Could You Move to a Small Town

[Frank Drebin 5679]

4 minutes ago, Hefeweizen said:

Not a stones throw from anything but pebble beach, but point taken.  It’s an hour drive to Santa Cruz, and another hour from there to San Francisco.  San Jose is about 1.5 hours without traffic.  Which is never on “the 101” as they call it here.

Carmel?

Love that place.

I can work remote.  Trying to convince my wife to sell our house and move to Whitefish, MT.  We have two kids, 11 and 13.  Seems like a good time to move, IMO. If not, we are moving once kids are in college.  I would rather move now.

[Hefeweizen 5357]

14 minutes ago, Frank Drebin said:

Carmel?

Love that place.

I can work remote.  Trying to convince my wife to sell our house and move to Whitefish, MT.  We have two kids, 11 and 13.  Seems like a good time to move, IMO. If not, we are moving once kids are in college.  I would rather move now.

No, Pacific Grove.  Carmel is a little out of my means unless I want to live in a tent.  But the whole peninsula is a nice place to be.  Hell, seaside and marina are “affordable” by Cali standards, and are nice places and pretty safe.  Only area nearby that is rough is Salinas, and that’s a solid 30 minute drive away.
 

I have a friend whose adult kids work remote from Montana and love it.  I couldn’t take the winters.  

[Frank Drebin 5679]

52 minutes ago, Hefeweizen said:

No, Pacific Grove.  Carmel is a little out of my means unless I want to live in a tent.  But the whole peninsula is a nice place to be.  Hell, seaside and marina are “affordable” by Cali standards, and are nice places and pretty safe.  Only area nearby that is rough is Salinas, and that’s a solid 30 minute drive away.
 

I have a friend whose adult kids work remote from Montana and love it.  I couldn’t take the winters.  

I love that part of Cali

[jw4381 3131]

3 hours ago, texasdago said:

Not to mention this giant hill...

I’m not sure what that is. 

[Hefeweizen 5357]

17 minutes ago, jw4381 said:

I’m not sure what that is. 

A giant vagina.  But something is wrong with the blood vessels.

[texasdago 7589]

25 minutes ago, jw4381 said:

I’m not sure what that is. 

Cranor Hill

[jw4381 3131]

That one’s not around here. 

[BabaYaga 15371]

Coleman, TX

Sign me up.  I'd move tomorrow if the kids weren't still in HS

[tx 3 putt 77919]

1 hour ago, BabaYaga said:

Coleman, TX

Sign me up.  I'd move tomorrow if the kids weren't still in HS

Why Coleman ?

[Schulz2.0 29039]

9 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

Why Coleman ?

[Hefeweizen 5357]

20 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

Why Coleman ?

Why not Bangs?

[Chewbacca 7793]

10 hours ago, Homercles said:

If my two years attending Burkburnett HS (while living on Sheppard AFB) is any indication of a generic small town here…then I’m with you.  I swear 90% of those folk’s gene pool is more like a circular lazy river: marrying each other out of high school, having kids at 20, and then their kids do the same.  
 

Granted Burk is practically Oklahoma, but that entire place was the most depressing monument to an oil boom town past filled with mostly people afraid of anything outside its tiny borders.  

Played a baseball tournament in Burkburnett when I was a Sr in HS.  My condolences for living there, even if just for 2 years.  But on the upside, you could listen to the Connie Mack baseball tournament live on the local radio, so there was that...

[Chewbacca 7793]

4 hours ago, Hefeweizen said:

No, Pacific Grove.  Carmel is a little out of my means unless I want to live in a tent.  But the whole peninsula is a nice place to be.  Hell, seaside and marina are “affordable” by Cali standards, and are nice places and pretty safe.  Only area nearby that is rough is Salinas, and that’s a solid 30 minute drive away.
 

I have a friend whose adult kids work remote from Montana and love it.  I couldn’t take the winters.  

Winters are fantastic.  Mud season in the spring, not so much.

[Chewbacca 7793]

I'll be full time in Fraser, CO in about 1.5-2 years.  But it's more of a resort town so not really a true small town.  And Denver is only 1-1.5 hours away.

[Herbie Hancock 7391]

Why not Bangs?

Because they don't have a 24-hr Allsup's.

[YGIFS 19453]

6 hours ago, jw4381 said:

I’m not sure what that is. 

Crankher Hole?  

[Hefeweizen 5357]

6 minutes ago, Herbie Hancock said:

Because they don't have a 24-hr Allsup's.

Good point.  There is one just down the road in Early though.

[Beau Vine 54833]

On 3/5/2023 at 8:55 AM, SydneyCarton said:

The population may be low, but in not sure living in a resort town qualifies as a “small town.” Your dining options sort of prove that. 

Taos has about 3X the number of businesses that Los Alamos has, too.

[The Ace of Aces 5325]

Grew up in small town East Texas. Couldn’t pay me enough to move back. 

But not all small towns are alike. I can live happily in small town New England (and do live on small town PA but surrounding by 650k others so not really small town). But any small town between the PA/OH border and the Sierra Nevada mountains is a hell no. 

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2741]

If my two years attending Burkburnett HS (while living on Sheppard AFB) is any indication of a generic small town here…then I’m with you.  I swear 90% of those folk’s gene pool is more like a circular lazy river: marrying each other out of high school, having kids at 20, and then their kids do the same.  
 
Granted Burk is practically Oklahoma, but that entire place was the most depressing monument to an oil boom town past filled with mostly people afraid of anything outside its tiny borders.  

Lulz. Yep. I graduated from Boomtown. Some of my classmates are already grandparents.

[BabaYaga 15371]

15 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

Why Coleman ?

Close to the ranch.  My grandfather is from there.  I grew up going there.  It's also seeing a massive gentrification and reminds me of what Wimberly was decades ago when it was small and rather unknown except to locals

It has two vineyards

A top notch B&B on one of them that would rival most in the hill country

Rancho Loma

The best pizza place in Texas next to a top notch steak house serving locally sourced beef

Pizza and wine

Stek

A truly kick ass wine bad

Wine bar

It also has Owl Drug store - I used to go there with my g-mother to pick up her meds and have a burger and milkshake at their shake bar and a new sports bar with TV's everywhere.  They are always blocking off the street, having festivals, BBW cookoffs, car shows, stuff for kids.  

 

[Steel Shank 9439]

15 hours ago, Hefeweizen said:

Why not Bangs?

 

40 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

Close to the ranch.  My grandfather is from there.  I grew up going there.  It's also seeing a massive gentrification and reminds me of what Wimberly was decades ago when it was small and rather unknown except to locals

It has two vineyards

A top notch B&B on one of them that would rival most in the hill country

Rancho Loma

The best pizza place in Texas next to a top notch steak house serving locally sourced beef

Pizza and wine

Stek

A truly kick ass wine bad

Wine bar

It also has Owl Drug store - I used to go there with my g-mother to pick up her meds and have a burger and milkshake at their shake bar and a new sports bar with TV's everywhere.  They are always blocking off the street, having festivals, BBW cookoffs, car shows, stuff for kids.  

 

Don't forget rodeos.

[BabaYaga 15371]

2 minutes ago, Steel Shank said:

 

Don't forget rodeos.

Where I got my first $2 bill running down a baby goat and grabbing the ribbon off it's tail.  Also the first time I saw the rodeo-monkey, tied down to the border collie herding sheep.  Two of my cousins went to Tech on rodeo scholarships.  It's in the blood

They upgraded the facilities recently with the help of the philanthropy of the Goree family.  Big O&G money from the Permian Basin - they are originally from Coleman and own the massive T-Bone ranch outside of Valera.  Thousands of acres of high-fenced exotics.  It's massive.  

[South Austin 52686]

1 hour ago, BabaYaga said:

Close to the ranch.  My grandfather is from there.  I grew up going there.  It's also seeing a massive gentrification and reminds me of what Wimberly was decades ago when it was small and rather unknown except to locals

It has two vineyards

A top notch B&B on one of them that would rival most in the hill country

Rancho Loma

The best pizza place in Texas next to a top notch steak house serving locally sourced beef

Pizza and wine

Stek

A truly kick ass wine bad

Wine bar

It also has Owl Drug store - I used to go there with my g-mother to pick up her meds and have a burger and milkshake at their shake bar and a new sports bar with TV's everywhere.  They are always blocking off the street, having festivals, BBW cookoffs, car shows, stuff for kids. 

All of this sounds lovely.  Truly.  But -- and this really isn't CR'ing the thread -- I can imagine getting to know some of the town citizens better, and seeing their -- a'hem -- political affiliations shine through, and I'm not sure I could handle that.  Maybe Coleman is different, and those folks let that shit fall by the wayside.  But I'm not seeing that in my small town experience across Texas over the past decade.

I can handle a different environment that's far from the urban culture of Austin, and there's a big appeal to that for me.  But in a state that has become increasingly divisive politically, and that dividing line is for the most part urban/suburban v. rural, the chances of me living in a Texas "small town" have drastically decreased over the past 8 years or so.

Edited March 7, 2023 by South Austin

[BabaYaga 15371]

1 minute ago, South Austin said:

All of this sounds lovely.  Truly.  But -- and this really isn't CR'ing the thread -- I can imagine getting to know some of the town citizens better, and seeing their -- a'hem -- political affiliations shine through, and I'm not sure I could handle that.  Maybe Coleman is different, and those folks let that shit fall by the wayside.  But I'm not seeing that in my small town experience across over the past decade.

I can handle a different environment that's far from the urban culture of Austin, and there's a big appeal to that for me.  But in a state that has become increasingly divisive politically, and that dividing line is for the most part urban/suburban v. rural, the chances of me living in a Texas "small town" have drastically decreased over the past 8 years or so.

If you think there are people walking around in Maga hats, they are not.  This is rural, small town Texas.  Almost everyone ranches.  It's a neighborly community and the owners of the B&B and other joints are as hippy as they come.  Covered in tat's, dress like hipsters, serve craft beer.  Everyone loves them.  Many of the weight staff look like they work at Starbucks.  I can't tell you how many times I've been helped out there by locals.  Flat tires.  Out of gas.  Cell died.  

Of course the bartender at the sports bar was wearing an atm hat last time I was in there, so there is that....

[South Austin 52686]

3 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

Of course the bartender at the sports bar was wearing an atm hat last time I was in there, so there is that....

You had me until this.

[BabaYaga 15371]

"Weight staff"

I'm regarded.....

Edited March 7, 2023 by BabaYaga

[South Austin 52686]

2 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

"Weight staff"

I'm regarded.....

I thought you were referring to the local gym, which was one of the draws for me.

[tomahawk dunk 347]

1 hour ago, BabaYaga said:

Close to the ranch.  My grandfather is from there.  I grew up going there.  It's also seeing a massive gentrification and reminds me of what Wimberly was decades ago when it was small and rather unknown except to locals

It has two vineyards

A top notch B&B on one of them that would rival most in the hill country

Rancho Loma

The best pizza place in Texas next to a top notch steak house serving locally sourced beef

Pizza and wine

Stek

A truly kick ass wine bad

Wine bar

It also has Owl Drug store - I used to go there with my g-mother to pick up her meds and have a burger and milkshake at their shake bar and a new sports bar with TV's everywhere.  They are always blocking off the street, having festivals, BBW cookoffs, car shows, stuff for kids.  

 

You going to leave out the donut shop?

https://maps.roadtrippers.com/us/coleman-tx/food-drink/coleman-donuts

 

[BabaYaga 15371]

5 minutes ago, tomahawk dunk said:

You going to leave out the donut shop?

https://maps.roadtrippers.com/us/coleman-tx/food-drink/coleman-donuts

 

Yeah, we hit that place on a regular basis.  Two OLD Asian ladies run it.  The fact that they bitch and yell at each other in what seems to be Vietnamese is an added bonus.  

[BabaYaga 15371]

51 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I thought you were referring to the local gym, which was one of the draws for me.

No shit, last time I was there I saw a CrossFit sign.  Not sure if it's operational, but about as out of place as you can imagine.  They also sell ammo at the local grocery store, which is a bonus.  

[Armybrat 40987]

We spent two years in Giddings during the late 1960s.

That cured me of small town living…at least in East Texas.

[royiv 9447]

2 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

BBW cookoffs

I would like to learn more. Are the BBWs being cooked or are they doing the cooking?

[Jerry Callo 8828]

16 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

The fact that they bitch and yell at each other in what seems to be Vietnamese is an added bonus. 

Likely Khmer.

[Al_4_ISU 12526]

1 hour ago, BabaYaga said:

If you think there are people walking around in Maga hats, they are not.  This is rural, small town Texas.  Almost everyone ranches.  It's a neighborly community and the owners of the B&B and other joints are as hippy as they come.  Covered in tat's, dress like hipsters, serve craft beer.  Everyone loves them.  Many of the weight staff look like they work at Starbucks.  I can't tell you how many times I've been helped out there by locals.  Flat tires.  Out of gas.  Cell died.  

Of course the bartender at the sports bar was wearing an atm hat last time I was in there, so there is that....

Yeah, this sounds real similar to my daily experience.  I live in northeast Iowa, right on the edge of what's basically the eastern terminus of the Plains, and a hilly, rugged, forested area along the Mississippi called the Driftless Area.  Because the Driftless is so pretty, and the neighboring town of Decorah has a DIII liberal arts private college, you get a lot of the hippy/hipster vibe working in the breweries and coffee shops (and organic farming because the workable tracts are so small in the hill country) mixed in with farmers, and backwoods good old boys that work for the limestone quarry or the county or whoever.  

Maybe once a week you see some dork with a Trump flag attached to their pickup (there's some dumbass that flies a black and white Confederate flag on a flat bed living at the intersection of Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin), but if you stay off of Facebook, people aren't really looking to shove politics in your face and other than the occasional psycho, they aren't going to treat you any different.

[NoName 16604]

just a quick plug/reminder that you all need to add some of these spots to the Surly Small Town/Road Trip Gems thread and map

map:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Qtv1ivvV05DPO7StkWJN-Ajd8JU&usp=sharing

 

[BabaYaga 15371]

2 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Maybe once a week you see some dork with a Trump flag attached to their pickup (there's some dumbass that flies a black and white Confederate flag on a flat bed living at the intersection of Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin), but if you stay off of Facebook, people aren't really looking to shove politics in your face and other than the occasional psycho, they aren't going to treat you any different.

These small agrarian towns have such a utilitarian aspect to them.  You rely on the locals.  You know your neighbor because you have to.  Maybe you share a fence line.  Livestock get out.  People get hurt.  Trucks break down.  

Funny story - took a friend out to our place one.  He's a big trail rider so we threw his bike in the bed of the truck.  He gets out there, gears up, and heads off.  Later I see a truck pulling up.  It was our neighbor.  The ranch shredded both the front and back tires.  Just gone.  The neighbor, he's laughing:  "this city boy belong to you".

Another time recently, all the fires in West Texas.  Funny how politics and grudges disappear when everyone has to come together to help one another.  Many of the older fence lines are still supported by wooded stakes/logs, not t-posts, so downed fences and livestock is a big GD problem that are fearful of the fires and panicking.  

[Al_4_ISU 12526]

13 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

These small agrarian towns have such a utilitarian aspect to them.  You rely on the locals.  You know your neighbor because you have to.  Maybe you share a fence line.  Livestock get out.  People get hurt.  Trucks break down.  

Funny story - took a friend out to our place one.  He's a big trail rider so we threw his bike in the bed of the truck.  He gets out there, gears up, and heads off.  Later I see a truck pulling up.  It was our neighbor.  The ranch shredded both the front and back tires.  Just gone.  The neighbor, he's laughing:  "this city boy belong to you".

Another time recently, all the fires in West Texas.  Funny how politics and grudges disappear when everyone has to come together to help one another.  Many of the older fence lines are still supported by wooded stakes/logs, not t-posts, so downed fences and livestock is a big GD problem that are fearful of the fires and panicking.  

100%.  I've spent a lot of time helping neighbors and friends who asked, and any time I've needed a hand, I've found one waiting in return.  People really don't give a shit who you voted for when push comes to shove.

I've been on the volunteer FD for 10 years.  Maybe 25% of the other folks on it vote the way I do.  Maybe.  It don't make a shit.  Every one of them's gonna be looking out for you when shit's going down.  Hell, you could call our fire department progressive.  We've got 2 women (one's the training officer) and a black guy, and we had a Mexican guy previously but he took a different job in southern Iowa.  The only thing that matters is a willingness to give your time to help out.  That's it.

[conVINCEd 21474]

18 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

100%.  I've spent a lot of time helping neighbors and friends who asked, and any time I've needed a hand, I've found one waiting in return.  People really don't give a shit who you voted for when push comes to shove.

I've been on the volunteer FD for 10 years.  Maybe 25% of the other folks on it vote the way I do.  Maybe.  It don't make a shit.  Every one of them's gonna be looking out for you when shit's going down.  Hell, you could call our fire department progressive.  We've got 2 women (one's the training officer) and a black guy, and we had a Mexican guy previously but he took a different job in southern Iowa.  The only thing that matters is a willingness to give your time to help out.  That's it.

You are an enabler.

[Al_4_ISU 12526]

10 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

You are an enabler.

???

[conVINCEd 21474]

2 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

???

Interacting with those people, helping them and accepting their help in return, is somewhat of an indication that you approve of their behavior.  Which is why I could never live in a small town, because I have no desire whatsoever to interact with the vast majority of small town people.

[Al_4_ISU 12526]

1 minute ago, conVINCEd said:

Interacting with those people, helping them and accepting their help in return, is somewhat of an indication that you approve of their behavior.  Which is why I could never live in a small town, because I have no desire whatsoever to interact with the vast majority of small town people.

I didn't have "welp, just let Republicans die" on the bingo card for today but here we are.

People who can't find common ground and appreciation for people with differing political views are a huge problem in this country.

Edited March 7, 2023 by Al_4_ISU

[crash_davis 23154]

I could live in a small town along the Pacific coast or in the mountains in California, Utah, and Colorado. Give me the Pacific or give me mountain views.

Outside of that, fuck small towns.

[SimonBolivar 10961]

23 hours ago, Hefeweizen said:

No, Pacific Grove.  Carmel is a little out of my means unless I want to live in a tent.  But the whole peninsula is a nice place to be.  Hell, seaside and marina are “affordable” by Cali standards, and are nice places and pretty safe.  Only area nearby that is rough is Salinas, and that’s a solid 30 minute drive away.

I don't think any area that has an aquarium, 5 museums, a Trader Joe's, the Naval Postgraduate School, an airport with 8 non-stop connections, or freaking Pebble Beach qualifies for this thread. I would move there in a heartbeat, but I'm not moving to Memphis, TX.

[conVINCEd 21474]

4 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I didn't have "welp, just let Republicans die" on the bingo card for today but here we are.

People who can't find common ground and appreciation for people with differing political views are a huge problem in this country.

I didn’t say anything about letting them die.  I just have no desire to welcome terrible human beings into my life.  Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to avoid them, and that’s what I do.  I live in a large city, close enough in that I avoid the suburban baptist crowd.  Small towns sole purpose in my life is to fill up my gas tank and grab a mediocre meal when I’m traveling somewhere.  I don’t have any desire to seek out common ground with someone who has no desire to find  common ground with me.   I tried for a little while, and it doesn’t work.  

[Al_4_ISU 12526]

9 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

I didn’t say anything about letting them die.  I just have no desire to welcome terrible human beings into my life.  Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to avoid them, and that’s what I do.  I live in a large city, close enough in that I avoid the suburban baptist crowd.  Small towns sole purpose in my life is to fill up my gas tank and grab a mediocre meal when I’m traveling somewhere.  I don’t have any desire to seek out common ground with someone who has no desire to find  common ground with me.   I tried for a little while, and it doesn’t work.  

I guess that makes sense, but I rarely find people who have no desire to seek out common ground with me.  There are some awful people in small towns, but there's awful people everywhere.  I don't associate with people I find to be shitty people.

But I guess I don't require a shared political affiliation with someone to find them a good person.  I realize an increasing number of people in this country do, and I personally find that unhealthy and unproductive.  But I accept that my opinion on this don't make a shit either.

[conVINCEd 21474]

2 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I guess that makes sense, but I rarely find people who have no desire to seek out common ground with me.  There are some awful people in small towns, but there's awful people everywhere.  I don't associate with people I find to be shitty people.

But I guess I don't require a shared political affiliation with someone to find them a good person.  I realize an increasing number of people in this country do, and I personally find that unhealthy and unproductive.  But I accept that my opinion on this don't make a shit either.

I wouldn’t call it a requirement, but it’s a really effective filter.  Like 95% effective.  The country is broken.  I don’t care to spend any time with the people who broke it.  I tried to play nice for a while when this shit started.  No more.  I’m done with those people.

[NoName 16604]

42 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

Interacting with those people, helping them and accepting their help in return, is somewhat of an indication that you approve of their behavior.  Which is why I could never live in a small town, because I have no desire whatsoever to interact with the vast majority of small town people.

it sounds like a resounding no then, you will not move to a small town.

it also sounds like you haven't ever actually lived in a small town or haven't since you were <20.

95% effective? christ, please take this literally anywhere that isn't this thread...i don't think it is for you.

 

 

[Herbie Hancock 7391]

You can't make this shit up: "I can't move to a small town because I don't know anything about them at all, but I'm gonna go ahead and pass judgment on them that because of where they live they must be bigoted, racist, misogynist, judgmental scourge of society. And because you want to live in a sparsely populated area that means you are too!". I think that's enough internet for me today.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13539]

As there is mention about living in a small resort town, there can be pros and cons about that as well.  While you get the benefit of more extras (restaurants, bars and stores) than non-resort towns, you also have to deal with large number of tourists or visitors.  If you own a store benefiting from them, then you are ok with it.  Otherwise you will soon dread when the tourists flock to your town.