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I'm sure that the OP realizes that there's no perfect place and that there is always a trade off of one kind or another...well, actually, there's usually more than one tradeoff everywhere.
Given the OP's list of considered cities and "dislikes", and all the talk around heat and/or humidity among a variety of Southern & Texas cities, I am surprised that nobody has weighed in on how hot Sacramento can be in the Summer. It won't be as humid as many other cities but it will be hot and it will sometimes get very hot.
Also, though not as isolated as Denver, Nashville is arguably one of the more isolated larger cities in the Southeast and it's quite a haul to a beach (something that the OP specifically mentioned).
If I were the OP and disliked D.C.s traffic, Atlanta would immediately be cut from my list unless I were able to live really close to work and everything that I enjoyed doing.
For fast growing Charlotte and Raleigh, the OP should be aware that these cities are not as conservative as the state they're in. They certainly aren't S.F, Boston or Seattle but they aren't "red" cities either and they get bluer each presidential cycle and are filled with transferees from primarily the Northeast and Florida.
The O.P. also lamented the schools in Denver. Well, they need to pay attention to schools in many places in SE in particular. This may steer them toward particular communities within certain metros and those places may be more expensive.
Since 2000, I've moved from NYC (native) to San Francisco, to Tel Aviv, to Northern Virginia, and finally to my current home of suburban Denver. I don't love it here, and my wife recently shared that she'd like to move on too, so here I am. We're older parents of a 9 year old, and I took a job in Denver based on a spreadsheet I'd built of our needs and wants in a place to live. At the time we were living just outside DC, and we were miserable. The traffic, heat, humidity, abundance of people from NY/Boston/Philly, the focus on the federal government, and the cost of real estate all made for low quality of life, IMO.
I know that the Denver area is considered a good place to live by many, but it's not for us. We don't do ski or mountain bike. I'll go on a hike, but not the 10+ grueling miles I used to put in. I'm fine working out in a gym and running the local streets. I don't camp, hunt or fish, so the things I do here in Colorado are things I could do anywhere. The schools here are meh as well. I do like the people here, both the natives and the nomads who make up the local population.
I'm looking for a decent sized metro area, a LITTLE warmer climate (maybe 10 degrees warmer in Winter, with little or no snow), somewhere not as isolated as Denver (I hate not being able to go somewhere interesting on a weekend road trip and Salt Lake City/Santa Fe don't really cut it), maybe the beach within a few hours drive, and cheaper real estate. Things have gotten out of control with the "imports" flooding into Colorado.
Areas I'd consider would be Atlanta (the traffic and weather would obviously be a huge negative), Nashville, and Sacramento. I like Texas, but the weather is a deal breaker. I'm less and less fond of the cold as I age, and I don't have the time or patience for shoveling snow anymore, but I'm not looking for a sweltering hell.
Before we moved to Colorado, I had accepted an offer in Seattle, but that area doesn't appeal to me anymore. It's gotten quite expensive, and while I work in IT, I'm not comfortable around the "progressives" that make up NYC, San Francisco, etc.
Is there any place that I haven't thought of? Looking at the map, there doesn't seem to be an area that we either haven't lived in, or would want to.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom
JB
Louisville KY
All the way! But you need to give it a god chance. Come for St Patricks day and stay in an Airbnb and go to the St Patricks parade March 12. That kicks off a massive season of festivals which occur every week in Louisville after March....let me know if I can help!
Louisville welcomed 24.2 million tourists last year....more than any city in the Midwest outside Chicago and MPLS and more than 90% of major southern and western cities too!
I've spent a fair amount of time in Sacramento. Yes, it gets hot, but you do have options for cooling off. You can go up to higher elevations in the Sierra or you can drive 2 hours to the beach. That's one positive thing about Colorado. While it gets much hotter here than I like, you can escape to the higher elevations, although you may have to fight the traffic and crowds.
Louisville is a place I hadn't considered. We drove through there on our move from the East Coast, but only briefly.
I've spent a fair amount of time in Sacramento. Yes, it gets hot, but you do have options for cooling off. You can go up to higher elevations in the Sierra or you can drive 2 hours to the beach. That's one positive thing about Colorado. While it gets much hotter here than I like, you can escape to the higher elevations, although you may have to fight the traffic and crowds.
Louisville is a place I hadn't considered. We drove through there on our move from the East Coast, but only briefly.
You really need to check it out.
Stay at the airbnb above Grale Haus and see what you think!
I've spent a fair amount of time in Sacramento. Yes, it gets hot, but you do have options for cooling off. You can go up to higher elevations in the Sierra or you can drive 2 hours to the beach. That's one positive thing about Colorado. While it gets much hotter here than I like, you can escape to the higher elevations, although you may have to fight the traffic and crowds.
Louisville is a place I hadn't considered. We drove through there on our move from the East Coast, but only briefly.
True. Plus with the Delta Breeze, mornings and evenings in Sacramento are very pleasant, even if the temp spikes to 100 degrees in the afternoon. Low and high temps can swing 30-40 degrees.
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