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What cities / towns have a reasonable to low cost of living, but with lots of amenities such as museums (both art and history), performing arts, and nice restaurants (not chains)?
I am currently in Raleigh, NC, and I think that it fits this definition reasonably well. Most apartments are out of my range, but I can still find a decent affordable place on retail wages, and within the whole Triangle there are multiple museums, theatres, hopefully a contempory art museum opening sometime, and H&M Also like the grass-roots festivals such as SPARKcon.
The things I wish Raleigh did have: better public transportation, a more condensed urban core (everything is so spread out I feel like I am driving all the time), a more diverse landscape, and a larger or perhaps easier-to-find singles population.
I don't mean to start a pro/con Raleigh thread, just wondering what other cities fit this bill. Based on research so far, it seems like Chicago and Pittsburgh might be possibilities.
I think Pittsburgh sounds like a good option (although have only visited, so say that from an outside perspective). Minneapolis is our choice, and offers a relatively low cost of living in return for a lot of amenities. (we also have a child, so the fact that public schools are also good definitely is a major plus, and not one found in every city of its size)
Of bigger cities, Philadelphia always seemed to offer a great ratio of cost of living to big city amenities. I wouldn't call it "low cost," but it seemed like a bargain when compared to the other NE big cities.
cleveland is in there too, I think coming from Raleigh all of those will fit your needs, though Philly and Chicago as mentioned might be beyond what you need if you are on a retail budget, though certainly doable.
Cleveland or Pittsburgh are definitely cheap cities with big time cultural amenities. Probably your best options.
Chicago is not what I would call cheap. If you rent and do not need a car in Chicago it is not bad though. Just don't expect a prime neighborhood on a tight budget.
Yeah Chicago is only cheap when thrown in the context of SF/NYC/Boston/DC. It is certainly doable with roommates/budgeting though, for what you get it is actually a bargain. But again, coming from Raleigh, it might be overload for you where it seems like you are looking for "just enough"
Chicago, the Twin Cities, or Philly. The added advantage of Philly is that it's very close to New York and busses are surprisingly cheap. I took a Bolt Bus from NYC to Philly and it was only $10 each way (cheaper than a cab from my apartment to the Met).
Even though I wouldn't live there, the big Texas cities are edging up on the cultural scene. Dallas has built a lot of major performance venues and museums recently. This is part of what distinguishes Dallas from the other sunbelt cities like Phoenix, Orlando and Las Vegas (which are decidedly low-brow). It allows well educated people to move to Dallas without feeling they're in a cultural wasteland.
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Also like the grass-roots festivals such as SPARKcon. 
