Progressive "northern / midwestern" small cities within 8 hours of Atlanta? (appointed, house)

[northstar22]

Originally Posted by JohnDBaumgardner

Columbus, Ohio ... extremely progressive and vibrant city, great urban feel, big city amenities, low cost of living, attractive suburban areas and a solid economy.


Columbus, Ohio Travel Guide - Hotels, Attractions, Dining

I really like Columbus. The only problem with Cbus is it's too big / populous for me. I'm looking for a smaller town.

[northstar22]

Originally Posted by creeksitter

There's also Cookeville TN, since you seem to like smaller. But i don't know about Sewanee, it is very small and somewhat isolated.

I just looked up Cookeville, and from what I can tell from Wiki and Google Street View (probably not much), it seems like a southern version of Mankato. Hills, one big college, another little college, chain stores, historic downtown, etc. Very similar, aside from the warm climate / natural setting.

However, is it really "Midwestern" in feel? I know it's a fairly small town in Tennessee. Obviously it's not Minnesota, but would someone from up north feel that out of place there?

[ckhthankgod]

Do you some family in Southwestern Ohio? What about Oxford Ohio, where Miami of Ohio is located?

[northstar22]

I do have family in SW Ohio. In fact, much of my extended family lives in Dayton and Cincinnati.

[wh15395]

I would definitely recommend Bloomington. It is progressive and the landscape is great. It would be close to your family in SW Ohio too.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

I do have family in SW Ohio. In fact, much of my extended family lives in Dayton and Cincinnati.

Really look into Oxford, as it is about the same distance to both and is kind of far enough away from both to be it's own thing. Miami of Ohio is a good school and is a MAC school like Western Michigan.

[Alicia Bradley]

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

North Carolina is not at the top of the list because of weather (hurricanes / floods) and the high number of Northeastern (NY, NJ) transplants. I'm looking for more of a Midwest feel.

*high-fives* I wish I had such a luxury... Ahem, anyway. Actually, I'm ok with *parts* of NY state.. basically, the few select parts that lack any trace of a "Joisey"-type accent (even if you have just a trace that comes out when you say things like "Flarida aranges," it's like nails on a chalkboard to me) and don't at all identify with the Northeast.

I would recommend Columbia, MO (the 'Berkeley of the Show-Me State' and the happiest/most fun place I've ever lived) all day and into the night.. and into the next morning. It's about 11 hours from Atlanta, though.. ouch.

[diablo234]

Carbondale, Illinois might fit the bill but it might be too small for your tastes.

Lexington, Kentucky is relatively progressive as well.

[creeksitter]

I don't know enough about Cookeville's culture to say. Also wondering how do you define midwestern culture.

[kyle19125]

I too would recommend Lexington. An interesting statistic is that it has the 7th highest ratio of college graduates residing there. Highly educated cities are typically more progressive/tolerant of differences. The city on my few visits has always felt more Midwestern than Southern which may (or may not) elicit groans from some Kentuckians.