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My wife and I have been doing some research for a future relocation out of the southeast, and this is one thing that keeps coming up. We have lived in both cities and small towns, but we kind of enjoy the ones between, say, 30k-200k in population. I will leave most of the other criteria out, as I am really looking for some suggestions of cities near that population range, that are progressive type cities.
We are tired of the regressive nature of the south, AL specifically (where we currently live). We would like a good area to raise kids with some history, preferably out of the southeast, but other than that we are open to any suggestions. Thanks in advance!
Flagstaff, Arizona sounds like it would be a good fit for you, it is very liberal, especially compared to the rest of the state. The population of flagstaff is around 70,000.
Off the top of my head I'd suggest:
Portland, ME
Portsmouth, NH
Burlington, VT
Northampton, MA
Ithaca, NY
Ann Arbor, MI
Boulder, CO
Eugene, OR
The list would be longer, but I don't know how you'd feel about a smaller city within a larger metro, places which are a bit gritty, or seriously small college towns.
Flagstaff, Arizona sounds like it would be a good fit for you, it is very liberal, especially compared to the rest of the state. The population of flagstaff is around 70,000.
I will admit, I have never looked at Flagstaff before, but I am open to the west. I will definitely do some research on the area and see what it's like.
Off the top of my head I'd suggest:
Portland, ME
Portsmouth, NH
Burlington, VT
Northampton, MA
Ithaca, NY
Ann Arbor, MI
Boulder, CO
Eugene, OR
The list would be longer, but I don't know how you'd feel about a smaller city within a larger metro, places which are a bit gritty, or seriously small college towns.
Well, right now we are open to just about anything. We are trying to get a list of cities to start looking at, and narrow it down from there. Basically, we are looking for a change.
As for your list, we have been Boulder, but none of the others. Boulder is a cool town, and its proximity to the Denver metro and all the outdoor activities is definitely a plus. I keep hearing good things about Portland, ME, and it seems to tick a lot of our boxes. I know someone in Portsmouth who seems to like it, and again, it seems to be good for what we are looking for. Northampton, Burlington, and Ithaca all look like cool towns with plenty to do nearby. Ann Arbor and Eugene I am not too familiar with, but will do some checking on those as well.
There are plenty of smaller cities (30K-200K) in the Southeast to choose from though some will be perhaps difficult for landing a job if you're having to look. Check out cities like Asheville NC, Boone NC, Chapel Hill NC, Carrboro NC, Durham NC, Winston Salem NC and Greensboro NC (though a bit larger at 235K and 280K respectively), Columbia SC, Athens GA, Gainesville FL and Charlottesville VA.
Madison, WI was the first city to come to mind for me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by i'm not a cookie
Flagstaff, Arizona sounds like it would be a good fit for you, it is very liberal, especially compared to the rest of the state. The population of flagstaff is around 70,000.
If they hate the politics of Alabama, I'm not sure Arizona would be much of an improvement.
There are plenty of smaller cities (30K-200K) in the Southeast to choose from though some will be perhaps difficult for landing a job if you're having to look. Check out cities like Asheville NC, Boone NC, Chapel Hill NC, Carrboro NC, Durham NC, Winston Salem NC and Greensboro NC (though a bit larger at 235K and 280K respectively), Columbia SC, Athens GA, Gainesville FL and Charlottesville VA.
Oh, I know about all the ones in the southeast, but we are really wanting to leave the southeast. My wife is from NC (Kernersville in the Winston-Salem area), and we have visited every NC city on your list. Most of them are fine cities, but ultimately not where we want to be. Columbia, Athens, and Gainesville would be really tough for me anyways, as an Alabama fan, I may not be too welcome!
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