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We will be relocating soon, but have yet to decide where. We have no place picked out, but we do have a type of area in mind. Are there any companies or businesses that specialize in helping people choose cities or parts of the country if given a list of criteria that we should consult.
These are some of the criteria:
We love a variety of good food
near a midsize city (1hr drive or less) but we do not have to live in the city
near outdoor recreation particularly water sports and hiking
good schools
temperate climate
Cities and surrounding areas we have considered are: Portland, Cincinnati, Charleston, the outskirts of d.c....any other thoughts?
Last edited by Bo; 06-06-2009 at 01:58 PM..
Reason: Updated title to make thread easier to find with search.
This forum, and the rest of city-data.com, is the best place I've ever seen for helping people choose a place to live.
As I read your list, I thought Portland would be a good fit, and I see you list Portland first. Next, I suggest that you post in the Portland forum here, and in the forums of the other cities, and see what the people who live there can tell you.
I agree that Portland is probably the best. On a similar note, maybe Seattle.
Maybe outside of Nashville...lots of lakes, good area for families.
The thing about living on the DC "outskirts" is that if you don't live REALLY close by, it will likely take much more than an hour to drive into the city (which is definitely more of a big city than a mid-sized city anyway). And I don't know that Cincinnati has a big water sports scene, since they only have a river...?
We love a variety of good food
near a midsize city (1hr drive or less) but we do not have to live in the city
near outdoor recreation particularly water sports and hiking
good schools
temperate climate ?
How about Chapel Hill/Carrboro in North Carolina?
The Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill metro area is perpetually mentioned on the various Best Cities lists. All of your criteria mentioned are met there.
Variety of good food....The area has excellent restaurants, and Durham in particular, which is close to Chapel Hill/Carrboro (15 minutes) has a restaurant scene that cities twice it's size would be envious of. Chapel Hill and Carrboro also have great restaurants, a nationally recognized farmer's market in Carrboro and a fantastic food coop in Carrboro.
Raleigh would be your larger mid-sized city (385,000), though you won't feel the need to go often because of the amenities in nearby Durham, which is quite sizable on it's own (215,000). Raleigh is roughly a 30 minute drive, Durham around 15 minutes.
The airport (RDU) is halfway between the two cities.
Recreation is addressed as well, with excellent hiking options in the nearby Duke Forest. The Eno River State Park and Jordan Lake in Durham offer great local water sports options. A bit further out, about 2 hours, puts you into world class hiking options in the NC mountains. A 2.5 to 3 hour drive east and you're in beautiful Wrightsville Beach.
Chapel Hill/Carrboro public schools are among the best in the state, as well as the U.S. Last I heard, in the neighborhood of 90% of all graduating seniors from the school district were college bound. Chapel Hill of course is the home of the University of North Carolina, which would be a great place to send your kids to school. Just up the road in Durham is Duke University, which of course would be an excellent choice as well.
In terms of a temperate climate, pretty much perfect if you like a change of seasons without extremes. My favorite seasons there are Summer and Fall. Summer is less brutal than most places in the south. Sure it gets warm, but not nasty humid like many areas south of the Mason-Dixon line. Falls are typically long, which is unusual for many areas it seems, with a lot of sunshine and a bit of chill in the air but not the fast drop into winter. Winter sees little snow and ice, and bearable temperatures.
Also worth noting, the area is not a parking lot in terms of traffic like many metro areas. Crime is present, like anywhere, but not a major concern. We would actually forget to the lock the door after getting home at the end of the day. It just wasn't something you thought about.
If you haven't visited, I would very highly recommend it. I attached some links below. If you have any questions feel free to PM me. I lived there for 7 years and am highly considering a move back if the stars align properly.
We will be relocating soon, but have yet to decide where. We have no place picked out, but we do have a type of area in mind. Are there any companies or businesses that specialize in helping people choose cities or parts of the country if given a list of criteria that we should consult.
These are some of the criteria:
We love a variety of good food
near a midsize city (1hr drive or less) but we do not have to live in the city
near outdoor recreation particularly water sports and hiking
good schools
temperate climate
Cities and surrounding areas we have considered are: Portland, Cincinnati, Charleston, the outskirts of d.c....any other thoughts?
Knoxville, Tennessee. With a half-dozen large lakes within 30 minutes of the city and mountains right in the county, it's got tons of watersports and hiking options. Several marinas are right in the county. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park lies within the metro area.
Here in East Tennessee we enjoy four very distinct, very beautiful seasons.
Oak Ridge, a Knoxville suburb, has one of the best school districts in the country (Oak Ridge is home to about 20,000 nuclear engineers and physicists).
Knoxville is a mid-sized city of about 180,000 (800,000 metro area).
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