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Maybe a budget and lifestyle descriptions would be helpful to narrow down choices.
What best describes your income/wealth?:
billionaire
1%-er (about 340k these days)
100k
middle class
poor schmoe
For housing, do you require:
A mansion with servants
a McMansion with a beamer
an older, but updated SFH
an older, rundown SFH with 20 cats
a stylish condo with doorman
a rundown tenement with rats
a cardboard box under a highway overpass
I believe that your sarcasm cup doth runneth over....
An "older, rundown SFH with 20 cats"--implies that the owner is a widower, and bizarre...
I think that the main problem here is the need for a smaller city to live in, and then there's the employment factor. I believe that the Pacific Northwest ( or SF) would probably fulfill the OP's needs, but there's the cost-of living factor to be considered, as well..
I believe that your sarcasm cup doth runneth over....
An "older, rundown SFH with 20 cats"--implies that the owner is a widower, and bizarre...
I think that the main problem here is the need for a smaller city to live in, and then there's the employment factor. I believe that the Pacific Northwest ( or SF) would probably fulfill the OP's needs, but there's the cost-of living factor to be considered, as well..
Actually, I am a single woman who runs a travel website that I am hoping will eventually become my sole source of income (a girl can dream, right?): http://www.aviewtoathrill.net
Here is an average snowfall map of the United States.
Oh no doubt. Going from say Chicago to Denver in January for a ski trip can be significantly milder and sunnier. I used to make that route. Giving what I've seen about the OP though...hates snow, likes to garden, likes to travel... I'd still stick with recommending CA/AZ. You'll get rid of the humidity and not have snow or very little and she'll be able to garden.
I can deal with some snow, just not an area that gets hundreds of inches a season. Keep in mind that when it snows here, the city shuts down practically and grocery stores are ransacked because everyone is planning on staying inside. I have heard that Seattle would be an option, but I don't know how true that is. I am more interested in the northwest than northeast.
Yea... Seattle handles snow as well as ATL does. The city will shut down, schools will cry bloody murder at even one INCH of snow... grocery stores being ransacked isn't really the problem---> its the drivers. Not to mention, Seattle is one of the hilliest metro in the US. Our ground isn't like Minnesota where it's frozen, it's still warm, so our snow will melt... only to refreeze due to cold air. Lots of ice on the ground. Drivers here just... can't drive-- but they seem to think just having a 4 wheel drive is the answer, then they get shocked they can't get out of their driveway. A lot of times, you'll see chains flying about because of incorrect set up or... improper use (like speeding in chains 55+ mph). (PDX too has problems with iciness, while they're not as hilly as Seattle, you'll still see cars sliding and crashing about.)
Don't believe me that the drivers suck here in the snow? U'Tube "Queen Anne Snow", even "Capitol Hill seattle snow" and enjoy the multitudes of videos.
With that said... we're not guaranteed to get snow every winter. But when we do (and we most likely will this winter due to the La Niña effect)... it's just hell.
I don't like driving, walking through snow. I can look at it and admire it all day. I think I feel somewhat imprisoned because I feel that I can't really do what I want (the sun surely has spoiled me) and I'm usually stuck in the house.
You will have to deal with all of those things at least a few times a year if you move to the great majority of places in the north. The truth is you're very limited in your northern options if you don't like snow. You can totally rule out the northeast, which is the best region IMO.
Your only real options are the Oregon and Washington coasts, and probably not including Seattle.
Basically, the north = snow in winter. There's no getting away from that, practically speaking.
Last edited by BigCityDreamer; 10-21-2011 at 06:30 PM..
Just to let you know, The 60 inches of snow that Denver gets is measured at the airport, which is some distance from the foothills. The West side of town probably gets twice that, which is a heck of a lot, IMO. Also, we do not get 300 sunny days. We get 246 days, and I can prove that.
Just to let you know, The 60 inches of snow that Denver gets is measured at the airport, which is some distance from the foothills. The West side of town probably gets twice that, which is a heck of a lot, IMO. Also, we do not get 300 sunny days. We get 246 days, and I can prove that.
Exactly, and Boulder gets 85 on average..though could easily be over 100. And once you get into the mountains, of course it is well over 200+. Come on folks it's next to the rockies ...It is sunnier than most northern cities but I think the likelihood of getting snow and cold snaps is actually quite a longer range there.
You know, many of the cities that get a LOT of snow, handle a LOT of snow better than some cities handle just a little bit. I'd rather drive in Boston after it gets 15 inches than in Washington DC when they get 6 inches. Cities that get a lot are prepared for it. I witnessed ransacked grocery stores in DC a few times when I was there. It rarely happens in Boston even if we're forecasted to get double what DC is.
That said, not all of New England is snowy and frigid.
You'd be surprised at how much milder Cape Cod, Massachusetts is compared to the rest of the state. For example, Falmouth, MA's (a town on the Upper Cape) average temperatures year round never drop below 30 degrees. Worcester (central part of the state), on the other hand averages 30 or below for most of December, all of January and All of February. Worcester also sees a LOT more snow on average than Falmoth (in February, Worcester averages more than 16 inches of snow. P-Town averages around 11).
If you're looking for small towns and a milder climate, Cape Cod is perfect. You're within range of Boston and Providence (almost equidistant), and the temperatures are nowhere near as bad as much of the rest of the state. While Boston's getting hammered with snow, Cape Cod is generally getting rain or a dusting. It certainly doesn't sit on the ground all year long. The climate in Falmouth, MA is actually on par with that of Trenton, NJ. It's certainly a lot closer to Trenton than it is to Worcester temperature wise. The best part is that Falmouth and most of Cape Cod don't suffer from the humidity that the Mid-Atlantic does in the summer months (summer and fall on the Cape are very pleasant).
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