Best small feeling Midwestern or Western city for me

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

Originally Posted by progmac

A few places come to mind:

Rapid City, SD (A beautiful place...love it there)
Boise, ID (a very underrated city)
Lincoln, NE (high quality of living)

I'm also wondering about places like Appleton, WI, but don't know enough about that area.

I heard Appleton, WI was a $hithole, actually.....Whether or not that's true IDK, but that's just what I heard about it. I think it's heavily industrialized and blue-collar (that doesn't make a place a $hithole, but just adding more info about Appleton based on my extremely limited knowledge of it).

[NowInWI]

Originally Posted by Min-Chi-Cbus

I heard Appleton, WI was a $hithole, actually.....Whether or not that's true IDK, but that's just what I heard about it. I think it's heavily industrialized and blue-collar (that doesn't make a place a $hithole, but just adding more info about Appleton based on my extremely limited knowledge of it).

Pretty nasty words about a city you claim to know nothing about. Thirty percent of Appleton's population has a college degree - compared to eleven percent for Cleveland. There are paper mill jobs in Appleton, but much, much more, as well. Minneapolis is known as a city with a highly educated population, yet I believe it's 38 percent - not THAT much more. Really, calling a city a $hithold is pretty nasty. Very disappointed.

[PosterExtraordinaire]

West:

Boulder, Colorado.
Tucson, Arizona
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Midwest:

Ann Arbor, Michigan
Madison, Wisconsin


Are my recommendations for "small feeling" cities in the two region. If you scan them you'll notice most of them are college towns. Small but with a lot of amenities and a live let live atmosphere.

I'd personally pick Santa Fe or Tucson depending on the trade offs you're willing to put up with.

[ckhthankgod]

East Lansing MI is another place to possibly consider as well.

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

Originally Posted by NowInWI

Pretty nasty words about a city you claim to know nothing about. Thirty percent of Appleton's population has a college degree - compared to eleven percent for Cleveland. There are paper mill jobs in Appleton, but much, much more, as well. Minneapolis is known as a city with a highly educated population, yet I believe it's 38 percent - not THAT much more. Really, calling a city a $hithold is pretty nasty. Very disappointed.

Oh no -- you're disappointed in me? You bad-mouth much better cities like Minneapolis (or Cleveland) all the time! Tisk tisk.

I couldn't have made it any clearer that I had only HEARD that and that was the ONLY source of info I had on Appleton, WI. So you're telling me it's some intellectual mecca for Wisconsin or the Upper Midwest now? Great, I have two very conflicting viewpoints on Appleton, WI.....guess I'll never know the REAL Appleton....

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

Originally Posted by PosterExtraordinaire

West:

Boulder, Colorado.
Tucson, Arizona
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Midwest:

Ann Arbor, Michigan
Madison, Wisconsin


Are my recommendations for "small feeling" cities in the two region. If you scan them you'll notice most of them are college towns. Small but with a lot of amenities and a live let live atmosphere.

I'd personally pick Santa Fe or Tucson depending on the trade offs you're willing to put up with.

Don't forget Appleton, WI! I hear it's "Berkeley meets Gary"!

[NowInWI]

Originally Posted by Min-Chi-Cbus

Don't forget Appleton, WI! I hear it's "Berkeley meets Gary"!

Your exaggeration isn't doing anyone any good. Ridiculous to call a city what you did, without ever visiting. You're taking and using my words out of context. Pretty cool on your part. I never compared Appleton to Berkely, and you're comparing it to Gary. No credibility on your part.

[NowInWI]

Originally Posted by Min-Chi-Cbus

Don't forget Appleton, WI! I hear it's "Berkeley meets Gary"!

I never compared appleton to Berkeley, I said the college graduation rate is quite a LOT higher than that of Cleveland, and not that much less than Minneapolis. The comparison to Gary are your words, for all to see. There is no comparison, to either Berkeley or Gary.