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Besides Syracuse, the University of Buffalo plays football and all sports in the Mid American Conference(MAC). Schools like Colgate in Hamilton, University at Albany and Cornell in Ithaca play in Division 1-AA/the Football Subdivision. Colgate was in the playoffs this year and Hamilton is about 50 mins-an hour SE of Syracuse, but is in the metro area.
Syracuse's AAA baseball club and Auburn's team(Class A-NY/Penn League) are affiliates of the Washington Nationals. Auburn is only 30 minutes west of Syracuse.
Also, if you like HS Football, Section 3 Class AA(essentially the Syracuse/Utica-Rome area schools in the state's biggest classification) is arguably one of the best HS Football leagues in the state due to being generally deep and competitive, as well as players playing in the NFL or D1 in recent years compared to other leagues in the state. Baldwinsville, a school in that league and a village I gave a street view for earlier, may be a community to look into. People fish from the bridge in the village into the Seneca River, its zip code during the past decade actually was at the national growth rate in terms of population, it has good schools, a new area YMCA, big box shopping nearby on Route 31 and more. They have guys playing D1 football at Syracuse, University of Buffalo and Boston College as well. Baldwinsville Football – Contact and Intensity
Jason Grilli of the Atlanta Braves is from there and they also have a good Baseball program. Good Hockey, Boys and Girls Lacrosse, Girls Volleyball, Boys and Girls Soccer, Girls Basketball and I believe Track teams too. Village of Baldwinsville
It also has a lakeside beach and Glens Falls is only 15-20 minutes away. Glens Falls at least has AHL Hockey, semi pro football and a Collegiate Baseball League team: Skiing, swimming, fishing, canoeing, biking, baseball, football, hockey. All in Glens Falls, New York Glens Falls also hosts the Boys Public HS Basketball State Championships. It also has an amusement park in the Great Escape. Saratoga Springs is also only minutes away. To the north along Lake George is Ticonderoga, with Fort Ticonderoga, a historical site being located there. Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce
Albany-Schenectady-Troy are all close enough and has AHL Hockey, D1 college sports and Class AA minor league baseball. Boston, Montreal and NYC are about 3 hours or so away as well.
I have to second the post that recommended Madison, WI, or areas surrounding it. It's very nice all by itself, but if you wanted to live in a more rural area, there are many within an hour. Also, U of Wisconsin has strong collegiate sports.
But then you also have the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Marquette University usually has a good basketball team also.
You would be very close to water sports, as well as skiing by the Wisconsin Dells. You are 2-3 hours from Chicago, but also only 4 hours to Minneapolis. Lakes are everywhere in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Madison is certainly liberal, surrounding areas are more conservative but nothing like the south.
Ok, I just read your list of requirements. I recommend Dunedin Fl....very cool, smallish but not too small, great walking town, low COL...great biking(the pinellas trail runs through town)...leftish/liberal. Water everywhere, beaches etc.
ps, it's warm Florida weather! Kind of a old Florida/keywest vibe..Plenty of entertainment bars, restaurants etc. Close to Tampa/St.Pete for city things...
Anywhere in Michigan. No matter where you are you aren't far from water. I personally prefer metro Detroit, but also like Ann Arbor and East Lansing.
Places on the great lakes I think would be great too. Such as in Pennsylvania and NY but I don't know much about names of cities are anything there. I could tell you all about Michigan though. I'd stay as far east as I could as the further west usually the more conservative they get hint Grand Rapids and that area and such.
Minnesota would also work for you. The Minneapolis St Paul area.
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