Thinking of Moving! Need Advice: Maine, Maryland..some where North!!

[Lovin'ThatMouse]

I have lived in Texas all my life and I think I am ready for a change. I am thinking of moving somewhere north. :car:I was thinking somewhere like Maine or Maryland. Small Towns preferably!
:mickey:Anyone who loves Disney as much as I do is someone I can trust! :mickey:
Please, give me some advice or suggestions!! Thanks in advance everyone!

[Katzateer]

Why Maine or Maryland?

We have been on the east coast for 2 years.

My husband works in Maryland but we live in PA. We live in a small town and most of the people have lived here their entire life.

I love Maine but would not like to live there. Too cold!

The East coast is expensive and while it is has interesting places to visit, I wouldn't pick it as my first choice to move to.

Hope you find what you are looking for.

[DizneyRox]

The Northeast had 3 feet of snow from one storm last year, there was 4-5 feet of snow on the ground at one point. Some snow banks didn't melt until almost May.

You sure you wanna live up there?

[Lovin'ThatMouse]

Thanks for the replies!

I understand that the north east does get a considerable amount of snow:snowball: and that some parts are not ideal. But you could also say the same for Texas. Horrible droughts and intense heat! :sun:I guess I'm just looking for something new. I just don't know where start. I would like to experience actual seasons!! In the part of Texas I live in we have Summer, Summer, Ice and Summer. Just wanting advice on some where nice, pleasant and different!
Haven't you ever wanted to live some where different?

[dnickels]

You might try the 'city-data' forums (google it if you don't know what I mean) for Maine and other areas you're considering. Not all Disney fans of course, but there should be quite a few more posters there who live in those areas and can help you with finding specific towns that may fit. They'll be better able to tell you if a particular town is a good fit for your job-skills and interests.

Best of luck.

[Dulcee]

Having grown up in the North East (NJ) I can tell you this, a lot of it is expensive and crowded.

Now I have since moved to NC and if your looking for somewhere with a low cost of living, great seasonal changes (with some but not massive amounts of snow) and friendly people check out western NC.

[wdwfansince75]

Have lived in NY, PA, MD, FL, CA, VA, and HI, before coming to the Upstate of SC...visited most states on business....Love it here...enough seasonal change, but no extremes...and the snow is usually light enough to satisfy the look, without making driving problematic...although ice storms (once or twice a year) can shut everything down(including stores and all schools). Lots of things to do.

Close to western NC...beautiful country...and travel through the Shenandoah Valley of VA...must be seen to be appreciated....Roanoke is an under appreciated city. Anywhere can work with a good job, and everywhere is tough without a job...find out who is hiring, and where...get jobs lined up, and visit job sites and area...If you have kids, research local schools....Without kids, research local nightlife...
Good luck!

[Ed]

Specifically regarding Maryland, I lived there most of my life. It is a nice state, where there is everything from mountains in the western part of the state to the beautiful Chesapeake Bay in the central portion, and the Atlantic Ocean on the Eastern Shore. The state is small enough that you can easily be in the mountains for your morning coffee :coffee: and overlooking the ocean by Happy Hour. :marg:

However... (isn't there always a "however" attached to such discussions ?)... Maryland is an expensive state to live in. There is a state income tax, state sales tax, and tons of fees for virtually everything. Property taxes are rather high. Traffic can be miserable around the Baltimore and Washington areas. And the winter weather can be pretty severe. Snowfall and ice storms often result in prolonged power outages due to an aging infrastructure.

Judging from what you posted, I feel like wdwfansince75's suggestion of the Carolinas might just fill the bill for you. A reasonable taste of all four seasons, ocean access, moderate cost of living... what more can you ask for ?

[kakn7294]

We live in Western PA (and I do mean western - I can be in Ohio or West VA in 15 min). The weather is decent if you like the seasonal changes and don't mind some cold and snow. Cost of living is pretty good. Housing prices are fairly low, utilities can be a bit high but not unreasonable, we do pay school and real estate taxes, food and clothing prices are reasonable, and gas prices are on par with the national average. There are TONS of small towns all around the region - my house is "rural" but 7 mins from the local town, 10 min from a mall and other shopping (Walmart, Target, etc), and 45 min from Pittsburgh.

[SBETigg]

Western Massachusetts has some great small towns, lots of work in the area, and not an expensive place to live. There's something for everyone, depending on your taste. Urban (Springfield/Holyoke), suburban (Longmeadow), outlying suburban/rural (Granby, Hadley, Belchertown, Pittsfield, Westfield, Chicopee), artsy (Northampton/Amherst, Lenox/Lee), college town (Northampton/Amherst, South Hadley, Hadley). A few hours drive from great beaches (Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, CT) and big cities (New York City, Boston). And, no one speaks with the Boston accent (not that there's anything wrong with that).

[BrerGnat]

I don't blame you for wanting to leave Texas, especially for the weather you've had there all year. Yuck!

However, I think most people would want to know a bit more about your living situation before giving you suggestions on where you should potentially pick up and relocate to.

What type of work do you do? How close to retirement age are you? What type of lifestyle do you like? (active, outdoorsy, cultured). Do you prefer to be in proximity to a major city? How about water? Do you like lakes, rivers, or oceans? How close do you want to be to those?

We just relocated from Southern CA to a small town in Northern VA (military move). While I can't say I LOVE it, it's pretty nice. It's very different from where we used to live, and it sounds like the sort of place you are thinking of. So far, though, I can say the weather has been AWFUL. Horribly hot and humid over the summer followed by about a month straight of rain and flooding! It's starting to feel like fall now, though, and the trees are changing and it looks really pretty. I can't wait until winter, because I WANT some snow! :secret:

[brad192]

Here's a vote for Michigan! I live just outside Ann Arbor (Go Blue!), and I absolutely love it. While A2 is one of the more expensive towns to live in, there are a lot of small towns around the area that are really nice, and a lot cheaper to live in.

As for the weather, we get all four seasons, but winter & summer are usually not too extreme. Summers can have stretches of hot & humid weather, and we do get the occasional big snowfall in the winter, but overall weather is OK. Spring and fall here are glorious! :cloud9: Unless you like a LOT of snow, stay away from the northern areas of the state (think Canada in winter), and the western shore area as they get constant lake effect snow.

Detroit always gets a bad rap, but it's a great city to visit (as long as you know where NOT to go). The people of this state are some of the most friendly around - I think we take a cue from our Canadian friends just north of us. ;)

Lots of fun activities happening all year long throughout the state, and don't forget about the Great Lakes! Michigan is the only state thats got 4 of the 5. :thumbsup:

Granted, the employment situation is dicey here currently, but things are coming around slowly. On the upside, you can get a house for a song right now, as so many homes are in forclosure & the banks are making some great deals.

Geez, I sound like a state government tourist industry employee. :blush: Oh well, just my 2 cents.

[garymacd]

Well.

There's always Canada!

Especially if you REALLY want a change from Texas.

[murphy1]

You should look at North Georgia/ North of Atlanta area, near city, mtns, great schools, still small town feel, get four full seasons and a lot of house for $$$. Plus you would be about 7-8 hrs from Disney if you like it that much (we have a lot of people here who use APs all the time), I still go back to Florida as much as I can due to my family and friends and a few commitments there and it isn't a bad drive at all, so I love having the best of both worlds-beach and mountains.

[DisneyDog]

I live in South Eastern Pennsylvania. I love it here so much. We are about 15 miles outside of Philly. Ten years ago, we were in your shoes. We wanted a change. So, we packed up and moved to Southwest Florida. Hated it so much. I wasn't at all what we were used to and could not adjust. So, we came back home and we are happy here. Wouldn't want to live anywhere else. We are 1.5 hours from a beach, near Philly but also near farmland and wooded land, near shopping, and culture but don't have to partake if we don't want to. We get all 4 seasons, and it's easy to deal with the snow when you know it will be followed by a beautiful spring.

[diz_girl]

I recently moved to Maryland and I hate it. I lived in NJ for 18 years (originally from Philly and Bucks County, PA) and I would move back to NJ in a heartbeat. I actually lived at the epicenter of the 3 foot snowfall last winter (the day my son was born, no less) and again, I would move back in a heartbeat. People complain about the high cost of living in NJ, but you get what you pay for. I was three miles from the ocean, in a town with good schools, in a county with an excellent park system, close to everything you need and some of the best restaurants in the state. Now, it's a whole lot of nothing. If I want anything other than booze, I have to go to Delaware. I do love my new hairdresser and my children's pediatrician, but they're also in Delaware.

The move was not my choice, so I'm positive that is influencing my attitude. However, I'm still here and I still hate it here. Most of my co-workers who have lived in NJ for a long period of time also hate it, so it's not just me. My job moved (I actually work in the same place as Katzateer's hubby) and most of the people in my office noticed how many liquor stores there are around (not just in one specific town, but we're talking over a couple of counties). I mean A LOT - A WHOLE LOT. What's up with that? By the way, yes, I'm thankful that I have a job, a home and food on the table.

I'm going to sound like a snob here, but there isn't a single upscale retailer in the entire county. Not that I actually frequent upscale retailers, but there isn't even a single Babies r' Us or Target in the entire county. The only saving grace is that we live right near the Delaware border, about five minutes from U of D, and Wilmington is not far, so there is culture and shopping in that state.

As for the schools, more than one co-worker has a child whose school is covering material in their current classes that they learned the previous year in NJ. My one co-worker actually lives in the town that's considered the most desirable place to live in the area with the really good schools and she found the same thing. Yeah, my property taxes are lower, but I'll be sending my kids to private school.

This is not from my personal experience, but of people close to me - you may move to an area that doesn't want you. So do a ton of research before you move. Some places have the mindset that if you haven't lived there all of your life, then you are an outsider and they want nothing to do with you. The locals here make us feel welcome, so I feel bad that I hate it here because it is their home. Don't worry - I don't tell them that I hate the place.

Most of the time when people move to a place with a lower cost of living, they wind up getting a lower quality of life and are somehow surprised by that. I've seen many articles recently that name places that have a low cost of living, but have a high quality of life. Of course, now everyone and their brother is moving there. So it is possible, but its probably the exception and not the rule.

Rant over.

Good luck.

[TinkerbellT421]

All I can say is, coming from a Rhode Island resident, Do NOT come here. If it was easier than it is for me I would move out of here in a second. Between our idiot governor and his "brilliant" (insert sarcasm here) ideas, among other things. If you drive 10 minutes over the Rhode Island border to Mass, peoples land value is double mine, taxes half, etc....Rhode Island is on a downhill slope to nowhere. I recommend New Hampshire (nashua area is great) Massachusetts, not too sure about Connecticut.

[Mackflava99]

I live in NJ- its gets a bad rap, but is really a very nice state. There are small towns but you can get to NY or Philly if you need to- so don't count us out.

But for your 2 choices - MD and ME - here is my perspective.

1.) Maine - My dad lives in Maine so i go there numerous times a year. Totally gorgeous in the spring and Summer. Very cold in Fall and winter. Lots of snow. BUT great beaches, low cost of living, lots of fresh air and tons of lobsters. Very friendly people too. My kids LOVE it there.

2.) Maryland - I have cousins, friends and also go there for work alot. Maryland is also a great place. Anywhere outside of Baltimore and far from DC would be great. Also alot of small towns and better weather than ME or NJ. ( but not too much) I must say that there is alot of traffic in MD if you are anywhere in between Balt and DC. But there are tons of beautiful towns.

Either choice is great, I would look closer to the ocean. Because if you are going to move, you should take advantage of the beauty that the ocean provides.

Both are on i95 so its a straight ( but long) shot to WDW.

[Mousemates]

East Tennessee offers four seasons, a low cost of living (especially in comparison with Maryland), the beauty of the mountains, no state income tax and friendly folks.

Furthermore you can kind of cherry pick just how much winter you want....if you want very little...try the Chattanooga to Cleveland area...if you want one or two (on average) smallish snows a year try knoxville...and if you want snows in greater quantities try the Johnson City area or high in the moutains anywhere along the NC border.

[Hair_Razor]

I was just in Chattanooga yesterday it is so cutsie I could easily live there. If you want New England for sure I think there is nothing prettier than Woodstock Vermont, talk about quaint! Just gorgeous. I live in Columbus (Go Bucks! To the pp from AA ;D) and if you like midwest it is friendly and there are a lot of small town options but you are close to many big cities no matter where you land.