegan community is present but not enought, but people are nice.

There's lots of forest in Quebec, it's a really huge province (3x France superficiy I think), most of it is still forest and water (we have like 20% of all world fresh water I think). If you prefer cold than hot, you'll be happy, the summer is only like 2 months long and the rest of the year it's rain and snow. Cost of living is not expensive. Rents are really low in Montreal compared to cities like Toronto, Vancouver, New York or Paris. But rent prices are going higher every year. Except outside city it's not expensive at all.

 

I couldn't mind living in Canada, but I would want to live in B.C. or Alberta if I did. Plus, someone told me it's hard for Americans to live and get citizenship in Canada. Said Canadians don't want us. *lol*

 

as for me to get a American citizenship. If I had a choice I would be Portland in a instant. Seattle Washington is really nice too.

Also I agree with Laura on Boulder CO. I have a friend from there. Cyclocross is really big, if you're into that. The weather does get really cold and it snows a lot in the winter time.

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Have you thought about Boulder, CO? Not as vegan friendly as Portland (which, of course, is an incredible city and probably as vegan friendly as you can possibly get; I personally couldn't move there because I would spend 90% of my income on things like gourmet vegan donuts) . . . but definitely more vegan friendly than most cities. Lots of nature, lots of stuff to do, lots of cycling paths and hiking treks and bookstores and coffeehouses, good public transportation. The housing market is insanely high but if you don't mind renting rather than buying then I think it would pretty affordable, especially if you don't mind being in a rooommate situation. If you haven't been you should check it out.

 

This is great, if I'm doing a trip accross USA, which I wanna do, I should pass by cities like Boulder -- it's in Colorado? -- and Portland. Should be fun during spring and summer. Mmmm vegan cakes and donuts, lol... never tried any, there's no such things as vegan coffeshops around here or they're hiding well. Of course I could bake some but, I'm a man so !

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I will be one of the 2/10 to not say Oregon. You should move to Portland I've never seen a city with so much green space. I'd also consider Victoria, BC if if you can get a work visa and a decent job...its very much like Portland in some ways...but cleaner and less people.

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Wisconsin gets a bad rap sometimes, but it's really a great state.

 

Plenty of green space (the SE corner is the only area with heavy population, as aside from Madison which is about an hour west, you're not going to find more than a handful of cities with a poplulation over 50,000 scattered throughout.) Tons of lakes, state parks, hiking, campgrounds and such.

 

Crime through the entire state is pretty much minimal EXCEPT for some parts of Milwaukee, since it is a fairly large city of nearly a million people. Most of Milwaukee is REALLY safe, but some areas you learn quickly area places to steer clear of unless you've got a really good reason for going there. For other cities once you get around 15 minutes outside of Milwaukee, the worst crime you hear about is someone's car being broken into - violent crime in the surrounding areas is nearly nonexistant.

 

Cost of living...well...you're not going to get much lower. When I was in CA a short while ago, I couldn't believe that people had small 2 bedroom homes in Anaheaim and the surrounding areas that were going for 450,000+ on the average. Here, that kind of money would buy you a new home large enough to raise a family of 8 with money left in your pocket. Of course, you don't get paid the same as you do in some other states, but cost of living is definitely reasonable, low taxes in most areas, a low sales tax as well to make things rather affordable.

 

If you come to Wisconsin, check out Madison (pop. 100k, 60 minutes from Milwaukee, and always rated a top city to live in, not to mention a SUPER progressive town), Waukesha (pop. 65k, 20 minutes from Milwaukee, our home base, voted 37th best small town to live in the USA this year , huge growing arts community, becoming very progressive as well), Brookfield (don't know pop., but a bit smaller than Waukesha, 15 minutes from Milwaukee, very family-friendly, a bit on the yuppie-side, but about as safe as you're going to get, costs a little higher than my city), and Oconomowoc (pop. around 10k if I recall, only 30 min. from Milwaukee but very secluded and quiet an on a lake, near state parks, very quaint and ideal if you want a slow-paced area that's very laid back). Those are just the ones off the top of my head, but there's plenty more around that are very nice as well. And, if you get that big-city itch, Chicago is a mere 90 minute drive, so if you want bad traffic, bustling city life and all that comes with it, you're not too far away to make the journey to appreciate that sort of thing

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I really like where i live. I live in Northern Cal in between Sacramento and Reno Nv. It's orefect because it's in the Foothills about 1 hour to Tahoe to the east and 2 and a half hours from San Francisco to the west. Cost of living is pretty high but nothing like the bay area or areas down south.

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I went to CU Boulder and loved it.

 

(The People's Republic of) Boulder has a lot of good supermarkets, restaurants, farmers' markets, bookstores, bars....etc. There is also a great fitness culture of bikers, runners, skiers and so on. If you're not working out really hard, you can easily feel like a slob, which is a good thing, in my opinion.

 

I'm origianlly from Golden (or near Golden, in the mountains). So, I am biased towards Colorado (and the Denver area) in the sense that it has, in my opinion, the best skiing near any major city (minus SLC).

 

CO also has 300+ days of sunshine per year. When it snows, it's cold and freezing, but otherwise, the weather isn't too bad in the winter, and isn't too extreme in the summer.

 

On the other hand, I've heard that the veg scene is great in OR and Seattle, and everybody I know who has lived there also loves it. I also really like the Bay Area.

 

Good luck!

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Probably not as hot hot like Texas..

But it diffidently is really warm, and not humid.

So perfect weather conditions for the out doorsy type.

You should come to VV08 and see for yourself

 

I don't have the money for VV08, and doubt I would be able to get off work for it.

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Hmm... Let's break things up by regions and then start narrowing down from there. In the Midwest, which state has the best forests and nature, best weather, highest population of veg*ans, is more veg* friendly, etc. And then also the same questions for the PNW.

 

Has anyone here visited or lived in MI, WI, and MN (not just one, but all), that can compare all 3? Does anyone know which Midwest state has more veg*ans and is the most veg* friendly?

 

Has anyone lived or visited both the Midwest and PNW, that can compare both regions?

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It sounds like you'd enjoy living in Prescott, AZ. There are plenty of places to hike and explore and some smallish lakes in the area. It's a perfect mix for me, because I can have plenty of outdoor activities without being out in the "boonies," so to speak. The climate is pretty mild, too. It snows some in the winter but not enough to keep you snowed in. It hardly ever rains- it actually doesn't rain enough for most people. During the summer, it never gets too hot for a hike, run, etc. The cost of living is a little high and job market is lame, but that's almost everywhere I suppose.

 

Mike

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Well, I definitely know what I don't want. I don't want to live somewhere where the summer temps are in the 90s+, or somewhere with horrible amounts of humidity. I live just outside of Houston, and I can say with all certainty that the more humidity, the more miserable the weather. But, it also never snows here. I like snow. I wish to have snow at least sometimes during the year. But, of course if it always blizzards or snows all the time, or is always freezing cold, or slushy/muddy, I probably wouldn't like that either.

 

Hmm... I'm assuming the PNW is going to have more variety when it comes to nature: Mountains, ocean, lakes, rivers, grassy rolling hills, forests. And the weather seems more stable and mild. Then the Midwest has distinct seasons, beautiful forests, lakes, rivers, and the Great Lakes are like an ocean. Grr... I'm so confused! *LOL*

 

What I do want: Veg* friendly, lots of veg*ans (so, I can have lots of like-minded friends, find a good future vegan wife and raise little vegan munchkins, and so they can have plenty of vegan friends), lots of nature, forests to hike through, seasons, mild summers (nothing in the 90s!) with not too much humidity. Honostly, my ideal tempurature is mid-high 70s, which is not too cold and not too warm. Low crime, low drug use, some place affordable (I don't want to live in a cardboard box). Some place green, and eco/enviromentally friendly. I'm not too fond of really large cities. They are nice to visit for a day every so often, but not to live in everyday.

 

I guess I should stick to the goveg.com veg*-friendly cities list if I want to be around more vegans. I'm contemplating all this as I'm writing. It's a big decision, and I want to make it right.

 

 

America's Best Vegetarian-Friendly Large Cities:

1. Portland, Oregon

2. Seattle, Washington

7. Minneapolis, Minnesota

 

America's Best Vegetarian-Friendly Small Cities:

2. Eugene, Oregon

8. Madison, Wisconsin

10. Ann Arbor, Michigan

 

http://www.goveg.com/f-vegcities.asp

Edited by Christoph
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America's Best Vegetarian-Friendly Small Cities:

2. Eugene, Oregon

7. Boulder, Colorado

8. Madison, Wisconsin

10. Ann Arbor, Michigan

 

 

I've been to Ann Arbor. It's a really cool town, it reminded me of Boulder in a lot of ways. The neighborhoods are lined with old houses with lots of character. There are lots of bookstores and coffee shops in town (the original Border's is even there). I think there was good public transportation but I didn't use it so I can't say for sure. There's definitely a fitness culture there (I remember seeing a guy jogging through the city in shorts and a t-shirt in below freezing temperatures, with snow on the ground). They have some great vegan restaurants, too. Not sure about cost of living.

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The only things I'm worried about with the PNW is the cost of living, lack of sunshine, and constant drizzling rain 1/2 - 3/4 the year.

 

But, then the Midwest can be pretty humid in the summer (not as bad as Houston at least!), with mosquitos, etc., and then really cold, wet winters with blizzards and slush/mud, etc.

 

But, the Midwest seems more peaceful and relaxed, and I like the idea of distinct seasons, and I do like snow, as long as it's not too dreary out and I can actually enjoy it (can't if it's blizzarding!).

 

But the PNW seems like it would have better temperatures. Not so much humidity, rarely getting above 81 in the summer, and not too cold in the winters. But then again rain, rain, wet... grey. No snow. (I wouldn't concider eastern parts of WA or OR due too it's aridness and lack of forests.)

 

Anyhow, if the PNW it woudl definitely be west OR, or west WA. If Midwest than north MI, north WI, or northeast MN.

 

I've decided against CO.

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