Looking for a nice progressive environment in the states. (appointed, crime)
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Hello,
After 3 years in Geneva,2 in London we are finally moving back to the U.S.
What we're looking for
-Interesting (near great art scene, culture, great restaurants, shopping)
-Home prices - Below $2m for a 3 bedroom in a good neighborhood
-Near good public schools (private might suffice though)
-Near great universities
-Well read
-Where the vast majority people are repulsed by Trump and Tumpism
-Safe
At this point, I'm not sure we want the city and burbs. We have lived in both and there are plusses and minuses of each, so I'm keeping it open.
I've narrowed it down to (in order of appeal) -
New York City (Manhattan or Brooklyn)
San Francisco
Santa Barbara
Seattle
Santa Cruz
Boston
These places might be all over the map, but we have literally lived all over the map as expats so we still don't know exactly what we want.
Anyone live in any of these and can give me pluses or minuses.
If you are considering Santa Cruz, you may want to look into places like Ann Arbor MI, Asheville NC, Burlington VT, Ithaca NY, etc. All of them have what you are looking for.
Hello,
After 3 years in Geneva,2 in London we are finally moving back to the U.S.
What we're looking for
-Interesting (near great art scene, culture, great restaurants, shopping)
-Home prices - Below $2m for a 3 bedroom in a good neighborhood
-Near good public schools (private might suffice though)
-Near great universities
-Well read
-Where the vast majority people are repulsed by Trump and Tumpism
-Safe
At this point, I'm not sure we want the city and burbs. We have lived in both and there are plusses and minuses of each, so I'm keeping it open.
I've narrowed it down to (in order of appeal) -
New York City (Manhattan or Brooklyn)
San Francisco
Santa Barbara
Seattle
Santa Cruz
Boston
These places might be all over the map, but we have literally lived all over the map as expats so we still don't know exactly what we want.
Anyone live in any of these and can give me pluses or minuses.
Thanks!
After living in places like Geneva and London, coming back to most US cities will be something of a shock. Given your wish list and budget I think Boston would provide the best option in terms of a cultural and intellectual experience, along with several great universities and good public schools. Of all the cities on your list it by far in my opinion has the most concentration of academia and cultural appreciation, which seems paramount to you.
After 3 years in Geneva, 2 in London, we are finally moving back to the U.S. ... we have literally lived all over the map as expats so we still don't know exactly what we want.
... I'm not sure we want the city and burbs
Wow, that's kind of sad. To have lived "all over the map", and still not know what you want. And you aren't sure that you want "the city" and suburbs, but you only listed major cities. It's a bit confusing for us.
Well, good luck anyway! If you want to avoid Trump, you'll do best outside of the country. He's everywhere here; even though many do not approve. Even being where he is strongly disliked may not be satisfactory enough for you.
Last edited by Thoreau424; 06-21-2017 at 11:55 AM..
What kind of weather would you prefer, or want to avoid?
You might be disappointed in Santa Cruz, unless you live outside of town. Downtown, though not without its charm, has homeless people. Debates have raged on the CA forum as to whether there's too much crime in Santa Cruz, as well. The west side of town is very nice, though, and you'd be able to afford it. There are some nice beaches on that side, too. Otherwise, you could consider the mountain towns in Santa Cruz county; you might like Scotts Valley.
The east side of San Francisco Bay, home to the University of California, Berkeley, could also be a possibility, and is affordable to you, at the moment. RE prices are racing upwards as we speak, however. Look in El Cerrito and Albany, which border the north side of Berkeley, as well as in north Berkeley. Albany is said to have good schools, I'm not sure about El Cerrito. People say Berkeley's schools, especially in the east side and also the north end of town are good, but it depends on whom you talk to. There are good private schools in the area. The one caveat about the Bay Area is that traffic can be maddening. The same goes for Santa Cruz County during broadly-defined commute hours.
Santa Barbara could work well for you, too. Boston would be good if you don't mind harsh winters.
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 06-21-2017 at 12:01 PM..
Wow, that's kind of sad. To have lived "all over the map", and still not know what you want. And you aren't sure that you want "the city" and suburbs, but you only listed major cities. It's a bit confusing for us.
Well, good luck anyway! If you want to avoid Trump, you'll do best outside of the country. He's everywhere here; even though many do not approve. Even being where he is strongly disliked may not be satisfactory enough for you.
Your response in unnecessary. The OP didn't only list major cities, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz are definitely not major cities. I would also assume they mean suburbs of the major cities they listed would be an option.
It's is very easy to live in areas where the vast majority of people are repulsed by Trump, more Americans did actually vote for Hillary btw. All you have to do is look at % of voters. Also, avoid the South, the Midwest and rural areas for the most part which is fine because the remainder make up where most of the wealth and best educational institutions are concentrated.
With that said, I think the criteria is too broad and any progressive major city would suffice those needs. The below are other progressive "major" cities with good schools and progressive suburbs that are not surrounded by a sea of red.
Washington DC
San Diego
Philadelphia
Boston
Chicago
Los Angeles
It's is very easy to live in areas where the vast majority of people are repulsed by Trump, more Americans did actually vote for Hillary btw. All you have to do is look at % of voters.
Well, your response is unnecessary. My comments weren't even pro-Trump. I'll restate them so even you can understand. Since he's (unfortunately) president here, there's no way to avoid seeing and hearing about him excessively. But in other countries, he isn't, and there is less of a need to cover him. Therefore, if someone loathes the slimeball (like probably the OP), then continuing to stay out of the US might be his/her best option. Also, the highest per capita Trump/Trumpism repulsion will be in other countries. Got it?
Last edited by Thoreau424; 06-21-2017 at 08:11 PM..
You're not answering the OP's question. He didn't say he wants to live in the place trump is hated the most in the world. He asked about places in the US.
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