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 live in Colorado and absolutely love it. We're originally from Florida, but moved because of work. We are very much into the outdoors- we hike 2-3 times a week, camp, mountain bike, rock climb, etc. We are also very big into soccer. We really enjoy the "green" vibe here- farmer's markets, CSA, small sustainable businesses, etc- or, as friends call it, "lightly hippy". We've found that Colorado gives us everything we're looking for except: family and the beach.
Our family (both sides) all live in Florida and we'd like to eventually be a little closer now that we have a child. Ideally, we'd like to be within 8-9 hours drive or so from mid-Florida (Orlando area).
Since living in the mountains, we've realized that we can't live without them (like we did in FL). If possible, we'd like to live in/near (within 1 hour of) a mountain town that delivers all of the outdoor entertainment we have in CO. Even pickier, we'd like to be within a 3-4 hours drive of the beach.
We're not too worried about how big the metro area is, although we would like to be in a younger (30's)/educated demographic.
...I know this is is super picky, but I figured you all could have good input.
Columbia SC may work due to its proximity to mountains and the coast, but I'm not sure of areas in the metro that match the vibe you are looking for. Perhaps near the University of South Carolina, you can find neighborhoods that fit.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
10,743 posts, read 23,798,187 times
Reputation: 14645
Asheville, NC is Boulder's southern cousin. It's further away from the beach than your desired 3-4 hours, but if you're inclined to the mountain lifestyle that you loved in Colorado, Asheville will definitely be your best match. You'll have to compromise about a five hour drive to the ocean. But it certainly puts you a lot closer to the waves than Colorado. The mountains back east are greener and more tree covered, but there's a lot more water as well. You won't see the bigger skies and majestic striking peaks like you do in the Rockies. But the Smokies have their own mountain magic just the same.
Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 07-23-2015 at 09:20 PM..
I definitely agree with Asheville-beautiful mountain town with a hippy vibe. It's a little far to the beach but more than worth the trip (Outerbanks or even Wrightsville). Vermont is also a good suggestion if skiing is important.
Asheville is definitely your best bet and while people talk about it being "smaller" bear in mind it is the regional hub of Western NC plus is a tourist mecca for four seasons....and in such has the infrastructure of a city much larger in size. The restaurant/food scene alone is quite impressive for a city of 85K and easily would match up/exceed most of the cities outside the Top 25 in the US.
We have been looking at Asheville, and hear nice things. We did hear it is super-liberal/hippy, but that'll be decided on a visit. I'd rather it be more hippy than not at all.
Skiing is not too important- we're trying to enjoy it now but it's not a deal-breaker.
I would agree with everyone above that Asheville may be a really good fit for you, and it actually is in the mountains, not next to them or an hour away. FWIW, when I lived in the area I was able to make it from Downtown Asheville to Folly Beach and Isle of Palms, SC in just over 4 hours. The straight shot to Charleston is a good one to contrast coastal and mountain living! The "super liberal" vibe is relative; most of the south is conservative, so it's a bit of an anomaly. Since you live in Boulder, the "green" scene should be right up your alley.
Regarding the other suggestions, Burlington, VT and upstate NY may work, but I still think AVL is your best parallel (and has the required FL access that you seek). And I would steer clear of SC for the most part, but if I had to do it, Greenville would be my choice (more jobs, cool downtown, 1 hour from Asheville), not Columbia which has the U of SC but is a blisteringly hot place in the middle of the state, far from both mountains and ocean.
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.
