Athens vs. Talahassee/Fayetteville/Ashville (Atlanta, Savannah: 2009, lofts, condos)

[FFG3]

Originally Posted by MoreCowbell

I really think Athens will be more "up your alley" than Jacksonville. Football games up there are great, it has character, pretty good weather, and there are a lot of nature-type activities. It is not on our list because it isn't really a daytrip from the beach, how important is that to you?
Atlanta is nice but much more big-city with a lot less outdoorsy options close by.
And I'm totally NOT trying to get pulled into the conversation above me BUT I love Savannah.

More Cowbell, you are in the majority.

[ctr88]

Beach is a very nice getaway but it isn't a necessity. (I think you may have meant Tallahassee instead of Jacksonville?). I live in San Diego now, but I'm really not a big beach person, although I enjoy it. One nice thing about Tally vs. Athens is it's proximity to the beach. I haven't been, but it looks scenic and not heavily poulated due south of Tally in places like Carabelle and St. George Island. That would be nice, but I think from what I have heard I would like the town of Athens more.

[sincere1782]

i've lived in athens most of my life and i've lived in tallahassee for 8 years and i would go for athens.

[potterygirl63]

I was living in Asheville for a short time and after separating, moved back home to Morganton. I still commute to Asheville to work. Asheville, it seems to me is doing well as far as the economy goes. Businesses seem to be doing well, unlike the county I live in. I believe that you would do well with the kind of work you do there. Also, there is a "unique" atmosphere as far as the type people you will meet there. The people seem to be overall very friendly. I work in the "River Arts District" on the French Broad River and it is beautiful. Crime there on the outskirts of the main area of town seems to be very high with graffiti everywhere. They are trying to get that under control though. There's been a lot in the media about that. I'm from very small town America and it was like "culture shock" to me at first, but you would probably like it. It is different, but I'm not so sure it's in a bad way.

[itsajourney]

I have spent a lot of time during the past 2 years searching GA, NC, & VA for someplace similiar to what you are looking for. I am a bit older than you, but I also like some college towns for things they offer the community. I'm not a sports fanatic so that doesn't go one way or the other with me. I grew up in a small. midwestern town, lived in Harrisburg, PA area for 11 years, Raleigh, NC for 6 mos. and Orlando for 9 years now.

I love many places in the southeast and am familiar with all of the towns your are considering except Fayetteville. I've wanted to visit Arkansas for their mountains--but never have. I like the mountains we have out east over the western ones--just because they aren't so tall. I've become so used to living in the east that I have a huge mental block when it comes to moving anyplace west of me...I think I will be isolated. All the cities are so easy to get to in the northeast and the southeast.

Anyway, Tallahassee is most definitely a college town. It is also the state capital--so it is college and government. It's not a huge city--so those two influences are huge. When my son was considering going to school there-we went to check everything out. Between Tallahassee, Athens, & Asheville, Tallahassee will have the most "county, laid-back, rural southern" feel to it. Living in Fl, I can tell you that sports is impt. to Tallahassee. Tallahassee also has a somewhat hilly, terrain with red clay dirt. It is not a terribly long drive to the gulf beaches--but it was a boring drive.

Of the 3 cities I am familiar with, Athens is the smallest-or it seemed the smallest to me. The University is huge--so the college atmosphere in the town is everywhere. It does have a really nice downtown area with a mix of shops, restaurants, and bars. At night, during the week, town was packed with the younger people out at the bars. It was too small for me--so I needed to move on and only spent 2 days there.

I am most familiar with Asheville-as I have been in love with the mountains and have tried to convince myself several times that Asheville would be a place I should move to. I am very much into metaphysical studies and alternative/natural health and Asheville is supposed to be a haven for this. I have been to Asheville at least 8 times-- and it just never feels like it fits me. I try to figure out what it is that I don't like and I can never seem to put my finger exactly on it--it's more like a combination of things.

Asheville is indeed in a beautiful setting. Downtown is very eclectic and it's a fabulous place to people watch. Many people have said it is a place full of trust-fund kids--and I do think that is true to a certain degree. I am a very friendly, outgoing person--but I do find Asheville to be a little colder than much of the rest of the south.

Temperature wise, Asheville will be the coldest of the places you are considering. It is in the mountains and the temps can dip down quite a bit--esp. at night. You will find tons of outdoor activities within a short drive--no matter which direction you head off in. Asheville will not have the "college-town" feel that the other towns do.

I have become accustomed to warmer/milder weather than what I grew up with, but I miss the mountains and fall foilage big-time. I also miss the historical and cultural things that I had in Pennsylvania. So I keep searching for someplace that might be a happy medium.

I don't know exactly what you are looking for--it seems you may prefer a smaller city than I do. Just want to suggest a few other places for you to consider. I really enjoyed living in Raleigh/Cary. Huge college influence and very educated population. I could probably really consider going back there--I just would really like the mountains a bit closer--but at least it is somewhat rolling hills. Winston-Salem is really reinventing itself. I was quite impressed with it this past December. I also really like Williamsburg, VA. It is smaller, a bit expensive, educated, college-town. Sits close to Richmond and Norfolk, Hampton, Chesapeake, etc. Lots of cultural and historical influence. Climate is actually quite mild because it is so close to the water. I also love Savannah & Charleston--just not to live in.

Good luck to you in making this tough decision. I'm about ready to head off on another road trip up that direction to check things out again. I usually go during the winter--cause summer is not my problem. WINTER IS. If I go back to it, it's got to be mild. I'll like everywhere in the summer cause nothing is as humid as Orlando in July.

[ctr88]

Thanks itsajourney for the insiteful post. Goes to show how difficult it is to find the "perfect place"! I've thought about Raleigh before, but it doesn't seem like it's very close to either the coast or mountains. I've been there once, parts of it reminded me of a New England town with the architecture.

[Shagbark Hickory]

Everyone I've ever known who's lived in the "research triangle" has not been happy there and for one reason or another moved somewhere else. I'm not saying not to move there just that I'm shocked to hear someone actually enjoyed it there. Then again I gather they don't live there anymore.

I think the most commonly recurring complaint about that area (Raleigh Durham) was that if you're not affiliated with the universities then you're pretty much an outcast. I think that would be a possible concern of the OP.

[itsajourney]

Originally Posted by Shagbark Hickory

Everyone I've ever known who's lived in the "research triangle" has not been happy there and for one reason or another moved somewhere else. I'm not saying not to move there just that I'm shocked to hear someone actually enjoyed it there. Then again I gather they don't live there anymore.

I think the most commonly recurring complaint about that area (Raleigh Durham) was that if you're not affiliated with the universities then you're pretty much an outcast. I think that would be a possible concern of the OP.

As I said, I really enjoyed living in Raleigh. I had to leave for circumstances beyond my control at the time. It's a shame you need to second guess my reasons for leaving. I don't know if you have personally ever lived in the Raleigh area, but if you had, you would know that there are MANY, MANY, MANY people who absolutely love living there. As a matter-of-fact, I don't know anyone who lived or lives there, that doesn't like it. I am sure there are some, perhaps even many, I just never ran into them--but then again, I am a very positive person so those are the people I generally run into.

[Shagbark Hickory]

Originally Posted by itsajourney

As I said, I really enjoyed living in Raleigh. I had to leave for circumstances beyond my control at the time. It's a shame you need to second guess my reasons for leaving. I don't know if you have personally ever lived in the Raleigh area, but if you had, you would know that there are MANY, MANY, MANY people who absolutely love living there. As a matter-of-fact, I don't know anyone who lived or lives there, that doesn't like it. I am sure there are some, perhaps even many, I just never ran into them--but then again, I am a very positive person so those are the people I generally run into.

You obviously took my reply personally. Only I wasn't really talking to you.
I am just participating in this discussion, trying to give feedback and opinions and suggestions to the person who started this thread. I'm not saying that the research triangle is a bad place. I'm only revealing some information that others that have lived there gave me. There may be many people who love living there but my understanding is they are affiliated in some way with the uni's. The people I have known from there were not. They subsequently moved and one of them is in the process of moving from there.
More importantly it's not the quaint charming liberal new england college town the OP is looking for. It's really quite the opposite. (Go ahead, tell me it isn't.)

[itsajourney]

Originally Posted by Shagbark Hickory

You obviously took my reply personally. Only I wasn't really talking to you.
I am just participating in this discussion, trying to give feedback and opinions and suggestions to the person who started this thread. I'm not saying that the research triangle is a bad place. I'm only revealing some information that others that have lived there gave me. There may be many people who love living there but my understanding is they are affiliated in some way with the uni's. The people I have known from there were not. They subsequently moved and one of them is in the process of moving from there.
More importantly it's not the quaint charming liberal new england college town the OP is looking for. It's really quite the opposite. (Go ahead, tell me it isn't.)

Why would I???? You already know--everything....

Nope, didn't take it personally--I'm the only one that referred to Raleigh--so you weren't addressing my post---as an intelligent human being I realize that.

PS-I didn't realize that the OP was looking for a "quaint, charming, New England college town". In that case, none of the above fit. They are not the least bit like a quaint, charming, New England college town--and yes, I've spent a lot of time in the real New England--Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Some people throw in Rhode Island too--Others put that in the Mid-Atlantic.

PSS-OOPS--I forgot to include LIBERAL in all of the above...

And if you weren't referring to me then why did you include the statement about "but they obviously don't live there anymore." Communication was only my major in college with journalism being my minor...guess I'm the one really confused here????