Looking to move... help narrow down? Eugene/Bend/Eau Claire/Asheville/Ithaca/etc. (Portland: best cities, leases)

[charliechicken]

Hi everyone- my partner and I are looking to move this upcoming fall. We're in our 20s and are looking for a change of pace and new adventure. We currently live in Iowa City, IA and adore its community-centered values, decent music scene, walkabillity, sense of local business, dog-friendliness, and safety. The population is around 70-100,000 depending on when students are gone.
We're looking to move to a similar city in size and qualities. We don't want to live in any super metropolitan areas or anywhere with a much harsher climate. Access to outdoor activities is also important to us.
Based on random internet research, we have it "narrowed" down to nine cities. Does anyone have any information/opinions/preference on any of them?
Please feel free to also recommend other cities you feel might fit the bill.
Thank you in advance!

The cities we're looking into are...
Eugene/Corvallis OR
Bend OR
Duluth MN
Asheville NC
Ithaca NY
Eau Claire WI
Athens GA
Burlington VT

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by charliechicken

Hi everyone- my partner and I are looking to move this upcoming fall. We're in our 20s and are looking for a change of pace and new adventure. We currently live in Iowa City, IA and adore its community-centered values, decent music scene, walkabillity, sense of local business, dog-friendliness, and safety. The population is around 70-100,000 depending on when students are gone.
We're looking to move to a similar city in size and qualities. We don't want to live in any super metropolitan areas or anywhere with a much harsher climate. Access to outdoor activities is also important to us.
Based on random internet research, we have it "narrowed" down to nine cities. Does anyone have any information/opinions/preference on any of them?
Please feel free to also recommend other cities you feel might fit the bill.
Thank you in advance!

The cities we're looking into are...
Eugene/Corvallis OR
Bend OR
Duluth MN
Asheville NC
Ithaca NY
Eau Claire WI
Athens GA
Burlington VT

And you jobs are ...?

[charliechicken]

We're both willing to do anything. That's not really important-- we're looking to move for the experience right now more than starting our careers yet. Servers/bartenders/any trade crafts/anything we can find that pays the bills.

[JanND]

My son and his partner live in Portland. They love it for all the reasons you've listed, and it's unique personality where so many different types of people all live and it is no big deal if you are different looking or anything else....it seems to be a very accepting city plus it is a gorgeous city....But, it has recently been going through a huge pop surge partly because it is so unique and the ensuing rise in housing costs...So do your due diligence.

I looked up Corvallis, OR and it looks like a very nice place with lots to do for your age group. http://www.corvallisoregon.gov/

I have not lived in Duluth, MN I have just visited. I'm not sure it has the things you describe as important, but I know the temperatures in the winter are just as horrific as N.D. where I live. So, you'd likely be giving up several months of walkable weather. And, if you are thinking MN why not just go for Minneapolis.

Helpful to you doing your research is the home page for City Data where you can look up any city and get much more information than you can imagine.

Good luck to you, and let us know how you're doing.

[texasdiver]

Eugene and Corvallis are two completely different cities.

You have kind of a random selection of cities across the northern tier of the country but say you don't want harsh weather. If so you should scratch Duluth, Eu Claire, Burlington, and Ithica off your list. They all get harsh winters, especially Duluth.

You want outdoor recreation but don't have any Colorado cities on your list. Any reason why? Fort Collins should be there. For that matter, perhaps Provo Utah or one of the other cities in Utah if you like winter sports.

Another city with a booming local economy that would be similar to Iowa City is Fayetteville Arkansas. Gorgeous town in the mountains surrounded by lakes and other nearby towns with lots of jobs.

If you are looking at Bend, Eugene and Corvallis then you might as well also look at comparable cities in Washington. Bellingham and Olympia would both meet your criteria. As would Wenatchee which could be the next Bend

What you guys need to do is road trip.

[Silverfall]

Of the Oregon cities, Bend is the closest to what you want based on that list. Then I would say Eugene is next.

[oregonchickfan]

If you have pets, it's difficult to find a pet-friendly rental. If you find one, they'll only let you have a Chihuahua, or maybe a cat. :-( Something to consider if you're wanting to get a pet in the next year (most leases are 12-months).

[charliechicken]

Thank you all so much for your input. I was hoping for no harsher winters than I already get in Iowa, which get pretty bad and is why I included those northern cities- but a milder winter would be nice, so we did scratch those off.
We actually visited Fort Collins and liked it a lot, but didn't absolutely love it. Personally I'm looking somewhere where I can walk to downtown, get that community vibe, but still feel like I'm in the heart of the outdoors, too. I do hope to live in Colorado soon, though. Maybe Durango.
I feel like someday we'll end up on the Pacific Northwest but as texasdiver suggested, I think we need to take a road trip through all the cities up there that we're considering before we make a decision.
We're looking at Athens, GA. It has the college feel, milder winters, affordability, and safety we're looking for right now. Luckily nothing is permanent so if we don't like it, we'll make a change! Thank you everyone for your help.

[plainbrowntabby]

Corvallis! You must come to Corvallis! My kids go to OSU and everything about that town is set up for folks like you. The only thing that can be a bummer is the 9 months of cloudy days.

[NW Crow]

Duluth does well on some best cities lists, though I can't vouch for it personally. Eau Claire is near lakes and Minneapolis. Probably pretty similar feel to where you are now.


Bend oversells their sunshine level. Corvallis gets close to the least. Durango gets plenty of sun. Rents are mostly high unless you share or accept small / older or distant.