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I think you'd like Knoxville. There's a lot going on. You're right Nashville is headed the way of Austin. You could check out Chattanooga as well - but they seem to be busy hyping themselves to the trendster crowd and that could get annoying if they succeed. But then you could sell your house at a good profit and move to Knoxville or even Johnson City.
I have heard alot of positive things about Knoxville.......seems like they have a good balance there...especially with the big uni.
I will say that I went to the Grass Valley/Nevada City area a few years ago & was very taken with it & would recommend it for anybody to spend a bit of time in to explore. While it is a bit small for my taste as a permanent residence (city boy here) it has a very nice "vibe" with nice places to eat, drink & natural areas to explore & near Tahoe. The summer weather was great but I wonder if the winter is the catch, I don't know anything about the economics of living there. I would definitely go back for a long weekend.
Thanks, Hefe! Will check it out if I ever make it out that way again!
Is this really true? I was there about 30+ years ago & felt very uncomfortable, couldn't really put my finger on it, like it was a very repressed & "churchy" atmosphere, but I'll agree it was a long time ago & could've been the people I was with (& that I'm a yankee). But does it now have a more open, progressive vibe & is there a strong university town culture like Austin had?
I've heard that Austin has indeed "jumped the shark" & is becoming something else, well times & places always change...
I'm from Westchester County, NY & Fairfield County, CT, but have been in Richmond since 1986. I've been to Austin about 6 times from the late 80's through about 5 years ago.
Richmond has a few universities, including VCU and University of Richmond, plus a few smaller ones. I would not call it repressed, more like, genteel. Religiion is still strong here, but it's not bible thumping southern baptist like it used to be.
Why don't you go back to Helena if you think it was so great? BTW, having a few nice memories is great, but were you there long enough to get see more of the bad as well as the good?
Good point. I don't know it from Adam. I've been to enough places though to know that it had a nice feel to it....to me! Have fun!
I would bite the bullet and check out a small town or even a rural area if you want less pretentious, more "authentic" people and lifestyles. Of course in those areas you will need to create your own entertainment and activities. There are far less prepackaged pay entertainment options in smaller areas. Honestly if you require a music scene and a variety of prepackaged pay entertainment options then you're not much different than the "hipsters" and "foodies" you're trying to get away from.
Great Attitude OP. Glad you did not raise up to the people baiting you for a rise out of you. I place great stake in these cities. 1. Boise ID;2. Reno NV;3. Spokane WA ;4. Rapid City SD;5. Sioux Falls SD;6. Ogden UT;7. Colorado Springs CO.. Most are bigger than you want. Most are easy to get around. Traffic is mainly pretty good in these areas. Most have friendly people. You just have to research a bit more. These are mainly different than each other in ways that are fun to ferret out in my opinion. I love Portland too but I always have, same with Seattle but both in my opinion are way to expensive, besides the sprawl that they have more than my other favorites. Just my 02 cents for ya. Peace. Take care have fun.
I think Portland, OR, is a place where people go who wish to be perceived of as weird. New Orleans is a place for genuinely odd people who can't help it.
I would define Portland as being not so much weird and tolerant, but creepy and anti-social.
Well, if you live in the West it's definitely more expensive and difficult to travel to other places. For example if you live in Maryland, you can practically take day trips to both Canada and the Deep South. If you live in northern California, on the other hand, the only places within a day's drive are in California, Nevada and Oregon.
Not sure what you mean by "near" Tahoe, but Grass Valley/Nevada City isn't that close to Lake Tahoe. It's about a two hour drive. But it is a very nice area and cooler than the Sacramento delta.
It's quite expensive though, isn't it? I have relatives in Grass Valley and went there last Thanksgiving and while it's very nice there (it reminds me of New England actually) I imagine it costs a lot to live there. It seems very posh.
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