Folks Of Interest Old car friendly places to move to?

Cool thanks for the info , I'm actually a general machinist , I do stuff like prototype work , small production runs on manual machines and have done large production on cnc, ( button pusher type stuff)went to school for tool and die / mold making , automotive machining is a bit of different ball game , all the same rules apply, but I'm not familiar with the equipment , I wouldn't mind learning though

 

The San Antonio area is good. One of the smaller local cities like Seguin, New Braunfels, San Marcos or Boerne would be a good choice.

 

I will say stay away from Illinois , taxes for everything , some towns are totally not car freindly ( many around chicago , and lots of big and small industry moving away . when Wife gets well and back to work our plans are to move away from this hell hole ( maybe to north central or central Hoosier ) , Illinois makes New York and Jersey look nicer every day with there stupid laws and political bickering ...

 

DETROIT

 

California,New York,New jersey[whole north east really], people seem to be moving away in masses .Cant imagine why

 

when I moved to Kingman, AZ with my 26 roadster I emailed my pal's in Kalispell, MT and said I could drive my Hot Rod 360 days a year. One of them wrote back what about the other 5 days? My reply was "I'm usually out of town"

 

I live in the high desert of So Cal. Lived here for 29 years.This area has a lot of old cars and is close to all the big car events like LA roadster show,grand national,....ETC. As others have said, Taxes are high,too many drivers the closer you get to the beach and LA.But family and weather keeps me here.If I could only win the powerball,i would move to Kona,Hawaii.There are old cars ,nice people,nice weather,everything I like except houses are not cheap! I even like the volcano. You can get cheaper houses the closer you get to the volcano. LOL. Exterminator

 

If you have any desire to stick around whatsoever, let me know, and I'll introduce you to the owners of a couple of relatively high-tech "machine" shops, right here in Vista. They pay their guys some pretty decent dough.
Sounds like you already have your mind made up, though ...
Don't let the usual anti-California whiners that always want to chime in on here, sway your decision. There's a really good reason that California, when compared to every country in the world, has the seventh largest economy.

 

I am a Carlsbad ca native. I was born in Oceanside ca and spent my younger years in Carlsbad ca. in 1957 my parents got home sick and moved back to Illinois. they regreted it from day one . I moved back to Carlsbad in 1986 and was there until 1996 and moved back to help my parents with health problems.i regreted the move back from day one. don't make any quick decisions. you are in the right place ! I sold my home in Carlsbad ca in 1996 for 230,000. it is for sale now for 899,900.00. no way I could it afford my old home now so I looked at all my other options and bought a home in southern Nevada. great car culture, car things everyday close to my friends and family in so cal, low low low property taxes and low low low utilities. my Illinois taxes are 700.00 a month . mosquitos and high humidity free. my taxes in southern Nevada are 600.00 a year.

 

Lots of interesting points of view on this thread. I've been in my house on the west side of Denver for 40+ years. The wife & I are both retired & talk about moving but cant come up with a place we see as an improvement. The places with enough room for a large shop/garage and my toys are priced out of my range. There is a large amount of car stuff everywhere nearby. The weather can put a small crimp in your plans, but I did have the 34 out for a good drive yesterday. Traffic has gotten NUTS over the years, 'cause everyone is moving here.

 

Best places I have ever found: Dallas, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia. College towns can be great, IF you are taking some classes. These two cities seem to offer employment that supports single women.

Since you are moving from SoCal, I highly suggest that you visit any place you take seriously during each of the four seasons, or at least during the extremes. Texas gets TOASTY, but everything is air conditioned. If you don't like sweat dripping off your nose, stay where you are. If you don't mind that small detail, Southern people can't be beat.

How about getting involved in a car club where you are? At least make a better effort to get to as many cruises as you can. The kind of people you want to meet are not going to come to you, either where you are or where you move.

 

Still love MN, makes you appreciate the summer.

 

As far as registering a car or truck,Id say NY. If you cant get it done here you are either stupid or lazy or both. Other than that point ,stay away.This state sucks!!!

 

hahahaha I`m saving up as we speak

 

Guys if you want to move I would first suggest get in touch with the area chamber of commerce also several relators in the area. Having said that I live in eastern Oregon High desert 20 miles west of Ontario & 60 miles north of Boise Idaho. Farming area for potatoes,onions,hay & grain. I have a 2300 sq ft 3bdrm 2 bath & XL2 car garage + a 30 X 40 shop with lift for sale. Getting too old to turn the wrenches any more.

 

Bumping this back up ... I sold my house , last summer , finishing up some stuff in CA and moving all my junk back to Minnesota as a home base, (as I have storage there)

I'm hoping to be a vagabond for the summer and get to checkout different areas of the south... I'm a bit sad to leave but change can be good also... the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence I know... but sometimes the yard may fit your needs a little better

I'd like to thank all that posted their advice and experience and feel free to add also

 

South Carolina,especially the upstate has great weather and the unemployment is at a all time low.

The Greenville area is booming and there is a huge influx with BMW,Michelin tire and many other auto parts manufacturing.

There is a lot of car show,cruise-ins around,something every weekend withing 20-30 miles from Anderson. HRP

 

Congrats, best of luck to you. I hope I soon can sell my place here in Southern Oregon soon and GTFO.

 

HRP, I went to the steel in motion show a couple years ago chasing after a girl .. I went downtown Greenville there was an art show on Sunday afternoon , I drove to charleston then up to Atlanta and over back to Greenville, I flew out of Charlotte for the approximate week there being a lookie loo I would say my experience was very pleasant... seems like a real nice place , I do want to visit again and explore more....

 

Good luck to you as well ... what area do you have your sights set on?

 

Check into Huntsville Al. Should be a good spot for a machinist. There is a new car plant moving there as well.

 

There is a huge car culture in Atlanta - the first Sunday of each month has the Caffeine & Octane event that can have an attendance of up to 3000 (yes three thousand) cars. There used to be a lot of manufacturing here Ford, GM and Lockheed but that is fading in favor of tech industries. Housing in the northern suburbs can still be affordable but traffic can be a real bitch. NW South Carolina sounds like a good bet - a friend of mine has some rental property in Spartanburg and he says property is pretty depressed in town but doing better closer to Greenville.

Huntsville still has the old Redstone Arsenal with Raytheon, Pratt & Whitney and other rocket related manufacturers - they are right in tornado alley though.

 

I dig Fallbrook.

 

next to me !!!

 

Yep, about 4000 employees. Also have Redstone Arsenal, and areo space. Lots of factories moving in, in very near future.I should work for CoC

 

Vancouver Island has lots of car stuff and is screaming for machinists right now.
And for most of the year it is sunny. We even have palm trees!

 

Ky ? Well it is beautiful if you like weather swings from below 0 in winter to near 90 in summer at 97 % humidity , hill country is a bound everywhere . Paris , Midway , Lexington area super nice but $$$$ to purchase .Lots of car stuff . Arthritis is sure to move in with you . I have lived here all my life and would move away in a heart beat . I know this is a sore subject But it is a gun friendly state , I get more hassle over owning a pit bull than a safe full of guns . I liked the Kingman area , visited there a few times , relatives in SC super nice also , no industry , textiles left all but nothing remaining . My wife is from Ga ., visited there many times Atlanta busier than LA freeway at rush hours . A friend moved to Fayetteville , Ga , about 60 miles from Atlanta and loves it . Great car weather , drive 300 days a year others , you are on a Scooter . Been to many areas in Florida , sight seeing while riding on the scooter . Ocala was wonderful , and cheap years ago . Not sure anymore , haven’t been in years . 93 in a 45 zone on a hand jammin , hardtail was not my most fund memory of spending a weekend . Not anyone’s fault but my age , 16 YO in a 45 YO body . The south is a bit slower and friendly great for retirement and sweet tea ! I live near the Mason Dixon line ( Ohio River ) , huge change when crossing from south to north . I have to say American by birth , Southern by choice .

 

Thanks. Somewhere in the Southwest. Got Vegas on the top of my list, if that doesn't work out, maybe somewhere in Arizona.

 

Las Vegas seems to have a lot of really good looking women walking the strip looking for a date.