Where did all the boomer hippies move to ?

[blues90]

My wife and I can't take LA ,CA a second more . We want to find where the true hippies went since we seem to have gotten lost and missed the boat .

As long as we can find a life in an area where we can feel amoung like people and it is not some mad city . Just a simple life .

[Nikki Stone1]

1. Santa Cruz?

The mountains up there?

[Warpy]

2. Madrid, New Mexico

the land that time forgot.

[librechik]

70. "Can't score in Hong Kong? Move to Missoula"

add ran for years in the Berkeley Barb.

[proud patriot]

oregon and washington

shh don't tell anyone

[Lindsay]

3. Asheville, NC.

And I think they outnumber the religious nuts by a fair amount.

[tblue]

7. Off topic, my apologies! But, is NC really the best place to buy furniture? Someone just told me

that last night and I'd never heard that before.

[babylonsister]

8. OT, but yes, there are loads of furniture factories in NC. nt

[KoKo]

51. No furniture is Made in NC, Anymore...It's a Myth...it's all made in Far East

unless you can find some Carolina Mountain Man and Woman who will make you "Twig Furniture" the Furniture Industry here is LONG GONE. :-( There are Catalogs and stores that will ORDER FURNITURE for you...but...it's no longer made here...just like you can't buy sheets and pillows from NC anymore. Textile Industries GONE TO THIRD WORLD.

[sammythecat]

11. It may be.

There's bunches of furniture manufacturers down there and I know of people who've made 4-500 mile round trips there to get good deals on major purchases. I make furniture as a hobby and I know NC is a center of the industry.

[mnhtnbb]

18. Yes, but be CAREFUL! Furniture co. in High Point where we bought

everything that's being shipped to furnish our house in Panama went
through threatened bankruptcy last fall. Huge nightmare. Told us to come get everything that was in storage (included in purchase price) because liquidators might take over within the week. Hired movers, got stuff, and am now paying for storage until our house in Panama is completed.

Plus, the furniture co. was going to pack the container for Panama--no charge. I'll now pay the movers for that.

So be careful. I would not special order anything any more unless you put the deposit on a credit card. Yes, there are lots of showrooms in NC.

[ms liberty]

40. Buy from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams...

that's the only truly "blue" furniture company there is. They make all their furniture HERE, they treat their employees great - much better than ANY other furniture company, ever, in NC. He's got a daycare center, and a cafeteria - unheard of by furniture manufacturers around here! Mitchell Gold is THE best, and treats their people like they're human beings. I can't say enough good things about them. Also, Mitchell Gold helped to start this group http://www.faithinamerica.info/ - it's a liberal christian group trying to end bigotry and discrimination. (Mr. Gold is gay) ALSO - he sells prints of some of Tipper Gore's photographs at his website! http://www.mitchellgold.com/
If you need furniture - MITCHELL GOLD + BOB WILLIAMS!

No, I don't work for him - but if I could I would...he's the best employer around!

Also, it would be more accurate to say NC USED to be where we made furniture. Corporate mergers and then outsourcing has destroyed the industry and has left NC workers in bad shape.

I'm in furniture country, which is why I know. I'm a secretary, and I got laid off from a furn factory 2 days after the 04 election. Yesterday I saw an IT guy I worked with, he got laid off last year. And furniture companies - most of them - don't really have that great benefits. Like 3 paid holidays per year. Working on production. Crappy insurance that they only pay half of. And more, but I won't go into it.

The company I used to work for actually owns about 8 or 10 (at least) different furniture companies...or at least they bought them and used the name, anyway...and the company? Well, let's just say their name is synonymous with a recliner...so avoid them!

edited for can't spell-itus!

[bear425]

60. Yes, Asheville.

Very cool town. Just moved to it. Lots of cultural things to do and wonderful restaurants, too. Some are trendy, but not in a plastic way. Give it a look!

[tblue]

4. There's a few still in Northern Cal. Come up north, I'll show you around!

People focus a lot (too much?) on stock options and ROI, but they usually vote okay in these here parts.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. Newton County Arkansas

to Fayetteville Arkansas to the west has a lot of them. Good folks, too.

[BlooInBloo]

6. Bellevue, WA. 1/2 of them became republicans, and admit it...

... while the other 1/2 became republicans, but DON'T admit it.

[marlakay]

26. God so true

My sister n law who started out growing pot with my brother whose pony tail was longer than mine, is now CFO of major company...they ended up with house in Bellevue over looking the water.

Can I have my long dresses and beaded macramae headbands back?? Geesh...I really want my size 3 and hair down to my buns....

[htuttle]

9. I'd suggest where I live, but you said 'not some Mad City'

We run this town, though!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=186x19586

:)

[tenshi816]

76. Madison has always been cool, hasn't it?

And I'm not just referring to the weather. Wasn't Madison one of the very first places in the US to de-criminalize possession of small amounts of pot?

[WI_DEM]

85. Madison is still a cool city, but it's hippie neighborhood such as "Willy Street" is fast

becoming "yuppie central" with condos being built left and right. It just isn't the same anymore. But, as I say, it's still a pretty progressive town overall.

[Monkeyman]

10. Allot in the Woods of Wisc

[chelaque liberal]

88. Check out the Viroqua area, especially if you have kids.

Excellent Waldorf school.

[GrumpyGreg]

12. Vermont

[zanne]

81. I second that. nt

[MasonJar]

13. Move to the Highlands of Louisville, Ky. It is a really laid back place with great parks and

restaurants.

[symbolman]

14. WALL STREET

and most of them look a LOT like Dick Cheney now, complete with John Lennon Glasses, and suspenders :)

We're in HAWAII dude, c'mon in the Water's FINE :)

[EFerrari]

28. lol

:)

Come out to the Haight. We still have DayGlo here.

[symbolman]

37. I still get day glow out of my hair at 54

:)

Hey, go HERE http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=390447&mesg_id=390447

and tell me this isn't FUNNY.. I spent all morning when I should have been writing and no one cares..

Give me a Kick and I'll put a Dollar in the Karma Bank for ya :)

Peace and Love is coming back, and THIS TIME They MEAN BUSINESS...

[EFerrari]

41. That's sooooooo funny. lol

[Madspirit]

15. I'm in Austin and SXSW is just starting...whoohoohoo

Austin has been my home since 1969 except for a year and half I spent on the East Coast in my early hippie days. I was born near Houston but left home at 15 and moved to one of The Hippie Capitals...My Austin.

...but as a hippie you don't want to wander far from Austin. Outside Austin, you're in Texas...<g>
Lee

[mnhtnbb]

16. Left L.A. (Rustic Canyon) in 1988 and we're now in Chapel Hill, NC--Berkeley of the South

Carrboro, town adjacent to Chapel Hill is loaded with ex-hippies. Hillsborough, about 20 miles NE of Chapel Hill has lots of writers, and is less expensive than Chapel Hill/Carrboro area.

[donco]

17. Austen Tx

I'm here listening to 107.1 as I type KGSR,yes they stream check it out good music.

[Madspirit]

25. Hi Austin

I'm in Austin also!
Lee

[madrchsod]

19. wisconsin is nice if you like the cold

lots of nice small towns....and depending where you are chicago,madison, minneapolis. and milwaukee is only a couple hour drive.

[bajamary]

20. Madison, WI

I love Madison, WI although it is a city, but not a huge one like Chicago where I now live.

I went to grad school in Madison in 1970 and one of my nieces lives there, so I often visit.

It's not exactly a time warp to the 1960s but it's real close.

BTW, the cold isn't the worst problem to have in your environment.

For big cities, my favorites are Chicago then New Orleans, follwed by NYC and Philly.

[bajamary]

21. Ann Arbor, MI

Oh, how could I forget Ann Arbor, MI. It's very much like Madison and very progressive and a wide range of cultural events etc.

[Venus Dog]

22. Austin still has real people

old hippies, young hippies, alternative people - it's quite amazing. This and Portland are the only two places I would consider living anymore (NY is too expensive). However, the bad part is the rest of the state :silly:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

91. Austin is cool!

I went to college in San Antonio and drove to Austin on Weekends to go to the Armadillo!! Yeah!!! They tore it down and put a damn bank or something useless.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

23. My wife and I, L.A. natives, moved to OR in '81, now in WA. Never looked back.

We moved to WA from OR in '93, live on 3 acres of forest and meadow.

But, I do miss the Eucalyptus trees and mockingbirds. More than made up for by the larks and firs.

[MissB]

24. Portland Oregon, otherwise known as Little Beirut.

[maveric]

27. Where I live. Ocean Beach, San Diego.

This little community is like a time warp back to 1970. All family owned businesses. Very Liberal around here.
http://www.oceanbeach.com/
The most popular landmark in the area is a Head Shop. "The Black".

[Warren DeMontague]

29. Sonoma County. Mendocino County. The ones who were lucky bought in Marin before prices went

through the roof. Arcata, CA. Oregon. Boulder, Colorado. Taos, New Mexico.

[KarenS]

30. Boulder CO

Lots of long gray ponytails here ~ on both men & women.

[Clark2008]

31. Knoxville, TN

To be specific - the North side.

All we have surrounding us is boomer hippies. It's really nice being a very Democratic oasis in an otherwise red county.

:hi:

P.S. If only about 2,500 more move in, we'll have enough to turn this county blue instead of red. It's that close.

[chelaque liberal]

36. Tell me more.

I live near Morristown and feel like an alien.

[Clark2008]

49. See my answer to frogcycle below.

[frogcycle]

39. OK, you just blew me away!

I grew up in Knoxville. Went to a HS reunion a cpl years back. Probably one of the last places in the world I would have expected to see in this thread.

Oh, a small group of my closer friends are now progressives - but they don't live there any more!

I guess that just goes to show there are pockets of goodness everywhere.

Right on; chill, man! Cool.

[Clark2008]

44. In Fountain City and Old North Knoxville, you'd be hard-pressed

to find ANY Republicans. I counted about three Corker signs in the whole of the area last election.

We have a Democratic state house member, two Democratic county commissioners and a Dem on city council. Now, we do have a Republican state senator because it's a larger district which includes the county, not because anyone here much voted for her, but because the Halls area, which is very Republican, has more folks and voted for her more than we did.

We also voted for Kerry and Gore in the last two elections.

This is the area where Central High and Fulton High are - for your reference.

If you went to a west Knoxville high school, you'd be correct. That side of town, mostly in the county, is so Republican, you could fit the Democrats (like my in-laws) into a phone booth - but on this side of town, it's a completely different story.

It's so nice not having to worry about stolen yard signs or keyed cars with Dem support on the back. :)

Edited to add: not only is our city council member a Democrat - he's also gay. We're very liberated on this side of town. :)

[frogcycle]

56. yeah, I lived on te west side - went to Bearden HS

I lived in Fountain City for a few months, but never related to the locals - just commuted to UT.

When I started at UT there was a table in the student center where the "longhairs" sat - all 7 or 8 of them! We referred to them as "the people at the table in the corner." By the time i was a junior, I had a beard, hair to shoulders, wore sandals to class (freaked out my rw engineering profs no end). I was one of the few "hippie types" in engineering, but UT in general was coming along. VN radicalized a lot of people. A lot of my Bearden classmates moved to other parts of the country. I think there was a direct correlation between use of "unconventional" substances and distance moved from Knoxville.

[GreenZoneLT]

74. That's so cool.

I grew up in Anderson County, which was solidly Democratic but pretty conservative when I was a kid. We used to shop in Fountain City before they built I-75.

[fed-up]

32. Chico, CA-college town-lots of really friendly work together type activists n/t

[Texasgal]

33. Austin, TX.

They are a huge community here.

[Madspirit]

45. Are you in Austin?

I am.

[Texasgal]

73. Yes I am !!

Native as a matter of fact! :)

[Madspirit]

84. Me too

Well, not a native. I was born near Houston...Alvin...but I left home at 15 and moved to Austin. I'm 52, so I consider myself almost native Austinite. I've been here 37 years.

I love Austin. I wouldn't live anywhere else.
Lee

[jaysunb]

86. I used to live in Austin..

It's a very lovely place, but when you step foot outside the City limits, you're back in Texas for sure....RoundRock, Georgetown, Taylor, Bastrop are pretty scary.

I couldn't wait to get back to LA....missed the diversity.

[scarletwoman]

34. I spent some time in Bolinas, CA in the late 80s -- lots of old hippies there.

In fact, it seemed like a veritable 60s time warp. But I don't think that's what you're looking for.

This old hippie -- who lived in Venice, CA in the early 70s -- now lives a simple quiet life in northern Minnesota quite happily.

sw

[Tom Rinaldo]

50. I moved from Bolinas 5 years ago

It's a great town, I lived in Bolinas for about 10 years but housing costs there are now through the roof. I moved to the Catskill Mountains mid Hudson area of New York State. And no we have not been buried in snow, we only had one real snow storm and less than two feet total snow all year. We live in Ulster County, the bigger towns are New Paltz and Kingston, but Woodstock is only about 12 miles from where we now live. It's a nice area, where we are is quite rural, and old hippies are part of the mix. You won't stand out like an old thumb.

[KoKo]

68. Ahhh the Hudson Valley...Beautiful area...filled with History...nice place

but when IBM left ...how is the job market?

[Tom Rinaldo]

71. The job market is problematic

but still much more varied than it is further away from New York City. It is still diversified and not as dependent on any one company as many of the small cities further North and West in upstate New York. It's great for Arts.

[FredMertz]

78. Rosendale NY

Local bumper sticker---"The Peoples Republic of Rosendale"

[kohodog]

35. Great Barrijngton Mass has it's own local currency and plenty of artists.

Not exactly LA, but a pretty cool town, Check this out: http://www.berkshares.org/

Local people supporting the local economy. Not a bad idea!

You can go to the bank with $90 Dollars and come out with 100 Berkshares (Federally backed no less). Local stores accept them as do local farms, etc.
No chain stores have bought in yet so you're sol at kmart, McDonalds, etc. But the locals have seen an uptick in business.

[salin]

38. College towns across the country

especially larger state research institutions (generally the communities are larger than little liberal arts colleges).

I was raised in Bloomington, IN and love it. Have lived in Ann Arbor which is also great. Many are places that folks went to college and didn't want to leave - or later came back to; and now many are retiring too (due to generally decent arts and lectures life - some urbaneness - without the costs and crime of big cities. Start a thread about college towns and cities - and I bet you would get some great advice.

[davsand]

79. I'd echo that idea about college towns.

Madison, WI, Anne Arbor, MI, Bloomington, IN, Urbana, IL--all have Big Ten universities located there and all are towns you can live in with a pony tail (if you're male or female!) Urbana has openly gay City Council members and a kick ass human rights policy.

As an added bonus, most of the real estate markets in these towns are reasonably stable due to the number of people employed by those same universities. You may not have appreciation as quickly as you will in other places, but the bottom of your market won't drop out quite as fast either. There may be bumps along the way but your values will probably hold when every place else is getting flushed.

Oh--and did I remember to mention that our new County Board Chair here in the Urbana area is a Geologist with a small bald spot and a pony tail down to his butt? He even drives a green VW micro bus!

:hi:


Laura

[sandnsea]

42. Come to Country Fair, Eugene

You'll find tons of old hippies and hook up and figure out where you want to go. There's old hippies lots of places, even Missoula has a number of old hippies.

http://www.oregoncountryfair.org/

[jaysunb]

43. Come on over to Pasadena...

There are a small number of open spaces left....:evilgrin:

[demosincebirth]

46. They are all up in Garberville, Ca., growing pot among the Big Giants.

[BlackVelvet04]

47. A lot of them moved to

Floyd, VA....... Old Hippie Heaven.

[UTUSN]

48. Southern Border. You can have all the convience of U.S.A while paying lower. n/t

[KoKo]

52. What the Heck is Going On if Hippies can't find home in LA or any place in CA?

Dear Heaven...what have things come to. I live in NC and am wondering where there are people like ME and I would move but I already moved here from the Northeast and I lived in Greenwich Village, NYC at one point in my life and was very HAPPY! I wasn't a Hippie but did have some friends who were....

America has changed.... CONFORMITY... IT'S THE NORM.

But, then I'm not sure what your definition of Hippie is. Is it "Non-Conformist, Individualist" or Druggie, Non-Conformist, Individualist?"

Not that it matters but it might give a clue as to where you would fit in best....even though there isn't any place in America for anyone to fit in...our country is so fractured and destroyed.

[Neshanic]

53. What is the biggest reason you can't take LA? I am thinking of moving there.

[blues90]

54. There are lots of reasons

For one I am 57 and here it is for the youth . It is expensive to live here , it is crowded , no one gives a shit about anyone else .

It is cell phone haven , it is traffic hell , jobs are hard to find , people isolate themselves .

But if you like the fast pace of madness and have money and don;t mind crowds and intense heat , no rain , sun all the danm time , then you may like LA.

It has changed alot since i moved here in 1981 .

[Neshanic]

58. Well, so far you have perfectly described Phoenix..Prescott AZ is very nice.

It's a great place with almost a perfect climate. As far as old hippies, it is very much that, not so much so as Flagstaff though.

You are not much older than me, but I am tired of all those things too.

The big difference would be the ocean. I want to live in a place where I can get to it within an hour.

[BlackVelvet04]

61. How about Bisbee, AZ?

Lots of old hippies there.

[KoKo]

66. What you describe is pretty much the way it is in any City in America these days

though. Cell phones, people isolated, no children playing outside (on their computers or at after school sports or in day care because everyone works) and traffic and weather problems and just plain nothingness.

It's because you notice it and folks younger than you don't that might be what you are seeing and feeling. It's the new America. But, you have to be older to notice it. :shrug: Not saying that you might not find a smaller place elsewhere in America where there's some peace...but it might be too insular after what you are used to. just saying.

[Taverner]

55. There's alot out here in the Bay Area

They just don't look like hippies anymore. Well, most of them...

[Jcrowley]

57. Right here

Check it out.

Bisbee,AZ

Gotta get back there....

[Neshanic]

59. Good call! That place is the best. Lots of fun, and very open minded.

[Jcrowley]

62. Best place I've ever lived

by far. Laid back and inexpensive. Great coffee and slow moving skies.

[BlackVelvet04]

63. LOL I just posted about Bisbee

before I read your post. Bisbee is full of old hippies. My husband and I spent part of our honeymoon there.

[bear425]

64. see here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=390462&mesg_id=391627

[Canuckistanian]

65. Up here in Canada

I've met quite a few of them who've made a permanent home here. All refugees from the Vietnam era.

I even spent time in a former "commune" way back in the woods. Sadly, there was only one die-hard resident from the glory days.

[The_Casual_Observer]

67. You mean the bunch that smell like dirty hair, dope smoke & urine?

The iron grey haired earth mothers with a shitty attitude and teeth to match? If you find them let us know so that we can avoid the whole thing.

Dream catchers, bad ceramics, tie dye & incense. :hippie:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

69. Eugene and Corvallis, Oregon, and Ithaca, New York

:-)

Sandnsea mentioned the Oregon Country Fair, held in the country near Eugene. A high time is had by all.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

72. I've been thinking about this too and need a place that is really affordable.

I live in NY now, south of the best parts of NY (Ulster County being one) but the price of real estate is very restrictive.

[AnnInLa]

75. I found alot of them in Mexico

www.myislamujeres.com

[shanti]

77. northern cali

yah mon;)

[ourbluenation]

80. Grew up in LA but have lived in Chico and Mendo Co. Either is a great option. n/t

[GreenPartyVoter]

82. We have plenty in Maine. Come on up. :^)

[theboss]

83. They are all in Florida looking at retirement property

At least that's where my folks have spent a lot of time recently.

[Warpy]

87. If your folks are old hippies and they're looking outside Miami

or Key West, talk some sense into them, PLEASE.

Lots of bad juju in that state.

[HeeBGBz]

89. *Waves from Biloxi, MS*

One here. Kind of a scarcity.

[aikoaiko]

90. They're still there, they just sold out.

:(