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Thanks in advance for your time to reply. I've searched and couldn't find someone asking this question already.
I've lived in the Northern California mountains near Placerville most of my life on acreage in the forest. And to all Northern Californians who understand, It's the closest place to Paradise that I know. I've enjoyed four seasons, an hour and a half drive to Tahoe, snow skiing, winecountry, the Coast, and some of the most breathtaking backpacking and camping spots in the world. I'll always be a California mountain man at heart.
But now I'm in my late 20s, married and need to think about where to move my family so we can afford a nice home and have a good quality life outside of California. Preferably in a State that wasn't trying to regulate every minutia of our lives (Please no $1000 fine and/or jailtime for a waiter to offer plastic straws without being asked, no laws regulating cow farts to reduce greenhouse gases, and no 55gal/per person indoor household water usage limit... no I'm not joking). I need to live somewhere where I feel free.
I'm an Electrical Engineer so my job is very portable. We're trying to find areas that offer a Northern California-ish lifestyle (understanding that nowhere will be exactly like N. California), yet a better political climate, four seasons, access to nature and mountains, and more affordable COL to buy a nice home in a climate that doesn't make it horribly unpleasant to be outdoors most of the year.
We've considered:
Tennessee
Kentucky
Austin TX (Hill Country)
North Carolina
South Carolina
Colorado (Although Denver COL is really becoming akin to a San Francisco for the Midwest)
Georgia
Virginia
Visiting or reading about an area is never like living there. For anyone who's moved out of Northern California, have you found a place that you're happy and not longing to go back to the natural beauty of Northern California? Are there places that you've found that offer a N. California like lifestyle?
Thanks again!
Last edited by Iceman0644; 02-19-2019 at 08:40 PM..
Thanks in advance for your time to reply. I've searched and couldn't find someone asking this question already.
I've lived in the Northern California mountains near Placerville most of my life on acreage in the forest. And to all Northern Californians who understand, It's the closest place to Paradise that I know. I've enjoyed four seasons, an hour and a half drive to Tahoe, snow skiing, winecountry, the Coast, and some of the most breathtaking backpacking and camping spots in the world. I'll always be a California mountain man at heart.
But now I'm in my late 20s, married and need to think about where to move my family so we can afford a nice home and have a good quality life outside of California. Preferably in a State that wasn't trying to regulate every minutia of our lives (Please no $1000 fine and/or jailtime for a waiter to offer plastic straws without being asked, no laws regulating cow farts to reduce greenhouse gases, and no 55gal/per person indoor household water usage limit... no I'm not joking). I need to live somewhere where I feel free.
I'm an Electrical Engineer so my job is very portable. We're trying to find areas that offer a Northern California-ish lifestyle (understanding that nowhere will be exactly like N. California), yet a better political climate, four seasons, access to nature and mountains, and more affordable COL to buy a nice home in a climate that doesn't make it horribly unpleasant to be outdoors most of the year.
We've considered:
Tennessee
Kentucky
Austin TX (Hill Country)
North Carolina
South Carolina Colorado (Although Denver COL is really becoming akin to a San Francisco for the Midwest)
Georgia
Virginia
Visiting or reading about an area is never like living there. For anyone who's moved out of Northern California, have you found a place that you're happy and not longing to go back to the natural beauty of Northern California? Are there places that you've found that offer a N. California like lifestyle?
Thanks again!
Couple things. First, Denver isn't midwestern. Check out Madison or Minneapolis/St. Paul if you want midwestern.
Second, the median house value in San Francisco is almost $1.4 million. In Denver it's $427,000. Austin isn't much lower than Denver - $365,000.
Out of all the places you've listed, Denver has the driest and truest 4-season climate. The rest are varying levels of humid, hot, or both. It's also the only choice that has high mountain peaks similar to the Sierras. The Hill Country isn't all that impressive compared to the Sierras or the Rockies (and Texas doesn't have squat for public land), and the Appalachians are much lower, mostly tree-covered and offer a totally different type of mountain experience.
Last edited by bluescreen73; 02-20-2019 at 12:10 AM..
Vermont is pretty nice. Economy is in good shape in Chittenden County, not enough talent and plenty of jobs for those with talent and education. It's arguably one of the most beautiful places in the country, not as grand but more lush than the West. Cost of living is very middle of the pack. The state is very liberal but not super heavy on regulations, there's a strong independent streak here too.
No place in the East meets your requirements. All the locations you mention out there are very humid and thus it will give you a totally different experience and feel. Not to mention that the vibe and culture is different, too.
Austin flatters to deceive because it's in the part of the country where the land is starting to turn 'brown' and thus feel Western. It is less humid than Houston or New Orleans, but it's close enough to the Gulf of Mexico to feel quite humid and hot in the summer, especially if your frame of reference is California.
I'm not saying that's necessarily unworkable for everyone. I see people jogging, hiking, cycling on 90 degree days with dewpoints easily in the 70s around here..but it's definitely not California-like.
The closest things to a Northern California type place outside California are Oregon and Washington. But of course in terms of their governmental and political approach they're pretty similar to California, too. Other than that, especially as you're not from coastal Northern California, maybe Reno/Carson City in NV and the Treasure Valley in Idaho. I think the winters there are a bit brutal and snow-heavy in comparison to California though.
Couple things. First, Denver isn't midwestern. Check out Madison or Minneapolis/St. Paul if you want midwestern.
Second, the median house value in San Francisco is almost $1.4 million. In Denver it's $427,000. Austin isn't much lower than Denver - $365,000.
Out of all the places you've listed, Denver has the driest and truest 4-season climate. The rest are varying levels of humid, hot, or both. It's also the only choice that has high mountain peaks similar to the Sierras. The Hill Country isn't all that impressive compared to the Sierras or the Rockies (and Texas doesn't have squat for public land), and the Appalachians are much lower, mostly tree-covered and offer a totally different type of mountain experience.
Crazy how Austin is so much more than the rest of Texas
No place in the East meets your requirements. All the locations you mention out there are very humid and thus it will give you a totally different experience and feel. Not to mention that the vibe and culture is different, too.
Austin flatters to deceive because it's in the part of the country where the land is starting to turn 'brown' and thus feel Western. It is less humid than Houston or New Orleans, but it's close enough to the Gulf of Mexico to feel quite humid and hot in the summer, especially if your frame of reference is California.
I'm not saying that's necessarily unworkable for everyone. I see people jogging, hiking, cycling on 90 degree days with dewpoints easily in the 70s around here..but it's definitely not California-like.
The closest things to a Northern California type place outside California are Oregon and Washington. But of course in terms of their governmental and political approach they're pretty similar to California, too. Other than that, especially as you're not from coastal Northern California, maybe Reno/Carson City in NV and the Treasure Valley in Idaho. I think the winters there are a bit brutal and snow-heavy in comparison to California though.
Humid or not, Austin is one of the hottest cities I've ever been in. Great city, but super hot.
OP is asking for something that just isn't real. There's a reason why SF is so expensive. I agree, Oregon or Washington are closet, but it's still not SF.
I was thinking of Northeastern PA near the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton area, which would put you near the Poconos(skiing), wineries, it is affordable, isn't too far from the coast and has 4 seasons.
OP is asking for something that just isn't real. There's a reason why SF is so expensive. I agree, Oregon or Washington are closet, but it's still not SF.
He said he's from around Placerville, which is in the Sierra foothills east of Sacramento. Very different from San Francisco and the Bay Area. It didn't sound to me from his post that he's looking for a replication of the metropolitan vibe of San Francisco, but the outdoors-oriented, relaxed woodland vibe of that part of the state.
I feel like the inland West (esp. Northwest) is much closer to that than any coastal city region or any place out East. The reality of the East is that the landscape around the Appalachians (which I suspect attracted the OP at first glance) may look similar to the Sierra foothills in some regards, but the climate is just brutally different due to the humidity. A nice hike on a hot summer day in California is just going to feel very different than a hike on a hot day in the hills of North Carolina or Virginia. The winters tend to get real gloomy out in those Eastern mountains too.
But you're not wrong in that California has some unique advantages. Even in inland Northern California the winters are significantly milder than they are east of the Sierras in Northern Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming etc. Southern Oregon would probably overall be the closest thing i.e. Medford, Ashland, Klamath Falls.
He said he's from around Placerville, which is in the Sierra foothills east of Sacramento. Very different from San Francisco and the Bay Area. It didn't sound to me from his post that he's looking for a replication of the metropolitan vibe of San Francisco, but the outdoors-oriented, relaxed woodland vibe of that part of the state.
I feel like the inland West (esp. Northwest) is much closer to that than any coastal city region or any place out East. The reality of the East is that the landscape around the Appalachians (which I suspect attracted the OP at first glance) may look similar to the Sierra foothills in some regards, but the climate is just brutally different due to the humidity. A nice hike on a hot summer day in California is just going to feel very different than a hike on a hot day in the hills of North Carolina or Virginia. The winters tend to get real gloomy out in those Eastern mountains too.
But you're not wrong in that California has some unique advantages. Even in inland Northern California the winters are significantly milder than they are east of the Sierras in Northern Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming etc. Southern Oregon would probably overall be the closest thing i.e. Medford, Ashland, Klamath Falls.
touche. Thanks.
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