Which city for me? (I hate to do it but...) (crime rate, chapel)

[ironspider]

Greetings all, I know threads like this are a dime a dozen but I've been lurking on the forums for a while and have now visited a location I thought would be a good match but felt it wasn't really a good match when I was there. So I thought I'd post one of these threads with my stats and see what you all thought?

I'm 45, SWM, no attachments. I currently live in SE Michigan and work in IT at a University (over 15 years working in a University so that might be a good place for me to try and find some employment when I move--but I don't want to taint the jury with thoughts like that). I've done 2 Master's degrees (M.S. in Hospitality Management [that was a long time ago] and later an MBA in Entrepreneurship [just finished])

After a lot of research, Tucson AZ was at the top of my short list. But I went and visited Tucson and it just didn't feel like a solid fit. Of course I was shocked by the lack of greenery but I expected that. But it was just the fact that EVERYWHERE all you could see was dirt--as far as the eye could see. And all the houses seemed to just be little castles protecting themselves from the community. For example: every single house has a dog, metal bars over the windows, metal security screen doors, and walled in backyards. So that got me thinking that maybe population is a concern for me as well.

So I think I maybe have a new set of criteria for a place I'm looking for? I think these would be my important criteria--and probably in this order of importance:

1. Lots of sunny days (I'm pretty sure I have SAD in a major way).
2. Low humidity.
3. Low-ish crime rate (I'd love a neighborhood without walled-in compounds and security bars over everything).
4. Population probably between 75,000 - 200,000.
5. Mild low-snow winter (the less snow the better but I'm not opposed to it because I have to feel like "snow" in a place like Colorado or Oregon is not like the soul-crushing blizzards and months of depression you get out here in the Midwest and East [I lived in Boston for 3 years]).
6. Presence of a university (or nearby university) and arts/culture/a real downtown would be nice.
7. Some greenery would be nice.
8. Affordable (I mean you could buy a house for under 300k).
9. Access to outdoor sports is not a big deal for me.

There are times when I'm reading posts and watching videos where Oregon (Bend) and Colorado look very nice--but all of those videos and posts get really hung up on winter and snow-based activities which are just not a big pull for me. Florida and North Carolina sometimes also seem great, but I lived in Orlando for a year and I'd rather be in 200 degree heat with low humidity than any summer day in Orlando.

I know everyone is always looking for the perfect everything, and that doesn't exist, but I'd love to hear some suggestions to help build some minor amount of consensus about an area for me.

Thanks in advance!

[Mandalorian]

Could try San Antonio. Nice place.

[ironspider]

I think San Antonio is probably too big population wise for me.

[nightlysparrow]

There are still some houses in Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Ventura, CA at that price point. You would be in driving distance to 4 colleges: UCSB, CSUCI, Pepperdine (Malibu) and California Lutheran. There is also the Santa Barbara City College system, and the Ventura County Community College system with even more schools.

[Mini-apple-less]

I'm not really sure anywhere in the United States exists that meets all those criterion, honestly. The only places that would would be dusty, hot and arid and that would break your "green" category. A mild winter in the US generally means either a dark cloudy climate much of the year or an extremely hot summer.

You'll have to compromise SOMETHING I think.

[Count David]

Ashland, OR.

[Inkpoe]

Boise, ID all the way.

[beckycat]

You said it, North Carolina, so why not try it? I lived in Lake Mary for 13 years, so I know what you're talking about as far as the heat. NC fits just about your entire list except it does get humid in the summer. That being said, it's nothing like FL. It only lasts a few months as well but it's definitely tolerable. Maybe check out the Raleigh/Durham area.

[USNomad]

Good suggestions thus far. Another small city of about 100,000 may be San Angelo, TX.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by ironspider

Greetings all, I know threads like this are a dime a dozen but I've been lurking on the forums for a while and have now visited a location I thought would be a good match but felt it wasn't really a good match when I was there. So I thought I'd post one of these threads with my stats and see what you all thought?

I'm 45, SWM, no attachments. I currently live in SE Michigan and work in IT at a University (over 15 years working in a University so that might be a good place for me to try and find some employment when I move--but I don't want to taint the jury with thoughts like that). I've done 2 Master's degrees (M.S. in Hospitality Management [that was a long time ago] and later an MBA in Entrepreneurship [just finished])

After a lot of research, Tucson AZ was at the top of my short list. But I went and visited Tucson and it just didn't feel like a solid fit. Of course I was shocked by the lack of greenery but I expected that. But it was just the fact that EVERYWHERE all you could see was dirt--as far as the eye could see. And all the houses seemed to just be little castles protecting themselves from the community. For example: every single house has a dog, metal bars over the windows, metal security screen doors, and walled in backyards. So that got me thinking that maybe population is a concern for me as well.

So I think I maybe have a new set of criteria for a place I'm looking for? I think these would be my important criteria--and probably in this order of importance:

1. Lots of sunny days (I'm pretty sure I have SAD in a major way).
2. Low humidity.
3. Low-ish crime rate (I'd love a neighborhood without walled-in compounds and security bars over everything).
4. Population probably between 75,000 - 200,000.
5. Mild low-snow winter (the less snow the better but I'm not opposed to it because I have to feel like "snow" in a place like Colorado or Oregon is not like the soul-crushing blizzards and months of depression you get out here in the Midwest and East [I lived in Boston for 3 years]).
6. Presence of a university (or nearby university) and arts/culture/a real downtown would be nice.
7. Some greenery would be nice.
8. Affordable (I mean you could buy a house for under 300k).
9. Access to outdoor sports is not a big deal for me.

There are times when I'm reading posts and watching videos where Oregon (Bend) and Colorado look very nice--but all of those videos and posts get really hung up on winter and snow-based activities which are just not a big pull for me. Florida and North Carolina sometimes also seem great, but I lived in Orlando for a year and I'd rather be in 200 degree heat with low humidity than any summer day in Orlando.

I know everyone is always looking for the perfect everything, and that doesn't exist, but I'd love to hear some suggestions to help build some minor amount of consensus about an area for me.

Thanks in advance!

Originally Posted by beckycat

You said it, North Carolina, so why not try it? I lived in Lake Mary for 13 years, so I know what you're talking about as far as the heat. NC fits just about your entire list except it does get humid in the summer. That being said, it's nothing like FL. It only lasts a few months as well but it's definitely tolerable. Maybe check out the Raleigh/Durham area.

I agree with Beckycat as a fellow Central Floridian and as someone who lived in the Raleigh/Durham area for several years, and would especially recommend the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro portion of the metro area.