Utopia take 2

[Tomtint]

It ain't just Californians. Here in northern New England it's people from Mass. or Conn. They wanna move to the country to get away from all the city crap, and (in theory) enjoy the "simpler life" in the country. Then they want all the amenities, zoning, etc. they had in the city.
I'm sure it's true in every part of rural America...only the cities/states the crowds come from change.

I grew up in Mass.. work in one city or another virtually every day. Typical day is 200 miles or more in one truck or a van.. in traffic traffic traffic. ..I hate people...well..most people these days. As far as me moving somewhere and wanting to make my new home like my old home...no. ..My eutopia is a 10-15 acre lot, neighbors with similar acreage. A 2500 sf home and a 1500 sf shop, property cost 500k ish with a tax bill sub 5k a year. Within a 15-20 minute drive to basic shopping and restaurants. Minimal public services outside of L.E and F.D. And within a hour drive to quality healthcare. No snow, No earthquakes, not in tornado alley. I know you can't predict Mother Nature, but some places are more prone to weather disasters than others. I grew up looking at the Atlantic Ocean every day.. I'm over it.... I don't care to see the ocean at all. Trees, mountains, rivers, lakes.. more my style.

 

[ultrarunner]

If the desire is micro management then seek out an HOA.

I've heard comments in WA from new comers complaining about old farm equipment, vehicles etc as rural eyesores and think to myself here we go again...

I'm a very much live and let live unless your toxic waste site spills onto my property otherwise consider it local color...

 

[radios1]

I grew up in Mass.. work in one city or another virtually every day. Typical day is 200 miles or more in one truck or a van.. in traffic traffic traffic. ..I hate people...well..most people these days. As far as me moving somewhere and wanting to make my new home like my old home...no. ..My eutopia is a 10-15 acre lot, neighbors with similar acreage. A 2500 sf home and a 1500 sf shop, property cost 500k ish with a tax bill sub 5k a year. Within a 15-20 minute drive to basic shopping and restaurants. Minimal public services outside of L.E and F.D. And within a hour drive to quality healthcare. No snow, No earthquakes, not in tornado alley. I know you can't predict Mother Nature, but some places are more prone to weather disasters than others. I grew up looking at the Atlantic Ocean every day.. I'm over it.... I don't care to see the ocean at all. Trees, mountains, rivers, lakes.. more my style.

no snow in Boston??, Massachusetts in the USA, right?.. Does it snow in Boston? - Quora

 

[Tomtint]

no snow in Boston??, Massachusetts in the USA, right?.. Does it snow in Boston? - Quora

Yes it snows here..and is generally cold and unpleasant for 5-6 months a year.just one of the many reasons I’m getting out.

 

[two_bit_score]

Yes it snows here..and is generally cold and unpleasant for 5-6 months a year.just one of the many reasons I’m getting out.

You probably should check out Marble Falls Texas.

Marble Falls, TX - Official Website | Official Website

 

[lman]

I avoided the first thread, but.....

At one point or another over the years, I've been in 49 states, some more than twice. Grew up in a northern state, large metropolis, miserable winters and summers. Crowds everywhere, high taxes and utilities, Insurance rates insane.

For reasons I won't go into very deeply, I found Lower Uncton. Hot, muggy summers but winters are generally mild. Yes, we get snow, ice storms and frigid weather, but it usually only lasts a few days to a couple of weeks before moderating. Taxes are cheap for what I have, under $400/year. Insurance isn't great considering the rural location with a volunteer FD. No codes, permits or inspections for most things. Only inspections required for me have been when I converted the panel to breakers with a new meter base installed and when county water came in and was connected. If I owned over 10 acres, that one would not have been required.

County Sheriff's office is something like 6 or 7 deputies. I rarely feel the need to lock doors unless I'm going to town. Most problems are between people that know each other or if a property is known to have been vacant for some time.

No serious fire threat. Field fires can be 20 acres, but they burn slow and can be managed easily.

Flooding is an issue, but we manage. I can be flooded in for weeks by water over roads, but there is never a threat to my house.

Utility rates aren't great, but not horrible either. Generally reliable, but outages can be lengthy.

Have very large lakes nearby, plenty of recreation for those so inclined. Major fishing locations that draw people from all over. A National recreation area and quite a few historic sites. Lots of times I can stand outside and not hear a single human made sound. Plenty of wildlife including Bald Eagles.

Plenty of work if you want to drive 20 or more miles each way, or work in agriculture or quarries.

Most retail places are 20+ miles, so you have to plan your trips. No five minute runs for a gallon of milk.

Utopia? OK for me, but maybe not the best place for all.

Why would you post details about your place without providing a location. The details you provided are not helpful without a location. Maybe you just like to read what you type, because it sure wasn't meant to be helpful.

We bought our 25 acre retirement place in northern Indiana when I was 35(about a hundred years ago). I retired once but was convinced to go back to work by my current boss. My current job is much less stressful so I consider it semi retirement. I've never lived in a city or town and when I see what's taking place in the cities now, it seems like any of the sane people left would be moving out of town. I do still own a snow shovel, but my sister lives in northern Wisconsin and they have real winters there. For some reason when I plant my garden, it doesn't seem like it's too big but I always have more than we can handle even after canning. I could handle a little less humidity, but then the corn wouldn't grow 6 inches overnight.

 

[Sigarms]

If you don't want to own a snow shovel, I'm guessing anything below the red line would be safe from snow (others feel free to correct me).

Trees, mountains, rivers, lakes.. more my style.

From my experieces, if you don't want to own a show shovel, your mountains are going to look more like the Wichita mountains from a distance.

From the map I posted, I live around the red star. I was in the blue star area yesterday in Tennessee. Drive distance is about 2 hours. This past 12 months, I can't remember seeing it snowing at all in my area, but there was a bunch of snow on the border of TN/NC.

However, I'm at the base of the foothills in NC, and my elevation is around 1000'. The blue star area is around Boone NC, and Boones elevation is over 3,000'. I'm about 2 hours West of Raleigh, and Raleigh sits at 315' in elevation. Generally, my area is colder than Raleigh, but in the winter time I can be in the 40-50's per temp with not a cloud in the sky and they are having a blizzard in Boone. I use to work regularly in SC, and personally find Columbia a lot hotter in the summer than my area in NC. Columbia's elevation is around 300'. That said, being I like the mountains as well, much prefer the Greenville area, which sits around 1000' (for comparison, Asheville NC is about an hour drive north and sits around 2000'). Use to work semi regularly in Georgia, Alabama and Florida as well, and just find it's too flat and hot for my own personal taste (Georgia has some beautiful mountains as well, but since they are higher in elevation, again, generally colder with snow in the winter time). Point being, be aware of your elevation as well if you want no snow.

I still remember the early 2000's in NC and Raleigh got a dumping of snow (the one after the record of 2000) of around 15" and we got snow as well. Seemed like the whole state was shut down for two weeks because they had to wait for the snow to melt. Also remember when they canceled the local Christmas day parade because the forecast was calling for one inch of snow (which never happened LOL).

My wife is from Vermont and I've lived all over the northeast (including getting through a 70" dumping of lake effect snow in upstate NY around '99). Although we can have a cold December and January where we're at in NC, and may get a one 5-10" dumping of snow out of the entire year, we find it a happy medium with the warm spring and hot summers. No mud season, which we now enjoy as well.

 

[fried1765]

It ain't just Californians. Here in northern New England it's people from Mass. or Conn. They wanna move to the country to get away from all the city crap, and (in theory) enjoy the "simpler life" in the country. Then they want all the amenities, zoning, etc. they had in the city.
I'm sure it's true in every part of rural America...only the cities/states the crowds come from change.

I was born in 1940, and have always called Cape Cod home, though I have periodically lived elsewhere.
I live in a 290 year old house.
The town got it's first fire truck in 1946.
As a then 6 year old, I remember it well.
Driving time to Boston by car, was 3-1/2 hours.
Many local roads were dirt/sand.

Now:
4000+ voters - 30,000 people in Summer.
(In 1950 there were 400 voters.)
New 200 million town water system.
Natural gas network.
All roads (except private) are paved.

Before: No full time fire or police employees.
Now: 5 fire trucks, two ambulances, 7 police cars, many dozens of municipal employees.
1-1/2 hour (highway improvements) drive to Boston.

The city folk moved in for the rural nature,...... then, DEMANDED it all,..... to make it much like where THEY came from!

 

[Jstpssng]

Well said.
What's right for you might be a really bad fit for me, and vice versa. Personally, northern New England is as good as it gets. Couldn't pay me enough to live in the south, likewise Texas did nothing for me, yet millions of people happily call those (and other) places home.
There is no "utopia".

I feel the same way. I enjoy our 4 seasons, but every year I dread the coming of summer. I don't like heat, the only good things about temps over 60 are tomatoes, cucumbers, and corn. Then the various biting flies are enough to drive you insane.


PS; after reading "Digginit" 's post #11 I suddenly realized; he must be Oosik's next door neighbor! :stirthepot:

 

[Gem99ultra]

Well, there is this Tom if you were interested.

Utopia Texas - Your Texas Hill Country Paradise


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Bonk! You DON'T want to live in Utopia, Texas. I once had a neighbor family that grew up in Utopia. They were loony as they come. Not being judgmental (of course not), I now assume every resident in/from Uvalde County is also loony?

Actually, that area is very nice. NO crowds, no protests, and good land for farming or (mostly) raising stock.