Tell me about where you live.

[miss_lumpy]

I hate it here. I hate Norwalk, I hate Connecticut, I hate the people and the climate and its auto-dependency. And TJ told me last night that if we find somewhere we're both happy, we can visit it a few times then, if we decide it's right, move there. But... I have no idea where to start

Comments

[ieatedyourcooki]

I would love to have you in West Virginia, so I'll write up a nice resume...
Shepherdstown is a college town.

Climate: Average. A bit warmer than connecticut i'm sure. Summer can get... hottest 110F, and coldest has been -10C
Costs: In Shepherdstown or Martinsburg Apartments range from 500 - 800 for a one bedroom. Utilities are usually included.
Minimum wage is 5.50 per hour, but get hired at lowe's or some other big company and you can make double or at the least 7. I make 9 some odd.
People: are friendly and somewhat carefree, but rather stupid at times. Typical country scenario.
Greenness: Shepherstown is good. every single restuarant has vegan friendly options, and the organic market is ok. There's also 2 health/organic stores in Martinsburg (10 mins away) Shepherd University is also green now. We recycle and use environmentally friendly non-chemical cleaners.
Transportation : PanTran (panhandle transit) is good and relatively inexpensive (if you have a stop not on their schedule then you must call and tell them a few days in advance. it may incur extra fees.), and the taxi service is a tad unreliable. I however, cart people around all the time... :3

Tax is 6% on almost everything. The mall is relatively blah, and DC is a busride away. We're about an hour from DC. Farms abound, and the soil is pretty good for growing. We have the longest growing season in the area.

Come visit Scenic Martinsburg, WV! XD.

[miss_lumpy]

Huh. That sounds pretty interesting. The only thing that gets me is minimum wage - it just got boosted up to 7.65 here. How easy is it to get higher than that? Also, what's, like, an average temperature for this time of year? Because I'd be there with my boyfriend who turns into a beast in hot weather - anything over 75, really.

I take it you also attend Shepherd University. Do you know if they have a culinary program/how it is? Because if it's good, I might be able to transfer there for my bachelor's (I'm at a CC now that only does two-year programs) I'm really digging the greenness, though!

Is it very fundy? My boyfriend and I are both pretty eccentric, and one of the reasons we're weary of relocating is that people in nice climates tend to be a bit "YAY GOD :D SMITE THE NONBELIEVERS!!!!!!!!!" and a Pagan and an atheist may not do well there if so >.>

[ieatedyourcooki]

Our minimum gets bumped up to 6 something, but the standard of living is a lot lower here too. You can do more with a 5 dollar bill here than most place. I can get groceries for two people for about fifty bucks. Though lately there's been a bit of inflating.

Shepherdstown is very open about religion. Most people there are pagan or some other non-christian religion. We have a huge allies club. One of the biggest organizations on campus. I'm not sure if we have a culinary major, but we are getting a lot of new majors lately. Game design is new, and we have a "Family and Consumer Sciences" major, which includes food and nutrition classes. If we get enough people to sign a petition (I'm a student government rep for my club, and that's how everything gets done is... petition... I think... Worst case, in Arlington, VA (very close... 1 hour...) has the Art Institute of Washington, and they can help you finish your degree (2 year) then you can finish up a bachelors of something else at Shepherd. :3

We all voted obama recently. Everyone here is pretty left wing though. BUT that's the college town, Shepherdstown. If you go to Martinsburg, 10 mins away, it's a different story. Inwood is even worse.

Yeah, my favorite smoothie bar has been using biodegradable cutlery since the beginning. potato starch spoons = win.

For this time of year... at the moment it's 73 degrees, but the wind is making it feel like 65. it's really nice. summer can get blech, but... if you like green, we probably have more trees than most in this area.

[miss_lumpy]

That sounds perfect T.T; Even checking the Craigslist for the area is cool - someone in Berkeley Springs is rented a 2-bedroom ranch on 9 acres for 1400. You'd be lucky to get an apartment for that around here.