Pammi 0 #1 June 20, 2001 Merrick and I are considering where we'd like to move, probably as soon as he could find a job. We, of course, are considering Tulsa and OKC, but are also interested in other areas of the country too. We just don't really know much of it! Here's what we'd love to find: A larger town, but not HUGE, nice weather...not freezing in the winter like the northern areas or extremely hot in the summer like AZ, a place with a good job market and housing that isn't thru the roof to rent there, decent communities and schools for the kids because that's our first priority...not to move the kids to an unsafe environment, and of course a DZ nearby. I don't really think I'll go to Colorado simply because the job market there is very competitive, particularly for people like me without a college degree. Besides, EVERYONE seems to move there! It's all just pondering at this point. We're putting out our resumes in OKC and Tulsa mainly right now, but are just exploring the concept of just leaving OK altogether.Thanks!!PamSome new pics. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pyke 0 #2 June 20, 2001 You'd hate Atlanta then....but not just for the reasons you mentioned you WEREN'T looking for, but also 'cause you would have a 1 in 4 chance of running into me at a boogie...and I think we all know who would hate that the most.Kia Kaha,PykeNZPF A - 2584 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jfields 0 #3 June 20, 2001 Pammi,We have everything you want, with one exception. The housing costs near Washington DC are just stupid. I wouldn't recommend living inside the city limits to anyone, but the 'burbs are great. Excellent schools, good job market, within 2 hours of about 5 DZs, wonderful museums (best in the country) and lots of other plusses. Just crazy expensive housing. Most houses in the area are $200k and up. Mostly "up". Oh well. I guess I'll have to hit wherever you settle on a road trip sometime.Justin"If it can't kill you, it isn't worth doing." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dutchboy 0 #4 June 20, 2001 Atlanta is a great place for me for some of the reasons you mentioned. The computer software job market here is excellent (fastest growing IT market in the US, about the same as the entire state of Texas).I've been here 6 years and would have a hard time finding somewhere else I'd rather live. My uncle has been here over 20 years and also loves it. 4 DZ's serving the metro Atlanta area, need I say more!I would think the biggest factor in where you decide to live would be what you do for a living.The Dutchboyhttp://www.geocities.com/ppolstra Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zelda 0 #5 June 20, 2001 Hey Pammi! I'll put in a pitch for Portland; fairly large, but not on the scale of Chicago or anything that big (probably comparable to Austin, TX)...pretty big job market if you're in either I.T. or health. I don't know about the schools; I suppose it depends on what area of the city you're in. Fall and winter are very wet, but it usually doesn't get cold enough to even snow. Summers are warm-to-hot (90s), but not like, say, Arizona.I know of 3 DZs within about 50 miles; two are pretty small, I think; I haven't been to either of them. Skydive Oregon is bigger--they have a Caravan and a Super Otter (used to have a 182 as well, not sure if they still do).Anyway, Portland is very green and pretty; nice communities, lots of smaller towns within commuting distance. Plenty of near-by mountains for skiing, hiking, camping, etc. About an hour and a half to the coast.Happy hunting!-zelda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pammi 0 #6 June 20, 2001 Doesn't it rain a LOT in Atlanta Dutch?Some new pics. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Divadiver 0 #7 June 20, 2001 Pammi:You know you want to live in "the virginias"!! HA-HA!! Justin is correct the cost of housing in the DC area is outrageous, but the good news is for a small commute you can work in D.C. and live in Virginia. I think I'd much prefer the public schools in VA to those in D.C. as well.Diva Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 4 #8 June 20, 2001 It does not rain alot in Atlanta, comparatively. It certainly rains more in Florida. Either way you move (if you do), either east or west is going to give you more rain than you get in OK. A decent option for you would be Raleigh, NC. It has a great job market; both high-tech (research triangle park) and otherwise. Housing is VERY reasonable in this area of the country. There are two GREAT turbine DZ's within an hour of almost anywhere in the city, too (CSS and Raeford). It's only 110 miles to GREAT beaches and four hours max from decent snow skiing. It might snow once a year around here, but only sticks maybe once every four years. It is NEVER too cold to ride my Harley and I have barefoot waterskied on the Cape Fear river on new years day. There is not quite the nightlife of Atlanta, GA, but then again it's not that dark in Raleigh either. Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jfields 0 #9 June 20, 2001 QuoteJustin is correct the cost of housing in the DC area is outrageous, but the good news is for a small commute you can work in D.C. and live in Virginia. I think I'd much prefer the public schools in VA to those in D.C. as well.Yup. Virginia has good schools. So does Maryland. Consensus is not to live in DC itself. And Diva and I won't get into the usual local MD vs VA squabble as long as we can both bash DC. Justin"If it can't kill you, it isn't worth doing." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dutchboy 0 #10 June 20, 2001 No, we usually have water restrictions in the summer, at least the last few years we have. It doesn't rain much here, other than when I have a flying lesson. The Dutchboyhttp://www.geocities.com/ppolstra Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dutchboy 0 #11 June 20, 2001 Something I forgot to mention. The other nice thing about having 4 DZ's serving this area is that I've often seen it be jumpable at some of them when others are not jumpable. Usually Thomaston is jumpable weather when the others aren't, but ocassionaly I've seen it be nice at one of the other DZ's and not jumpable in Thomaston.The Dutchboyhttp://www.geocities.com/ppolstra Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #12 June 20, 2001 Pammi & jfields,I live in Bethesda MD, right down the road from JFields in Rockville. The problem with this area is it takes close to 3 hours to get to a DZ, not two as stated by jfields. You might get to Delmarva in 2 1/2 hrs if there's no traffic.Actually I think there's a little DZ in southern Pennsylvania near Gettysburg or something, but I hear they only have one little C182 that only goes to 10.5 K. That DZ might be little closer to us. But yeah, this area is among the top eight or so areas to live in the USA in terms of high housing prices. I'm paying $835 per month for a no-frills 1 BR apt. in Bethesda, and that's a good deal. Most 1 BR apts in Bethesda are over $1000 per month.Speed Racer"De plaene!! De plaene!!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freefallfreak 0 #13 June 20, 2001 SpeedRacer,Geez, dude...I'm paying $150.00 for a three bedroom house...FFF Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wingnut 0 #14 June 20, 2001 okay a plug for the midwest now!!!!i'm from a small town about 25 miles north of columbus ohio. columbus is the capital of the state for all of you that slept through high school....it has a million plus people or around that, i would not recomend living there since it is so big, but all the suburbs are nice and if ya move a little more outside the city like 30 miles ya can get a really nice place fairly cheap. not quite sure on the job market right now, the specific area i'm from (deleware county) is the fastest growing in the state and there seams to always be another buisness opening somewhere.......and dz's are plentiful in the state, to nice large ones about an hour and a half from columbus and a few others not much farther away though they are smaller. it doesn't get supper cold in the winter (0deg F or so) and not supper hot in the summer (90-95deg F max)."if dreams are like movies, then memories are like films about ghosts"-counting crows Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lazerq3 0 #15 June 21, 2001 The only reason I'd say dont move to Utah is because the school systems here SUCK!!!!Other than that its a nice state w/ 3 DZ's. Cost of living is kinda high. I'm debating going back to michigan when my kid starts school. jason Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lindsey 0 #16 June 21, 2001 Tulsa's a pretty nice town, and there are a few small but nice dz's in the area. I'm in Little Rock and periodically cruise over to Siloam Springs (NW Arkansas) when they have the Caravan. It's a nice place to check out. If you move there, perhaps I'll meet ya' at the dz!Peace~Lindsey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mattb 0 #17 June 21, 2001 QuoteA larger town, but not HUGE, nice weather...not freezing in the winter like the northern areas or extremely hot in the summer like AZ, a place with a good job market and housing that isn't thru the roof to rent there, decent communities and schools for the kids because that's our first priority...hmmm - Chicago wouldn't be the place for affordable rent or warm winters but the summers make up for it! Can't pick a better spot to be when it's warm. It's the biggest town you'll visit with a small town feel. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyhawk 2 #18 June 21, 2001 Here's what we'd love to find: A larger town, but not HUGE,Yep got thatnice weather...not freezing in the winter like the northern areas or extremely hot in the summer like AZit middle of winter at the moment and im in shirt and short not to hot in summer either, a place with a good job market Yepand housing that isn't thru the roof to rent there,Yepdecent communities and schools for the kids because that's our first priority...Yepnot to move the kids to an unsafe environment, and of course a DZ nearby. bout an hour awayplus its the site of the goodwill games negative - its in australia lol :-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aviatrr 0 #19 June 21, 2001 Quote No, we usually have water restrictions in the summer, at least the last few years we have. It doesn't rain much here, other than when I have a flying lesson. Aren't you working on your instrument rating now? In that case, rain is good.. Clouds are good.. Get some actual time while you have a 'safety net' sitting next to you.. Uh, that's assuming your instructor has some actual time.. Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymedic 0 #20 June 21, 2001 When I got my instrument rating, we flew into some real IMC and my instructor freaked. And I just hung out and enjoyed it all!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peckerhead 0 #21 June 21, 2001 Central Oregon is the place! The economy is booming but it is still relatively unpopulated. We got great mountains and dry high desert climate. (it only rains on the west side of the cascades.) We have a small 2 cessna drop zone at a huge airport. Larger aircraft and dz's are not far away.We live and jump in paradise ....Shhh don't tell anyone!PH Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dutchboy 0 #22 June 21, 2001 Yeah, I'm working on my instrument rating. The funny thing is that I'm doing it in a complex airplane so that I'll have enough time to actually rent one later. My lessons for the complex endorsement kept getting canceled due to weather or plane maint. It's all cool now, because I finally managed to get two hours in the Arrow and my complex endorsement, so now all the airwork is instruments.Just thought it was ironic that I'm working on a rating so I can fly in bad weather, but my lesson kept getting canceled because of weather. The Dutchboyhttp://www.geocities.com/ppolstra Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aviatrr 0 #23 June 21, 2001 Quote When I got my instrument rating, we flew into some real IMC and my instructor freaked. And I just hung out and enjoyed it all!!! I still freak out whenever I go IMC.....I'm still a low time instrument pilot.. So far, only about 700 hours of actual time.. I ran into the same thing.. My first time IMC was my instructors first time also.. I thought it was pretty cool, he was nervous as hell..Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aviatrr 0 #24 June 21, 2001 Quote Yeah, I'm working on my instrument rating. The funny thing is that I'm doing it in a complex airplane so that I'll have enough time to actually rent one later. Did you already get your high performnace endorsement? I think it's kinda BS that they separated the two.. I didn't have to deal with that one, I was grandfathered in under the 'prior PIC' exemption.. I did, however, have to get the high altitude and tailwheel endorsements.. I had time in tailwheel prior to the cutoff date, but it was dual received - therefore, not grandfathered under the PIC exemption(I didn't have any certificates at the time)..Quote It's all cool now, because I finally managed to get two hours in the Arrow and my complex endorsement, so now all the airwork is instruments. Cool.. The instrument rating is one of the most valuable ratings.. Just be sure to stay proficient.. How far along in your instrument training are you now?Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GeekStreak 0 #25 June 21, 2001 Pammi,Go south young lady. Go south!Austin, TX is where I'd go if I had a choice. I live in MD right now and I don't recommend it to anybody. I live between DC and Baltimore because it's the only semi-safe place to have kids.DC = crimeBaltimore = crime... and unless things have changed dramatically Baltimore is leading the nation in STDs and teenage pregnancy. A recent study revealed that 1 in 20 was using heroin. Baltimore ran a reading program for a while. Their slogan was "Read by nine." Gimme a break! That's third grade!It's a scenic state with a lot of recreation to offer, but STAY AWAY FROM HERE!!! You wouldn't like it nearly as well as OK.1111,GeekStreak Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
