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In all seriousness, I left the Deep South at age 18, and only return (rarely) to visit family. I'll take the occasional blizzards and rare sub-zero days here over the endless 90-100+ humid summer days down there (to say nothing of some of the other less enjoyable aspects of the South.) Given how minimally I drive, the traffic is rarely an issue for me (and I don't even live in the city of Chicago.)
Nonetheless, it seems I was correct in assuming the OP was looking for something smaller than one of the country's biggest metros.
Exactly! The deep south is stifling which is why I am ready for a change. In a perfect world, the temps would be 70 degrees all of the time, but I would have to wake up at some point. However, I am willing to adjust to colder, not blizzard type environments. And yes, I am looking for a smaller city to settle in.
You bring up some very valid points. I have lived in the south all of my life. I travel a lot, so I am used to different climates, but I guess everyone has an idea of what type of climate they prefer to live in. While I love the sun, I am definitely willing to deal with snow (just not lots of it) if it means I can find the right city for me other than in the south. Of course, I know that I can't get everything on my wish list and that's ok.
I don't like driving, walking through snow. I can look at it and admire it all day. I think I feel somewhat imprisoned because I feel that I can't really do what I want (the sun surely has spoiled me) and I'm usually stuck in the house. But I realize that I would have to acclimate myself wherever I end up. I want to feel the same way about snow as you do, but it will take some adjustment....it's not impossible, it will just take time.
I will have to trade water skiing for snow skiing, boating for tobogganing, you get the picture. I will just have to get my mind right and I will be ok. It is comforting to know that snow will be quickly removed. The city of Atlanta has three snow removers, so you can guess how long it takes.
Given your preference for sun, I would advice you to think carefully before considering a place such as Seattle. It sounds as if the Denver area might be a good fit for you. As for your last paragraph, the great thing about living in a temperate climate is that you don't need to make any real trade-off. You can enjoy winter sports in cold weather and the summer sports in warm weather.
Given your preference for sun, I would advice you to think carefully before considering a place such as Seattle. It sounds as if the Denver area might be a good fit for you. As for your last paragraph, the great thing about living in a temperate climate is that you don't need to make any real trade-off. You can enjoy winter sports in cold weather and the summer sports in warm weather.
Have fun making your decision.
Thanks for your sage advice....great food for thought.
Exactly! The deep south is stifling which is why I am ready for a change. In a perfect world, the temps would be 70 degrees all of the time, but I would have to wake up at some point. However, I am willing to adjust to colder, not blizzard type environments. And yes, I am looking for a smaller city to settle in.
Maybe a budget and lifestyle descriptions would be helpful to narrow down choices.
What best describes your income/wealth?:
billionaire
1%-er (about 340k these days)
100k
middle class
poor schmoe
For housing, do you require:
A mansion with servants
a McMansion with a beamer
an older, but updated SFH
an older, rundown SFH with 20 cats
a stylish condo with doorman
a rundown tenement with rats
a cardboard box under a highway overpass
Maybe a budget and lifestyle descriptions would be helpful to narrow down choices.
What best describes your income/wealth?:
billionaire
1%-er (about 340k these days)
100k
middle class
poor schmoe
For housing, do you require:
A mansion with servants
a McMansion with a beamer
an older, but updated SFH
an older, rundown SFH with 20 cats
a stylish condo with doorman
a rundown tenement with rats
a cardboard box under a highway overpass
Wow, that was unnecessarily cruel. I hope that you are proud. I guarantee you would have similar questions if you were thinking of relocating in a totally different climate, so please don't try to insinuate that I am being unreasonable. Have a great weekend!
Wow, that was unnecessarily cruel. I hope that you are proud. I guarantee you would have similar questions if you were thinking of relocating in a totally different climate, so please don't try to insinuate that I am being unreasonable. Have a great weekend!
Why is that cruel? I was being serious (ok, maybe slightly snarky). Your available options really are different if you have a 500k versus 50k income or 5000k or 5k for that matter) and if you need to have a SFH versus condo/apartment. If your income is 50k and you must have a SFH, I'm not going to recommend SF to you.
Why is that cruel? I was being serious (ok, maybe slightly snarky). Your available options really are different if you have a 500k versus 50k income or 5000k or 5k for that matter) and if you need to have a SFH versus condo/apartment. If your income is 50k and you must have a SFH, I'm not going to recommend SF to you.
Ok, I may have misjudged you. Sorry. I consider myself middle class. I would want to eventually buy a house. I know that I wouldn't be able to afford one in SFO...agreed. Smaller towns usually are more manageable which is why I am open to them. I am definitely keeping my options open because who knows where it may lead me?
I'm wondering if places like Moscow and Pocatello in Idaho Pullman and Cheney in Washington, Corvallis Oregon, Logan or Ogden in Utah would work? Maybe Laramie Wyoming, Fort Collins Colorado or Cedar City Utah too.
I'm kinda guessing you are being sarcastic.
Moscow Idaho, Pullman, WA Cheney, WA Fort Collins, CO, Ogden? All of those places get more than 50 inches of snow a year. Some years they get 60-140 inches a year. Far more than any city in the North East.
If you want to move north and not deal with much snow, simply move to the areas along the coast.
Moscow Idaho, Pullman, WA Cheney, WA Fort Collins, CO, Ogden? All of those places get more than 50 inches of snow a year. Some years they get 60-140 inches a year. Far more than any city in the North East.
If you want to move north and not deal with much snow, simply move to the areas along the coast.
Thanks for letting me know about the amount of snow those areas get. That's actually a brilliant idea about the coastline. I appreciate it!
Denver sunnier than Florida? That's a marketing joke based on a technicality. In the real world? No way.
Some reasons it isn't.
They are using "completely clear days" vs partly cloudy days. Florida doesn't really do overcast. But there are almost always clouds arising except in late fall winter b/c of humidity...So it will get chalked up as "partly cloudy" You still get plenty of sun as anybody who can attest to will surely tell you, and pretty much every single day unless there is a hurricane. The rain storms do not last long as they are usually moving fast through. It's a very very rare day in Florida where you don't see the sun.
Also due to it's latitude, the sun will be much more potent and you'll have longer days in the winter. Most of FL is also in the west side of the eastern time zone which makes this even more true.
Anyway...
as far as OP goes... I would look at CA up and down, and Arizona and the southwest in General. Denver does not have a long growing season if you are a gardener... If you like sun at all, you will hate the Pac NW.
Denver also has a longer "possible snow" range than the North. The cold air masses can come in very late down through the Rockies, where as east of the rockies you have the warm southern air mass already pushing up the arctic high, and on the west coast you have pacific moderation.
good gauge of where it's possible to dip cold and kill your plants.
Last edited by Garfieldian; 10-21-2011 at 10:34 AM..
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