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Hey guys! I'm ready for a change of scenery and would love your input on where I can find a laid back, affordable, outdoorsy city near the mountains.
I'm currently in Memphis, TN and live some of the year in Dallas and Houston, TX.
I'm in my early 30s.
I already have a job that will allow me to telecommute for now, but I would still like to be in a city with career opportunities in my field in case I want a change. I am a Business Analyst working towards becoming a developer in the Business Intelligence space. There are many opportunities in this type of work where I live half of the year now (East Texas), but it is just too flat here for me.
Aside from that, I'd like a place with plenty of outdoor activities. I've fallen in love with scenic hikes, trail running, and mountain biking. It would be nice to be a couple of hours away from skiing and snowboarding. I'd also prefer a city with a laid-back, casual, dressed-down vibe.
While diversity is nice, it's not a requirement. I just wouldn't want to be somewhere where I'd feel very out of place as a black female. I get along with most people so I'm sure I could thrive anywhere I go. Politically I'd prefer more middle of the road than extreme on either side.
Some of the popular cities near mountains are very expensive, and while I'm prepared for a COL increase, I live on one income so a place like Boulder, CO would be a stretch.
Is there a place for me? Right now Salt Lake City seems to be the front-runner (though with a major culture shock). I'd love to hear your input on other possible cities.
Places like Albany(among others in the area)NY, Colorado Springs CO, Albuquerque NM, Knoxville and Chattanooga in TN, Boise ID and Greenville SC are some that may work in terms of cost of living.
Neither Boulder nor Salt Lake City are "in" the mountains. Both are pretty close, though.
Honestly, you don't have to limit yourself to Boulder. All of Denver has gotten expensive over the last 5 years, but Boulder is historically one of the most expensive places to live in the Denver metro area. I'm on the southeast side of Aurora. It's a 20-25 minute drive to work and 45-60 minutes to the parks and open spaces in the foothills. Places on the west side like Lakewood, Golden, Wheat Ridge, and Arvada are close to the mountains and generally cheaper than Boulder.
I like Salt Lake City, but wouldn't personally choose to live there. Denver's bigger, more diverse, and more urban. If you're going to be traveling, Denver has a much better airport.
FWIW, Colorado has a much larger volume of high mountain peaks. Colorado has over 600 peaks above 13,000', and 54 peaks over 14,000' (to Utah's zero).
Quote:
Originally Posted by fezzador
Rapid City SD
Nice town, but it's small, very isolated, and the Black Hills are absolutely overrun by tourists from Memorial Day 'til Labor Day.
Last edited by bluescreen73; 12-23-2017 at 04:12 PM..
Don't go so far away. There are some interesting mountains in West Texas that I have seen on travel shows. Also look around Palo Duro Canyon. Second biggest in the country.
Neither Boulder nor Salt Lake City are "in" the mountains.
Salt Lake City is absolutely right smack against the mountains with many neighborhoods and suburbs on the mountainsides. SLC is closer to things like snow skiing, mountain biking, and snowboarding than just about any other major city in the country. These pictures are from wikimedia:
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its - possession
it's - contraction of it is
your - possession
you're - contraction of you are
their - possession
they're - contraction of they are
there - referring to a place
loose - opposite of tight
lose - opposite of win
who's - contraction of who is
whose - possession
alot - NOT A WORD
Park City is in the mountains and close to SLC. It is less Mormon than the usual small Utah towns since the British miners and Norwegian servants often ended up in that area. It has gotten more expensive since the Olympics, of course. Unless you are a skier, you'd want to be out of town from November to April.
Maybe Virginia or New Mexico. Definitely not Colorado.
Ok Virginia I'll grant you, but New Mexico? Did you even look at the demographics before making such a bold (and inaccurate) claim? There are more black people in Aurora than there are in the entire state of New Mexico (51k to 43k).
Last edited by bluescreen73; 12-23-2017 at 07:48 PM..
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