Where In The United States Should We Move?

Hi friends! I'm Angela. I'm a 32 year old pagan mother of 2. I've lived in the Chicagoland area most of my life, but I never felt like I fit. As an adult, I'm ready to find a home for my girls and I, but I need to find somewhere very different. I'm looking for space so eventually I can start an animal rescue. I want a quiet, peaceful area. I need to be sure that the area we go to allows off grid/natural living. Open minded, friendly people. Good schools without a lot of judgemental or bully children. Reasonable cost of living. I want to regularly be able to roam around nature, not man made places. And no more Chicago weather! I'm a hippie at heart and there's too much hate, anger, and straight up negativity in this area. Where in the United States do YOU think my daughter's and I should move? Any and all recommendations will be researched. Thank you for your time!

 

South Central LA

 

Eugene------

 

West Virginia

 

Wow! Good start! Thanks folks! I'm going to start looking now! Eugene though... 2nd time I've heard that today. That's assuring. I've also read about Utah and Colorado being very open to people like me. Have you heard anything about these places?

 

Eugene--extremely active music scene, hippies galore, mountains all around , ocean an hour away, decent weather, (most of the time-she do rain), a newspaper that reminds me of the old Berkely Barb--LA Free Press, deer, turkeys and other wild life in peoples yards, Lane community college, Uof O, remains of Ken Keseys family(music producer--Nancys Yogurt--etc,etc. Good luck with your choice.

 

Mormons.

 

Yikes. Good to know.

 

Boulder, CO or anywhere in Oregon. Or maybe Charlottesville, VA.

 

Colorado is another place I've been considering. Virginia though. Hmmm. More research! I'm so excited to have some more leads! Thanks all!

 

Virginia is the Commonwealth...not the greatest for free thinkers and such. Also expensive place to live.

 

That's true of the northern and eastern parts only.

 

I've never been, but I always associate Utah with Mormons.
I haven't met many, and those that I did meet were very nice people...but still.
I think I'd always want to live near similar-minded people, in a community I feel most comfortable.

 

I don't know...Roanoke, Lynchburg.....they are all expensive compared to many other states I have lived in. Of course, closer to the beach or DC is higher, but IMO...it is all very expensive. And...uptight.

 

That's like the rightwinger fundamentalist nut job capital of America. One cool restaurant and one hiking trail, and the rest is fundamentalist redneck bullshit.

People assume that college towns are liberal, but make sure the founder of the college isn't Jerry Falwell.

Charlottesville and the towns along I-81 are better.

 

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned Asheville, NC yet. I have a few personal issues with it, but it has a great national reputation for being what the OP is looking for. A lot of people call it the San Francisco of the East.

 

I was going to mention Asheville but I've never been there so have no personal experience.

 

I was joking when i said south central los angeles. I think somewhere like northern cali or oregon would be good. Or maybe colorado

 

You are all wonderful! Thank you all! The LA comment, I'm laughing because knowing Los Angeles, I didn't think you were referring to there. I just assumed Louisiana...

 

Move where weed and guns are most legal.