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Most fascinating replies and interesting info. I suppose maybe my original criteria were too stringent, but in a way that was on purpose... to start with the bar really high and make this a truly elite club. But it's so elite it seems no one belongs!
So, if you could eliminate any ONE (but only one) criteria from the original list, your choice, which would it be? Many of the replies have already stated this. I dunno about LA... it's got both the earthquake risk AND a notoriously high COL, no? And then there's the issue of California government, which many seem to have a problem with although of course every state has its issues in this regard, politicians being politicians.
Hope this thread is useful, not in a practical way necessarily (everyone rushing to the perfect city) but in generating ideas and conversation. For example, I would not really have put Tampa Bay on that list, as we have spent time near there and my memory of the summers is that it gets pretty darn hot and muggy.
So, how about your thoughts, cut the list by any one item (oh, ok, two if you must ) and let's see what happens. And since the thread went worldwide anyway, let's try that too.
If you don't like Tampa I imagine the next best would be Nashville. Its average low is 27.9 in its coldest month and average high in its hottest month is 88.7. I don't know of any major natural disasters in TN? Maybe the occasional mudslide, landslide, or flood but I think that meets the "lowish chance"
I don't think eliminating criteria does anything except open up pretty much any city in the country... kinda defeats the original intent.
Of course, it doesn't exist. But I really mean perfect as in closest to perfect, one which most people would agree is the best city in objective terms. This means one shouldn't count things like "I have my family here" or "I found my dream job here" and the like. The list may vary a little but in general there are things the human looks for, a combination of needs and wants.
Here is my list, in no particular order. Note that I do not have a city to recommend that matches this list. Yet. And of course, USA only as I posting in the US Forums.
- Livable weather (range of 30-90 degrees, not too high humidity)
- Low-ish risk of natural disaster. (I don't know if any city qualifies on this measure, actually, so it may need to go)
- Reasonable or moderate cost of living (note I didn't say "low" COL)
- Good availability of decent jobs (uhhh...ok, in normal times)
- Availability of recreation, both of the natural and man-made kind
- Halfway decent government, in other words not absolutely corrupt or inept (GOOD government is too much to ask for, right?).
- Quality educational institutions, both secondary and advanced
- Reasonable level of race relations. Humans being humans, perfect relations is too much to ask for.
One could add central location, etc but with air travel so prevalent now this is not critical, I think.
Fantasy? I don't know.
My best guess is that somewhere in the Harrisburg-Hershey-Lancaster-York PA area would work. I'm not sure about the government though. There are several decent educational institutions, but you might need to drive for 1-2 hours or so.
If you cut the livable weather criteria, places like Wisconsin or Minnesota open up fairly well, as does maybe Iowa if you choose not to live in a flood plain (although I'd think that there be a tornado risk.) Pittsburgh, PA, and some areas in upstate New York also open up. Colorado (anywhere along the front range) might also be a good choice. On the other extreme, places like Austin, TX would open up if it can get a little hotter than 90 degrees. Dallas/Fort Worth might have a greater tornado risk.
I don't think removing the natural disaster criteria really narrows down your choices much. Most areas with high risk for natural disasters seem to be blocked for other reasons on your criteria.
Removing the cost of living criteria might open up parts of the East Coast, although my guess is that a lot of it would be blocked by weather (Boston, maybe New York City), race relations (Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC), or corruption (New Jersey). But you might be able to find some hidden gems closer to the DC metro area.
The jobs criteria might open up places like Charlotte and Atlanta. I think that they're far enough inland to not be at too great a risk for natural disasters, the temperatures would generally be tolerable, and that there's enough good schools around. Places like Michigan and Ohio would be blocked by weather and in some cases other factors, Nevada, Arizona, and parts of the deep south by schools, Portland, OR by probably cost-of-living, and California and Florida for a whole host of reasons.
I'd think that recreation is available just about everywhere, unless you're totally out in the middle of nowhere.
To avoid bad government, I'd steer away from California, Illinois, Louisiana, and New Jersey. There are some other cities that are notorious problems. Most are at least somewhat disfunctional.
The Northeast, most of the Midwest, a few spots in the South, and California are probably your best bets for good advanced schools.
If you'd like good race relations, I'd recommend you avoid Philadelphia, Detroit, Phoenix, LA, Cincinnati, New Orleans, and probably a lot of other areas in the South. There might be some other places off the top of my head that aren't good either.
Hopefully this helps somewhat, and that I didn't make any crazy assumptions.
If you don't like Tampa I imagine the next best would be Nashville. Its average low is 27.9 in its coldest month and average high in its hottest month is 88.7. I don't know of any major natural disasters in TN? Maybe the occasional mudslide, landslide, or flood but I think that meets the "lowish chance"
I don't think eliminating criteria does anything except open up pretty much any city in the country... kinda defeats the original intent.
Memphis sits on the New Madrid fault and west TN is in tornado alley, the Nashville area gets tornadoes and has just suffered one nasty flood.
Go a little further east to Knoxville, maybe even Chattanooga, and I think that comers a little closer to the ideal, with much less chance of natural disasters.
Everywhere can get Tornados that doesn't mean they're common same thing with the freak flood they just got. OP didn't state absolutely no natural disasters OP stated "lowish chance" I think most of TN falls in the category. But looking at Knoxville weather it does match up almost perfectly as well.
Memphis is practically the epicenter for tornado alley, west TN gets a lot of them.
http://www.washingtoncountyworks.com/files/natural%20disaster%20map%20and%20key%202.jpg (broken link)
Nobody said Memphis, but Memphis and Nashville are both prone to tornadoes, with Nashville being the slightly better option. A lot of people don't realize that a large portion of TN is in the heart of tornado country. Many think that's mostly a threat to the midwest or the plains states.
Even more people don't realize that TN has earthquakes, I know I didn't, until I experienced one.
Knoxville tornado risk 7% lower than US average, Nashville is at 119% higher according to CD. Just saying that if we're talking safety then Knoxville is the better risk, especially as it's very similar to Nashville concerning the other criteria the OP stated.
My best guess is that somewhere in the Harrisburg-Hershey-Lancaster-York PA area would work. I'm not sure about the government though. There are several decent educational institutions, but you might need to drive for 1-2 hours or so.
If you cut the livable weather criteria, places like Wisconsin or Minnesota open up fairly well, as does maybe Iowa if you choose not to live in a flood plain (although I'd think that there be a tornado risk.) Pittsburgh, PA, and some areas in upstate New York also open up. Colorado (anywhere along the front range) might also be a good choice. On the other extreme, places like Austin, TX would open up if it can get a little hotter than 90 degrees. Dallas/Fort Worth might have a greater tornado risk.
I don't think removing the natural disaster criteria really narrows down your choices much. Most areas with high risk for natural disasters seem to be blocked for other reasons on your criteria.
Removing the cost of living criteria might open up parts of the East Coast, although my guess is that a lot of it would be blocked by weather (Boston, maybe New York City), race relations (Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC), or corruption (New Jersey). But you might be able to find some hidden gems closer to the DC metro area.
The jobs criteria might open up places like Charlotte and Atlanta. I think that they're far enough inland to not be at too great a risk for natural disasters, the temperatures would generally be tolerable, and that there's enough good schools around. Places like Michigan and Ohio would be blocked by weather and in some cases other factors, Nevada, Arizona, and parts of the deep south by schools, Portland, OR by probably cost-of-living, and California and Florida for a whole host of reasons.
I'd think that recreation is available just about everywhere, unless you're totally out in the middle of nowhere.
To avoid bad government, I'd steer away from California, Illinois, Louisiana, and New Jersey. There are some other cities that are notorious problems. Most are at least somewhat disfunctional.
The Northeast, most of the Midwest, a few spots in the South, and California are probably your best bets for good advanced schools.
If you'd like good race relations, I'd recommend you avoid Philadelphia, Detroit, Phoenix, LA, Cincinnati, New Orleans, and probably a lot of other areas in the South. There might be some other places off the top of my head that aren't good either.
Hopefully this helps somewhat, and that I didn't make any crazy assumptions.
Please explain.
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) and let's see what happens. And since the thread went worldwide anyway, let's try that too.
