Will you be my neighbor?

[T Cro ®]

Or another way to put it is why would I want to be your neighbor? My wife and I are seriously thinking about moving out of MI so that we (she) can escape the sunless nasty sloppy winters we have here. I'd like to stay within an hour or two of a major airport but a reasonable sized regional size airport will work too as I need to travel for my work. We have stayed several times down in the Ashville NC area and really enjoyed the mountains so we think about moving into the area as it appeals to us but I don't want to overlook some other gem of an area. We don't enjoy BIG city life nor are we wanting to live completely in isolation either but the idea of being able to have a few acre does hold some appeal too. Tell me about what makes where you live or where you'd like to live so special? Mountain and valley views are a big plus and if given my dithers I'd like to live along or nearby to the Blue Ridge Parkway but that is one long road and covers many states so even areas like Roanoke Virginia seem like great places to live.

[gPink]

T, I'm in southern Ill-inois and I wouldn't recommend anyone moving to this state. That said, If I was a younger man I would pack up my business and move to Nashville TN area. The city is doing very well. Music scene is lively. The surrounding countryside is absolutely beautiful. The Gulf, the Smokies, Florida, New Orleans and much more is all in a day or two travel time. Good luck with your decision.
Gary

[VirginiaJim]

The Roanoke, VA area is beautiful.  You couldn't ask for better riding.  Even better, it's within riding distance of me.  On second thought, that might be a minus for you....     Roanoke is large enough to have an airport but small enough to not have the big city issues.  My vote would be Roanoke assuming you can find work there.  Not too close to water, though.  It would be a heck of a commute to the ocean or to the Great Lakes.

[gPink]

You might cross reference any location with this web site to give you an overview of likely prospects.

http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/neighborhoods/crime-rates/top100dangerous/

[westkyguy]

Western Kentucky, if you have a skill that can get you a job. Hour from Nashville, low property taxes, good concealed carry law, but shitty public schools if that is important to you. Great riding roads. Lots of cheap ground and good fishing.

[George R. Young]

Seems nobody chooses to move north (says he shivering in Ottawa).

[wipfel]

Having lived in Tidewater and NOVA, Virginia has a lot to recommend it.  You're within a days drive of mountains, beaches and some cool cities and other historical places.  The Shenadoah valley is wonderful.  I loved the weather in VA as well.  The actually have 4 seasons, some snow each year, a few weeks of 90+ degree weather in the summer.

We've been in Nashville for 3 years, and I second the comments of the poster above.  Nashville is a great place to live.  The weather isn't as good as VA, but you're still close to some cool stuff.  It's a lively, very friendly place and has a small town feel with big town conveniences.  Check out Franklin or Spring Hill south of Nashville or Hendersonville or Sumner County for places Northeast of Nashville.  A friend was working a case in Sumner County and said it's like Mayberry up there. 

I don't know Knoxvlle or Chattanooga as well, but there are some places around those towns that are very nice.  You're right there at the foothills of the Smokies and can still get some space for a good price.  Airports aren't as big and won't have the cheaper flights or flight selection, though.

[Tarheelbob]

Well, having lived in Virginia Beach, VA for 34 years, took a turn in MI (I fully understand the need to leave), and now in Asheville, I will STRONGLY add a vote to your initial choice.

You will LOVE the Asheville area. While I do miss the ocean, Asheville has been our favorite place yet.

• Some of the best riding in the country.
  
• Outstanding local restaurant, brew pub choices.
  
• Growing economy (New Belgium Brewery and Sierra Nevada have both just committed to new "green field" breweries and HQ here)
  
• Excellent, quirky, eccentric vibe
  
• Stable housing market.
  
• Local college, good public school system.
  
• Beer City, USA. (seriously)
  
• Outstanding natural beauty, hiking, bicycling, kayaking, etc. in and around the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains
  

Great place. Especially if you like to ride!

[T Cro ®]

The Roanoke, VA area is beautiful.  You couldn't ask for better riding.  Even better, it's within riding distance of me.  On second thought, that might be a minus for you....     Roanoke is large enough to have an airport but small enough to not have the big city issues.  My vote would be Roanoke assuming you can find work there.  Not too close to water, though.  It would be a heck of a commute to the ocean or to the Great Lakes.

My work is as steady as cement and asphalt so I don't need to find work; only need to make about 9 round trips per year and perhaps as few as 6 if I start working equal time as presently I work 4 weeks on and 2 weeks off.

I want all four seasons just less of the miserable days with no sun to be seen and less of the dirty brown snow. And while we love AZ in Feb I don't think we would much care for it in the summer; went to Vegas in Oct and did ok but again I just don't know if we might melt in the summer out west.

[T Cro ®]

Western Kentucky, if you have a skill that can get you a job. Hour from Nashville, low property taxes, good concealed carry law, but shitty public schools if that is important to you. Great riding roads. Lots of cheap ground and good fishing.

No kids to consider as ours are grown and gone.... This will likely be where we (I) will retire in roughly 20 years.

[VirginiaJim]

No kids to consider as ours are grown and gone.... This will likely be where we (I) will retire in roughly 20 years.

Hmmm, that would make you about 90 or so wouldn't it?

[MAN OF BLUES]

Or another way to put it is why would I want to be your neighbor? My wife and I are seriously thinking about moving out of MI so that we (she) can escape the sunless nasty sloppy winters we have here. I'd like to stay within an hour or two of a major airport but a reasonable sized regional size airport will work too as I need to travel for my work. We have stayed several times down in the Ashville NC area and really enjoyed the mountains so we think about moving into the area as it appeals to us but I don't want to overlook some other gem of an area. We don't enjoy BIG city life nor are we wanting to live completely in isolation either but the idea of being able to have a few acre does hold some appeal too. Tell me about what makes where you live or where you'd like to live so special? Mountain and valley views are a big plus and if given my dithers I'd like to live along or nearby to the Blue Ridge Parkway but that is one long road and covers many states so even areas like Roanoke Virginia seem like great places to live.

Hey T,
 I spent 10 years in Va, north of Richmond, and truthfully I loved the place.... but living expenses there sucked.
Combined with $#!+ laws and taxation on personal property...I weighed being "2 hours" from every desirable scenario for riding, and the reality that living on the North coast was my home....

NOW, major deal....not that I want you for my next door neighbor or anything, but the house next to mine is in limbo, I believe forclosed or something, a nice large home, IN GROUND pool, and in a very desirable spot.....I also believe a holding company (the same one that owns my rental home) really wants the house, but so far it's not been posted....
 you want info?
Lake County Ohio, Mentor/Concord line (Concord side) s.r. 84 do some googling
shoot me a note.

[T Cro ®]

Lake County Ohio, Mentor/Concord line (Concord side) s.r. 84 do some googling shoot me a note.

MOB not that you would not make a good neighbor as you've got good beer and gun powder but I'm trying to get away from Lake Mi winters and you want me to move to Lake Erie..... 

I spend a lot of time including winter lay up in Cleveland so you can come visit me in that $hit hole....   

[VirginiaJim]

Hey T,
 I spent 10 years in Va, north of Richmond, and truthfully I loved the place....

Ahh, even closer to me!

[Pokey]

I vote for the Lexington Ky area, or perhaps the beautiful states of NC/SC!!!!

[Rick Hall]

I was gonna suggest Colla-radie, but the weather sux the big icicle, they're no major bodies of water to float a barge on, no airports of any size, the roads are straight as a laser beam (take a wizz now, next exit 83 miles), and all the Bag-A-Whinos (with "Blue Hairs" and "Hats" at the wheel) drive 48MPH in the left lanes... always. Sand and magnesium chloride on the roads well into June too.

Stay out east, you'll be much happier.

Rick

[AZBiker]

Not all of AZ is hot. 

One of the reasons I'm getting out of Prescott is that it's too cold.

[T Cro ®]

Not all of AZ is hot. 

One of the reasons I'm getting out of Prescott is that it's too cold.

Not getting any sympathy from me!  I've been through the Phoenix to Flagstaff area twice in Feb and stayed in Carefree and Sedona and would kill for winter days like the ones we saw while there.

[cmoore]

TCro, don't blame you one bit. I would take the AZ winter over this stuff in MI any day of the week. We were just in Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon over Spring Break. Real nice up there in that AZ high country. I loved the desert too. We went all the way down into the Gadsen Purchase area and spent a few days. The summer heat would not bother me one bit since I grew up in that back in Texas. The Central Texas Hill country is where I would eventually like to end up. You can live out in the country and still be close to two major airports, Austin and San Antonio. The traffic in both cities can be a nightmare but if you play it right you can avoid all of that. The summer heat can be bad though. We are going to be heading South again once our work in MI is done. Nothing keeping us here except a job right now.

[AZBiker]

To stay cool you want to be above 4,000'.

Some places in AZ that are cool and (relatively) close to an airport:

Prescott
Verde Valley (Cottonwood, Jerome, Sedona)
Flagstaff
Payson
Show Low
Bisbee