DC, Seattle, San Francisco, or another city for car-free, nature-loving urbanite? (living, best)

[bosemani]

I am self-employed and lucky enough to be able to live almost anywhere in the US.

I've lived in DC for about a year now and love it, but I want to explore my options. I am planning to take a few trips this year to get to know some cities which I could see myself living in someday.

Here are the qualities I'm looking for:

-Very bike friendly with good public transit. I don't like driving, but I'm OK with using Zipcar now and then. An established cycling community with a lot of bike lanes and off street bike paths would be ideal.
-Short Winters. I enjoy the seasons, and I don't mind seasonal weather, but I wouldn't want a winter longer than what we have in DC. I grew up in a more Northernly Midwestern city and the three to four week difference between when the trees lose/get their leaves makes a big difference for me.
-Great Natural Surroundings. I love to go hiking and bird watching. DC is more nature-friendly than I expected (Rock Creek Park is great), but I'd also love easy access to some of the really spectacular natural areas in our country out West. Being within driving distance of the ocean would be nice, but it's not a necessity.
-Fairly Liberal/Secular - I realize that's probably not hard to find in most big cities, but I thought I'd mention it.
-High-rise Condos - Someday I'd love a condo in a high-rise with great views. I don't need much space (no more than 1000 sq ft; I'm quite comfortable sharing 500 sq ft with my SO now). I've seen some incredible condos in Seattle with lots of windows and great views of the city/mountains/sound, but I haven't come across anything comparable in other cities yet.
-General Cultural Offerings. A wide selection of restaurants, markets, and museums would be nice.

San Francisco and Seattle intrigue me the most from what I've read on these forums -- and maybe even Honolulu. But please suggest more cities for me to consider! Thanks for the input, and I hope to visit a few of your recommendations this year.

[Steve Bowen]

I'd consider Portland, Oregon as well. It's a lovely city that's super bike friendly, and has very good public transit. Its Achilles heel has been its long-term chronic unemployment and underemployment, but it sounds like that wouldn't matter too much in your case.

[bosemani]

Originally Posted by Steve Bowen

I'd consider Portland, Oregon as well. It's a lovely city that's super bike friendly, and has very good public transit. Its Achilles heel has been its long-term chronic unemployment and underemployment, but it sounds like that wouldn't matter too much in your case.

Thanks, I will add Portland to my list. As long as I'm near a post office I should be OK, but my SO would need a new job. We wouldn't move unless that was found beforehand though.

[Andy]

Portland and Seattle have long winters. They aren't cold, but no sunshine and lots of drizzle. A car is recommended in Seattle. San Francisco probably best fits your needs with significantly better winter weather and transit.

[monkeywithacold]

Seattle if you're okay with a midsized city. Otherwise, San Fran.

[14thandYou]

Can't go wrong with any of these cities given your criteria, although Seattle will probably offer the most outdoor recreational opportunities of the three. The winter will be wet, but mild compared to winters elsewhere. Seattle will also be the least expensive.

[eskercurve]

If you can live in Honolulu, remember that some folks get "island fever" and at some point realize that they're living on an island in the middle of a big ocean.

Would be awesome in my opinion. Natural wonders galore.

[cacto]

Nature-loving urbanite sounds like an oxy-moron.

[EwingOil]

Portland, Oregon for sure dude.