Where should I move?

marshg246

VIP MEMBER
Joined
Jul 12, 2015
Messages
3,998
Country flag
For some months now, I've been looking for somewhere to move. Why? I live 8 miles SW of Washington DC - you can't even watch the weather without hearing about politics! More importantly, it is no fun to ride in this area and simple things like machine shops do not exist. I'm thinking warmer winters, less government, and definitely less busy body communities and governments deciding what I can do on my own property. I found the perfect place in Ormond Beach, FL, but their zoning disallows my motorcycle business and that seems true in most of FL. Lately I've been focusing on Georgia even though I know little about the state. Anywhere I move must either have a LARGE shop or room to build one. So, I'm looking for recommendations.
 
Actually, that would be cool, but I don't think I'm nice enough to fit in :(

If the AU based YouTube channels I frequent are indicative of real life in AU - they are way too nice and happy!
 
Texas has-

-excellent business climate
-excellent/very limited land use laws (outside major cities)
-no state income tax
-almost year-round riding weather
-open carry gun laws, licensed concealed carry
-"Castle Doctrine" / Stand Your Ground and Good Samaritan laws
-rivers & lakes EVERYWHERE
-excellent top-class racing of all kinds including NASCAR, Indy, F1, MotoGP, Texas Mile LSR, MX, Trials, Horses, Powerboats, and lots more
-a very nice Gulf coast
-fantastic riding in the hill country
-fantastic food of all kinds
-mostly really nice people (stay out of the big cities)
-many really nice attractions in the major cities, but, well, that's where the weirdos and gestapo are

I'm really loving this move up here. Being on the border STANK (literally, sometimes)

Just whatever you do, if you come here, DON'T try to turn it into your former state. Most of us are trying to keep Texas TEXAS.
 
Texas has-

-excellent business climate
-excellent/very limited land use laws (outside major cities)
-no state income tax
-almost year-round riding weather
-open carry gun laws, licensed concealed carry
-"Castle Doctrine" / Stand Your Ground and Good Samaritan laws
-rivers & lakes EVERYWHERE
-excellent top-class racing of all kinds including NASCAR, Indy, F1, MotoGP, Texas Mile LSR, MX, Trials, Horses, Powerboats, and lots more
-a very nice Gulf coast
-fantastic riding in the hill country
-fantastic food of all kinds
-mostly really nice people (stay out of the big cities)
-many really nice attractions in the major cities, but, well, that's where the weirdos and gestapo are

I'm really loving this move up here. Being on the border STANK (literally, sometimes)

Just whatever you do, if you come here, DON'T try to turn it into your former state. Most of us are trying to keep Texas TEXAS.
Paul,

Where in TX? Some parameters that are important for me.
-Close to a hospital ER
-High Speed Internet (critical, I'm not retired and my primary business is IT)
-No city/town govt to deal with
-A little land, around 1-5 acres
 
You can't be BOTH close to an ER and No city/town gov't to deal with.

Ever heard of LifeFlight?

Central Texas and west, is where the best riding is. I'm in Leander, north/west of Austin. Excellent riding within 2 minutes of my house, nearest ER (not hospital) is 5 minutes, good BBQ is 8 minutes, my little (4 ac) ranch is 12 minutes, Lake/River is 15 minutes. Great cable internet service.

Leander city gov't is "normal". Austin is over-the-top enviro/flavor-of-the-week liberal. The F1 track (COTA) is basically diametrically across Austin from me, about an hour away.

Land (as always) is more expensive closer to the city. "Expensive" is a relative term!

There are REAL NICE 10-acre tracts with "BarnDominium" (steel building shell) selling for under $250K, but they're about 45 minutes to an hour out.
 
@marshg246 you should buy out Fred & Ella (Old Britts) and move the whole operation to Texas!

I'd lend a hand...
I'll probably talk to them. I tried to buy out the AN inventory Clubman had but I can buy direct from AN for less - I suspect it will be the same with OldBtitts. One reason I want to move is that when my wife died I spent a small fortune building a shop as big as the county would allow - it's WAY too small. My entire house, except the guest room, is used for parts as well.
 
Wow! That's the biggest insult I've ever have on this forum!
I thought you were in the DC area?

We DO have a major problem with too many CA (and other states) liberals bringing their politics with them (even though their politics is THE REASON for them moving away)... The reason Texas is great, is because of the general attitudes which are part of the more rural overall nature of the state.

The above is not opinion, or politics. It is reality being highlighted for a potential life changing move, and is important.
 
It was not directed at you Greg .... GP should have put it in a PM .... not in the clear ....!!!
 
I am 8 miles SW of DC. At one time, a conservative stronghold. No longer. All of Northern Virginia is liberal now. Third richest county in the US - of course it is liberal. Doesn't mean I am.

Personally, I want away from politics. There's an old saying: "How do you know a teenager is lying? Their mouth is moving?" Not sure the subject should be teenagers! If I never hear about religion or abortion or "I just want the rich to pay a little bit more" again it will be too soon.

Sorry I started this - I had no intention to get into politics and L.A.B will be on my butt soon as he see it I bet. I was looking for recommendations on good places to live.
 
Annandale, VA...Lived there for 5 years...hated that you had to ride more than an hour to start a ride, but loved riding through Pennsylvania. Me and my wife worked in the 5-sided puzzle palace from 2000-2005. For the past 12 years we've lived in Athens, GA. It's a small large town; meaning it has about everything you need and if you can't find it here, it's an hour to Atlanta. UGA is here, so the population is 126,000 when school is in and about 90,000 not counting the students. The weather is normally pretty nice...my wife and I have been riding in 50 degree weather most of January. It can get a bit hot/humid in mid summer (but no worse than Annandale). The only problem I can see is that I'm not sure how well a Vintage British Motorcycle shop would do here. I was a member of the Norton club in Atlanta, but again it was a 90 minute drive just go to a meeting. And, the members were all in the 60-80 range... With that said, I am not sure what other British clubs are around northeast Georgia. The good news for riding is that you can be out of town and on a country rode in 10 minutes... And, although Athens is blue, we are surrounded by miles of red and politics only comes up if you want it to...

So, I mentioned all that because you mentioned Georgia. If my wife wasn't born and raised here, I would be living on the front range of Colorado. We lived in Colorado Springs for 5 years and loved every bit of it...Great riding, humidity was low, when it snowed it generally only stayed on the ground for a couple of days. I was a member of the British motorcycle club in the Springs and once a year met up with the club in Denver for an over night ride over the Rockies and up in Wyoming (got engaged to my wife on one of those trips on the top of a pass with her sitting on my Norton). In any case, the Front Range, both above and below Denver has a lot to offer and has the ability for you to establish yourself...(I personally prefer Colorado Springs - Pueblo area.

My recommendation for a move of this type is to take a month off and go to the areas of interest for you and check it out for yourself
 
My vote would be Texas. People have a different attitude there. Slow to be friendly but once established they will do anything for you. Lax rules lots of common sense. Your property, build something no big deal. 60 miles north of Dallas is rural but 3/4 hour from major hospitals. Many small clinics. Great riding south in hill country or Oklahoma to the north. Colorado is ok but a LOT of Californians.
I stay at a air b&b Febuary early March every year $1000 a month great riding. Stay away from Dallas
 
Thanks for the info! I do like Colorado in the summer. I've been looking a lot in TX, AL, and in southeastern GA. I've given up on FL. I keep finding places that would be great, except for something important. For instance, I found a place in NC that was almost perfect, but no high-speed Internet.

I spent a good bit of time in the puzzle palace myself - finally got away from that life in 2000.
 
A big problem right now is that supply is low and demand is high. If I was just a healthy old guy sitting around watching TV, moving would be easy. In fact, I wouldn't have sold my beach house and would have moved there; but, no motorcycles allowed.

I want/need a bigger shop, single story house, with room to breath, and without govt/HOA telling me what I can and can't do on my property. I am spending a LOT of time looking daily. Moving will be a royal PITA so I want to be sure it makes sense. There is no room in my current house that doesn't have motorcycle parts and some have motorcycles. My shop is packed.

I've found a few places in TX that might have worked, but they already have contracts or were still listed but already sold.
 
If you stuck on staying in your homeland and there nothing wrong with that .... we spent a week in Asheville NC a while back , absolutely the best ride area I have visited other than where I live .... I would heartily recommend taking a serious look , folks were very polite and extremely friendly a big plus .... if I wasn’t Canadian I would have a hard time not to move there ... good luck in your search !!! can’t say I blame you for wanting to move on given your reasoning ....
 
Back
Top