Tell me where to live!

[Pico_Banana]

Because others have suggested MA but voiced concerns about the weather, let me suggest the South Shore! I moved to the South Shore recently from the 495 area west of Boston and have been very pleasantly surprised by how much more mild the weather is here (I am only about 3 miles from the ocean). So far this winter I’ve used my medium weight blankets three times – otherwise temps have been mid-30s to mid-40s (tomorrow we are in the low fifties!) and 100 gram blankets have been entirely sufficient. Lots of days they have been completely naked. I have only worn actual winter gloves on the days when it dipped below freezing.

In the summer, I see the very occasional B52 fly (my neighbor has animals and does nothing about fly control), but generally my horses are very happy with just some fly spray and fly masks.

Yes, property prices can be a bit nuts, but it is very localized. Some towns are pricey, but other towns right next door have surprisingly reasonable prices. I see lots of equestrian property listings in the Rehobeth area that are very reasonable, for example.

I’m still getting to know the equestrian community around here, but I get the sense that there are a good number of trainers. The vet situation is a little concerning to me, but again I think it depends on where you are. Just a little bit further south of me and it seems like there are lots of good vet options. (I have a wonderful vet but I worry about my options when she retires.)

Feel free to PM me if you want to chat more!

[MunchingonHay]

@Katie81

Philadelphia metro area might be worth looking into. Bucks and Chester counties both have smaller arty towns but also with decent equestrian scene and good school districts.

Montgomery County along the Buck county border is where I would look too. Close to i-95, i-476, i-76.

[Texarkana]

@MunchingonHay

@Katie81

Philadelphia metro area might be worth looking into. Bucks and Chester counties both have smaller arty towns but also with decent equestrian scene and good school districts.

Montgomery County along the Buck county border is where I would look too. Close to i-95, i-476, i-76.

Pretty much all of southeastern PA is a great place for horses. It is collectively one of the horsiest regions in the county.

I was born and raised in southern Chester county. My mind was blown by the lack of horse access when I left the mid-Atlantic region.

[Frivian]

Today I am sitting here again being reminded why I need to move, as my horse gave himself a (thankfully very minor) injury a few days ago and I’ve spent multiple hours in the car to get out there to check on him … time I could have spent looking for a new job or researching a new city! (Note: he is well taken care of at a full care facility but I still feel the need to check on him!)

I’m really intrigued by some of the responses. I’m going to read over the Georgia and MA suggestions a bit more thoroughly, but first please tell me more about these places:

Jefferson County, WV - obviously this is the closest to where I live now, and my current barn is only a few miles away from the WV border. What is the culture like? Are there areas with decent school pyramids? Does it tend to be more conservative politically (moreso than Western Loudoun anyway?)

Roanoke, VA- I’ve got a friend from here and he is definitely a city person, so he doesn’t love it. What is the culture like here? It’s definitely a place I’ve thought about.

My industry is essentially defense but I could switch to a more private sector tech job if needed to achieve more flexibility/remote work. It’s just not what most of my career has been. I did work remotely for a very large, well known tech company for 5 years, but it’s been a while, and the fully remote work was isolating in a lot of ways. My ideal situation would be some kind of hybrid mix or remote with occasional travel to a work site.

I have to come back to read about Georgia. I grew up in upstate SC and swore I’d never go back. But if it’s where I can afford to actually do the farm thing, maybe I should give it another chance.

[NoSuchPerson]

@Frivian

I have to come back to read about Georgia. I grew up in upstate SC and swore I’d never go back.

You know the Buick ad, “This is not your father’s Buick?” I feel like northern Georgia, centered in Atlanta, is kind of similar: “This is not your father’s Georgia.” It may still not be your cup of tea (your glass of sweet tea?), but it may not be the south you remember from your childhood.

[luvmyhackney]

Jefferson County is conservative from a Loudoun County perspective, but tons of people from Loudoun are moving here. I kinda wish they wouldn’t, I moved here to get away from the Ashburn peeps.

Shepardstown is very liberal in Jefferson Co. if that’s your thing.

It’s a very small town feel and lacks amenities but I’m 30 minutes from Frederick MD, 1 hr train to DC, 20 min to Winchester, 1.5 hours to Baltimore. We have good vets, decent farriers, 1 hr to Morven. The horse part is supported by the race track so good amount of horse services here.