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I don't do country. More pop/folk type stuff, but I hear Nashville is good for all kinds of music, not only country. The main problem with it as far as I can tell is it's so saturated with musicians that it's hard to actually play anywhere.
New Orleans does sound like an inspirational place, and definitely seems worth a visit at least!
How strongly against the cold are you, because otherwise there's a lot of northerly cities that might make sense like Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago, Ann Arbor, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Providence.
Those cities all seem like they fit the criteria. I've you want to go larger... Houston, Atlanta, Dallas could work. Charlotte perhaps, also Virginia Beach. Denver has priced itself out of the running unfortunately.
Based on the sum of everything. You really do have a solid list.
Houston's not that bike friendly, and maybe slightly more expensive than what OP's willing to pay, but it does check the other boxes. Austin is not that diverse or cosmopolitan. Parts of Atlanta has a cool, liberal vibe and is more bike friendly, but I can't speak to its LBGTQ amenities.
I would consider Albuquerque. It fits all of your desired features and has a great four-season high-desert climate. Single digit humidity makes a big difference as does 5500 ft. elevation. There is an international district that surprises some people. I've heard five languages spoken in a fast food restaurant near me -- two were native Indian. The music scene is impressive and diverse. It seems like some well-experienced national musicians come here to retire and still perform in clubs or small venues. Santa Fe is an hour away if you like the opera and there are local performances as well. Also classical flamenco, jazz and latin. There is a good deal of apartment living in the downtown area as well as scattered near the university and around town...no problem with your budget. The Sunport provides sufficient air transportation links and we have Amtrak if that appeals to you (I like it). UNM provides a university culture. I recall there was a Pride Parade a few weeks ago but I'm not well informed on the LGBT scene. There are miles of bike trails in the mountains and around town and a bike rental kiosk system throughout the city. NM is a blue state and Albuquerque has a new (Democrat) mayor who seems popular. I live 15 miles north and enjoy the area while not living in the city. I use the commuter train to go to Santa Fe or downtown ABQ. My daughter lives downtown and likes it. It is worth considering.
OyCrumbler, I might consider a cold city if it checks all the other boxes. Weather isn't as important to me as community, etc. I might look into some of the cities you suggested. I suppose if I visit a bunch of cities down south and can't find anywhere I really like, I might head north.
SunGrins, I never really thought about Albuquerque! Thanks for the suggestion. Doesn't Albuquerque have high crime though?
SunGrins, I never really thought about Albuquerque! Thanks for the suggestion. Doesn't Albuquerque have high crime though?
ABQ is a town that is smaller than it appears in some ways, especially in its media, and it trumpets its crime incidents more than a larger metro area would. The biggest problem is car theft. Some of that is due to local car owners not taking precautions but it is a problem. Other cities have similar problems. Person crimes are mostly a problem for people associating with gang members or drug dealers and that is common among other cities as well. There are a few people everywhere who go off the rails. There's only two million people in the state so when something happens everyone knows about it. It seems to be part of the old culture that centered around large extended families.
Crime rates are not always comparable but Albuquerque's crime rate is somewhere between the rates shown for Tulsa and Salt Lake City.
Yeah I have heard about car theft being common in Albuquerque. I suppose I'll have to take precautions about that if I decide to visit.
I know all large cities have crime, but it seems to be something people always bring up in discussions of Albuquerque in particular. It's interesting you say trumpeting crime incidents could be part of the local culture.
Albuquerque does seem to have a very low cost of living, which is a huge bonus, but when prices get that low I can't help wondering why.
Anyway, I know every city has its downsides, and Albuquerque does seem worth checking out! Thank you for putting it on my radar.
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Now this is changing the topic, but I've just started looking into Houston after it was mentioned a couple times here. I'd never considered Houston before, but now I'm intrigued! The main downsides seem to be that it's not very walkable or bike friendly, but it is apparently very diverse and much more affordable than other cities its size. It also seems worth adding to my list, although I have to say I'm a bit concerned about the hurricanes...
The reason those cities are affordable is because they are in red states, if they turned liberal they would no longer be affordable. Government programs are extremely expensive.
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