Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I come from Europe, originally from Spain, in my thirties, no children, and I spent the last 9 years in the south of England. Now I have moved to a small town just south of Denver with my husband, who is originally from here.
I had the feeling I would not like this place, but I wanted to give it a go anyway. Been here for just a few months and even bought a house, but I am already hating how barren, flat, dry and brown the scenery is, and also the openness and the sense of not belonging to anywhere or anything, if that makes sense. Denver is around the corner, but everything is so brand-new and artificial. Many of the times the city seems deserted when we go.
So I guess I am missing the charm of the old, and also the green, rolling, lush hills of England. And the trees, oh yes, the trees! I was tired of the gray skies and the rainy weather, but I could take some (maybe not all!) of that back in exchange for a greener place.
Where would I start looking for a place like that in the USA? I guess "older" would take me to the East coast? Also, where to find the green scenery I miss so much? And could I find that near a major or relatively major city? Ideally I would like to be within 20-30 minutes of a major airport, both for domestic and for international flights to Europe, and also because of the sense of belonging that a big city brings. I do not need nor want to live right in the city, just near it...
So, charm of the older, green lusher scenery, no snow or not too much snow, near major city/airport, maybe near the sea, hopefully low-crime... What suggestions come to mind? I would be very grateful for any feedback.
Southern New England, southern NY or PA. Boston or Providence would probably suit you better.
Great choices. I would have said some parts of Upstate NY, but the snow aspect would be against the OP's criteria. Virginia might be another state to look at. Same with Western NC, Eastern TN, Upstate SC and maybe even Northern GA.
The Seattle area would probably be perfect for you, but it's a relatively new city. Lots of trees and hills, near the water, hardly any snow, low crime rate. It does have quite a few cloudy, drizzly days (which help keep the city so green in the winter), but summers are absolutely beautiful.
So,
charm of the older, Nashville is an older city, a mix of old and new buildings downtown
green lusher scenery,most definitely
no snow or not too much snow, snow is a rarity
near major city/airport, yes
maybe near the sea, no
hopefully low-crime... pick a suburb or nearby small town for safety
What suggestions come to mind?
Possibly the area around Nashville TN. I am not overly familiar with the city of Nashville but that area does seem to fit most of your criteria.
I come from Europe, originally from Spain, in my thirties, no children, and I spent the last 9 years in the south of England. Now I have moved to a small town just south of Denver with my husband, who is originally from here.
I had the feeling I would not like this place, but I wanted to give it a go anyway. Been here for just a few months and even bought a house, but I am already hating how barren, flat, dry and brown the scenery is, and also the openness and the sense of not belonging to anywhere or anything, if that makes sense. Denver is around the corner, but everything is so brand-new and artificial. Many of the times the city seems deserted when we go.
So I guess I am missing the charm of the old, and also the green, rolling, lush hills of England. And the trees, oh yes, the trees! I was tired of the gray skies and the rainy weather, but I could take some (maybe not all!) of that back in exchange for a greener place.
Where would I start looking for a place like that in the USA? I guess "older" would take me to the East coast? Also, where to find the green scenery I miss so much? And could I find that near a major or relatively major city? Ideally I would like to be within 20-30 minutes of a major airport, both for domestic and for international flights to Europe, and also because of the sense of belonging that a big city brings. I do not need nor want to live right in the city, just near it...
So, charm of the older, green lusher scenery, no snow or not too much snow, near major city/airport, maybe near the sea, hopefully low-crime... What suggestions come to mind? I would be very grateful for any feedback.
The combination of history and greenness/forests/hills automatically equates to the East Coast. Rain and grey skies are a reality, but less common than in England or the Pacific Northwest.
The challenge is going to be finding the best balance of the other factors. The closest distance between the mountains and the ocean is in New England (New Hampshire, Maine), but these areas are very snowy. The Carolinas, on the other hand, rarely get snow but the mountains are a much longer distance from the coast. Also, in both northern New England and the South, you're more likely to be a good distance from an international airport.
The first area that jumped to mind for me was Pennsylvania, probably somewhere west of Philadelphia. Still a bit snowy, but nearly as much as further north. To me this area really stood out as being the best balance of all your criteria.
If lack of snow is more important to you than rolling hills, there are tons of places in the Mid-Atlantic and the South that might appeal to you. For historic value: Annapolis, MD; Williamsburg, VA; Charleston, SC; to name a few (although Annapolis is probably the most well-situated in terms of airports).
New England has a particularly strong historical charm but the snow might be an issue for you. You might consider southern Rhode Island or places like Plymouth, MA which tend to get much less snow than the rest of the region during the winter.
Annapolis, MD. That city is so beautiful and charming. It has stunning scenery, old city charm and history, it's right on the Chesapeake Bay and close to the Atlantic Ocean, and it's convenient to all the airports and cultural offerings of DC and Baltimore as well.
Last edited by jayp1188; 01-24-2010 at 06:43 AM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
