seeking liberal, veggie/eco-friendly small town. does it exist? help? (farmer, outdoor activities)
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Local new englander, newly married. I've lived in Seattle for the past 4 years and love the proximity to the mountains, water and general liberal attitude. I feel like Seattle is too big for me now and am seeking that quaint small town without the ignorance and lack of jobs, which I'm sure is rare...I'm a vegetarian cook, he's in IT and we want to open a B&B one day...but my main goal is finding a liberal, supportive community that isn't all standoffish like the folks in Seattle. 4 years here, and I've been an active friend and it's so hard to get people to just make time for you in this city,even when you know they are not busy...
that's my biggest issue with seattle, and i've learned it's a distinct seattle thing. i also need more days of sunlight out of the year. my brother lives in vermont and we've considered moving there, but obviously the job market isn't fabulous and the bugs....we've also looked at outside of portland but i've heard it's not much sunnier there in the winter than seattle? i've decided i don't mind the cold in the winter if i can have a little sunshine.
we are both rock climbers and like a little bit of a social scene...we plan on having kids in a few years and i just don't want to settle down somewhere and not be able to make any friends like in seattle...
my dream place: sunshine! access to swimming holes, hiking, rock climbing, farmer's markets, food co-op. supportive of vegetarian food/lifestyle. humidity is rough on my husband (he lived in ct for a summer and that was it!) i am flexible to either coast. i'd like to have a few acres but be somewhat close to a liberal town with some diversity (i get scared of the high percentage of old white people in vermont, no offense...it was never apparent until i moved to the west coast)
anyways, let's discuss and i welcome all advice. i need to leave this city before i get sucked in and regret not taking action...
just keep in mind its got a huge meth problem, and the economy can be ify( too bad because its a real nice state)
Oh as for kids and NM the schools are not good , except maybe for Rio Rancho and Los Alamos. Los Alamos very expensive and Rio Rancho is intell dependent .
Oh and good luck and tons of blessings
Last edited by Yac; 05-07-2007 at 06:17 AM..
Reason: 4 posts in a row
Taos New Mexico seems like a fit. New Mexico is a very poor state Though. Taos/Santa Fe can be as expensive as San Francisco. Angel Fire or Red River could be an option as well.
As for the Meth problem...the is a national problem. I lived in New Mexico and it is ten times worse in California. I would say New Mexico has more of a problem with Alcohol then Meth.
Charlottesville, VA may be an option for you. It's a liberal small town in VA with many swimming holes, caves, and mountains surrounding it. It is home to University of Virginia, one of the best universities in the nation.
Sounds like where a friend of mine lives. Montpelier, VT. He's a former studio musician who teaches music students from the University in his home. His whole block is filled with former something or others who wanted a quieter, friendlier, homier small town life. Many are former NYC/NJ transplants who now dress casually & seem to have found their calling by gardening, painting, or somehow making a living from home.
Town still has a cow crossing, several B&Bs in walking distance from his house, never too hot, wintery of course, reachable farmer's markets, 3-ish hr drive to Montreal. Not sure on price range of housing, but it can't be as expensive as Seattle's become in recent years.
I left Seattle in '94 & have wanted to return ever since. Have you thought about the eastern side of the state, near Spokane or Pullman, in the Palluse. Not far from Coeur d'Alene. That side of WA is sunny.
we are both rock climbers and like a little bit of a social scene...we plan on having kids in a few years and i just don't want to settle down somewhere and not be able to make any friends like in Seattle...
My dream place: sunshine! access to swimming holes, hiking, rock climbing, farmer's markets, food co-op. supportive of vegetarian food/lifestyle. humidity is rough on my husband (he lived in ct for a summer and that was it!) i am flexible to either coast. i'd like to have a few acres but be somewhat close to a liberal town with some diversity
If you want a liberal town with sunshine and access to lots of outdoor activities, then I recommend Tempe, AZ. There are farmer's markets in the small adjecent Mexican community of Guadalupe and there is a wide variety of food stores and restaurants that cater to your interests. There is an REI store in Tempe and Tempe is home to Phoenix Rock Gym. It is a very liberal city, as all the U.S. House Representative and all of the AZ state legislature members who represent Tempe are Democrats.
Tempe is in the Phoenix metropolitan area, and it is not a small town. If you want a smaller town outside the Phoenix area that has sunny weather and is noted for liberal attitudes, I recommend Sedona. It is close to lots of rock climbing and swimming holes such as Oak Creek Canyon and Wet Beaver Creek. Sedona is very expensive and is home to many wealthy people.
Other smaller towns in northern Arizona that are popular with outdoor enthusiasts include Flagstaff, Prescott, and Payson. Of the three, Flagstaff is considered to be very liberal because it is home to Northern Arizona University and is adjacent to Navaho Indian Reservation. It is close to the Grand Canyon and the highest point of Arizona, Humphreys Peak. Its high elevation (6,900 feet) means the summers are relatively cool and sometimes the winter gets cold and snowy. Prescott and Payson are situated about a mile high and both are less than two hours from Phoenix, and both are considered middle-of-the-road politically. All of these cities above are close to the kinds of outdoor activities that you enjoy.
Charlottesville, VA may be an option for you. It's a liberal small town in VA with many swimming holes, caves, and mountains surrounding it. It is home to University of Virginia, one of the best universities in the nation.
Anywhere in Virginia appears to be humid - see my description above of some places to consider in Arizona (a dry state).
Tempe is not a small town and not really liberal. People in Phoenix think it is liberal only because the rest of the place is so conservative. I live in Tempe (at least for the next few days) and I can tell you that it is basically Phoenix sprawl and suburbia. If you like Seattle and Vermont I doubt you would like Phoenix.
Sedona is a nice place but jobs are difficult to find. Flagstaff...ehh alright but there are better places. I would check out some of the smaller towns along the California cost between LA and San Francisco. Also look north of San Francisco along the coast. Western Colorado might be another option.
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Charlottesville, VA
