From reading all the posts it looks like there are many
"jeweler's heaven."
I have seen many of them. Sedona, Arizona is the place I would love
to set up in. Sedona is pricey but God what scenic beauty. The
surrounding hills are earth tone red which contrasts with the greens
of the forest. The air is as clean as you can find. Many people
feel that Sedona is a harmonic convergence area. I am not sure what
that means but I know when I go there I feel alive and thrilled to
be alive. Sedona had many artists and wonderful galleries. It is
within an hour of Flagstaff which has winter fun and Phoenix which
is one of the largest cities in the country. There are plenty of
hiking trails that will take you through the extremely beautiful
country side. There are many Indian ruins near by. I wish I could
do justice in describing Sedona. It truly is a place that once
visited will be in your blood forever. Arizona is a rather unique
state. On the drive from Phoenix to Flagstaff (about 2 hours) you
will travel from desert to alpine elevations. One of these days I
will be in Sedona. Lee
Sounds like there are Jeweler’s heavens all over the country. Find
Your Spot, http://www.findyourspot.com is a great website for
helping to sort it all out. There is a questionnaire to fill out
with all sorts of – preferred population, geographic
region, must have university, professional sports team, opera
company, be in the mountains, on the coast, international airport,
etc. Then it gives you a list of towns or cities that match your
criteria. I ended up with a list of about 20 small cities that I
narrowed to 10, which I plan to visit at my leisure and just see if
one “feels right”.
Personally I think jeweler heaven is all in your head. To quote an
obscure movie line: “Remember no matter where you go, there you are”
(Kudos to anyone who knows what movie it’s from). I have always
found it to be an advantage to work in an urban area where you can
reap larger dollar rewards, and visit the country side for a blast of
inspiration. Sometimes I think if I lived in all that beauty year
round I would become somewhat immune to its artistic effects.
Daniel R. Spirer, GG
Spirer Somes Jewelers
1794 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02140
617-491-6000 @spirersomes www.spirersomes.com
There are many, many places in Texas that offer the rural solitude
and yet are close enough to “town” to offer entertainment, shopping,
etc. Of course, there are also places that are so rural that it’s a
30 - 45 minute drive into a town of 800. We live in Taylor,
Texas and I work in Round Rock which is a city next to Austin, Texas.
(the capital) Round Rock, Austin and Georgetown are all close and
offer things Taylor doesn’t as far as jobs, entertainment, shopping,
etc. I love where we live. It’s small in that it’s not “acreage” but
it’s on a huge piece of land and very inexpensive compared to what
you could purchase in Austin or Round Rock (basically the price of
some cars and no, it’s not a house on wheels ;-).) Check some of the
city and state web sites that seem promising to you and you may have
better luck. They all should have more on weather,
economy, etc. Texas is huge and the weather and economy vary greatly
depending on region. San Antonio is a bit south of us and I hear it
is very economical. San Marcus is a smaller town south of Austin but
before San Antonio that is nice too. There are so many beautiful
cities in Texas that may offer what you are looking for. Check out
some of the links below.
The State of Texas official web site is:
http://www.state.tx.us/
Link to all cities in Texas:
http://www.state.tx.us/category.jsp?language=eng&categoryId=11.1
Taylor:
http://ci.taylor.tx.us/taylorcity/homepage.html
Georgetown:
http://georgetown.org/
Round Rock:
http://www.ci.round-rock.tx.us/
New Braunfels:
http://www.ci.new-braunfels.tx.us/
San Antonio:
http://www.ci.sat.tx.us/
Fort Davis:
http://www.fortdavis.com/
Hi Noel, I have to agree with Dave - North Carolina rocks! It’s a
beautiful state with great beaches and mountains and you are still
close to all that the East Coast has to offer.
I used to live in Dallas and while it was ok, it was so isolated
from other cities. And even though I lived in the suburbs there
wasn’t anywhere to ride a bike. A country road down there is a 4 lane
highway!
A small house costs the same as a NT penthouse, the place fills with
tourists everyday and you can’t drive faster than 25mph for fear of
hitting one, there are wild chickens and cats all over the place and
the homeless from all over the USA winter here, we get hurricanes and
tropical storms but…
The people are the most generous, kind, caring folk I have ever met,
the community celebrates its diversity, the kids are great, we all
look after each other, (we’re currently arguing about where to put
the new shower facilities for the homeless) there are 23,000 of us
and we raise over 20m for charity every year. The streets are safe at
night, the police call you by your first name, (the judge calls you
by your nickname!) there are so many restaurants that you can go to a
different one every night for about a year and it’s hard to find bad
food.
Oh, and the weather, most of the winter it’s around 80 and the
summer is about 85-95.
I’m English and moved here with by significant other (yup, gay
couple 25 years together) in 2000. Mum came to visit in 2001 and
refused to go home (she’s 76) so she moved here too.
Now don’t all rush!
Tony Konrath
Key West Florida 33040
Noel, I’ll have to side with our forum corespondent from JETT
Research, our buddy, Tyler Teague, in that New Mexico is quite a
place. I moved here from Honolulu, Hawaii about 2 years ago and
have had a wonderful time enjoying all it has to offer. Although I
do miss sailing in my 22 ft sailboat along the coast of Waikiki, I’m
enjoying 4 seasons (unlike Hawaii’s endless summer - sorry Donna),
snow covered mountains for skiing in the winter and when the snow
melts, rock climbing and bike trails. The famous Rio Grande to
fish, or kayak in as well as dozens of mountain streams to be soon
depleted of trout by my fly fishing! Many small and large lakes for
boating and camping, as well as high altitude (5000 ft or more!) and
low humidity. As a native Cajun from Louisiana with an average
humidity level of 70%, this suites me just fine. I lived in Hawaii
in a 2 bedroom, 525 square foot apartment with the rent of $1475.00
per month. I now own a home just north of Albuquerque of 3000
square foot, 2 car garage, fireplace, 1.87 acres of land, mountain
and city lights views, central air and heat, 5 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bath
with Jacuzzi tub and sauna (and also a hobby room that I’ve
converted to my jewelry studio). The mortgage payment is less than
my rent was in Hawaii!! You decide…
Okay, I just have to say that anything north of the Mason-Dixon line
is right out! Not because I’m a southern redneck (I’m actually an
transplanted Yankee, but don’t tell my neighbors), but because cold
weather and snow suck! I have earned the right to say this because I
was born in Rochester, lived in Buffalo and grew up in the Catskill
mountains of upstate NY. On the same fundamental climate grounds, I
reject the Pacific Northwest. The grim and dismal climate there
contributes to the highest suicide rates in the country.
I love the southwest; the desert has it own form of beauty that I
appreciate. But compared to the lush, vital and vibrant environment
here, it is dead. The southeast is a veritable oasis in comparison.
When I lived in Southern California (too crowded, too expensive) and
would return here on vacation, I would be blown away with how green
and lush everything is. The earth is actually ALIVE!
The people here are one of the best parts. Everyone says, “Hi!” to
everyone else, whether you know 'em or not. People hold the door for
other people, and the words “please” and “thank you” are heard quite
commonly. I actually know all my neighbors. We all attribute it to
the certain “je ne sais quois” of southern hospitality, but the
reality is that most of the people have come here from somewhere
else! The native Charlottean is actually a rarity! They’ve all
departed for the “greener grass” of Atlanta and other big cities.
Having the dual attractions of the peaceful, pristine beaches of the
Outer Banks and the regal beauty of the Smoky and Appalachian
mountains, and as I mentioned before, attractive real estate and
living costs, it can’t be beaten… IMHO!
All the best,
Dave
Dave Sebaste
Sebaste Studio and
Carolina Artisans’ Gallery
Charlotte, NC (USA) dave@sebaste.com
Will, If you find yourself near Boston, come and find me too.
Boston was built on a foundation of strangers. Even though I’m an
“American”, I am a transplanted Californian. I’ve lived in Boston
for 19 years and still wear my sandals until it practically is
snowing. I hate the snow, crave warmth and can’t wait until there
is green on the trees. I still can’t wrap my head around snow on a
beach.
-karen
Karen Christians
M E T A L W E R X
10 Walnut St., Woburn MA 01801
Ph. 781 937 3532, Fx. 781 937 3955 http://www.metalwerx.com/
Jewelry/Metalarts School & Cooperative Studio
Board Member for the Society of North American Goldsmiths
Friends, I an now done with ACC Chicago, except for the usual
clerical details. I have over 250 emails to catch up on, mostly
Orchid, but I scrolled down the list. I am overwhelmed by the number
of responses to my “jeweler’s heaven” post. I am very anxious to
read them all, thougfh I will have to put it off just a little
longer. But really, folks, I am moved by the response. Thank you. As
for the “not-so-much”, that would be ACC Chicago. A few people asked
me to post my experience at this, my first ACC show. The ACC people
were helpful, efficient and business-like. Everything went very
smoothly for set-up and tear-down, and that part was quite painless.
I was disappointed that there were no amenities during the show,
like a break area away from the public, or coffee, other than during
set-up. The food area was horrendous-- nachos and hot dogs-- but I’m
told ACC doesn’t control that. And there was an AC blowing directly
down my neck–we were really chilled, though it was 75 outside. But
the real story is the crowd. There wasn’t one. Attendence was really
sparse, and sales were very disappointing, for me and most of the
other artists I spoke to. My largest sale was $350, and only one
that high. I don’t have to think about it again until it’s time to
apply again, but it sure wasn’t what I was hoping for. I made
something like $400 over my cash expenses. If anybody wants
more/other info, let me know. Noel
So true! There aren’t many places I haven’t enjoyed and, aside from
being born in Springfield, Massachusetts, I’ve lived in Biloxi,
Mississippi and Tacoma, Washington. (Ok, I probably wouldn’t want to
go back to Biloxi!) I’m also fond of Flagstaff, Arizona; Montreal,
Quebec; St. George, Grenada (Grenada - Travel Guide); and
just about anywhere in central or the Gulf coast of Florida.
I feel the way Will does about American society, and I AM an
American. Yes, it’s probably due in part to where I live: the
featureless, far suburbs of Boston, where there’s nowhere to walk to,
no sidewalks, and you have to get in the car to get a quart of milk.
I prefer my social relations to arise naturally and spontaneously out
of everyday life; not much chance of that happening here, where no
one works where they live and life consists of highway driving,
working at a far away office in a technology park, and going to the
gym. Where I live is just - where I live. My life is conducted in my
head. (If that makes any sense.)
Christine in formerly rural Littleton, Massachusetts
Hello , There are many wonderful places to live and work across this
land and world . While I live in one of the named communities
[Rockford Ill.] I’m not sure that it meets as much of the criteria
of "jewelers heaven " as one could imagine possible . “jewelers
heaven” low cost shop and home expenses , scenic beauty , a
population of if not wealthy then well off people who love [your]
jewelry , let’s add good schools , a good college would be nice ,
friendly and complementary competition [ or would you prefer none? ]
a community , of artists and others that would not only respect and
admire your work but be willing to help you make it AND to pay
better than just a living wage …Shall we go on ??? The neatest
, coolest place’s I’ve ever seen to be a jeweler are in Germany . In
particular the area around Idar-Oberstein . Idar-Oberstein from
Medeval times the home of gemstone cutting for much of Europe ,
incredably scenic , nestled between ancient mountains with the Nahe
river flowing down the valley , this valley , still largly agrarian
, wine in particular , among the finest white wines this planet
produces . A large and active community of craftsmen/jewelers/stone
and gem cutters . One of the finest museums of gemstones in the
world . Schools for learning the trades . While not all of the shops
and factories I visited were “fabulous” the ones I remember best
were located in areas of great natural beauty , the windows around
the benches had scenic overlooks , imagine a wonderful modern shop ,
the whole lower level of your home with fully exposed windows
overlooking hills and valleys , not to mention the flats of beer
from the brewery in the next little town ,[all returnable bottles ,
too] delivered to the door of your home/studio and taking away the
empties. Wild game in the butchers , the most fabulous breads etc
the whole country is "green’’ ecologically speaking too. There was a
commen thread , though that of beauty in the surroundings of the
jewelers shop… Germany also houses THE single most incredable
collection of the jewelers art. Its called The Green Vaults Of
Dresden its pretty much the other side of Germany from Idar , but
If you love jewelry you must learn about the things in this museum!
Arguably the richest man of the time , Augest the Strong , spent the
greatest part of his fortune on acquiring and commisioning to be
made treasure , largely of the metal and stone arts and the
collection exists almost intact until this day . All in all heaven is
a personal place , its so nice to learn how many have found theirs.
Mark Clodius Clodius&Co. Jewelers
Daniel, that line is one of the truly great movie lines! I believe
it is from Mad Max, Beyond the Thunder Dome or words to that effect.
I might ought to worry about what it reveals about those of us who
remember the line!
Thanks for a great start for a Monday morning. Chuckles are good,
right up there beside an easy sale.
You have many good points about Charlotte. <SNIP> My only
question is - Where are those reasonable real estate prices?
Hi Jim (and all),
Of course, “reasonable” is a relative term. It depends on your frame
of reference. As Noel (the original poster) refers to her modest
bungalow worth $400k, any place in Charlotte or NC would be quite
reasonable, or a outright steal.
Charlotte and the Raleigh/Durham area are going to have higher real
estate costs than less “cosmopolitan” areas, if I can use that term
in NC. The high tech economy in these areas, and the economy in
general, hasn’t been hit as hard as some places, so real estate has
maintained the value gains of recent years of growth. Low interest
rates have helped keep up demand, too.
Still, compared with California, the northeast, Seattle, Evanston
and Hawaii, as examples, you get a heck of a lot for your money. I
met a guy at a marina out on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) last
year. He was from southern California and almost falling out of his
chair in shock at the price of “deep-water” waterfront property. He
had just snapped up a large parcel and was considering buying the
adjoining property, “just because it was available.” He was going to
build a house and bring his sailboat around, through the Panama
Canal, and switch coasts.
To answer another offline question, property taxes tend to be a lot lower than most of the desirable areas of the country. Again,
the advantage isn’t as great if you’re living right in a city like
Charlotte or Raleigh, but it’s a fraction of the property tax rates
my uncle is paying on Long Island! NC does have state income tax, and
the sales tax rates are around 6%, depending on county and
municipality.
If someone is looking for the cheapest possible living costs, they
could probably do better elsewhere. But to have all the great plusses and modest costs, relative to other attractive places, is a great
compromise. You can always find “cheaper”, but quality of life, to
me, is an important intangible.
Just yesterday I spotted a real estate advertisement in an
alternative local paper. Look at what you can get for under $300k,
which might get you a nice split level raised ranch on a quarter
acre in some other, even less desirable areas of the country:
There were more, great looking properties in the advertisement, but
I chose these because they had asking prices to provide a point of
reference.
I kind of have a sense of “preaching to the choir”, since you’re
already here, Jim! I also know there are a lot of other people
who might be reading this, too!
I finally got my tomato plants in the ground. They were already
starting to bear fruit while still in the pots!
Ian, After reading your description of your environment I think that
you better start preparing for a sudden increase in immigrant
jewelers coming over from the States. It sounds beautiful.
I also am very happy with my own environment. I live in a village in
the Hudson River Valley, about 20 miles north of Manhattan, the best
of both worlds. Joel @Joel_Schwalbwww.schwalbstudio.com
Noel Three years ago I was searching for a place to relocate. I
wanted an art community and University in the town I selected. I
looked in the book called “The 100 Best Small Art towns in the USA”.
I traveled for two years in an RV looking. I settled in Silver City,
in South Western NM at an elevation of 6000 feet. Very mild weather
and maybe two snow storms a winter which melts and clears the road in
just a few hours. I am on the edge of the Gila Forest and there is
lots of camping and hiking. This town is 10,000 people. The only
draw back is the airport is 30 minutes away and it links to
Albuquerque. So air travels is not efficient. It is small town with
40 galleries and lots of Mexican restaurants. Real estate is
inexpensive right now but going up. If you want more you
can email me. Coit@zianet.com (put Orchid in the subject line)
We live in Taylor,
I also know there are a lot of other people