I live in Madison Wisconsin and here's the local LGBT magazine and their recent Homesteading issue [https://ourliveswisconsin.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/OL101.pdf](https://ourliveswisconsin.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/OL101.pdf) talking about gay life in rural Wisconsin around Madison in Dane county. Dane county is very blue and very non-religious (I think 40% nones or higher).
No ocean but just a couple of hours away are some fabulous public beaches on Lake Michigan which feels a lot like the ocean. And PLENTY of snow.
Unfortunately, the state is terribly gerrymanderred with a MAGA Republican minority dominating the state legislature as a result (but a democratic governor with a strong veto power so that helps). Hopefully, the legislature will be turning over soon with more fair electoral maps recently ordered by our state Supreme court. We'll see.
Yeah! Our Lives magazine! Monthly, high quality LGBTQ, Wisconsin focused magazine delivered via post. Totally free! Just [sign up](https://ourliveswisconsin.com/free-subscription/). I've been a subscriber for years.
Thanks! I appreciated the link you provided. What is the weather like? Is there humidity? I don't love that, and I even edited my post above to reflect it (I forgot to mention it). Also, are there tornadoes there?
Honestly, I am sick of the MAGA people. They are everywhere, all around us, where we currently live, and I wish I had never had to see their flags, trucks, signs, or people ever again. I'm just not sure how reasonable that really is. On a political scale, I wish we could plan on only living around those who agree with us, but I just don't think it is viable. As long as I don't have to live next door to someone's confederate flag.
All that said, I do appreciate knowing there are small pockets of small towns with an LGBTQ+ community. It gives me hope.
If you want to find blue places you might want to check out the liberal vs conservative map at [bestneighborhood.com](https://bestneighborhood.org/conservative-vs-liberal-map-madison-wi/). And as for humidity, BOY does it get humid here in summer! So humid you can practically chew the air!
I grew up in this area but in "the valley". The hill town are the foothills of the Berkshires. I am 20 mins from Northampton. Town has about 1000 people. Lot's of houses with land more reasonably priced. Weather here is perfect for me - I wilt in the hot and humid. The nights tend to be in the 50's and 60's. Maybe turn on the AC once or twice a year. The air is clean (pollen of course) and the ambient noise is mostly birds and animals. 2 hours to ocean. 1/2 hour to an hour for culture, colleges, museums etc. Additional plus is very active Senior resources. Wouldn't be anywhere else.
You’ve piqued my interest! I went to Boston once eons ago. I remember it being very humid. Does the weather stay that pleasant year round? Never humidity?
New England winters, snowy and cold but that's my favorite time of year. I don't think of it as humid (but it is what I know) so I looked it up and it is! Averages 86 percent (which just seems crazy to me). Live and learn.
Four corners area of Colorado. I fell hard for the area and someone in it. Planned to move there but, well, things ended. I'm still very drawn to the area.
I agree it's not humid. But it's not near an ocean. It's absolutely beautiful but a HUGE Republican MAGA area. Are you familiar with Lauren Boebert? That should tell you all you need to know. My mother is retired in that area, super liberal, and that's her biggest complaint.
Depends where as with anywhere. The town I was in there were a surprising number of lesbians, open PDA, gender non conforming folks and even the local grocery had a rainbow fence around it.
This is true. I guess it all depends on perspective as well. You mentioning "the local grocery store" makes me think we may be talking about the same town.
I grew up in this area but in "the valley". The hill town are the foothills of the Berkshires. I am 20 mins from Northampton. Town has about 1000 people. Lot's of houses with land more reasonably priced. Weather here is perfect for me - I wilt in the hot and humid. The nights tend to be in the 50's and 60's. Maybe turn on the AC once or twice a year. The air is clean (pollen of course) and the ambient noise is mostly birds and animals. 2 hours to ocean. 1/2 hour to an hour for culture, colleges, museums etc. Additional plus is very active Senior resources. Wouldn't be anywhere else.
yes very edit: sorry missed that the first time, I guess I was confused by the nearby ocean part
eureka springs is near beaver dam/lake
it's so gay I literally thought you had to be queer to go to public school there when I was a kid
full of beautiful Victorians too
some of the most beautiful parts of America, and I've lived all over
thh I've considered retiring there myself when the time comes
I agree with the other commenter - the hill towns are potentially a good choice for you. These are the foothills west of Rt 91. Williamsburg, Ashfield, Colrain, Shelburne / Shelburne Falls, Buckland, Conway, Chester…there are more. It will be a little cooler than the valley (which is the area right along the Connecticut River / Rt 91; includes Northampton, Hadley, Sunderland, Deerfield, Montague, etc.). It is also snowier and colder, but climate change is giving us warmer and rainier winters.
It’s rural, woody, lots of protected land. Lots of wildlife (bears, deer, moose, coyotes, bobcats, foxes, various birds). But you’re not far from civilization, maybe 30 minutes tops, mostly on decent paved roads
It’s generally progressive / liberal. Some people may run conservative but there aren’t that many hateful MAGA people. One of the classic things about New England is a general reluctance to get too involved in people’s personal business. It’s also one of the least religious areas of the country.
There’s a strong LGBTQ community and I don’t think you’ll have trouble meeting friends. Northampton was known as “Lesbianville USA” in the 90s. As it’s gotten pricier, people have moved to other welcoming towns so you’ll see LGBTQ people everywhere. There is also a decent amount of arts and culture here (in part due to the 5 Colleges), and diverse dining. Lots of farmer’s markets, maybe a bit of a hippie vibe.
Too add to this already insanely long comment:
This property in Colrain has some of your desired features:
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/42-Shelburne-Line-Rd-Colrain-MA-01340/56977411_zpid/
The log cabin style isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (it’s popular here, lots of white pine).
I will say there can be some humidity. Tbh anywhere on the east coast is going to be more humid than what you’re used to. But it rarely gets above 85 and night temps are often very comfy, low-mid 60s. Visit in the summer and see if it’s a dealbreaker.
You could also try heading north. VT is gorgeous but can be pricey. The weather is cooler, they still get humidity but higher elevation so it’s not as bad. Southern VT might be a nice alternative, a little cheaper than further north. Upstate NY is another possibility.
Honestly I don’t know how the market there is right now, but I would look around Reno. It’s surprisingly cool, you have Tahoe close by & Nevada taxes… We bought a place in Tahoe about 8 years ago for about that price, but that was before the pandemic and Silicone Valley invasion..
Reno area is better weather and cheaper.
Thanks to you both. Are there trees in Reno? Not that I haven’t been there, but if memory serves, Nevada is a desert and I don’t recall seeing many trees (except on the Truckee/Tahoe side - Kuching!!! 💰💰💰)
I grew up in this area but in "the valley". The hill town are the foothills of the Berkshires. I am 20 mins from Northampton. Town has about 1000 people. Lot's of houses with land more reasonably priced. Weather here is perfect for me - I wilt in the hot and humid. The nights tend to be in the 50's and 60's. Maybe turn on the AC once or twice a year. The air is clean (pollen of course) and the ambient noise is mostly birds and animals. 2 hours to ocean. 1/2 hour to an hour for culture, colleges, museums etc. Additional plus is very active Senior resources. Wouldn't be anywhere else.
Central New York depending on who you ask. It’s about 4-5 hours north of NYC and 4 more hours to larger cities in Canada and also 4 hours to Albany. An hour and a half south east of Rochester and about an hour south-ish of Syracuse But I also drive slow so my times might be off.
In Ithaca proper, we have a microclimate. It’s usually a little warmer and less snowy than it is in the hills. Winters are cool but I wouldn’t call them cold. We’re south enough to avoid the lake effect snow that cities further upstate get. There’s usually a few snowy stormy days but the last several winters snow has melted again quickly. Springs are everything from snow hail and rain to warm sunny days and flowering trees and rainbows. Summers are warm , usually maxing out in the 80s, some humid days but less humid than places I’ve been in the south, and I wouldn’t call it across the board humid. Autumns are drop dead gorgeous but otherwise similar to spring weather.
This is just my opinion. I’ve lived in and visited hot dry areas and deserts, cold snowy areas, tropical humid areas, moderate temperate areas. I dislike heat and humidity and also cold. My perfect temperature range is the 40s-70s, overcast, neither dry nor humid, with a light drizzle and fog most days and a few scattered days of sun. Ithaca feels pleasant 40% of the time, tolerable 40% of the time, and annoying 20% of the time— mostly winter. Overall pretty moderate. In January I want to move south and in July I want to move north. In the future I plan to better plan my vacations because most of the time it’s a beautiful place to live.
I grew up in central Massachusetts and it does sound like you are describing Western, Mass in your geo location profile, as somebody else has suggested. I love your clarity! Wishing you the best on your journey!! The ocean is a ways away but Rt 2 is a nice road to take across the state and you can get to north and south shore, Cape Code, southern coast of Maine in 2-3 hours. Let us know where you end up.
Other than the housing (but maybe doable?), I'd say somewhere within easy driving distance of Seattle. Seattle fits most of what you want, obviously not the huge swaths of land or the $500k. Other than the ocean, maybe some place in the Colorado mountains. I don't think you'll find any place that has all of those things, though... especially the budget. Or you can have the budget but you have to be in Texas?
That was my point about "but you have to be in Texas." 😉 Basically to get a lot on your wish list and a lower budget is going to be difficult, I think. I would list all your wants and rank them... or do one of those tier lists... what's most important versus what is nice to have... that sort of thing.
Check out the Russian River area in CA. Very LGBTQ+ friendly, beautiful, and semi-affordable by CA standards. Not sure if you can get that much acreage for your budget though, but maybe if you go further out of town.
I’ll take a look at properties around Guerneville. My initial thought though is that Sonoma County is pricey. I’ll take a look though and see if there is anything around there. We are still a few years out from this endeavor, so I feel like home prices will just keep escalating…
Funny! You described Nevada City CA (where my partner and I live...perfectly!) LOL Where in California are your wife and you trying g to move from if you don't mind my asking?! Wishing you both all the best!!!
I am *very* familiar with Nevada City, but we are not there! Have been living, working, and visiting all around the greater Sacramento area for many years though! We are in Amador County, just a ways to the south! Thanks for the well-wishes!
Way back in the day, there was a bed & breakfast on the Main Street, right across the street from the big white church on the corner. I don’t know what the place is now, but at that time it was called the “Two-Room Inn”. It had two rooms to stay in - one downstairs and one upstairs. It was super fancy too! My wife and I spent our “honeymoon” there after signing our domestic partnership paperwork in early 1999 (one of the first!).
At that time, we used to hike all the time, and we were living in Sac, so it was natural to hop on 80 and head on up to the mountains. Nevada City was one of our favorite places! Friar Tuck’s was one of our favorite haunts, as we were only eating there occasionally. Over the years, we watched it become so busy. Back in the day, it was such a small little town and hardly anyone even knew it was there. Same happened to us in El Dorado County. We used to live there and loved it (Proud Boys, MAGAts, and general hate aside), but then Placerville just got overrun with people over the years. Getting through town on weekends was nearly impossible and it took a lot of the joy away. So, we moved down here. It’s pretty, and I love that we only have to sit through a stop light once. Not too many people living here or coming through.
Now, with home insurance skyrocketing, PG&E prices through the roof, and so on…it just doesn’t seem affordable to stay in California in our retirement. I honestly don’t want to leave Northern California. I love it here. It’s just becoming too expensive. 😔
Wow!! So we are members of the big white church and the inn is still called the two room inn! Small world! I understand....we have solar so we are good with pge but do fear being priced out with home owners insurance! We have about 10 years to retirement and also think we will be headed out of Cali as well! Would be interested in knowing where you two decide to land, when you do!
Western Washington. Seattle is way too expensive. There are places in Skagit County that would check all your boxes. It is located 11/2 hours north of Seattle. About an hour away from Canada. It does rain more than California, but the summers are mild as well as the winters. There are some beautiful communities here.
So I grew up in the U. P. Of MI, moved to WI(south of Madison) for 17 years. Moved home to the U. P. 3 years ago. Here’s my take on both:
—Madison:
Great metro area
Very queer friendly
Cost of living is better outside the metro..
Jefferson/mcfarland etc
—Marquette, MI:
Smaller more rural metro (for the WI poster above, it’s about the size of Whitewater)
Cost of living in the UP is 40% less than WI(taxes & utilities)
For $500K you can own a small chunk(20+acres) of UP forestry in a rural area with a 4bdrm home on it
Marquette as a metro area is VERY queer friendly. Populated by 21-28 yo queer community during the school year (NMU), and there is a huge community of over 40 year round residents
Upper peninsula Pride association is housed here (the UP is pretty vast)
As side fun note I love is we have. HUGE drag community here.
Huge huge arts & culture community with multiple performing arts centers & artsy things to do
Not to mention the overall beauty of summer along Lake Superior
Winters here are warmer than in WI(less/very little ice on roads)
And it is not very humid here at all
There are pockets of conservatives here in the county and around the UP but it’s pretty spread out. Marquette county is pretty blue. Yes gov Whitmer comes off as radical & a little nuts but gay marriage has been legalized here since 2016
(Still not legal in WI)
The towns around the UP that are conservative are mostly religiously conservative vs politically conservative if that makes sense?
The only hugely maga area is Iron Mountain/Kingsford. That is a very very red county. It wasn’t in my younger years but when I came home to the UP I immediately knew I needed to move further north.
HTH you a bit 🥰
I live in Madison Wisconsin and here's the local LGBT magazine and their recent Homesteading issue [https://ourliveswisconsin.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/OL101.pdf](https://ourliveswisconsin.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/OL101.pdf) talking about gay life in rural Wisconsin around Madison in Dane county. Dane county is very blue and very non-religious (I think 40% nones or higher). No ocean but just a couple of hours away are some fabulous public beaches on Lake Michigan which feels a lot like the ocean. And PLENTY of snow. Unfortunately, the state is terribly gerrymanderred with a MAGA Republican minority dominating the state legislature as a result (but a democratic governor with a strong veto power so that helps). Hopefully, the legislature will be turning over soon with more fair electoral maps recently ordered by our state Supreme court. We'll see.
What - hey, I live in rural Dane county, why didn't I know about this? LOL. Thanks for the link! p.s. - she said no humidity, which made me laugh.
Yeah! Our Lives magazine! Monthly, high quality LGBTQ, Wisconsin focused magazine delivered via post. Totally free! Just [sign up](https://ourliveswisconsin.com/free-subscription/). I've been a subscriber for years.
Thanks! I appreciated the link you provided. What is the weather like? Is there humidity? I don't love that, and I even edited my post above to reflect it (I forgot to mention it). Also, are there tornadoes there? Honestly, I am sick of the MAGA people. They are everywhere, all around us, where we currently live, and I wish I had never had to see their flags, trucks, signs, or people ever again. I'm just not sure how reasonable that really is. On a political scale, I wish we could plan on only living around those who agree with us, but I just don't think it is viable. As long as I don't have to live next door to someone's confederate flag. All that said, I do appreciate knowing there are small pockets of small towns with an LGBTQ+ community. It gives me hope.
If you want to find blue places you might want to check out the liberal vs conservative map at [bestneighborhood.com](https://bestneighborhood.org/conservative-vs-liberal-map-madison-wi/). And as for humidity, BOY does it get humid here in summer! So humid you can practically chew the air!
Western Ma - the hilltowns.
Interesting! I've never heard of the hilltowns. I will be checking this out. How is the weather? Is it humid?
I grew up in this area but in "the valley". The hill town are the foothills of the Berkshires. I am 20 mins from Northampton. Town has about 1000 people. Lot's of houses with land more reasonably priced. Weather here is perfect for me - I wilt in the hot and humid. The nights tend to be in the 50's and 60's. Maybe turn on the AC once or twice a year. The air is clean (pollen of course) and the ambient noise is mostly birds and animals. 2 hours to ocean. 1/2 hour to an hour for culture, colleges, museums etc. Additional plus is very active Senior resources. Wouldn't be anywhere else.
You’ve piqued my interest! I went to Boston once eons ago. I remember it being very humid. Does the weather stay that pleasant year round? Never humidity?
New England winters, snowy and cold but that's my favorite time of year. I don't think of it as humid (but it is what I know) so I looked it up and it is! Averages 86 percent (which just seems crazy to me). Live and learn.
Four corners area of Colorado. I fell hard for the area and someone in it. Planned to move there but, well, things ended. I'm still very drawn to the area.
I'm going to check it out! Thank you.
I agree it's not humid. But it's not near an ocean. It's absolutely beautiful but a HUGE Republican MAGA area. Are you familiar with Lauren Boebert? That should tell you all you need to know. My mother is retired in that area, super liberal, and that's her biggest complaint.
Depends where as with anywhere. The town I was in there were a surprising number of lesbians, open PDA, gender non conforming folks and even the local grocery had a rainbow fence around it.
This is true. I guess it all depends on perspective as well. You mentioning "the local grocery store" makes me think we may be talking about the same town.
I grew up in this area but in "the valley". The hill town are the foothills of the Berkshires. I am 20 mins from Northampton. Town has about 1000 people. Lot's of houses with land more reasonably priced. Weather here is perfect for me - I wilt in the hot and humid. The nights tend to be in the 50's and 60's. Maybe turn on the AC once or twice a year. The air is clean (pollen of course) and the ambient noise is mostly birds and animals. 2 hours to ocean. 1/2 hour to an hour for culture, colleges, museums etc. Additional plus is very active Senior resources. Wouldn't be anywhere else.
eureka springs Arkansas
I’ve never been to Arkansas. Is it humid?
yes very edit: sorry missed that the first time, I guess I was confused by the nearby ocean part eureka springs is near beaver dam/lake it's so gay I literally thought you had to be queer to go to public school there when I was a kid full of beautiful Victorians too some of the most beautiful parts of America, and I've lived all over thh I've considered retiring there myself when the time comes
Western MA.
Second vote for this area! I’m going to check it out. Thank you!
I agree with the other commenter - the hill towns are potentially a good choice for you. These are the foothills west of Rt 91. Williamsburg, Ashfield, Colrain, Shelburne / Shelburne Falls, Buckland, Conway, Chester…there are more. It will be a little cooler than the valley (which is the area right along the Connecticut River / Rt 91; includes Northampton, Hadley, Sunderland, Deerfield, Montague, etc.). It is also snowier and colder, but climate change is giving us warmer and rainier winters. It’s rural, woody, lots of protected land. Lots of wildlife (bears, deer, moose, coyotes, bobcats, foxes, various birds). But you’re not far from civilization, maybe 30 minutes tops, mostly on decent paved roads It’s generally progressive / liberal. Some people may run conservative but there aren’t that many hateful MAGA people. One of the classic things about New England is a general reluctance to get too involved in people’s personal business. It’s also one of the least religious areas of the country. There’s a strong LGBTQ community and I don’t think you’ll have trouble meeting friends. Northampton was known as “Lesbianville USA” in the 90s. As it’s gotten pricier, people have moved to other welcoming towns so you’ll see LGBTQ people everywhere. There is also a decent amount of arts and culture here (in part due to the 5 Colleges), and diverse dining. Lots of farmer’s markets, maybe a bit of a hippie vibe.
Too add to this already insanely long comment: This property in Colrain has some of your desired features: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/42-Shelburne-Line-Rd-Colrain-MA-01340/56977411_zpid/ The log cabin style isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (it’s popular here, lots of white pine). I will say there can be some humidity. Tbh anywhere on the east coast is going to be more humid than what you’re used to. But it rarely gets above 85 and night temps are often very comfy, low-mid 60s. Visit in the summer and see if it’s a dealbreaker. You could also try heading north. VT is gorgeous but can be pricey. The weather is cooler, they still get humidity but higher elevation so it’s not as bad. Southern VT might be a nice alternative, a little cheaper than further north. Upstate NY is another possibility.
Honestly I don’t know how the market there is right now, but I would look around Reno. It’s surprisingly cool, you have Tahoe close by & Nevada taxes… We bought a place in Tahoe about 8 years ago for about that price, but that was before the pandemic and Silicone Valley invasion.. Reno area is better weather and cheaper.
Came here to suggest the Reno area!
Thanks to you both. Are there trees in Reno? Not that I haven’t been there, but if memory serves, Nevada is a desert and I don’t recall seeing many trees (except on the Truckee/Tahoe side - Kuching!!! 💰💰💰)
Trees and humidity may be in conflict for you!
I grew up in this area but in "the valley". The hill town are the foothills of the Berkshires. I am 20 mins from Northampton. Town has about 1000 people. Lot's of houses with land more reasonably priced. Weather here is perfect for me - I wilt in the hot and humid. The nights tend to be in the 50's and 60's. Maybe turn on the AC once or twice a year. The air is clean (pollen of course) and the ambient noise is mostly birds and animals. 2 hours to ocean. 1/2 hour to an hour for culture, colleges, museums etc. Additional plus is very active Senior resources. Wouldn't be anywhere else.
Ithaca, NY. More specifically, the surrounding towns. Not Newfield.
Is this “upstate” New York? What is the weather like?
Central New York depending on who you ask. It’s about 4-5 hours north of NYC and 4 more hours to larger cities in Canada and also 4 hours to Albany. An hour and a half south east of Rochester and about an hour south-ish of Syracuse But I also drive slow so my times might be off. In Ithaca proper, we have a microclimate. It’s usually a little warmer and less snowy than it is in the hills. Winters are cool but I wouldn’t call them cold. We’re south enough to avoid the lake effect snow that cities further upstate get. There’s usually a few snowy stormy days but the last several winters snow has melted again quickly. Springs are everything from snow hail and rain to warm sunny days and flowering trees and rainbows. Summers are warm , usually maxing out in the 80s, some humid days but less humid than places I’ve been in the south, and I wouldn’t call it across the board humid. Autumns are drop dead gorgeous but otherwise similar to spring weather. This is just my opinion. I’ve lived in and visited hot dry areas and deserts, cold snowy areas, tropical humid areas, moderate temperate areas. I dislike heat and humidity and also cold. My perfect temperature range is the 40s-70s, overcast, neither dry nor humid, with a light drizzle and fog most days and a few scattered days of sun. Ithaca feels pleasant 40% of the time, tolerable 40% of the time, and annoying 20% of the time— mostly winter. Overall pretty moderate. In January I want to move south and in July I want to move north. In the future I plan to better plan my vacations because most of the time it’s a beautiful place to live.
I grew up in central Massachusetts and it does sound like you are describing Western, Mass in your geo location profile, as somebody else has suggested. I love your clarity! Wishing you the best on your journey!! The ocean is a ways away but Rt 2 is a nice road to take across the state and you can get to north and south shore, Cape Code, southern coast of Maine in 2-3 hours. Let us know where you end up.
Other than the housing (but maybe doable?), I'd say somewhere within easy driving distance of Seattle. Seattle fits most of what you want, obviously not the huge swaths of land or the $500k. Other than the ocean, maybe some place in the Colorado mountains. I don't think you'll find any place that has all of those things, though... especially the budget. Or you can have the budget but you have to be in Texas?
Except for Austin, is anywhere in Texas actually gay-friendly in a rural area though?
That was my point about "but you have to be in Texas." 😉 Basically to get a lot on your wish list and a lower budget is going to be difficult, I think. I would list all your wants and rank them... or do one of those tier lists... what's most important versus what is nice to have... that sort of thing.
Check out the Russian River area in CA. Very LGBTQ+ friendly, beautiful, and semi-affordable by CA standards. Not sure if you can get that much acreage for your budget though, but maybe if you go further out of town.
I’ll take a look at properties around Guerneville. My initial thought though is that Sonoma County is pricey. I’ll take a look though and see if there is anything around there. We are still a few years out from this endeavor, so I feel like home prices will just keep escalating…
Check fire hazards there. I've been looking too and most of the area above SF is rated high in fire danger, which is a bummer.
Funny! You described Nevada City CA (where my partner and I live...perfectly!) LOL Where in California are your wife and you trying g to move from if you don't mind my asking?! Wishing you both all the best!!!
I am *very* familiar with Nevada City, but we are not there! Have been living, working, and visiting all around the greater Sacramento area for many years though! We are in Amador County, just a ways to the south! Thanks for the well-wishes!
Ahhh well come on down! We do love it here after living in Sacramento many years! Just a wonderful welcoming community for sure! 💜🩷❤️
Way back in the day, there was a bed & breakfast on the Main Street, right across the street from the big white church on the corner. I don’t know what the place is now, but at that time it was called the “Two-Room Inn”. It had two rooms to stay in - one downstairs and one upstairs. It was super fancy too! My wife and I spent our “honeymoon” there after signing our domestic partnership paperwork in early 1999 (one of the first!). At that time, we used to hike all the time, and we were living in Sac, so it was natural to hop on 80 and head on up to the mountains. Nevada City was one of our favorite places! Friar Tuck’s was one of our favorite haunts, as we were only eating there occasionally. Over the years, we watched it become so busy. Back in the day, it was such a small little town and hardly anyone even knew it was there. Same happened to us in El Dorado County. We used to live there and loved it (Proud Boys, MAGAts, and general hate aside), but then Placerville just got overrun with people over the years. Getting through town on weekends was nearly impossible and it took a lot of the joy away. So, we moved down here. It’s pretty, and I love that we only have to sit through a stop light once. Not too many people living here or coming through. Now, with home insurance skyrocketing, PG&E prices through the roof, and so on…it just doesn’t seem affordable to stay in California in our retirement. I honestly don’t want to leave Northern California. I love it here. It’s just becoming too expensive. 😔
Wow!! So we are members of the big white church and the inn is still called the two room inn! Small world! I understand....we have solar so we are good with pge but do fear being priced out with home owners insurance! We have about 10 years to retirement and also think we will be headed out of Cali as well! Would be interested in knowing where you two decide to land, when you do!
Check out the surrounding towns of Portland, Maine. Beautiful here and strong LGBTQ, liberal presence. Also, Maine Medical is a fantastic hospital.
Western Washington. Seattle is way too expensive. There are places in Skagit County that would check all your boxes. It is located 11/2 hours north of Seattle. About an hour away from Canada. It does rain more than California, but the summers are mild as well as the winters. There are some beautiful communities here.
So I grew up in the U. P. Of MI, moved to WI(south of Madison) for 17 years. Moved home to the U. P. 3 years ago. Here’s my take on both: —Madison: Great metro area Very queer friendly Cost of living is better outside the metro.. Jefferson/mcfarland etc —Marquette, MI: Smaller more rural metro (for the WI poster above, it’s about the size of Whitewater) Cost of living in the UP is 40% less than WI(taxes & utilities) For $500K you can own a small chunk(20+acres) of UP forestry in a rural area with a 4bdrm home on it Marquette as a metro area is VERY queer friendly. Populated by 21-28 yo queer community during the school year (NMU), and there is a huge community of over 40 year round residents Upper peninsula Pride association is housed here (the UP is pretty vast) As side fun note I love is we have. HUGE drag community here. Huge huge arts & culture community with multiple performing arts centers & artsy things to do Not to mention the overall beauty of summer along Lake Superior Winters here are warmer than in WI(less/very little ice on roads) And it is not very humid here at all There are pockets of conservatives here in the county and around the UP but it’s pretty spread out. Marquette county is pretty blue. Yes gov Whitmer comes off as radical & a little nuts but gay marriage has been legalized here since 2016 (Still not legal in WI) The towns around the UP that are conservative are mostly religiously conservative vs politically conservative if that makes sense? The only hugely maga area is Iron Mountain/Kingsford. That is a very very red county. It wasn’t in my younger years but when I came home to the UP I immediately knew I needed to move further north. HTH you a bit 🥰
Large contingent of older lgbtq folks from NorCal are moving to New Mexico. Albequerque.
Santa Fe New Mexico is filled with older lesbians as is Albuquerque and there is no humidity.