What's the best place in the US to live?

[Lancer]

Dolores and I are going to be looking for another place in roughly 5 years. Right now we have free rent as part of my multi unit building sale contract. That's too nice to walk away from.

I'm not big on cities, like the country. Maybe something near a river...but not all that important.

We come to the Philippines every so often so the West Coast is best for that, but like the food in the east. Hawaii is a possibility but might more than what we want to spend and less than what we want to make from what I hear.

Since we wander the minimum wage is important. I usually start jobs that I'll stay in for a year more or less at around $9 hr in Oregon. Dolores gets min plus tips. Low pay but total freedom. We can quit such jobs anytime, pick up another when we return np. We could get a place in Oregon again.

We like places where people are generally nice. Don't think I can find that in a city, but who knows.

Any ideas?

[Dinner]

Oregon or northern California (north of San Francisco either inland or by the sea) would be cheapest. There are lots of little towns by rivers up there.

[SlowwHand]

Missouri has rivers out the ass.

[Patroklos]

Savanah, GA
Charleston, SC,
Wilmington, NC

[FrostyBoy]

I like your life Lancer, I wish to do the same when I am at a ripe old age and my kids (which I don't have any yet) are grown up and have buggered off.

[Dinner]

I think he said he preferred the west coast.

[dannubis]

Guam...

[Patroklos]

Yeah, but unfortunetly for small city life on the west coast you need to go north into the rain and cold.

What climate are you looking for?

[Perfection]

Minnesota, while everyone else is running from rising the oceans and burning up from global warming we'll hanging out and laughing at all the ignorant fools.

[Richelieu]

MONTREAL!

[Zkribbler]

Hawaii is death. Almost everything has to be imported, so it is more expensive. Salaries are much lower.

Cities, blahhh. The crush of people causes the human brain to shut down and ignore them. Small town are the places which are friendly.

Also, try to get a place that has access to an airport. Getting to Florence without a car is a pain.

[Lancer]

"Oregon or northern California (north of San Francisco either inland or by the sea) would be cheapest. There are lots of little towns by rivers up there."

Oerdin, that's what I kinda think too but a change would be...different. A few years ago I helped put in 280 pellet stoves in a complex in Crescent City, as far north in Cal as you can go just about. Up in redwood country. Seems that even there the employment picture wasn't great and the taxes high. On the flip side the rum was cheap. Oregon is a tough place to belly up to the bar, all state controled, sin taxed to death.

"Missouri has rivers out the ass."

Sloww, I've had rivers out the ass, it isn't all that appealing. I like the ocean too. I just wrote rivers because I hung out on the headwaters of the colorado for a summer as a kid. It's no big deal.

"Savanah, GA
Charleston, SC,
Wilmington, NC"

Patroklos, I've given the Outer Banks of NC some thought...but...sounds silly... that's gone when that volcano off africa goes and the side of it has already slid a few meters. Anything too low on the Atlantic will be in trouble. Yeah I know there's trouble everywhere but that seems worse than most. 'Cumbre Viahos' volcano, or something like that.

"I like your life Lancer, I wish to do the same when I am at a ripe old age and my kids (which I don't have any yet) are grown up and have buggered off."

Well thanks Frosty!

"I think he said he preferred the west coast." But I'm open to suggestions.

"Guam... "

dannubis, I've given this ALOT of thought. Crappy little island in the middle of nowhere full of horny guys and few women though, not the place to bring Dolores I think. So close though to the Philippines comparitively. What is the job situation? Anyone know anything about Guam?

"Yeah, but unfortunetly for small city life on the west coast you need to go north into the rain and cold.

What climate are you looking for?"

Patroklos, we get away from the worst of the climate 2 out of 3 winters so it's not too big a deal. Still we get sick of the rain that third winter, but we're not such big wimps we can't handle a winter every three years. I think.

"Minnesota, while everyone else is running from rising the oceans and burning up from global warming we'll hanging out and laughing at all the ignorant fools."

Perfection, not a bad idea but my wife is from the tropics, she would kill me.

"MONTREAL!"

I've heard it's a very clean euro style city. Good idea. Far from the Philippines...is there work? Good pay for small fry?

"Also, try to get a place that has access to an airport. Getting to Florence without a car is a pain. "

We'll figure it out.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

"Guam... "

dannubis, I've given this ALOT of thought. Crappy little island in the middle of nowhere full of horny guys and few women though, not the place to bring Dolores I think. So close though to the Philippines comparitively. What is the job situation? Anyone know anything about Guam?

Stay away, Lancer; Guam is FREAKIN' expensive, for the same reason Hawaii is, but it has a lot less to recommend it than Hawaii. It is full of Filipinos, which would be a plus for you guys, but otherwise you might as well move to (poorer) the suburbs of Tampa, which is what it reminds me of.

Fun fact: State Department folks posted to Saipan get all excited about periodic trips to Guam because "there's a really big K-Mart there!" That tells you all you need to know about Guam (and Saipan).

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly
Fun fact: State Department folks posted to Saipan get all excited about periodic trips to Guam because "there's a really big K-Mart there!" That tells you all you need to know about Guam (and Saipan).

[Lancer]

Ok Rufus, I'll stay away.

All the options have problems. Likely I'll just stay about where I'm at.

I was planning on retiring to the Phils in five years but I'm worried I'll lose Social Security benefits before I get to 62. Dolores for sure would lose since she's like 14 years younger or something like that. She'll be fully vested, I think she is now...but the amount goes down if my understanding is correct.