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Old 05-18-2011, 01:05 PM
 
Location: FL
13 posts, read 39,890 times
Reputation: 14

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Hi!

My family of 4 is desperately wanting to leave the heat and humidity of FL. I have a tall order of what I'd like and know that I won't find "the perfect place" but I'm hoping someplace in the US is close! Everytime I find a place that looks good, something makes me uneasy about it. So, I need your help!

Here are the things I'd like in my new city.

-We want 4 seasons - cold winters w/ snow so we can ski, beautiful springs and falls, and warm summers.
-We have 2 young children, and we'd love a place with lots of other families and family-friendly activities.
-We love to hike, bike, camp, ski, sled, swim, boat, etc. so national parks, forests, lakes, oceans, etc., and especially mountains are preferred.
-I do NOT like FL summers - the 90 degree humid heat. MUST. GET. AWAY.
-I definitely need there to be lots of sun...not necessarily as much as FL gets, but something close.
-We don't like the congested feeling of FL, and would prefer a small city with a larger one nearby, or a medium-sized city.
-Decently priced housing and cost of living. We are a one-income family.

Am I crazy, or does a city like this exist somewhere?!?

Thanks!
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Old 05-18-2011, 01:16 PM
 
92,112 posts, read 122,326,409 times
Reputation: 18146
Perhaps the Buffalo area, which gets it share of sun, in relative terms. You might like communities like Kenmore, Lockport, Williamsville, Lancaster and Wheatfield.

Maybe Denver or other cities like Fort Collins, Greeley or Colorado Springs in CO. Holland MI might be another place to look into.
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Old 05-18-2011, 03:41 PM
 
Location: Modesto, CA
1,197 posts, read 4,768,807 times
Reputation: 622
You need to head out west lol. Look at places like Reno, Boise, Salt Lake City, Denver, etc. They all fit the bill completely.
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Old 05-18-2011, 04:50 PM
 
Location: You Ta Zhou
866 posts, read 1,555,519 times
Reputation: 401
Colorado Springs or Fort Collins were my first thoughts. Other good areas might be Salt Lake City area, Billings, and Spokane.

I'd definitely recommend the Rocky Mountain area for you.
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Old 05-18-2011, 06:50 PM
 
Location: FL
13 posts, read 39,890 times
Reputation: 14
Thank you all We have been thinking out west, just needed the names of some cities. We love the Rockies!
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Old 05-19-2011, 08:51 PM
 
7,072 posts, read 9,546,308 times
Reputation: 4531
Traverse City, Michigan.
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Old 05-20-2011, 12:15 AM
 
6,143 posts, read 7,532,308 times
Reputation: 6617
You might want to check out the Black Hills, too.
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Old 05-20-2011, 07:04 AM
 
26,874 posts, read 43,362,269 times
Reputation: 31526
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lotus Flower View Post
Hi!

My family of 4 is desperately wanting to leave the heat and humidity of FL. I have a tall order of what I'd like and know that I won't find "the perfect place" but I'm hoping someplace in the US is close! Everytime I find a place that looks good, something makes me uneasy about it. So, I need your help!

Here are the things I'd like in my new city.

-We want 4 seasons - cold winters w/ snow so we can ski, beautiful springs and falls, and warm summers.
-We have 2 young children, and we'd love a place with lots of other families and family-friendly activities.
-We love to hike, bike, camp, ski, sled, swim, boat, etc. so national parks, forests, lakes, oceans, etc., and especially mountains are preferred.
-I do NOT like FL summers - the 90 degree humid heat. MUST. GET. AWAY.
-I definitely need there to be lots of sun...not necessarily as much as FL gets, but something close.
-We don't like the congested feeling of FL, and would prefer a small city with a larger one nearby, or a medium-sized city.
-Decently priced housing and cost of living. We are a one-income family.

Am I crazy, or does a city like this exist somewhere?!?

Thanks!
You have to check out Fort Collins, Colorado.

It's a vibrant college town (Colorado State University) of around 150,000 and just an hour or so north of Denver. It gets the four seasons you're looking for with plenty of sunshine. It's an outdoor recreation paradise with nearby mountains, forests and even a lake (Horestooth Reservoir). It's also extremely bike/pedestrian friendly. Downtown Fort Collins always has a lot going on with festivals, etc, a surprisingly large cultural scene and there are plenty of great restaurants/shops. The local public school system is considered very good, as is the state in general. For what it's worth the city has been in the top 10 "Best Places to Live" list since 2005.

Fort Collins, Colorado - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://ftcollins.com/img/site_specific/uploads/crop_ss_0.jpg (broken link)

Last edited by kyle19125; 05-20-2011 at 08:19 AM..
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Old 05-20-2011, 12:12 PM
 
Location: FL
13 posts, read 39,890 times
Reputation: 14
Quote:
Originally Posted by dogwalker425 View Post
You might want to check out the Black Hills, too.
Where are the Black Hills? Thanks!
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Old 05-20-2011, 03:10 PM
 
92,112 posts, read 122,326,409 times
Reputation: 18146
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lotus Flower View Post
Where are the Black Hills? Thanks!
South Dakota and Rapid City is the biggest city in that area.
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