I'm on a search for the most ideal place for me. I'd greatly appreciate some help, as I've been living outside the US for some time now.
I'm young and currently pursuing a degree in Music Education; my current home of residence is FL.
Here's what I want in a location:
1)
Preferably in the SE. My family is primarily from the South, so I wouldn't want to live far away from there. I am willing to look at places a little further away, but the farthest west is probably Oklahoma, and the only northern areas I am willing to look at are some places in the NE. Plus I like it warm!
2)
Not too big, not too small. I don't want to live in a huge metropolis like Atlanta, but I don't want to live in somewhere like Chumuckla either. A fairly low cost of living would be nice too, but I can compromise on that.
3)
Proximity to a Symphony Orchestra. I don't need it to be the New York Philharmonic, but I'd like to be within an hour or so of a symphony orchestra. Other things like some theatre would be nice, but I really want a symphony orchestra.
4)
Pretty geography. I like rolling hills and mountains. I do not like wide-open flat lands. Although I also like the coast, I realize you will not find elevation
and the coast in the SE. Really, I just want the land to not look like any generic location in the US.
5)
A decent downtown/town center.While I neither need nor want a huge, bustling downtown with clubs and the like, I would like a cute town center that is more reminiscent of a European style town. What I mean by this would be a clean area with shops and other things nestled together in close proximity, maybe with a square or something similar. This is something I am willing to compromise on.
6)
Proximity to outdoor activities. In enjoy backpacking, hiking, camping etc. I'd like to live somewhere where there's not a lot of urban sprawl around, so I can go and do these things without traveling a long ways.
7)
Politically/socially stable. I don't want to live somewhere where this is a lot of discontent with the local government, after living in my current location this is something I have grown to dislike considerably. Additionally, I'm fairly moderate politically so I would like to live an area that reflects this; I know this might be a little unrealistic though, so I'm willing to compromise as long as the area is not predominately far-left. Also, I'd rather not be in an area that feels economically destitute.
8)
Minimal congestion. I tend to like the countryside more than urban centers, so I'd probably be living outside the city. I'd like a location that does not have a lot of congestion traffic-wise.
9)
Pleasant Culture. I'd like to live somewhere that has good food! I like food. Also, some unique cultural traits of the area (ie. history, architectural styles, etc.) would be nice, although I'm willing to compromise.
10)
Good people. Lastly, I want an area with nice people. I don't want to feel like a tourist all the time, so I want somewhere that has welcoming people who I'll genuinely like. I want to be in an area where people are polite.
Even if they don't match some of the criteria above, some ideas on places in FL would be good too.
To give y'all a better idea of what I'm looking for, some areas that I've researched that seem to fit are:
Greenville, SC
Roanoke, VA
Nashville, TN (I hear its getting congested and crowded though, since so many people are moving there)
Asheville, NC (NC pretty is bad for teachers though, and I hear it has the same problem above)
Concord, NH (Its not in the SE and its cold!)
Let me know what you think of the above locations too.
I know its a tall order, but I'm hoping I can get some good suggestions about some locations.
Thank y'all for helping!
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