When it comes to selecting a new town to hang your hat, it's so easy to romanticize. Something strikes your interest in that special place -- a movie, a friend who lives there and absolutely loves the town, maybe even a brief and memorable visit there yourself -- and suddenly, there's no other home for you. You put on your rose-colored glasses and tune out anything that might negate your decision. Your mind is made up. So you put your house on the market, pack up your life and head to Perfect Town, USA ... only to find several months later that life in Perfect Town isn't quite as idyllic as you thought. For one thing, the school systems aren't quite as great as you expected. Your neighbors aren't exactly warm and fuzzy, the kids have yet to meet any friends, and the traffic-jammed commute to your new job is a hassle. Aside from actually packing up and temporarily moving to a town to sample the lifestyle, is there anything you can do before you invest in a major move that can give you a realistic picture of what to expect? The answer is a resounding yes.

First and most important, investigate the job prospects in your city of interest. Particularly if you're young and unattached, people will try to convince you that you should pack it all up and just move to the city of your dreams without any job lined up. After all, you're young, right? This is the time to experiment with life. Sure ... if you want to experiment with poverty before you hit 30. Just say no, folks. Do your homework, and find out if your chosen profession is compatible with your dream town. Even though we're moving into the next millennium, and technology has diversified our business world, making such things as telecommuting possible, it remains true that cities specialize in particular industries. Even if you can locate businesses in your field of interest, how many of them are present in your city of choice? Is the market cut-throat competitive? And at what time of year are you considering a job search? If you're approaching the holidays, you're in for a challenge. Recruitment often slows down to a trickle during the winter months.

Consider the size of town that best fits your personality and lifestyle. Do you crave the excitement and adrenaline rush that comes with living downtown in a major city? If you do, do have children? A compromise might be necessary. While children have a lot to gain culture-wise with a move to a large city, they also have something to sacrifice -- namely, space to play, and depending upon the environment, perhaps a degree of security, as well. If you're considering a move to the suburbs, that's not necessarily the best choice for children, depending upon the suburb in question. What seems to be the prevailing value system there? Are residents well-established there, or is the population relatively transient? Is the suburb sleepy, comprised predominantly of an older population? If that's the case and you do have young children, be prepared for lots of "I'm bored"s. If you're a single professional, you may want to consider if the surrounding population is comprised mostly of young and growing families. While that's not a negative characteristic by any means, it could limit your own opportunities for meeting other young singles with similar lifestyles and ambitions.

Let's not forget the growing numbers of people who dream of small-town life. You know the daydream: You give up the hectic corporate climb and move to a quaint New England town, where the leaves turn brilliant shades of red and orange in the fall. You'll live a quiet, idyllic life and never feel stress again. Maybe you'll even write the quintessential novel. Maybe you will ... if you don't go stir-crazy first. While there's definitely something to be said for small-town life, if you're not accustomed to it and suddenly make a radical departure from your big-city life, you're in for a few surprises. You may soon begin to feel bored, stifled or both. Some small towns are known for their "communication networks," to phrase it politely. Your business becomes the town's business. You're an outsider, and everyone knows it. The town knows who's coming over to your house for dinner before you do. This isn't to say that every small town is like this, but some are. And depending upon your sense of humor, this adjustment might be one you're willing to make. Your culture shock might also be tempered if the nearest large city isn't too far away -- an hour, max -- so you can get your occasional adrenaline rush and then retreat to your quiet home.

It's best to visit your prospective hometown several times before taking the plunge. Visit during multiple seasons if you can. This warm-blooded Texan made a cross-country move to Boston only after experiencing the beauty of a New England fall. What I failed to learn beforehand was that winters can be harsh in Boston ... very harsh. Very, very harsh. After the tenth blizzard, I lost my sense of humor. Two years later, I returned to Texas with a brand-new appreciation of the Lone Star State (despite its mercilessly hot summers, which seem like a cakewalk compared to a Nor'easter).

Check out the city's local chamber of commerce Web site for regional information, and subscribe to the its local newspaper if possible. When you're ready to take a closer look at particular neighborhoods, call up an insurance agent in the area, tell him or her your plans for a possible move, and ask for a frank assessment of the neighborhood you're considering calling your home. While you're at it, find out what your car insurance rates would be there; you might be in for a surprise.

Get on the Internet, and find yourself a good "mapping" Web site (MapBlast is an excellent choice), and calculate how long your daily commute would be to and from your prospective neighborhood to your job (assuming you've landed one).

Find out if the other residents in your prospective neighborhood own their homes, or if they're renting. Homeowners are likely to invest more time and resources into the beautification of their homes, which is going to help preserve the value of your own property.

And while you're going to be asking lots of questions, don't rely solely upon word of mouth to make your decision. Make sure you do the homework and legwork required to make your own informed judgments. Visit the town, get out of your car, walk around and take in the sights. And don't do it just once with your rose-colored glasses on. Do it often and at various times of the day and year. Remember: You're not in a rush to move to your dream hometown. Choosing the right place to hang your hat will take time and considerable research. If you're willing to make this investment of your time and finances to make multiple visits, you're either going to save yourself the heartache of a major mistake, or you're going to achieve your dream -- secure in the knowledge that you made the best decision for yourself and your family.

Published: August 18, 1999

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Editor's Note: This article reflects the opinions of Courtney Ronan only and not necessarily the views of this or any other publication, organization or Website owner.