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A lot of people disregard the mountains of the upper south. Check into eastern Tennessee, western nc, or western VA. Check into Roanoke, Bristol, Knoxville, or Asheville. You'll find that the people are great, the food is amazing, and the drawls are as thick as the sweet iced tea.
Just make sure you develop an interesting college football, if you don't have one already.....and NOT the big 10.
From those choices, this might be the best. Big-time huge university there and with OP being 21 it makes the most sense. But will he enjoy it there past college aged? 25 or so. That's the big question. But for a 21 year old, Knoxville sounds great. Nashville too
If you can find a job, I think Nashville would be great for you. It is a great town that has retained its southern-ness and is very welcoming to newcomers. There are several colleges in and nearby the city. Lots of natural beauty with lakes, rivers, and hills. Mountains are pretty close. It is far from the ocean though. It is significantly warmer than Chicago, but not as hot as places like NOLA, Houston, etc.
And you didn't mention this, but it is still a relatively easy drive back up to Chicago (7 hours) if you want to go up there to see friends and family.
I am not as familiar with Louisville, but it might work also. I consider it kind of the northern boundary of the south where the south meets the midwest.
I'll throw in three other options that focus less on the "hip, young" aspect and more on the "south" aspect and your experience in trucking/logistics: Little Rock, Memphis and Birmingham. There are lots of lakes and rivers in Arkansas, although it might be the least "hip" of the bunch. Memphis is an old city with a lot of history. It's identity is more of a "river" city (like St. Louis, or New Orleans) than a "Southern" city. And transportation is huge there, from trucking, to barge, to the FedEx HQ. Birmingham is a bit of a hidden gem. The area is beautiful, within 45 minutes of two big lakes, four hours of the best beaches in the US, and jobs are available. It would be the most "southern" of the three I suggested.
From those choices, this might be the best. Big-time huge university there and with OP being 21 it makes the most sense. But will he enjoy it there past college aged? 25 or so. That's the big question. But for a 21 year old, Knoxville sounds great. Nashville too
Thats actually why I picked Roanoke instead of Blacksburg. Roanoke is only about 25 miles from Blacksburg which puts it close enough to enjoy the culture associated with a large university but far enough away to not be in a "college town." To me, Roanoke hits on all cylinders (VA Tech, Smith Mountain Lake, 3 1/2 hours (ish) to VA Beach, tons of history, great hiking, beautiful foliage, and of course...Hokie Football).............. but then again...so does Nashville. Nashville is big enough to have a lot of colleges and cultures associated with them but to not be solely defined as a college town. I'm a huge fan of Nashvegas and I think the OP would be very happy with a choice to live there.
To me...As long as you're in the South...you can't go wrong.
Thats actually why I picked Roanoke instead of Blacksburg. Roanoke is only about 25 miles from Blacksburg which puts it close enough to enjoy the culture associated with a large university but far enough away to not be in a "college town." To me, Roanoke hits on all cylinders (VA Tech, Smith Mountain Lake, 3 1/2 hours (ish) to VA Beach, tons of history, great hiking, beautiful foliage, and of course...Hokie Football).............. but then again...so does Nashville. Nashville is big enough to have a lot of colleges and cultures associated with them but to not be solely defined as a college town. I'm a huge fan of Nashvegas and I think the OP would be very happy with a choice to live there.
To me...As long as you're in the South...you can't go wrong.
I see. But given the choice between Roanoke and Nashville? Haven't been to either but I'm almost positive I'd prefer Nashville! And most 20 somethings would too. Professional sports, a great university, and a nightlife/entertainment mecca. Looks quite affordable as well and Tennessee has some of the lowest taxes in the nation.
I see. But given the choice between Roanoke and Nashville? Haven't been to either but I'm almost positive I'd prefer Nashville! And most 20 somethings would too. Professional sports, a great university, and a nightlife/entertainment mecca. Looks quite affordable as well and Tennessee has some of the lowest taxes in the nation.
Nashville is a fun city...no question. If a bigger city is what the OP is looking for...Nashville is probably the place.
I'm 21 and am on a mission to find a new city for relocation as I've grown up in the Chicago suburbs and feel it's time for a new experience.
I've only visited a handful of cities in the South. Those being New Orleans, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, & Tampa. I was certain Austin or Houston would be perfect for me but surprisingly ended up liking New Orleans the most.
The main reasons I'm looking to leave Chicago are the cold, gloomy winters, corrupt liberal politics, and the people who continue to support these illogical policies. I also feel too many people here are overly stressed and are unable to enjoy life in the present moment.
I would like my future home to meet most of these requirements:
Moderate to Republican leaning.
Somewhere traditionally Southern yet still accepting to newcomers.
Relatively economically stable as I am in the transportation industry as a trucking dispatcher.
Sufficient natural scenery for hiking, swimming, fishing, hunting, biking, etc.
Preferably near the ocean, but nice lakes and rivers will do.
A young, educated populace with colleges and universities nearby.
An abundance of friendly, down to earth people who are not as engaged in hidden agendas and taking advantage of others.
Since becoming a dispatcher and conversing with people from all across the continent, I have fallen in love with Southern accents and there have been some instances where I could have stayed on the phone all day to hear some of these beautiful women speak.
So with that said, which cities/states should I be looking at? Any insight is appreciated.
Isn't Atlanta a major trucking hub?
I'm sure the city proper doesn't lean republican, but I understand much of the surrounding burbs do.
Nashville is a fun city...no question. If a bigger city is what the OP is looking for...Nashville is probably the place.
I actually began looking into Nashville once I realized Houston wasn't what I pictured it to be. Houston has my ideal political climate and is also home to my hero, Ron Paul. However, I've heard the summers there are extremely uncomfortable and the winters get cold. damp, and gloomy. I would like more weather variety. I loved the live oaks in a few Houston neighborhoods but for the most part, Houston is a tad lacking in recreational opportunity.
I am looking into Atlanta but I want to keep all my options open. I'm also interested in the Auburn-Opelika-Columbus area as it is home to The Ludwig Von Mises Institute which I am fond of as I appreciate libertarian ideas. I'm also interested in Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, Hattiesburg, Columbia, SC, Northern Florida but am unsure if I'd fit in. Could someone describe these cities to someone who has never visited?
I loved the friendliness of Houston, the beaches of Tampa, New Orleans architecturally, Austin's scenery, and the laid back feeling in San Antonio. I'm also hoping my future city features women with that beautiful southern accent that I often hear in NC, GA, and AL.
The main reasons I'm looking to leave Chicago are the cold, gloomy winters, corrupt liberal politics, and the people who continue to support these illogical policies.
The "Windy City" was nick-named not for the weather, but for it's politicians filled with "hot air", lol.
I agree with the other poster who said to find the job first...Then pick the city based on the location of job prospects.
BUT, if you could find a job, it sounds to me like you'd be very happy in the conservative areas of Northern New England: Maine, New Hampshire or to a lesser extent Vermont (if you can stand the winters).
The Southern states to me are too extreme with morality and social legislation- they are not moderately conservative or even traditionally Republican. Northern conservatives don't care about other people's personal lives--they just want gov't to stay out of their business and lower tax (New Hampshire's motto is "live free or die").
The South is also hard to "fit in" if you're not from there originally, IMO. I know southerners here may disagree, but I say this as an outsider who was unable to be accepted. My encounters in the South lead me to believe there are "hidden agendas" behind the friendliness.
In New England, you also get the benefit of having some of the best public schools in the nation.
The South has very bad public schools (look up the stats- this is a fact), so prepare to eat hot dogs & send your kids to private school if you move to a place like Louis., Miss, Florida or Alabama. (Virginia has OK schools)
The Southern states to me are too extreme with morality and social legislation- they are not moderately conservative or even traditionally Republican. Northern conservatives don't care about other people's personal lives--they just want gov't to stay out of their business and lower tax (New Hampshire's motto is "live free or die").
The South is also hard to "fit in" if you're not from there originally, IMO. I know southerners here may disagree, but I say this as an outsider who was unable to be accepted. My encounters in the South lead me to believe there are "hidden agendas" behind the friendliness.
In New England, you also get the benefit of having some of the best public schools in the nation.
The South has very bad public schools (look up the stats- this is a fact), so prepare to eat hot dogs & send your kids to private school if you move to a place like Louis., Miss, Florida or Alabama. (Virginia has OK schools)
Agree in part, dissent in part. Reading the OP's folllow-up posts, I noted the von Mies, libertarian, mindset. As 5pyg notes, the Deep South is NOT libertarian. It is federalist, but not libertarian. In a nutshell, Alabama (where I live) constantly rebels against the federal government telling folks what to do . . . because Alabama wants to tell folks what to do. And it's all social conservatism. The state isn't going to push something like recycling, resource conservation, air quality, educational innovation, mass transit, etc. What it is going to push is legislation (or lack of legislation) that leaves us currently with no lottery/gambling outside Indian casinos (which only have bingo-based slots), no home brew allowed, underfunded public schools, no civil rights recognition for gays, and, believe it or not, no sales of sex toys absent a medical purpose. We also have super heavy sentencing guidelines, little focus on re-entry of incarcerated into society and super oppressive sex offender laws. That being said, you can pretty much have all the guns you want, do what you want with your rural land, have as crappy a car as you want (no state inspection/emissions test) and have fewer state regulations to deal with when starting/operating a business.
I live in Alabama, and I function well here despite being a military brat essentially from anywhere but the South. But my goal is to retire elsewhere.
All that being said, I disagree with the empirical statement that the schools are terrible. Inner-city and poor rural schools can be really terrible. But there are suburban schools systems that are among the best. You just have to pick where you live very carefully.
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