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I'll be moving from cold Alaska next summer to the lower '48. I'm twenty-four and my daughter is one. I'd like to find a permanent, lifelong place to live for the sake of social stability, both for my sake and my daughter's (otherwise I wouldn't mind being a nomad). I'd like a place where the turnover (people moving in and out) is fairly low, due to people wanting to stay there. I hate making friends, them or me moving, and then never seeing them again. I can't do long distance relationships. Wherever it is, I hope to move, live there for a year, and if all goes well settle down permanently.
I'm open to just about any population size at this point. I'd love to hear any advantages/disadvantages/special qualities of various population sizes, densities, and total square miles.
I'd say my four main criteria are: Social climate, methods/ease of transportation, climate, and overall pleasantness of the community. Begrudgingly, I have to factor cost of living in, as I'm not a billionaire.
As far as weather goes, I haven't decided the exact level of discomfort I'm willing to deal with. My rough guidline so far is: If there's snow- it has to melt completely within a few days. Not a fan of the cold- I seem to be better able to tolerate the heat. I don't mind cloudy weather. I'd rather have frequent light rain than infrequent downpours. Humid is ok- IF the tempurature is mild. If it's hot, it has to be dry. Not a fan of dangerous scary-type weather. **I have to live somewhere where I can go outside ALL year round.**
I want to live somewhere where it is convienient to walk or bike various places, as I prefer biking to driving. I plan on riding a three-wheeler with two trailers behind me- one for my groceries, and one for my kid. I'd like somewhere that's not too hilly. Some mild ups and downs are ok, but not too steep. I'd like it to be somewhere that has been making steady improvements to bike, pedestrian, and mass transit travel. I'd like to be able to bike to work in about a half hour or so, but don't know if that's a reasonable expectation.
Things I'd like in a town/city: Lots of small parks/playgrounds scattered throughout and a few big ones where I can go hiking. Someplace that I could eventually afford to buy a house in. Non-horrible rent. Non-scary/intolerable wildlife. Safe to walk alone at night. Friendly/courteous people. Lifelong residents. Lots of bike paths/trails.
Bonus stuff: By the ocean is nice (esp. if it's not too cold to swim), near the mountains is nice, and both would be really cool. No lightning. Art college in/near town. Vibrant art community. No curfew (I think it's dumb/unconstitutional). NO property taxes (if you have a list of places that do that, I'd love to see it, even if they don't match my other criteria). Light rail transit (again, I'd love a list).
Things I liked about places I've been:
Calgary- the transportation system- lots of bus routes that run all day long, and a really neat LRT (light rail transit system). There's even a number you can call where they'll give you directions on which bus to take to get wherever. And they have these +15 connectors which provide essentially a pedestrian trail system downtown, on the third floor of the buildings themselves. Also, I loved the art college and the mentality of the people going there. And people seem so friendly in Calgary.
Santa Barbara- You can see pedestrians everywhere (at least it looked that way when I visited), plus there's all these people riding bicycles that can hold four people- they look kinda like stripped down golf carts. I loved how it was on the coast AND near the mountains.
Anchorage- The coastal trail. lots of good recreational biking/walking there. The library- good selection of books, they finally made the internet usable, and there's a nice greenspace outside that me and my daughter can play in after checking out books. The park strip (it used to be a runway, then the airport got moved and it was changed into a park). Near mountains and the ocean. The buses don't have steps and they lower hydraulically for handicap access.
Sun City, Arizona (near Phoenix)- The weather. The deserty area has a different look/feel than other places I've been. Grapefruit trees in MANY people's yards. Things I did NOT like: neighborhood after neighborhood with no parks/playgrounds or anything interesting. Nowhere to hike.
Right now I'm looking at Colorado and California, but am open to suggestions. In addition to any advice, I'd be interested in any good books you might know of. So far all I have is an atlas.
*Oh, do you know where I can find a chart that lists the maximum birghtness (is it lux or lumens?) at noon on the winter and summer solstice at various latitudes?* I have SAD, and this would be useful in helping me figure out how far north I could reasonably live.
*Oh, do you know where I can find a chart that lists the maximum birghtness (is it lux or lumens?) at noon on the winter and summer solstice at various latitudes?* I have SAD, and this would be useful in helping me figure out how far north I could reasonably live.
I never even heard of those charts, but they sound cool! I'd like a link to one if you can find it.
The first place that popped into my head is Key West, and secondarily other small towns in the Florida Keys. The main downsides would be it's kinda expensive, but probably not excessive, when it rains it pours, possible hurricanes and it would always be humid.
Various factors will influence the brightness of the sun including not just latitude and time of year, but also climate, geography, and atmosphere. The Western Regional Climate Center, http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/climmaps/ has some maps of % possible sunlight. (It has a lot of other really great features!) This only applies to western states. Sorry, I don't know of resources for other states.
I would say that right off the bat, the weather requirements would axe the entire Eastern half of the U.S. just out of your dislike of humidity. While I don't think there's any place that would be a perfect match, that sort of goes without saying as it's all about finding the closest TO perfect that you can. The spots that I thought that had a lot of the ingredients you specified were:
Portland - Renowned for it's urban planning (terrific public transport including light rail), bike paths, lush greenery, and plentiful parks, with an open-minded population and a vibrant art and academic scene in a terrific location not too far from the ocean (although water is frigid) or the mountains. It's also a pretty safe city. The drawbacks are the cost of living (not as bad as Seattle or San Francisco but perhaps pricey if coming from Alaska), not as many lifelong residents (lots of transplants and a high growth rate), and of course, the infamous rainy weather which might be especially incompatible with SAD. However, summers are renowned in the Northwest for their stunning beauty, full of sunny days that rarely ever get uncomfortably hot, and winters don't get too cold and snow generally melts quickly.
El Paso - Very cheap for a city of it's size, beautiful weather (this part of Texas has the dry heat as opposed to humidity) with little rain and only traces of snowfall every year, and extremely safe with many lifelong residents. The drawbacks are it's general lack of an art scene, relative lack of small parks and greenery, minimal public transport (just the bus), and I'm not sure about how bike-friendly the area is.
Seattle - Similar to Portland but more expensive and crowded, but more opportunities and a better economy.
Salt Lake City - Dry weather (although winters are cold and snowy), bike-friendly, surprisingly large art scene, decent public transit (light rail here as well), close to mountains, decent number of parks and friendly people. Pretty safe too and relatively cheap. The drawbacks would be it's cold snowy winters, and depending on your outlook, perhaps the general conservative nature of living in the state of Utah (although SLC is considerably less conservative and has much less of a Mormon influence from the rest of the state). Boise is another possibility, sort of like a smaller, more conservative SLC.
Denver (think a less dense Portland with much less rain, more sunny days and more snow), Colorado Springs and Spokane are possibilities as well. The San Francisco Bay Area actually seems like it may be the best fit were it not for that pesky cost of living situation as the Bay Area is incredibly expensive but otherwise fits all of your criteria.
I wish I knew more about it, maybe there is some disadvantage (well, of course there is!). But what about Las Cruces, NM?
I agree with dullnboring's assessment of Salt Lake City. Regarding the winter weather, it has snow but it's generally not bad. Well, not to me! Snow is generally infrequent; it's the light, powdery stuff that Utah ski resorts are famous for, and it doesn't stick more than a few days except in quite rare instances. Actually not that cold (again not to me) - there is some moderation of temps that comes from the urban heat, from the Pacific storm trough (goes all the way from the Pacific NW and about half the time reaches us), and most of all the Great Salt Lake acts to keep things a little moderate. Winter is my favorite season in SLC. (I lived there 5 years.) The thing I don't like about winter in SLC is actually the inversions. Sunny days lead to smog! I start praying for snow and clouds again.
Personally I hate the summers there. Too hot. But it sounds like you are okay with that. (I actually get Reverse SAD - I get depressed in the summer. Did you know that was possible? Ya, I know I'm weird. )
CandyApple, these spots may fit your criteria: Corvallis OR
Bellingham WA
Eugene OR
Olympia WA
Missoula MT
If affordability isn't an issue, add Ashland OR and Santa Cruz CA.
I was also going to suggest Missoula, MT. Nice university town tucked into the mountains. Might be a little on the cold side for you (I've only been there in the summer) but not humid. Still more affordable than most coastal cities...though there are some west coast transplants "discovering" it.
I'm not sure about public transport, but the town proper is relatively compact and flat (it's in a valley) and I recall a lot of people on bikes. Though not an ocean, Flathead Lake--biggest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi--is nearby...goregous place!
Asheville, North Carolina. (IF you live in or close to the downtown area, that is.)
also,
Carrboro & Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Again, IF you live in or close to the downtown area.)
If you're interested, try San Antonio, Texas. I see numerous cyclists riding on the roads up to the Hill Country (Bandera Texas is a good ride). There is also a Texas State Park (Government Canyon) that has trails for off road riding.
Here are some local links:
Wow CandyApple, if you do find a place that meets that criteria, please let me know!!! I'm serious! Sounds great! To me that place is Miami Beach (not super friendly though but not at all bad) but - and it's a BIG BUT - it's all million dollar+ houses/condos! You could rent though. But good luck & please do tell where you decide on. You can PM me
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