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We need to move to a cheaper yet liberal place...suggestions?

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by HuskyPup, Feb 4, 2014.

  1. HuskyPup

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    Though this is a fun town, with a great arts scene, and a very liberal state, my partner and I have decided we have to move because it's gotten so expensive to live anywhere near Washington, DC that we can no longer afford it. Baltimore used to be cheap, but no longer. We never have enough money even for basic things like car repairs, seeing a dentist, sometimes rent is even late. I ended up having to take a job where I have a one hour commute, and there is so much traffic here, among the worst in the nation. On my days off, I don't even want to go anywhere that would require driving, because I feel so tired and burned out. Also, it takes FOREVER to reach places that I would consider 'nature', and I love to get out and hike, and things like that. Also, there's no place to swim here, the Harbor here is totally screwed; you fall in, they send you to the hospital, it's so polluted. Also, in the summer, we have pretty bad air pollution, from all the traffic/cars. So all in all, though we've had many great times here and the people are very friendly and diverse, we need to get out.


    So, my criteria for a new place are:

    1. State must allow gay marriage
    2. Has to be cheaper than the DC/Baltimore metro area
    3. Less traffic/very little traffic
    4. Medium sized/college town, on the liberal side of things
    5. Close to nature and free from air pollution

    So far, New Mexico is on the list (between Santa Fe and Taos), and also Washington Sate, those places south of Seattle. Though I'm not to sure about Washington State, as it seems really pricey.

    Any other ideas??? I thought of New England, but phew, you gotta pay for that quaintness and charm! I looked at Burlington, VT, and Portsmouth, NH. Beautiful places, but whoah, costs more than here pretty much. Even Portland Maine wasn't all that cheap, which kinda surprised me. Maybe we're just poor. But maybe there's something in New England we overlooked...

    CA looks mega-mega-pricey, and we didn't really like the vibe much, the times we visited. This seems to leave maybe Minnesota, or NM...Iowa looks kinda boring/flat/conservative, and Illinois I'm not sure what there is aside from Chicago, which would be too big/polluted/costly.

    So!

    Any suggestions????

    I have a BA in English, and work as a library assistant, my mate waits tables. So jobs are key. I'd like another library job, cause they have benefits, and that way, with same sex marriage, my mate can get them too...that's what we do here. If we had to buy it via Obamacare/the greedy insurance industry, we couldn't afford it at all, so having partner benefits is pretty important.

    Eager to hear some input. Also, would love a place where I was able to bike/walk to work, or had no more than a 20 min drive. I have really come to hate driving!
     
  2. Techno Kid

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    If Canada is an option these Ontario cities have a reputation for being on the cheaper side (compared to Toronto or Ottawa). They are St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Kingston, Hamilton, London, Windsor, or the Kitchener/Waterloo/Cambridge tri-cities.

    Would be interested to hear what some folks say!
    :slight_smile:
     
    #2 Techno Kid, Feb 4, 2014
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  3. SemiCharmedLife

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    What about places with civil unions?
     
  4. AlamoCity

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    Do you have a time frame of when you want to move? I ask because it could very well be that the number of states with SSM could increase this year. I would also do a general search in the United States as a backup because you never know if/when everything changes in on fell swoop.

    But out of those that currently do, it seems Iowa and New Mexico might be your best bets. New Mexico is probably the most diverse in terms of culture and geography because it has so many different regions packed in it. You can see the desert on one end and go skiing in the other. It truly is the Land of Enchantment.

    Just stay out of the resort towns like Red River, because they can be expensive, at least during prime skiing season.
     
  5. Caleb93

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    There are plenty of decent-sized towns in Illinois besides Chicago. Springfield, Peoria, Champaign (U of Illinois is there). Illinois probably isn't all that different from Iowa, politically or geographically. But I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss either one. Go to pretty much any major city and you should be able to find a place to fit it.

    Now if the outdoors is your thing, NM and WA would probably be your best bet. If you're open to states with civil unions, that adds a bunch of places to the list: CO, OR, NV, WI (limited rights).

    Have you considered NY? I know the city is about the most expensive place you could go, but I doubt it's quite so bad upstate. There are quite a few college towns and I imagine they're pretty open-minded. Lots of natural beauty up there too.

    Lastly, I'd keep in mind that we're quickly headed for gay marriage in most of the US. Some places might be take a little longer, depending on how things unfold, but I think it's pretty safe to say that most places outside of the deep south and some of the western states will have gay marriage within 5 years. Just a thought.
     
  6. HuskyPup

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    Thanks for the input!

    I'd love to ponder Canada, though I'm not sure how easy it is to become a citizen...that would be the main problem. But it seems a mellower place, and I grew up near Ontario, in Michigan.

    Civil Unions? Maybe, though not wild about the idea.

    Northern NM does seem nice...not as hot as here, even, in the summer, and a very diverse climate.

    Then again, things may change in various states by then, or in one fell swoop...for now, I feel kinda confined to certain places.

    Does Illinois have much nature? I picture it kinda flat, and with lotsa corn, kinda like Iowa! NY state is an idea, I hear Ithaca is nice.
     
  7. AwesomGaytheist

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    That's like going from a Mercedes Benz to a Ford Pinto, IMHO.
     
  8. Caleb93

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    Most of the midwest is flat. Southern Illinois has some hills though. Same with Indiana and Ohio. (It looks like gay marriage will be on the ballot here this year, and I think it'll pass).
     
  9. Techno Kid

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    Would this help at all, Husky? : 3
    How to Immigrate to Canada from USA: 3 Steps - wikiHow
     
  10. SemiCharmedLife

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    Oregon already has civil unions and is likely to approve marriage equality this fall (that's why I asked). Eugene, Corvallis, or Salem would all be good.

    Colorado also has civil unions and I wouldn't be surprised if they also approve marriage equality in the next few years. If so, stay the hell out of Colorado Springs but check out Fort Collins. Boulder might be a bit pricey.
     
  11. Blondeye

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    Baltimore! Culturally sound and cheaper than a lot of places!!! :slight_smile:

    ---------- Post added 4th Feb 2014 at 04:42 PM ----------

    Oops! Just rerread what u want... No to Baltimore?! Ok
    ... Got it! Lol

    Sorry
     
  12. Riverside, California isn't a bad place to live in, but it's slightly less expensive than Balitmore.
     
  13. AwesomGaytheist

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    I've heard Riverside is a heavy conservative/Republican area, so it may not be the be best place to live in as a gay couple.
     
  14. tscott

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    Rarely can it be said that I work for the for Rochester, but we've a number 1st class universities, NY has gay marriage, we're on Ontario and near the Finger Lakes region. We're close to the Adirondacks and Toronto is only 3 hrs. away. We've charming villages a beautiful cultural district. There is a fairly large and active gay community and the city is relatively liberal if the suburbs are more conservative...even then it has more to do with economics than social issuse...we did give the country Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglas afterall. You also like snow; we've got it in spades. We have Olmstead parks fo snow shoeing an skiing. Property is cheap, but taxes are high...renting is more reasonable and you can be just about anywhere in the county in 20 min's. Ithaca is pretty and we visit often. Oh and as a would be foodie, we have Wegman's look it up on the internet...the only place to buy groceries.
     
  15. That1Guy

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    Try windsor\santa rosa CA, or just sonoma county in general. Meets all of your desired qualities and the cost of living isn't too bad.
     
  16. BryanM

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    I looked up on an LGBT rights calculator your best options statewise, and DC and Washington were #1. The most liberal cities in Wasington are:

    Seattle
    Port Townsend
    Index
    Langley
    Bainbridge Island

    I know a pretty underrated liberal haven is some cities in Illinois, mainly Champaign-Urbana, or Chicago, if big cities are more your thing.
     
  17. BronzeElf

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    Rhode Island is nice, and Providence has an Art College (RISD, Rhode Island School of Design) although if anywhere in New England is too much for you, I'm not sure.
     
    #17 BronzeElf, Feb 4, 2014
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  18. Skov

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    You could also consider the Twin Cities area (Minneapolis-St. Paul) in Minnesota.
    1. The states of Minnesota allows same-sex marriage and the city of Minneapolis is very accepting.

    2. I know the Twin Cities area is definitely cheaper than DC although it isn't necessarily cheap. It depends on where you want to live here.

    3. Not going to lie, traffic sucks during rush hour, but is nothing like what you experience in DC. Mainly a few areas in particular get backed up, but really it's pretty manageable. The only time it really sucks is when a heavy snow starts just before rush hour. They plow amazing here and most people are skilled at winter driving. However, badly timed snow can easily turn a 30 minute commute into two hours.

    4. Minneapolis along with it's neighbor St. Paul, form the anchor to the Twin Cities metro area which has a population of roughly 3.5 million. Living in Minneapolis or St. Paul, you get the big-city amenities, but it doesn't feel huge. The city itself is very progressive. The University of Minnesota has its main campus in Minneapolis which 52 thousand students attend. Living close to there is expensive though (trust me, that's where I live).

    5. The access to nature is good depending on what you like. If you are looking for mountains, the Twin Cities wouldn't be a good choice. We do have A LOT of water here though. Also, as far as I'm aware, the Twin Cities have some of the best air for how big it is. American Lung Association State of the Air 2013 - Minneapolis-St. Paul-St. Cloud, MN-WI (the higher the number, the less polluted)

    I really love living here (even if it does get a little too cold sometimes). It is just a very liveable place if that makes sense. I love the Chain of Lakes, the Mississippi River, the Mall of America, etc.
     
    #18 Skov, Feb 4, 2014
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  19. Skov

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    I'm also going to suggest Duluth, MN. The Duluth area and the North Shore of Lake Superior are beautiful. The area is around 300k I think so traffic isn't a problem. I know Northern MN is more conservative though and I don't know much about the job market.

    Here's Downtown Duluth: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Duluth_Skyline.jpg
    Looking toward Lake Superior: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/DuluthMN_July2004.jpg

    That whole region on the North Shore of Lake Superior is beautiful along with the North Woods of Minneosta. Definitely check it out.

    Here's some of my favorite spots around the Twin Cities:

    Downtown Minneapolis: http://bicycleupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Minneapolis.jpg
    again: http://fulcrumconsult.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Minneapolis1.jpg
    Downtown St. Paul: http://www.dnasoa.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DNA-Paternity-Testing-St-Paul-MN.jpg
    Minnehaha Falls: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Minnehaha_Falls-2005-10-29.jpg
    Lake Calhoun: http://static.travel.usnews.com/images/destinations/8/downtown_minneapolis_sailboat_on_lake_calhoun_nikitsin.jpg
     
  20. BMC77

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    I live in Washington, and the cost of living can be painful. The problem is that Seattle is probably the most gay friendly part, and it's the most expensive part, and has the worst traffic. But some people can get by just with public transit (at least for daily commuting).

    Some areas probably aren't that expensive. But...they are going to be less LGBT friendly. The eastern half of the state immediately comes to mind as example. Although this may or may not be an issue. That half still has same sex marriage like Seattle. And, as one liberal man I know pointed out, in his experience you can survive by finding the like-minded people. (He lived and worked many years on that half of the state.)

    One possibility might be the Olympia area. I haven't been there in years (actually decades). But there are rumbles that have made me interested in considering relocating there. They have a LGBT center that claims it's a friendly place. And there are colleges complete with libraries down there.