Jewish communities out West?

amother

Thu, Jun 09 2022, 3:11 pm

Iymnok wrote:

Eugene, OR has a community that ebbs and flows. As I knew it, it was a more hippy/college town. Everyone I met from there was very friendly. But I met them because they moved to Seattle for a more solid community.
There are some decent basement apartments in Seattle.
Look into Multnomah village on Portland Oregon, it's the neighborhood next to the shul. It's in the eruv.

Portland has gotten quite expensive over the years. Yeah it seems to be a trend that as people from these smaller towns become more religious they choose to move out to places with more Jewish infrastructure. It's just a shame that these towns themselves don't pick up traction.

amother

Thu, Jun 09 2022, 3:17 pm

amother [ Blueberry ] wrote:

Scranton is in or near the Alleghenies and Poconos.

Not the Rockies, but it's mountainous up there.

What do you want you do in the open land here? There is open farmland around there.

True, the area around Scranton is mountainous and could check our boxes, though it's definitely not at the level of the Rockies or west coast ranges. We're looking to have open lands nearby mainly for recreational activities, camping, hiking, backpacking etc, as well as opportunities for farming.

esther990

Thu, Jun 09 2022, 4:36 pm

I dont know why you are specifically focusing on house price as being affordable, but you need to factor in all the extra frum costs (I.e. chicken in Minneapolis is $2 more per pound than in Chicago). As someone who used to live in a small OOT community, I get a lot more "bang for my buck" in a larger city (Chicago, Miami, etc). Also, consider the job market and what types of jobs you will be able to get and the respective salary. Good luck.

amother

Cadetblue

Thu, Jun 09 2022, 5:22 pm

I know it sounds like you're not actually considering it, but I would strongly recommend against Idaho.

Boise, where the chabad is (they are lovely), is flat and imo pretty awful. The rest of the state, while absolutely beautiful, is filled with neo-nazis. I think the highest per capita in the US. Like people flying swastikas at their bbqs at the lake level of neo-nazi. I would absolutely not live there.

amother

Thu, Jun 09 2022, 6:52 pm

esther990 wrote:

A few reasons:
1) Because a house is the biggest expense.
2) We don't eat much chicken or meat anyway, though for the little amount that we do, we can purchase for a few dollars per pound more and it won't make much of a difference.
3) You'll spend much less time commuting in a car in a smaller town, saving on time and fuel, and there are generally lower gas prices as well.
4) Many of these western states have low or no state income tax.
5) We both have remote jobs that can be done anywhere.

amother

Thu, Jun 09 2022, 6:53 pm

amother [ Cadetblue ] wrote:

Wasn't aware of that. Thanks for the tip!

amother

Oldlace

Thu, Jun 09 2022, 6:59 pm

Really out of the box, but maybe Anchorage could work for you? The scenery is unparalleled, but I don't know what the educational options are or the cost of real estate there.

Besides all the other issues mentioned regarding Idaho, I believe Boise real estate has actually gone up significantly since the pandemic.

bruriyah

Thu, Jun 09 2022, 8:25 pm

Iymnok wrote:

Is Palo Alto or other bay area communities expensive?
There is a small community on palm springs.
How's Las Vegas?

Palo Alto/Bay Area is extremely expensive. Think Manhattan prices.

amother

Fri, Jun 10 2022, 8:21 am

amother [ Oldlace ] wrote:

That is certainly an out of the box idea, though I don't think there is any Jewish presence there other than a chabad. We would consider it if there were other Jewish families living there and a Jewish day school.

Yes, the real estate in Boise has definitely gone up, as well as in other western cities. Lots of California people moving into these places.

amother

Fri, Jun 10 2022, 11:44 am

Oh well. I think it's safe to assume at this point that the community in my dreams simply doesn't exist. At least not yet, anyway. Maybe things will change in the next few years.

I appreciate everyone's input! Thanks!