Best places to live . . .

[beaujolais]

We are looking to relocate in a few years. Any suggestions for best places to live if you want:

to be near a tb racetrack (or a few of them), have interests in h/j, hunting, QH racing, QHs (listed in decreasing order of interest)

and

despise summer & not a fan of sun (fibromyalgia sufferer - can’t handle it), adore fall & winter, have a 6 y.o. son (so want good schools, etc., for him)

I can’t do California (too much sun & just not my style). And, yes, unfortunately almost all QH racing is in those hot states.

Thanks.

[Louise]

New York State, Western NY, near Rochester. You would be near Finger Lakes Race Track, and Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct are located to the east – not that far away, if you want to do a weekend. The only thing on your list that we can’t provide is Quarter Horse Racing

The suburban schools around Rochester are excellent, our Falls and Winters are beautiful. Winter’s a little long, but I know what you mean about the sun, and would much rather put up with that than hot, muggy, sunny weather.

Rochester has plenty of h/j barns and shows. Plus, the Genesee Valley has loads of eventing activities that are fun to go watch and the second oldest established hunt in the country.

Culturally, Rochester is surprisingly sophisticated for a city of its size. Music is a strong point, with a Philharmonic orchestra, a very strong and growing Jazz festival and loads of small clubs where you can find some excellent entertainment. There is also an excellent science museum, that has special activities for the kids on school breaks and during the summer. It has a lovely art museum, too.

The Finger Lakes are nearby. The scenery there is some of the most beautiful in the country. In the Fall, there are lots of drives to take with color that only New England can exceed. It’s Wine Country, too, and chances to tour small wineries are many. Again, there are lots of small festivals in the area, celebrating just about everything that can be celebrated.

Rochester and the surrounding area also, typically has the lowest unemployment rate in the state, with lots of small healthy businesses. The focus has always been on technical industries, with a well educated workforce.

I’ve lived in the area my entire life. I visit other places, and many of them are lovely. But, I’m always glad to come back home.

[LaurieB]

What a wonderful post about your home town, Louise. With enthusiasm like that, I hope you have a seat on the Chamber of Commerce.

[Louise]

IMO, LaurieB, it’s one of the most underrated areas in the country. The winters scare people away, but I’d rather put up with a blizzard than tornadoes, hurricanes or earthquakes. You just make sure, at the beginning of Winter that you always are well-stocked with food and water, and you can ride a blizzard out.

I forget to mention the the quality of health care is excellent. In NY State affordable health insurance, while not available to everyone, is available to most.

Also, housing is affordable, and likely to remain so. During the height of the housing crisis, housing here remained relatively stable in price. It went down some. However, as the prices never got grossly inflated like they did elsewhere, we didn’t suffer the huge crashes in price that people in other parts of the country have had to live through. The number of underwater borrowers here is considerably lower than in just about anyplace.

I know people who have moved away, when they retired for instance, only to move back in a few years because they missed the area so much.

Brag over, I promise.

[beaujolais]

Excellent ! Thanks Louise, very, very much.

[lily04]

Fair Hill, MD. Property tax is low in Cecil County, DE is 5 miles away with no sales tax. 7,000 acres of trails with tunnels or bridges to cross every road. There are 6 TB tracks all less two hours. 3 hunts at FH and several more less than 30 minutes away. Lots of shows every week. Mountains an hour away and beaches an hour away. Baltimore and Philly 1 1/2 hours away. DC 2 hous away. NYC 3 hours away.

[beaujolais]

MD (& VA) sound fantastic but I hear the summers are hot & humid, no?

[lily04]

VA is worse than MD for heat and humidity.

[Hunter_s_Rest]

… But the mid-Atlantic summers hot/humid may they be, are blessedly short. (Ditto the harshest part of winter.)
The reason to live anywhere in mid-Atlantic (no. Va., Md., se Pa., Del.) is the longggggggggggggggggg springs and falls. : )
I mean, we got, what a week or 10 days of frigid this year, maybe the same of stifling heat, and we get paid back with this never-ending spring that started in January and is still going lovely-strong 4.75 months later!
And horses! Horses we got!!!

[beaujolais]

How humid/hot is MD? Sounds nice but I’m worried about the summers.

Ah, Hunter’s Rest, I dream of Virginia (but minus the heat). Your place sounds absolutely lovely, too. Im in NY now (from CA, but now located in lower NY) and find the summers unbearable. I quit riding for July, Aug & some of Sept. usually. (Just. Can’t. Do. It.)

[Laurierace]

It doesn’t get cooler the further south you go so I would say it is safe to say MD is hotter than NY on average. Pretty much anywhere you live you are going to have parts of the year that are rough.

[Drvmb1ggl3]

If you think NY is unbearable in the summer, then I don’t know how you’re going to handle MD/VA, much less anything south of there.

Interesting that you also found Sonoma Co too hot, as it has a fairly mild climate by continental US standards, esp closer to the coast where it rarely gets hot.

[danceronice]

MD/Va can have hot, muggy summers, but they’re not like Florida or the Gulf South.

Chicago region would give you Arlington and Hawthorne, though I’m not familiar with the Quarter Horse scene in that part of Illinois. Winters are COLD, but on that side of the lake snowfall isn’t usually as deep (I’m on the eastern side of Lake Michigan, and at least one blizzard with two feet of lake effect is normal.)

[beaujolais]

Pretty much anywhere you live you are going to have parts of the year that are rough.

True. I’m looking to minimize it, though.

Interesting that you also found Sonoma Co too hot

Now, did I say that? I didn’t. I moved back east for another reason completely.

If you think NY is unbearable in the summer, then I don’t know how you’re going to handle MD/VA, much less anything south of there.

Then, I’d better not go that way. That is why I put the question up - for ideas and to discuss, learn.

Thanks all.

[Drvmb1ggl3]

[QUOTE=danceronice;6269407]
MD/Va can have hot, muggy summers, but they’re not like Florida or the Gulf South.

Chicago region would give you Arlington and Hawthorne, though I’m not familiar with the Quarter Horse scene in that part of Illinois. [/QUOTE]

Chicago is every bit as hot and humid in the summer as NY, probably more so.
If southern NY is being used as the benchmark for too hot, then that narrows you down to the west coast of up in mountains. California is out, so that leaves the PNW or somewhere in the Rockies. PNW has pretty mild winters (like not much snow etc, just wet and miserable) so that might rule them out.

[Drvmb1ggl3]

@sonomacounty;6269627

Interesting that you also found Sonoma Co too hot.

Now, did I say that? I didn’t.

You said something about too much sun, which I interpreted as being too hot.

[beaujolais]

You said something about too much sun, which I interpreted as being too hot.

Oh, that’s what that was.

In Calif sun (intense blazing sun, basically daily, the type where you absolutely need your sun glasses) is a given. Heat - not a given. Sun and heat, in Calif., are two different things. And, it’s a dry heat, so it’s much more tolerable.

Calif. (to me) is beautiful to visit but not to live there.

I get truly depressed without fall & winter.

[danceronice]

[QUOTE=Drvmb1ggl3;6269683]
Chicago is every bit as hot and humid in the summer as NY, probably more so.
If southern NY is being used as the benchmark for too hot, then that narrows you down to the west coast of up in mountains. California is out, so that leaves the PNW or somewhere in the Rockies. PNW has pretty mild winters (like not much snow etc, just wet and miserable) so that might rule them out.[/QUOTE]

If the comparison basis is MD/VA, neither New York (outside Manhattan, but no one in their right mind wants to live there) nor Illinois (outside Chicago proper, but inside major urban areas are terrible because of all the cement no matter where they are-well, except for DC they’re all horrible for one reason or another, but they’re heat sinks in particular) is THAT bad in the summer. It can be muggy, but not for as long–August, maybe late July. Definitely nothing like the Tidewater in June.

The PNW is good if you can handle the wet. On the one hand, no shoveling rain. On the other hand, wet, heavy, weather. People with SAD should avoid.

[brightskyfarm]

When I retire.

 Im getting a 3horse with LQ's and traveling track to track with 2 ponies.

 and following the setting sun :)

 Meanwhile> You can buy my farm in Pa -- its awesome there with 85K ac's of state forest ground, theres a need for someone to organize the ECTRA and AERC rides, and its also like a living vacation! 2 nearby lakes for swimming, the best trout fishing in the state-stocked year round (now, you may have to practise up on your fly-fishing techniques). 

The AT passes right behind the place so how far did you want to hike today?:winkgrin: Plus your own private trail (with jumps) to get to it!
Boating and sailing at another huge lake only 5 miles away deep in the forest down dirt roads (and yes, there is Cell reception!).
900 miles of ATV (solely designated) trails! >send the hubby here …
thats the summer fun!
and its cool cause you are at 2050ft! on the top of the mountain

In the winter, which pa winters arent so bad anymore. They open the cross country ski trails, and snowmobilers ride the atv trails now. The lakes freeze (well, not this year), for ice skating and ice fishing!

Horses? well, you’ll never run out of trails, new and old.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1482481696442.2066981.1065826240&type=3

https://www.facebook.com/brightskyfarm/photos#!/media/set/?set=a.1482510897172.2066984.1065826240&type=3

Plus you can always visit Gettysburg only 12 miles away.!
Riding the battlefields on full moons looking for ghosts is always fun

[beaujolais]

On the one hand, no shoveling rain. On the other hand, wet, heavy, weather. People with SAD should avoid.

I definitely have SAD but it sets in about now - my mind gets bad in the warm/hot, sunny weather - fall & winter bring happiness. Rainy is fine but no snow is not good. Summer is disgusting to me, I suffer - I stop riding for the really bad months - it’s not worth it. (Again, I have pretty severe fibromyalgia & the sun & heat are too much to handle. The crisp weather brings me back to life.) I know it is not typical SAD, but that is me. Actually, a lot of fibro sufferers hate summer & sun.

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Brightsky: Hi ! Your place sounds lovely and the pictures of the trails are awesome! I Love PA. Are there any areas that are near Parx, (Devon is how far from Parx?), have good h/j, hunts, good schools and things for my son? Thanks so very much.