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Boulder gets quite cold in the winter so not sure how that's going to work out for you given the health concerns and it's an open carry state outside of Denver, not to mention it's not the most liberal bastion outside of either Denver or Boulder. Four states (NY, IL, SC and Florida) and DC outright prohibit open carry so if you can't get your head around the many progressive spots in the "Deep South", that leaves NY or IL which aren't exactly known for mild winters. Is there some kind of stigma attached to a Southern location that actually fits your criteria which supersedes that, and makes you consider instead someplace else that fails a couple to a few of your main criteria?
Wow, I didn’t realize that only those four states prohibit open carry. Thanks for that info. We really don’t want a red state and assume that all down south are pretty red. I know that things are changing, but we are a little wary of the reception we would receive as a lesbian couple with a kid in the school system and also concerned about laws on the state level. We are foremost looking for a pretty liberal area. I have lived in Florida in the past and really disliked it. It also is just plain too hot and too high UV. Thanks!
As someone who's lived in FL, Western NC, Front Range and Western CO, and now Western WA- I'd say that hands down, your list has the Pacific NW all over it, from progressive culture to scenery to mild weather.
What size town do you think fits you best? You mentioned liking Asheville (as do I), and seem to be interested in Boulder... If that's the case, I'd also consider Santa Fe, Flagstaff, Missoula, Bend, and especially Eugene, Corvallis, Olympia, and Bellingham, WA.
Keep in mind, the higher elevation and desert cities get huge temperature fluctuations, and averages don't really tell the story of the extreme heat and cold that you'll encounter. Front Range weather, for example, is exciting and unpredictable, but mild may be a stretch, relatively. It may melt quickly but 80 inches of snow per winter and a few sub zero bouts or 90's/100's spells is still a bit extreme... Here in Bellingham, for example, we generally don't have any days above 90 in the summer or below 20 in the winter. And we're 20 miles south of the Canadian Border.
Regarding open carry, I wouldn't let that guide your decision, as Western states are a bit of a different animal when it comes to gun laws. For example, Oregon, Colorado and Washington have somewhat libertarian gun laws, but generally much less of a gun culture than other states nearby and (especially OR and WA) have much more progressive overall attitude than most states in the country. Again, the political divide- like the rest of the country- is along urban and rural lines. Keep in mind that all Western states all have rugged terrain, isolated towns, wide open spaces, and active industries like ranching and hunting. But it doesn't permeate into urban places.
Ultimately, any of the suggestions so far are reasonable places to live, but I do feel that progressive anomalies like Asheville or even Columbia are still somewhat affected the overall culture of the region and you're sometimes subject to state legislation, which in the South currently seems in a race to double down on conservative ideology. That may grow old over time, IMHO.
Again, I'd seriously consider the NW. People are very laid back, the major cities in the region (Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver) are all interesting and worth visiting regularly, the people are generally well-educated, and the weather is mild. The biggest negative may be that housing is expensive, but in the smaller cities I've mentioned the prices are more in line with the other cities their size around the country.
I also immediately thought of the Pacific Northwest.
I’m a flamingly gay male who lives in Pennsylvania, and while I love my state I can’t recommend it. Very strong gun culture. Very parochial and conservative outside of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and State College (Penn State). Most Pennsylvanians, even in rural areas, are now at least LGBT-tolerant, albeit not often LGBT-friendly. PA flipped red and went for Trump, and it’s in the Northeast, if that tells you anything.
Bend and Olympia were my immediate thoughts. Housing is rather expensive in both cities albeit not as expensive as in Portland and Seattle, respectively. I’m also not familiar with them, but Hood River and The Dalles both look lovely online.
As someone who's lived in FL, Western NC, Front Range and Western CO, and now Western WA- I'd say that hands down, your list has the Pacific NW all over it, from progressive culture to scenery to mild weather.
What size town do you think fits you best? You mentioned liking Asheville (as do I), and seem to be interested in Boulder... If that's the case, I'd also consider Santa Fe, Flagstaff, Missoula, Bend, and especially Eugene, Corvallis, Olympia, and Bellingham, WA.
Keep in mind, the higher elevation and desert cities get huge temperature fluctuations, and averages don't really tell the story of the extreme heat and cold that you'll encounter. Front Range weather, for example, is exciting and unpredictable, but mild may be a stretch, relatively. It may melt quickly but 80 inches of snow per winter and a few sub zero bouts or 90's/100's spells is still a bit extreme... Here in Bellingham, for example, we generally don't have any days above 90 in the summer or below 20 in the winter. And we're 20 miles south of the Canadian Border.
Regarding open carry, I wouldn't let that guide your decision, as Western states are a bit of a different animal when it comes to gun laws. For example, Oregon, Colorado and Washington have somewhat libertarian gun laws, but generally much less of a gun culture than other states nearby and (especially OR and WA) have much more progressive overall attitude than most states in the country. Again, the political divide- like the rest of the country- is along urban and rural lines. Keep in mind that all Western states all have rugged terrain, isolated towns, wide open spaces, and active industries like ranching and hunting. But it doesn't permeate into urban places.
Ultimately, any of the suggestions so far are reasonable places to live, but I do feel that progressive anomalies like Asheville or even Columbia are still somewhat affected the overall culture of the region and you're sometimes subject to state legislation, which in the South currently seems in a race to double down on conservative ideology. That may grow old over time, IMHO.
Again, I'd seriously consider the NW. People are very laid back, the major cities in the region (Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver) are all interesting and worth visiting regularly, the people are generally well-educated, and the weather is mild. The biggest negative may be that housing is expensive, but in the smaller cities I've mentioned the prices are more in line with the other cities their size around the country.
I'm from the northeast and would prefer a smaller town that is maybe within an hour or so of a larger metropolitan area, but we're probably flexible on size. You make a good point about the political divide being along urban/ rural lines and I guess we would prefer liberal rural, which is partially why we are having so much trouble. If it weren't for the weather, I would definitely go for New England, especially coastal Maine. I have never lived out west but would be open to it. I have heard that the Pacific northwest is pretty cloudy and rainy, is this the case? We are both concerned about the south for the reasons you have stated.
I also immediately thought of the Pacific Northwest.
I’m a flamingly gay male who lives in Pennsylvania, and while I love my state I can’t recommend it. Very strong gun culture. Very parochial and conservative outside of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and State College (Penn State). Most Pennsylvanians, even in rural areas, are now at least LGBT-tolerant, albeit not often LGBT-friendly. PA flipped red and went for Trump, and it’s in the Northeast, if that tells you anything.
Bend and Olympia were my immediate thoughts. Housing is rather expensive in both cities albeit not as expensive as in Portland and Seattle, respectively. I’m also not familiar with them, but Hood River and The Dalles both look lovely online.
Hood River and The Dalles are very small compared to your other choices. We seriously considered Bend and Olympia, but after visiting Bellingham several times, we chose it easily over the other two. After CO, which is extremely dry, we wanted more green and blue in our life, and Bellingham was the only place that had both mountains and ocean in the same place. Bellingham also has more of its own separate vibe (not a suburb) and is more of an actual city than Olympia or Bend. Plus it's the most walkable/bikeable out of the three, which was important to us. Also worth mentioning, we are one train stop away from Vancouver, making it our go-to place for big city experiences, as it's even more accessible to us than Seattle.
Wow, I didn’t realize that only those four states prohibit open carry. Thanks for that info. We really don’t want a red state and assume that all down south are pretty red. I know that things are changing, but we are a little wary of the reception we would receive as a lesbian couple with a kid in the school system and also concerned about laws on the state level. We are foremost looking for a pretty liberal area. I have lived in Florida in the past and really disliked it. It also is just plain too hot and too high UV. Thanks!
That's a big fat assumption and wouldn't be so quick to judge. As an LGBT individual myself I feel like you're throwing away some perfect options based upon some preconceptions. I think a perfect example would be Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro NC. Having lived there for several years I can attest it doesn't get much more liberal anywhere else in the US and has been for decades. No one would bat an eyelash over two lesbians with a kid in school as it's been the norm as long as anyone can remember. Speaking of schools the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School District has been traditionally excellent. While not a state where open carry is prohibited the Durham metro area is about as pacifist as it gets in this country and certainly not something one would encounter or have to deal with. While state level laws are a concern in some states, North Carolina differs as the metro areas tend quite progressive while the rural areas largely are not, and the segregated aspect prevents overlap on a day to day basis. Check out Carrboro in particular, it's a very cool place to live.
Hi, My partner and I are struggling to find a smallish town where we can relocate, that meets our needs.
We are looking for the following:
Welcoming/ Liberal Community
UU Fellowship
Blue state with NO open carry laws
Natural beauty (prefer near ocean or mountains)
Good school system
Not super cold or super hot (I have a history of skin cancer and my partner doesn't like the cold)
Good restaurants, some culture
Would love some ideas. Thank you for your input!
Look for a small town with a large university. Towns with a large university may not be totally liberal, but they tend to be more liberal than towns without a large university.
Chapel Hill, NC
Lexington, KY
Bloomington, IN
West Lafayette, IN
Columbia, MO
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Athens, GA
Athens, Ohio
Oxford, Ohio
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Not sure about the gun laws in those states, though.
All BEAUTIFUL. All liberal. Especially MEDIA. Media, Pennsylvania is the home to Wanda Sykes.
Also Pennsylvania has one of the most liberal governors in the USA. Certain parts are conservative but the areas I recommend would be great, especially Mt. Lebanon and Media. They are truly wonderful, green, lush and vibrant communities
Last edited by rowhomecity; 03-04-2018 at 06:40 PM..
CO, and especially Boulder, fails in these regards. It might be seen as liberal, but it's not very welcoming. You have to fit in with the typical person to be really welcomed. Probably no UU churches(?) there. It gets both very cold (subzero) and fairly hot (upper 80s and 90s), and is typically cold Nov-March. You're at high elevation, and skin cancer rings true, as I found out yesterday that I have skin cancer, and live near Boulder). Restaurants are decent, but nothing to write home about. Limited culture. Again, there's basically one or two archetypal people-types in Boulder.
You need to put a caveat at the beginning of your posts: *I'm a Texan that hates Colorado.
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