Where to Live - I Am Looking for Suggestions.

I live near Denver - so too cold and definitely NOT Southern! : ) My Mom and Dad and LOTS of extended family are from South Carolina though, so I have a good idea of what Southern means.

The friendliest "safest feeling" city I have EVER visited in the US was Kansas City, MO (not the Kansas side). Drivers even stopped to let me cross the street when I was NOT at a x-walk!

The prettiest place I have been is the mountains of Arkansas.

Both areas seem to be doing fine economically.

My folks are in Greenwood, SC. It's a small town, but it doesn't really feel like it to me. Economy is good though and Lake Greenwood is a fun place to play.

I live in Dallas and it's pretty nice for a family (do you have kids?). We live in one of the northern suburbs - near Denton, and it's a safe, pretty, nice place with great shopping and dining, and easy access to Oklahoma where there are fun things to do outside.

If I were to relocate though, I'd probably head to San Antonio or Austin - I love both those cities, and while they are "big", they kind of feel small town, and have great local cultures.

Good luck :) It's fun to think about moving!

K

I live in Johnson City, TN but have also lived in Knoxville, TN. Both cities have a low cost of living, and low crime rate. The region is beautiful, the winters are tame, and there are plenty of job opportunities available if you pursue a medical career. In my opinion, the only other state I would consider living in is North Carolina. I love living in the South! Best of luck to you!

Bravo for trying something new!

I was raised in Northern California and am partial to the mild seasons and overall progressive nature of the state. However, it's very expensive and not the place to be job wise these days.

We spent two years in upstate NY and I have no complaints about the Northeast, particularly Northern PA, NY, and Northeast Ohio. The cost of living was excellent aside from heat in the winter, air is cleaner, the schools are great and contrary to popular belief the people are as friendly as in the South! I enjoyed living in a small, safe place, but being so close to many major cities and services.

We are now back in San Antonio, Texas which has abundant job opps and average priced housing, great colleges and universities-my husband was born and raised here and I originally came here 11 years ago. We've lived in several locations in and around the city. However, I would caution that safety is becoming a real issue here, border drug problems, traffic is a nightmare too! It wouldn't be my pick in Texas if not for my husband's job and the proximity of family.

If you are looking at small towns, this is a great and fun site:
http://www.smalltowngems.com

Best Wishes on your search!

Try Georgia. No particular names. I've visited Macon and Jeckyll Island, but Jeckyll Island has become a rich hotspot.

Check out McKinney, TX. Super great community 30 miles north of Dallas. We have lots of people from N.O. who came here after Katrina and liked it so much they stayed.
I am a native Dallasite and like McKinney even better. Let me know if you move here and I will help you find things and places to get settled in.
Victoria