jimk

I am considering moving my family (wife and 3 boys: 2, 6 and 9) from Chicago to Alabama. We love Chicago, but the house we have here is getting smaller around us every day. On a road trip to Gulf Shores this summer, we picked up a real estate guide and were floored by what our equity could buy us near Birmingham. We've been talking about moving somewhere warmer for a couple of years now.....Chicago winters SUCK! And as much as I love the city, I don't want to live here forever. It's only gonna get harder (emotionally) to move the boys as they get closer to high school.

I lived in S. Carolina for 5 years, bartending, after college. I loved it, but I was in my 20's and drunk 80% of the time. Different world now. I remember some (usually) good-natured ribbing down there:

Q: difference between a Yankee & a god-damned Yankee?

A: a Yankee comes to the south, a god-damned Yankee never leaves.

......but there was some serious animosity from some of the real crackers. Can't deny the remnants of bullshit racism down there, but I know racist assholes here, too.

Obviously a huge decision. I see great discussions all over this board, so I'm throwin' out to you TFP'ers:

Have you:


-moved south?

-had a Yankee move into your neighborhood?

-moved your family somewhere far away & had good/bad experiences you will share with the class?

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