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I see "best of..." threads for just about everything else so I'm interested in hearing what folks have to say on this topic.
We're looking to relocate next spring-summer. I grew up in the hills of Ohio/WV, just a hop away from the mountains, and want to be back around a mountainous region. My wife also likes the mountains so that works out. The thing is, she's from Eastern NC and we're both family oriented so we want to remain relatively close so that we can visit when desired, so I've pretty much limited my search to the Appalachian/Smokey ranges. The city doesn't have to be nestled right in the middle of a mountain but I want them to be in view and easy to get to (for hiking, biking, camping, etc). I'm also looking for a moderate sized city. The metro population isn't so important but for city proper I'd like it to be around 50-75k so that it's substantial enough to support activities and culture, but not so big that it suffocates. A good medical platform is desired as my wife is about to finish up her RN program. I'm a DoD contractor but will possibly be going back to school for a new career, so a college town would be great (especially since NCAA football is one of my passions).
I've done extensive research on my own and have a list narrowed down to about 8 potential locations but I'm sure there are other towns & cities that I've overlooked. My top two locations (and I've visited both) currently are Greenville, SC and Roanoke, VA.
Greenville is just so gorgeous. I love how clean the place feels and when I'm there it feels comfortable, like I'm "home". They've got a great medical platform and even a decent Defense/Aerospace program (should I need to stay in that field for a while); Clemson is just down the road; thousands of acres of park & forest at my disposal; good size.
Roanoke has that 'rundown' feel that I get from most Virginia cities (no offense to anyone, it's just a vibe I get; I lived in the DC area for 3 years as a boy and have been through most of VA), but the surrounding areas are much better and shouldn't be too bad of a commute. It's centrally located between my family and my wife's, about 4-4.5 hours either way, so that's a big benefit. Access to the Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway are bonuses, too. VT is up in Blacksburg. We enjoyed the market in the square. There seems to be a decent hospital but other jobs were lacking (the only real option that I saw for me was ITT). I think the weather would be a little more comfortable here (and that's points for me). A little crowded feeling.
Other areas I'm looking into are:
Beckly, WV (I know Beckly a bit - that's where my MEPS was, and I drive through there every time I visit home) but jobs are limited and hard to get (family hookup network, like the Bureau of Public Debt back home in Parkersburg, WV).
Johnson City/Kingsport - I don't have much information on this area, yet, but it seems to also be somewhat centrally located (about 5 hours either way). I have a friend that grew up in Boone, NC and he has a nickname for this place, but that could be biased. Would love some input on this one.
Does anyone have input/insight or other suggestions? I'm looking to stay in the Southeast or Mid-West but if you've got an option outside of those regions then please feel free to chime in. Even if it turns out not to work for us, I'd still be interested in researching and/or checking it out.
Have you explored Ashville NC? I was there once and it is in my list of potential places to live someday. Don't know how it meets your requirements but it seemed to be a lovely place.
There's all the cities in Upstate New York, Western Pennsylvania, and yes, Asheville is worth looking into and also among my potential places to live, possibly as my retirement home.
There are no mountains in the East. There are hills. But Asheville is a nice hill town.
what's the definition of a mountain? I'd offer that NH has mountains to someone in Florida, while someone in Nepal thinks the Colorado Rockies are hills.
what's the definition of a mountain? I'd offer that NH has mountains to someone in Florida, while someone in Nepal thinks the Colorado Rockies are hills.
I guess an ant hill looks like a mountain to someone in Dallas. In my opinion, if it doesn't have a timberline and/or is above 7,000 feet it isn't a mountain.
I guess an ant hill looks like a mountain to someone in Dallas. In my opinion, if it doesn't have a timberline and/or is above 7,000 feet it isn't a mountain.
The treeline in the White Mountains only goes up to 4,500 feet in some areas. Above 5,000ft some areas have tundra vegetation. The climate of Mount Washington, NH is alpine/subarctic. Drive the Mount Washington auto road and you will be surprised.
Good towns to look at that have plateau and Appalachian topographical features:
Crossville, TN
Roanoke, VA
Elkins, WV
Boone, NC
Saranac Lake, NY
Lancaster, NH
Bennington, VT
Oh, I see that you did not like Roanoke, VA
Well, you could try Staunton, VA instead. It is close to Shenondoah National Park.
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