Help me find a California town that is a good match!! (Los Angeles: 2013, buy)

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by PrincessoftheCape

I said Boulder was more of a yuppie town.

Yes, right. I understood that. My comment was to acknowledge that B'ham is less of a materialistic culture than Boulder. If the OP likes that Boulder yuppie-ish cultural flash and vibe, B'ham might be too "crunchy" for them. B'ham is DEFINITELY "crunchy".

But, meanwhile, back to Santa Fe .....

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

Yes, right. I understood that. My comment was to acknowledge that B'ham is less of a materialistic culture than Boulder. If the OP likes that Boulder yuppie-ish cultural flash and vibe, B'ham might be too "crunchy" for them. B'ham is DEFINITELY "crunchy".

But, meanwhile, back to Santa Fe .....

Yeah, that could work. If the OP & co. don't mind Boulder's summer heat, they won't mind SF's, either, and the winters are milder. Fly fishing ... hmm... I've heard you have to drive up to southern Co. for good fly fishing, but I wouldn't know for sure
. There are plenty of independent restaurants, very few chain restaurants, but the thing is, most of it is SW fare. If you don't mind chili and tomato in nearly everything you eat, it's ok. Real estate is a bit pricey, but they could find something within their budget; it's a workable budget.

One strong point is the arts: it's a gallery town, and has opera and symphony, if the OP has any interest in that, just mentioning it. It's big on Hispanic and Native American culture, history, art. Some people like that aspect of it, others don't. There are over 1/2 dozen museums. Some people feel there's too much crime to suit them, and they leave, but it's not hard to avoid, IMO. There are moneyed types from the E and W coasts, hippies and alternative culture types, and a great disparity between rich and poor: extremes. It's in the mountains, so there's hiking and skiing in the winter; a ski area just outside of town, and another one a bit north, outside of Taos.

Airport within 1 hr--check (Albuquerque). Walkable downtown--check. Granite counters--check. Garages vs. carports--depends. You'd have to come and check it out yourselves, OP. Make an appt. with a RE agent before you arrive, so they can take you around and give you a feel for the market, the prices in different neighborhoods.

[blueskywalker]

Originally Posted by KillingTime1102

In my research I have read that Redding was one of the most dangerous cities in the US for women. Would you agree with that?

Regardless of whether or not Redding is the least safe place for women in the U.S., it (as well as Sacramento) is certainly not a place i'd recommend. Seriously. Both locations would be a major step down from Boulder.

[blueskywalker]

Originally Posted by nightlysparrow

Count me in on recommending Davis. It is very Boulder-like, a big university, crunchy, and across from Sacramento with its big city stuff like an airport. There is a new development called The Cannery with mixed types of dwellings by different builders and has parks, and even urban farming (!) If that's too commercial, there's whole other neighborhoods.

https://livecannerydavis.com

Davis is nothing like Boulder! Have you been to Boulder?

[blueskywalker]

Originally Posted by KillingTime1102

I have searched and searched and have not found an exact answer so firstly, I apologize if I missed the answer somewhere in the forums! Secondly, thank you for any help you can offer!

My husband and I currently live in Colorado. We are looking for the right town to settle in and buy a house. We have been hunting (visiting) various towns for the past two years and have yet to find a good match.

Here is what we are looking for:
-If you are familiar with Boulder, CO that city has the vibe we love! It is bikeable, there are so many restaurants, it is clean, it has fabulous access to the outdoors... BUT it is WAY out of our price range. We would need over $750,000 to get a decent house there (i.e. one with a two car garage and maybe granite counters in the kitchen).
-A place where we can get a decent house (two car garage and *fingers crossed* granite counters in the kitchen for under $600K.
-We are extremely active outdoors so we need a town that is close to hiking, camping, and fly fishing spots.
-We love to travel so a town that is within 2 hours to an airport would be great.
-I am a teacher so I can work anywhere and my husband works remotely as a computer engineer so the job market is not an issue.
-We want a town that has unique, locally owned restaurants. If chain restaurants are the main source of dining, then we are most likely not interested in the area. We really do not want to live in Suburbia.
-A neutral religious/political scene. We are not active in either of those areas and would rather everyone go about doing their own thing without pressure from one end or the other.
-A walkable downtwon is an added bonus!

Again, thank you for any help you can give me in our hunt!!

Why California?

Have you been to the Wood River Valley in Idaho? Ketchum / Sun Valley but with communities (Hailey and Bellevue) just to the south of Ketchum and Sun Valley that are more affordable.
Meets all of your criteria plus some.
Ketchum / Sun Valley are both extremely expensive but there are still properties in Hailey that are within your price range.
Bellevue is o.k. too.
Some of the best fly fishing (Silver Creek) is nearby.
Bike paths throughout the valley, miles of mountain biking, hiking and x-county ski trails.
Great down hill skiing (excellent mountain). Not the huge amounts of snow of Utah and CO can get but extensive snow making.
Good people (for the most part), good community, etc.. Lots to love! A blue county (Blaine) in a very red state.
I know that valley very well. Send me a direct message if you want to.

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...k1.4odSHBNR9wA

[KillingTime1102]

I am blown away by the response from everyone! Thank you!

It seems like California won't have exactly what we are thinking of, but I am not crossing it off my list entirely. We will have to visit the Tahoe area, but based on my housing research it probably will be too expensive for us.

Coeur d'Alene was a fantastic suggestion. We are actually going to head there at the beginning of October (and again over Christmas break if we like it). It seems to have everything we are looking for minus the sunshine in the winter. I think that is something that we could compromise with if my research on the area holds true in person. Spokane will be close enough airport-wise. We are Southwest Air people through and through and since they fly from there we can make that work! We are really excited about this one!

We have visited New Mexico and it was nice, but it just did not feel like us.

We have been to Seattle and LOVED the area. The people were so nice and the landscape was so beautiful. However, we are not too fond of rain. I will take snow over rain any day, so unfortunately that area of the Pacific NW won't work for us.

We were in Bend, OR last year. It is hard to describe, but it just didn't do it for us. Nothing really excited us about being there (like we felt when we visited Boulder) so we decided it was not a good fit. Also, being 3 hours from a major airport felt a little too remote for us.

I know that plenty of people will roll their eyes at my explanations, but that is just how we feel. Again, I appreciate the help!!

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by KillingTime1102

I am blown away by the response from everyone! Thank you!

It seems like California won't have exactly what we are thinking of, but I am not crossing it off my list entirely. We will have to visit the Tahoe area, but based on my housing research it probably will be too expensive for us.

Coeur d'Alene was a fantastic suggestion. We are actually going to head there at the beginning of October (and again over Christmas break if we like it). It seems to have everything we are looking for minus the sunshine in the winter. I think that is something that we could compromise with if my research on the area holds true in person. Spokane will be close enough airport-wise. We are Southwest Air people through and through and since they fly from there we can make that work! We are really excited about this one!

We have visited New Mexico and it was nice, but it just did not feel like us.

We have been to Seattle and LOVED the area. The people were so nice and the landscape was so beautiful. However, we are not too fond of rain. I will take snow over rain any day, so unfortunately that area of the Pacific NW won't work for us.

We were in Bend, OR last year. It is hard to describe, but it just didn't do it for us. Nothing really excited us about being there (like we felt when we visited Boulder) so we decided it was not a good fit. Also, being 3 hours from a major airport felt a little too remote for us.

I know that plenty of people will roll their eyes at my explanations, but that is just how we feel. Again, I appreciate the help!!

Well sounds good. If Spokane is a good enough airport then Coeur d'Alene is a real possibility I agree. But yeah, not sunny in winter. Port Townsend is also very low rainfall, strangely, right in the middle of rainy Puget Sound. It is in the middle of what's known as the Olympic Rain Shadow (you can look it up). But, that said, most places you'd want to wander nearby in that half the year are going to be wet all the time. And even though there's far less rain in PT, it's still mostly overcast for 6 months.

Good luck with Coeur d'ALene!

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

I am in the Bellingham and Pt. Townsend areas most of every summer since retirement. I have visited winters. As I wrote before: it is rainy, gray and chilly damp for half the year, not 9 months, let alone 9 months + 3 of bad sledding - but yeah, I couldn't adapt to that. The 6 months from April through September, however, is vastly superior for me than even coastal California for beauty and outdoor activities both. Mt. Baker and the North Cascades are smashing. The Olympic Mountains across the Sound (Pt. Townsend) also. More hiking and skiing and camping and fishing venues than a person could cover in 10 lifetimes.

$600,000, as the OP suggested for real estate, will buy a slice of heaven up there. If they aren't sun worshipers. Plenty of terrific homes and land for far less.


Mt. Baker over Bellingham Bay, South Hill, Bellingham, Washington.


Mount Shuksan, North Cascades, from Picture Lake




Fall on Hurricane Ridge, Olympic Mountains



Summer hiking view from Hurricane Ridge.

As I laugh hysterically at all the photos of clear, sunny days. My mother finally came to visit me in Sumas one summer for two weeks. She never saw Mt. Baker because the skies never cleared up.

Even when I lived in Seattle, we'd forget to bother to look up to try to see Mt. Rainier because odds are you wouldn't be able to see it. One day, you'd happen to look up and see the mountain, and realize you forgot to even try.

So, good for you that you actually got to see the mountain when you were in WA in-between your travels to San Diego, etc. Obviously, if the weather was great year-round, you'd stay there.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

OP, I had a thought - what about Ashland OR? There are affordable areas outside of the main town, and you'd be about 2 hours from the coast, and have great shopping in Medford, OR, and lots of recreation around that area. It's probably the closest thing around northern CA, southern OR you can come to Boulder (I was there many years ago).

At least Ashland has a vibrant arts scene and a famous Shakespeare festival.

And the weather is pretty mild in winter and not horrendously hot in summer.

Anyway, check out Ashland, OR.

[04kL4nD]

Ashland and Boise, ID are pretty nice.