Looking to relocate...Where's the BEST place to live in the US?? (1 Viewer)

[Hugh M]

Ft. Collins, CO.
beautiful town, university, mid-sized, booming. outdoors activities very nearby. winters aren't bad at all, summers can get around 100, but dry. traffic is getting sort of nerve-racking though because of poor-planning. one of the top-rated cities in the country for young adults.
http://www.ci.fort-collins.co.us/visitor/
www.coloradoan.com
Palm Desert, CA area...near palm springs but in much better shape. Winter home of probably half of the country's richest people. casinos (can you say trump), mountains (huge mountains) beautiful scenery and clean streets (tourism!). Cost of living is pretty low. There are 100 golf courses within one half hour. which allows for nice planned streets and communities.
the amount of wealth in the area is probably the reason why there are some of the top medical facilities like the Heart center, and the Betty Ford ( )
When Bob Hope is sick, he goes to Eisenhower Medical Center, which ironically is on Bob Hope Drive. In between Frank Sinatra and Gerald Ford. streets that is.
www.palm-desert.org
www.desertsunonline.com
www.palmspringslife.com
summers are hot, but seeing that as the worst weather that you get out here, it is noting compared to other medium populated areas. I think the hospitals are in dire need of qualified workers. And plety of opportunities for personal care as well. The pay is probably not top-notch but living here is worth it, and housing is plentiful. about two hours from the ocean, and a half hour drive to the pine trees in the mountains.
only thing about the desert is, when you are from the east coast, is you might miss seeing water all over the place. but you won't miss using your windshield wipers, or driving in any sort of inclement weather.
If you want totally great weather go live in San Diego with all the other people.
just for reference, I have lived in..
Indiana, New Jersey, Virginia, Colorado (denver and mountains), and California.

 

[Jenna]

Thanks for all the input and comments.

I've lived in: Cleveland, Tampa/St.Pete, and now Asheville, NC. Yet so far, I don't feel like I've found "home" ... or maybe I just have a case of "wonderlust" and feel the need to experience another location.

Cleveland was cold, ugly, and uninspiring for me. As a native there, I knew where to go to hang out, but never wanted to settle down and raise a family there.

Tampa was fun, sunny, and beautiful - yet it was "all looks and no substance" (if you know what I mean). I love to vacation in Florida, but when I lived there, I was shocked by the crime, the shallow people, and the moist non-stop heat, and non-stop perspiring.

Asheville is a gorgeous place to live, BUT it's a terrible place for heterosexual dating. All the good straight men must be taken because the leftovers are really, really depressing. I've never seen so many men over 35 still living with their mothers with no career prospects or ambition. Every decent-looking, clean, interesting, intelligent/educated man I've met here has been gay or married.

I guess I'm just bored, and still yearn for the "perfect" place to live the "American Dream". I love mountains and outdoor activities, can deal with any climate, and love discovering new places....I just haven't found that "special" place yet...to really put down some roots...so would still LOVE to hear from those of you who have found a great, undiscovered city or town...that has decent career and dating potential. Being in the medical profession, I know jobs are plentiful everywhere...but finding the perfect spot is the tough part.

 

[Derek Miner]

I love to vacation in Florida, but when I lived there, I was shocked by the crime, the shallow people, and the moist non-stop heat, and non-stop perspiring.

Oh yeah, I forgot about the people. I don't know what it is about so many places in Florida, but I really do notice a difference in temperment and behavior when in other states. I never thought we had crime problems worse than other places, though. I feel pretty darn safe. I felt pretty safe in most places around Orlando (the city, NOT just Disney World) as well.

 

[Scott Diedrick]

I can't believe no one has mentioned Austin, TX. I know in the last 10 years it has grown pretty quickly and has some traffic problems, but I still love it. It has a great mix of people, college students, techies, aging hippies, etc. Awesome music and bar scene, lakes, and more restaurants per capita then almost any place on earth. I also love that it is still laid back.

But there are some places I would move to. San Diego is on the top of the list. I went there at the end of December a few years back. Got off the plane and it was sunny skies and 73 out. I rented a convertible and fell in love that day.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

If you like the climate and terrain of Asheville, why not look into the Raleigh/Durham area just a few hours away? You would still be in beautiful North Carolina, and would be just a few hours drive away from either the mountains or the beach. I'm not sure of the employment opportunities in the medical profession, but the technical professions are bustling there. I love visiting our friends in this area (we have a place in Myrtle Beach, SC, which is about a 3.5 hour drive away).

 

[Alex Prosak]

Jenna,

Once again, I'll have to recommend Alaska. It seems to have all the things you're looking for in terms of scenery and adventure. It also has a high male to female ratio. I know plenty of single guys looking for nice woman to date. They're always complaining about how it's so hard to find a nice woman.

Happily married in AK

 

[Ricky Hustle]

Vegas, baby, Vegas!
Weather is nice, no state income tax, and you can gamble!
I like it here.

 

[David Lawson]

Cincinnati's racial problems are easily circumvented by moving to its east side, since there's only one race that occupies that side of town. :rolleyes
To be quite honest, the riots were blown well out of proportion. I live downtown and never once felt threatened; it's almost as though there's an invisible barrier at Ninth Street that no one north of it dares cross, which is really quite sad.
Having lived in Cleveland, I'm not sure if Jenna would consider moving back to Ohio, but there seem to be plenty of medical opportunities with all of the hospitals located in the Clifton area, in and around the U.C. campus. There's also something to be said for living and working in northern Kentucky (which also has numerous hospitals), which is single-handedly rescuing downtown and its abysmal entertainment district.
It's at least warmer than Cleveland here, but not warm enough for me, having grown up in Ft. Lauderdale. If you do find somewhere that's always warm, populous, and cheap, let me know.

 

[CameronS]

I currently live in Greensboro, NC, which is near the western area of the state. I've only lived in Greensboro for about 2 years now, but I've always resided in NC.
It's nice here, but I'm kind of looking forward to possibly moving away after college. You know, that need for change, exploration, etc.
A friend of mine is trying to get me to move to San Diego! I bet that would be different!

 

[CameronS]

Asheville is a gorgeous place to live, BUT it's a terrible place for heterosexual dating. All the good straight men must be taken because the leftovers are really, really depressing. I've never seen so many men over 35 still living with their mothers with no career prospects or ambition. Every decent-looking, clean, interesting, intelligent/educated man I've met here has been gay or married.

LOL! I missed that comment the first time around!
Hey Jenna, I'm a straight single guy who doesn't live with his parents. We should hook up...
No wait, your DVD collection is way bigger than mine, and I just wouldn't be confortable with that.

 

[Janna S]

To Alex in Alaska: that male to female ratio thing is hardly true anymore up here! And to the extent that it is true, I already warned Jenna: "The odds are good but the goods are odd!"

Janna in Alaska

 

[Jeff Pryor]

I say El Paso. Think about it: No hurricanes, no tornados, no forest fires, no earthquakes. Winter is just cold enough, summers have the dry heat--no humidity at all. Sometimes it might rain, sometimes (even rarer) it might snow., I've seen a little of both in the years I lived there back in the late 80's/early 90's. Sure, Mexico and all the shopping you can want is just across the border, Carlsbad Caverns is a few hours east, White Sands National Park is a few hours north, snow-skiing is a few minutes from that, along with horse-racing in Ruidoso Downs on the Mescalero Apache reservation. I enjoyed living there and regretted leaving when I did. Sure, it's a city in the middle of the desert, but you'd be surprised the amount of things you can find to do there.

 

[John Thomas]

My first suggestion probably wouldn't appeal to you much then - Knoxville, TN. My favorite town in the USA. I can't quite put my finger on it but I really enjoyed it while I was there. The social climate is great and you're never able to get bored. Of course, I enjoyed going to the Smokies on a weekend too but I'm sure you're quite familiar with the place.
I can't recommend anything up north - it's just too darn cold up there plus the people are generally more rude. If I were to recommend anywhere further north than you are now, it'd be St. Louis; on several trips up there, I've always enjoyed myself (mainly going to Cardinals games) and the people seemed friendly.
Some cities that I've got in my noodle at this time:
Phoenix, AZ; Austin, TX; San Diego, CA; Orlando, FL; Atlanta, GA; New Orleans, LA. These are cities that I'd consider relocating to if I got the "wAnderlust"

 

[Ashley Seymour]

I've been in the banking and real estate business for a number of years and have to pitch Boise quite often, but here is an interesting take from someone who moved to Boise and explained why in todays local paper.

Here is a summary of the article.

By Nick Jerzierny, the Idaho Statesman

Former athlete makes herself at home in Boise, on sidelines

If you watch the NBA playoffs on television, there is a good chance you'll see courtside reporter Heather Cox doing her thing on NBC or TNT.

There also is a chance you'll see the 31-year-old Cox walking down 13th Street near Camel's Back Park in Boise's North End, if you happen to catch her out and about in her new hometown.

Cox and her husband, Bill, moved to Boise about 18 months ago after searching for the perfect place to call home.

"I travel about every weekend, and I was just fed up with SFO," said Cox, who used to live in the Bay Area and fly in and out of the San Francisco Airport. "We're one of the rare exceptions where we can live anywhere."

That's when the couple mapped out a plan - find a university town that had a good, athletic atmosphere and would be a good place to raise their future family.

"It was craziness - we researched places and went to visit them," said Cox, who said the other cities considered were Boulder, Colo., Austin, Texas, and Carmel Valley, Calif. "We just fell in love with Boise; we absolutely love it."

Why?

"You cann't begin to describe it," she said. "It's the pace of life and the friendliness. People's priorities here are in tune with ours. It's the opposite of Silicon Valley. This is a great place to come to.

Cox isn't sure when that next trip will be. She was in Boston and Philadelphia last week for the first-round NBA playoff series between the Celtics and the 76ers, and she also made a drive to State College, Pa., for the NCAA men's volleyball championships...

Cox was a standout volleyball player at the University of the Pacific, and she started her broadcast career covering that sport...

Cox was a member of the United States National Volleyball Team from 1987 to 1995...

Cox contemplated a career as a television anchor, but she was turned off during a college internship.

"There are things about the news environment I didn't like," she said. "I hated how your top story was dictated by what the competitors were doing."

Cox says she works about 90 events a year...

The worst part about her job, she says, is finding a way to get to work.

"Honestly, it's the travel," she said. "You have to get yourself there through weather and delays. You cannot not get there. There are so many times when you take the second-to-last flight and you don't think you're going to make it.

"And you have to find the rental car and find the gym. It's hard to find some of these football stadiums in the SEC and the Big 12. It sounds silly, but the hardest part is getting there."

Cox said one of her career highlights happened thisyear when she got to work in Boise. She covered the Dec. 31 Humanitarian Bowl and also the women's Sweet 16 last month in The Pavilion at Boise State University.

"Being in a smaller town now, I wish I would have a little more involvement in the local sports," said Cox... I've been here two football seasons and haven't been to one game. I miss that...

 

[Scooter]

No wait, your DVD collection is way bigger than mine, and I just wouldn't be confortable with that.

Cameron...so what you are saying is that size DOES matter???

 

[Shane Gralaw]

I have lived in Austin for 15 years and am thoroughly ready to leave. It WAS very laid-back and fun (and cheap to boot) when I got here. In the mid-90s with the influx of all those Californians the city started a quick decline. This is not a slam on CA, just when they sold their overpriced houses there, they came here and could buy up anything at any price and did, massively inflating the cost of living for all those people who gave Austin its unique character in the first place. I know a lot of people who had lived here for years but were now priced out, especially the artists, musicians, hippies, and eccentrics.

The yuppies and techies replacing them did not seem to have the same laid-back attitudes or manners. The traffic (and tension) levels have steadily grown since then as everyone now seems hell-bent on forcing their way across town with little regard for others. As the inflation spiraled out of control the gap between the rich and poor widened considerably, so that you were either a techie making too much money, or you were working two service jobs (where one was more than enough to suffice before) to serve them, making everyone much crankier. Ugly post-modern buildings sprang up like weeds, replacing many of the cool buildings that had actual character. Many local businesses folded and big chain stores replaced them. So if you are turned off by the concept of an expensive San Francisco-style yuppie paradise and want to move here for a charming down-home lifestyle, think again. If you ARE a yuppie making the big bucks, you might as well move here- everyone else has- this may be the place for you. Just know what you are getting yourself into.

Hey if I wanted to live in a big, mean, sprawling strip mall I would have picked Houston or Dallas.

 

[Steven K]

I'll comment in the 3 places that I've lived:

Chicago- I love it there. I was born and raised in Chicago, and it will always be my city. Regarding the "racial problems" that I've heard discussed above, I dont understand. Name one large city in the US where there is a mix of races, where there isn't some degree of segregation. Chicago is relatively cheap, has decent public transportation, and there is plenty to do.

Boston- I like Boston, and I dont like Boston. The public transportation is decent and there is plenty to do; also, if History is your thing, you cant beat Boston. But the main problems with Boston

1. East Coast attitude- people here have the typical "If you aren't from the East Coast, screw you" attitude

2. Cost of Living- it's very expensive- one report I read last month has Boston as #2 in COL next to NYC and followed by San Fran

3. Traffic- by far the worst traffic in the country. The Big Dig has been going on for 20 years and isn't even close to being done.

4. Taxes- be prepared to be taxed for everything.

But, that's alot of complaining. Even with all that crap, I still like Boston and will be here for a while.

3. Tennessee- stay away from Memphis. Nashville is nice, but there isn't much to do (compared to larger cities). I loved the people in Tennessee, in fact all of my best friends are still there. But, the lifestyle was too laid back for me... but some folks really like that.

 

[Alex Prosak]

To Janna in Alaska:

"The odds are good but the goods are odd."

LOL. There certainly are a lot of odd people up here. I think a lot more so in Fairbanks than here in Anchorage though.

I guess since I haven't been single for quite awhile I really don't know what the dating scene is like anymore. Thankfully. I just remember it used to be tough. Like the saying goes, "You didn't lose your girl friend, you lost your turn."

But seriously, depending on what her age demographic is, I do know a fair number of really decent single guys. They're all professionals, active, easy going, good looking, and intelligent. I think it's just a matter of looking in the right places.

Alex in Alaska

 

[Jeff Pryor]

I agree with Steven K.--stay away from Memphis. I lived there 4 years and was overwhelmed with joy when I moved out. Now I live just south across the MS stateline from this city of the damned. It might be a nice place to visit occasionally, but living there is far different from visiting.

 

[Bill_Weinreich]

How about DELAWARE
No realy
Cheap living, lots of trailer parks, and what could be said about a state built on swampland. Plus you can blow all your money at the slots!
But we have no sales tax!
All seriousness, it is inexpensive to live here, commute to high wages is easy and the weather is mostly mild.
Bill