I know it's been done before, but what's a nice place to live

Hope you guys don't mind a slightly OT post.

I think I am ready for a change in scenery. I don't have anything holding me down but my possessions, and I am not really attached to anything but my car and tools.

So, if you had a place to move to, where would it be?

Right now, I am a process engineer for Sony, so a place that has some industry would be nice. Honestly, if I could find a hot rod shop that paid enough to cover my living expenses, I'd probably do it. Warmer weather is also something that I'd like. Sounds like CA is awfully expensive, so I'm not inclined to ge there. Austin sounds interesting though. Something with a car scene would be cool.

I'm not having an existential crisis or anything, so I hope I don't sound like it, I'm just bored with my job and this area. Any suggestions?

 

I'm there with you!! EXACT same thing (bored with life up here, and WINTER is coming), although I do have a family, but they are FULLY supportive, BUT, CALIFOFNIA is MY goal. My ONLY suggestion from MY experience is get online and look up jobs like on cragslist or the local paper of where you are interested in going, and try to either FAX/EMAIL them resume's... Thats what I have been doing....Ken

 

I am moving from a medium sized town (50,000 people) to 1 1/2 acres in the country....................Not working, so that isnt a factor.

We needed a change too.

 

Ive done this. Chicago-great but cold.SoCal- great-left last year to move to Austin. Austins great if you dont want to work. Getting ready to go back to Cali where experience and work ethic can get you a job. Az is good too but hot as hell. Just my .02

 

I like it right here in far nor cal. not as expensive as the SF area, but not too many good paying jobs. Hot in the summer but there are lakes and stuff.

 

We LOVE Georgia. Decent cost of living, a drive from here to Bonneville two weeks ago indicated we've got cheaper gas than any of the 9 other states we drove in, great scenery, nice change of seasons with a winter that is mild. Summers are hot, but...it's summer! It's supposed to be. After spending 7 years in Florida, summers here are heaven. Having grown up in Wisconsin, Michigan and Toledo Ohio, I've got a pretty good point of reference.
North Georgia is a great place to live.

-Brad

 

austin!!

 

I just moved from outside Boston to the Greater Tampa area, and it was one of the best things I ever did. The weather is fucking awesome down here, the people are nice, and its hot rod weather all year! the Tampa/St. Pete/ Sarasota area has some light industry and plenty of hot rod shops.

If you have any questions about this area send me a PM

 

I would have expected a cornfield near Plowboy to interest you.

 

i'm retired and bought a motor home to see the country. i have met tons of younger people that are fulltime motorhomers and work different jobs and move here and there when they get the urge. u can get a good used rv that will pull a trailer with your car in it or just your car. i met a guy that has a tall trailer he pulls with his daily driver a33 ford sedan . he also has a kodiak inflated boat on i trailer in the trailer raised above the 33 when traveling and a mc and all his tools etc. wow.
u can get memberships in rv clubs so u get 1/2 price for short stays while traveling.
if tired of where u are why not try this out?
u can start small. Also their is alwats work for mech. on rvs. u can also work at national parks and get a free rv spot.
u can also stay free in a lot of desert spot in so.cal., and on federal land.
good luck

 

Check out 'Findyourspot.com'

I did it and it lists places all over EXCEPT SE MI/NW OH!!

I did what Brad54 is doing. I lived in Anderson, SC for a few years. It was HOT. I have a great friend there but we moved back home for family reasons. Once the kids are up and grown, I'm going to TN or WY. I don't need this crap!

 

While the Greater Cornfield region of IL is exciting, it's not quite enough for me. Maybe Aaron will let me sleep in his shop and pay me in Snickers to work on his stuff. It would certainly be something different.

Eh, I don't necessarily want to be a drifter, I'd like to be able to have my own garage and such. Plus, I'm not a mechanic, really. I did the tool and die thing for a while, I'm a pretty decent fabricator, and I have a BS in automation and such, so I'd like to have a job where I can apply a little bit of what I know.

Hell, I might just buy a place where I am now and just make a sweet shop. I don't know. The thought of being stuck here for the rest of my life gives me chills though.

I just woke up in an odd mood, realized winter is on it's way, and have given myself a bad case of the winter blues already. It usually goes away by April though, so it won't be too bad.

 

Anywhere but the damned Northeast with its 4 month summers and 8 months of crap. I can't go anyplace between my wifes job that she hopes to retire from in a few years, a mortgage on a house that starting to need help, my own ageing mother along with a host of other stuff so it looks like I'm stuck

 

Johnny Sparkles needs to be in Hollywood!!!!!!

I like the north east...well Pennsyltucky anyway. We have a good hot rod scene not to mention the good swapmeets and junkyards. Winters are for building cars!
Clark

 

Here is my take on it. I have lived in L.A., S.F., San Luis Obispo, Bakersfield and Taft.

If I could afford to get ahead instead of working three jobs to get buy San Luis Obispo is where I would live. Actually if I was single right now I would be living there as it is only a little over an hour from where I work. However with the wife and kids we would need a bigger place.

On the surface Taft is a shithole to live in (small town in the middle of the desert)...but the pay is great (I am a Well Manager/Maintenance Planner for a major oil company). The house I can afford here is huge...2300 square feet of living space, a shop, pool, and big back yard. Taft is close to L.A., Ventura, Paso...I mean Santa Maria, the March Meets, the snow if you want to ski, and lots of other stuff.

The benefit of finding a place that has a cheap cost of living and high pay is that I can afford to do a lot more.

I have heard lots of great things about Austin Tx...I have wanted to visit there for a long time.

 

PS here is a pic from Dec 2, 2006 in Taft CA

 

Sounds good! Brad, what's it like getting work? and how mild are the winters?
Ya, California is real expensive, but you can get a good paying job like Firetop said with experience and good ethic. The problem with San Francisco is that there are too many bars within walking distance. Keeps me sidetracked where I don't get much done on the weekends.

 

Des Moines Iowa is decent. Houses are still cheap and wages decent. Depending upon your field and experience there are a variety of jobs. The city is really revitalizing itself, there is a lot of pride in Des Moines and Iowa and a lot of growth and development. Lots of opprotunity. Only downside is that it does get fairly cold here in the winter and they do use salt on the roads. Last winter was kinda long. Just my $.02

 

If you like the midwest or midsouth, think about NWArkansas. Its quite civilized, but still small town. There's a local shop charging $60 an hour for hot rod building. You could probably make a living without working too hard. Land 20-30 minutes out of town is still reasonable and town has plenty of amenities to keep it interesting. Search for Fayetteville, AR to learn more - its a great college town.

 

Playboy mansion.

 

well I am down in sw Florida and am thinking about Alabama houses still look affordable I just hope that there is something to do in Florence

 

Australia - Hands down the best place on earth. Lost of work out here too. Just got to check the surf (standing up ....) yep its nice today

 

Funny I would have expected on a corncob with Plowboy!

 

Phoenix gets hot in summer but the rest of the year is great...we are 5 hrs from Vegas, L.A,San Diego, El Paso and Albuqurque.. kinda right smack dab in middle of it all..

 

Fresno is awesome......because there isn't a fucking thing here to do (just ask Muttley), so it keeps you home working on Hot Rods.

 

Hey man, why dont you live in Interior South Dakota. You got the maco sica, paha sapa all within a few miles.

 

I'd highly recommend San Diego. I could even send you an address to a really nice house for sale. Priced moderately for the area, pool/spa, 3br, 2.5ba, 2 car garage, extra parking poured next to drive to accommodate a 24ft trailer or extra project, dog run 1800sq/ft for $710k. Neighbor is a yuppie dickhead, LOTS of illegal immigrants clogging up freeways, and most any low priced retail store, graffiti slowly creeping in, Spanish billboards here and there. PM for details. Owner is a motivated seller, willing to negotiate.

I think David Koresh was onto something with his compound mind set.

 

Holy crap!!!! $710k for that. That is why you don't want to live in California. Sounds like a nice area though.

 

EXACTLY! That's why I want out.

 

its worse here price wise then you could ever imagine. I could build 5 or 6 cars a year just on my morgage costs alone.