Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My wife and I are not getting any younger, and because we don't have kids, we want to explore the possibility of moving to another city/state and checking it out for a couple of years (maybe even settling down). Here's what we are looking for:
1. Cheaper COL. COL is the main reason we want to get out of California. It doesn't have to be dirt cheap, but places like NYC or DC wouldn't make much sense for us.
2. Non-humid climate. My wife does not do well at all in humidity (as in actual health issues) so this is a big no-no. Hot and dry is perfectly fine (desert). I personally don't like rain much.
3. Museums/ historically significant sites are a bonus. Not a must, but this is our main recreational activity (we love visiting museums).
4. Asian community. Doesn't have to be a huge community, but at least 1 decent Asian market would be great as we do a lot of Asian cooking.
You mentioned that you and your wife would like to check another city out for a couple of years, well I'd advise to move someplace closer to California so should you decide to move back it won't be that much of a hassle. Well if you're looking for a lower COL and a non-humid climate, I'd recommend Boise Idaho or Abuquerque New Mexico.
Hot and Dry, lower COL, and an Asian community....well I'd say Houston but Houston isn't very dry. I think Las Vegas may have a high Filipino population for what it's worth..
The cities outside of CA and HI with the largest Asian populations and a lower COL than California are cooler on average year round such as Chicago, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Houston. Boston has a sizable population too but again, the COL isn't that much different than the large CA cities and is possibly more.
Cities like Albuquerque or Tucson could fit the bill, but let's just say the Asian thing there is lacking. The Dallas area in some suburbs has a small community too. I think Plano is where a number of Chinese people live. Austin, TX too.
I wouldn't rule out Albuquerque on the basis of your desire for access to an Asian market (and I think it pretty clearly meets your other criteria). The Asian population is small, but I'm pretty sure there is more than one good Asian market. Talin, which is a multi-ethnic market, but with a strong dose of Asian food, might do the trick, but I've heard of other Asian-specific markets.
We have loads of good Vietnamese restaurants. (Granted, I never ate Vietnamese food that much before moving here, so I didn't come here with well developed standards for that cuisine.) Decent Chinese food is more difficult to find here. There are about two Chinese restaurants I've tried here that I consider worthwhile.
One thing to consider: the largest clustering of Asian markets and restaurants that I know of is in a neighborhood which has traditionally been a bit high-crime. It's also not one of the prettier areas of the city. Actually, I live in that neighborhood, but I'm male, don't have kids, moved here from Philadelphia (where I once lived across from a major crack trafficking organization, etc.) and I don't walk far from my apartment at night. During the day, I don't find it particularly threatening though.
Oh, and Philadelphia is definitely not close to having a dry climate. Those humid summers could be pretty awful.
Edit: posted while eating adequate pad thai from just up the street.
Location: Baghdad by the Bay (San Francisco, California)
3,530 posts, read 5,137,259 times
Reputation: 3145
Quote:
Originally Posted by marothisu
Hot and Dry, lower COL, and an Asian community....well I'd say Houston but Houston isn't very dry. I think Las Vegas may have a high Filipino population for what it's worth..
The cities outside of CA and HI with the largest Asian populations and a lower COL than California are cooler on average year round such as Chicago, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Houston. Boston has a sizable population too but again, the COL isn't that much different than the large CA cities and is possibly more.
Cities like Albuquerque or Tucson could fit the bill, but let's just say the Asian thing there is lacking. The Dallas area in some suburbs has a small community too. I think Plano is where a number of Chinese people live. Austin, TX too.
"Houston isn't very dry?" It's a swamp! Why would you mention it? Nowhere in the eastern 2/3 of Texas will meet OP's requirements. That's humidity central.
What about staying in California and trying out Sacramento? The only knock on it is the heat in summer. Otherwise, it's a pretty charming metro of 2.5 million, with all that population size entails. Its heat is also a dry heat and there is a good sized Asian population. It's also way cheaper than coastal California cities.
Midwestern summers are very humid; not sure if it applies to Minnesota, but definitely to Chicago.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
