Well for almost 3 years I've been trying to move. A crap storm of things has prevented me from doing so, including of all things where to move to! I've moved 9 times before, direction was never a problem. But its time. Stephen NEEDS to move.

Currently I live in Sheridan, WY.

I am a Blacksmith Artist. I make my living doing functional art from beds, tables, railings to knives and swords, ect. Here easiest way to explain:

http://stephen67.deviantart.com/gallery/

I am not a small town person, I'm very active and very Viking. I have a very strong desire to see new places and have been going nuts in a town with a population of 15k people and 6 hours from a real city.

I'd like to live somewhere new, its not critical but I'm always up for new places. Where I've lived:

Bozeman, Mt
Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Arizona (Phoenix)
Colorado Springs, CO
Portland, OR
Sheridan, WY


I recently returned to Portland OR and actually found it too small for my liking. lol I also missed the sun. I'll be traveling to CO Springs again on the 4th of Oct and I think that will answer some more questions. Part of the problem with the Springs is that its a Military town, great if you're with the military, but if you're a self business thats not its like not being part of the club. Granite that might not be such a problem with my business since its on the art end of things but who knows. If I'm supposed to return there I'm sure I'll know it when I see it again.

I want to live somewhere in a decent sized city. Maybe not Phoenix sized again, but I need the options that a city provides. I explore A LOT and I like to shop for hard to find things. I also have a passion for good food. I don't want to live in the desert again, remember I'm a blacksmith, add desert to that and you get death, ha.

I'd like to stay on the west side of America, its more of my home, and I don't want to be too far from family. True you can always fly but its nice to be within a couple days travel distance if need be.

But I'm open to suggestions. I'm mainly just curious as to what people would recommend.

With my business it be extremely helpful to live somewhere where I can work with a contractor or interior designer so I don't have to spend most my time looking for work but have it steady and working with the same people.

Any ideas?

 

Wow you do nice work, Cool stang too. Have you thought any about the eastern seaboard? NC, SC, Tennessee, Charlotte NC is a growing area.

 

You need an old city - one with lots of old home buildings used as stores apartments condos.

I have a friend who is a Blacksmith in Chicago his bread and butter is restoration and or nevu-restoration
That allows him to commission Art pieces as he desires.

Contact the Cities Art Councils or the local Redevelopement Authority - Sometimes they even have money.

 

Sacremento, Ca. It's country like, prices are not too high, and you are an hour from the San Francisco Bay Area!

 

...first off...I'll tell ya where NOT to look......


"City of Detroit's unemployment rate is at a record 28.7 percent"


Taken from the following article...


http://www.detnews.com/article/20090925/METRO01/909250370/1409/METRO

My girlfriends nephew moved back to Seattle, where he was stationed in
the Navy, about a year ago after completeing all of his airframe & turbine
power certifications and scored a killa position after graduating at the top
of his class...with Boeing!

Boeing made him an offer over the phone after reviewing his transcripts!!!

I'm pretty sure he will never move back to Michigan...

Too bad...we all miss him very much...but...I've never seen him happier...

-

 

I'd recommend Atlanta, the NYC of the south without the polution and crime. Next Charleston, then New Orleans (lots of ironwork that needs repair/replacing).

 

Maybe Salt Lake City? Park City Area? weve got a little bit of everything here, Desert, mountains, lake powell, ski/snowboarding, artsy Park City stuff, Salt lake is not a big city but has a nice mix?
bring your own beer though!

Josh

 

San Diego's got the climate but not the jobs. You can find a nice forclosure on every block. Nobody is spending on stuff that isn't vital to day to day existance.

 

My son is in a very similar line of work and while he works for/with a world reknowned artist so their customers come the them - even here in the middle nowhere, if he didn't - I'd be telling him to move to where the money is.

Don't know the States real well, but I'm thinking Vail, Co or Miami, Fla. , Big Bear, Calif. or places like that. Let them see your work when they're tooling around in their Lexus/Ferarris...

 

I would think that your goods/services would be best supported in an arts-rich locale. There are a few around Albuquerque, Taos, or even Sedona, AZ. A friend does this type of work here in San Diego County up in the hills around Ramona and Julian. If you get too close to the Mexican border then you run into all the wrought iron products that are imported...needless to say, that stuff is a lot cheaper than what could be made North of the border. I have another friend that makes a good living on custom gates, the big sliders that the rich folks have across their driveways...any upscale area would buy those. Good luck with your search...

 

Charlie and Cobra..... they come here and spend their money... then they leave !

Just kidding FTE folks always welcome in San Diego.

 

You've likely never heard of Las Vegas, NM. It's a 45 minute drive to Santa Fe, hour and a half from Albuq., an hour thru the mountains to Taos -- all big arts markets. LV is cheap, on the border of the eastern plains and the big mountains. Cooler than Albuq. but not as cold as Co. Springs. You could probably rent a place on a couple acres outside of town very reasonably.

 

But I've seen CSI, I know what goes on in Vegas, lol

 

Thanks for the replies guys, keep em coming ^_^

I have thought about going East, but that is a long ways away from family. All my family lives on the west side of the country. Though ironically most my friends have moved to the east side, go figure.


Thats a good idea Dick C., I love old architecture, granite I can do all styles of work I'm at home when I'm making things of a more gothic nature (like 14th Century French Gothic, not Marylin Manson Gothic, lol). My natural style is a bit old world gothic mixed with a Japanese influence as well as a few other things. I specialize in making exactly what someone is dreaming of... which usually they have no idea what it is till they see it, lol.

I have looked into CA a couple times, but I don't think its really my style. Nothing against it, it's just not me.

Michigan isn't going to happen probably ever. Again nothign against it but I know a lot of people in this tiny town from Michigan that moved here because they couldn't make enough money there.. so if this town is an upgrade...

Atlanta has been suggested a few times, looking into that one.

Utah... no. Lol sorry, bit of the same problem of a military town, just the whole state, lol


My ideal is to find a place where my business can run strong enough till I've managed to get business in sufficiently through the internet. Then I can be anywhere. Thankfully my business doesn't have to be limited to where I live or start over if I move like my parents was. But like anything, its who you know in this one...

 

Las Vegas, NEW MEXICO

http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=La...:::::f:EN:M:/e

It's on the small side by your standards, but has lots of old midwestern style frame houses from when it was "the" railroad hub for shipping between the East and the frontier.