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11-21-2011, 10:24 PM
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4 posts, read 32,654 times
Reputation: 18
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Okay, I want to relocate, and these are my criteria:
I’m from Northeastern Ohio and I enjoy it, but don’t like a few things, mainly… too flat, too cloudy... I just need a change.
I’ve been west, but love the feel and the foliage of the east, so with that said let’s stick east of the Mississippi
Most importantly, I need 4 seasons! Fall and fall leaves are my favorite. I like snow and can take a cold winter, and don't mind a hot summer, but I need a good fall! I would like an area reasonably close to the mountains and the ocean, with a preference to the mountains, with a great variety of outdoor activities, a young population with a good university, and good social scene, and also very importantly, a lot of sunshine. Too many clouds are depressing. So I figure that leaves pretty much most of the Northeast coast, going down to around North Carolina. I don’t know weather/cloud patterns though for these areas. I would like a decent size city, but small enough to be able to take a short drive to get to rural areas (where I’d live). Anyone know a place close to this? It's got to exist!
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11-22-2011, 08:43 AM
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24,940 posts, read 39,256,363 times
Reputation: 26928
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I'd recommend checking out Charlottesville, Virginia...
Charlottesville, Virginia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
If Charlottesville is too small, look at Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
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11-22-2011, 08:54 AM
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81,337 posts, read 109,212,034 times
Reputation: 17073
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Perhaps Philadelphia or Washington DC for major metros, eventhough the whole Bos-Wash corridor could work. For medium or smaller metros, maybe Albany, Kingston(New Paltz), Burlington, Portland ME, Charlottesville VA, Richmond and Harrisburg. Scranton-Wilkes Barre and Newburgh-Middletown-Poughkeepsie may work as well. Specific communities like Nyack, White Plains/New Rochelle, New Brunswick/Piscataway, Cambridge, Amherst, New Paltz, Charlottesville, Newark DE and College Park MD might be exactly what you are looking for. New Brunswick might be perfect with Rutgers being there and its proximity to the Jersey Shore and the Poconos and Catskills. It is also between NYC and Philadelphia. Charlottesville with University of VA is close to the coast and the mountains too.
Last edited by ckhthankgod; 11-22-2011 at 09:19 AM..
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11-22-2011, 09:13 AM
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Location: New Hampshire
2,257 posts, read 7,822,444 times
Reputation: 4094
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BusterBrot
Okay, I want to relocate, and these are my criteria:
I’m from Northeastern Ohio and I enjoy it, but don’t like a few things, mainly… too flat, too cloudy... I just need a change.
I’ve been west, but love the feel and the foliage of the east, so with that said let’s stick east of the Mississippi
Most importantly, I need 4 seasons! Fall and fall leaves are my favorite. I like snow and can take a cold winter, and don't mind a hot summer, but I need a good fall! I would like an area reasonably close to the mountains and the ocean, with a preference to the mountains, with a great variety of outdoor activities, a young population with a good university, and good social scene, and also very importantly, a lot of sunshine. Too many clouds are depressing. So I figure that leaves pretty much most of the Northeast coast, going down to around North Carolina. I don’t know weather/cloud patterns though for these areas. I would like a decent size city, but small enough to be able to take a short drive to get to rural areas (where I’d live). Anyone know a place close to this? It's got to exist!
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Not all of the Northeast might be as cloudy as you think. Take a look at this set of comprehensive maps; you'll notice that the coastal Northeast is relatively sunny, especially during the winter.
I would highly recommend any number of coastal towns in Maine and New Hampshire. Some places, like Camden and Bar Harbor, actually have ocean and mountains in the same setting (non-existent elsewhere on the Atlantic coast), but these towns probably don't have the social scene you're looking for. However, it's only an hour and a half drive between the mountains and the coast in most areas, which is a considerably shorter distance than you'll find in the Carolinas. Also, the autumn foliage here is much more vibrant than in the lowland areas of the Southeast.
My first suggestion would be the Portsmouth-Durham area of NH. Durham is home to UNH and both towns have young, lively populations. Portsmouth is a beautiful, historic small city. Towns adjacent to Durham, like Lee and Madbury, are considerably more rural, and there are many other small rural towns to the west and north.
Another option would be Portland, ME. Portland is about three times larger than Portsmouth and is one of the largest cities in northern New England so there's plenty of activity. It's less dominated by young/college-aged people, but nearby Gorham is home to the University of Southern Maine. Again, there are many small rural towns in the vicinity.
A third option is the Bangor-Orono, ME area. Orono is a typical college town, home to the University of Maine, and Bangor is the commercial and cultural hub of the region. While Portsmouth and Portland are closer to the White Mountains of NH, Bangor-Orono is closer to Baxter State Park (home to Mt. Katahdin) and the lower mountain elevations along the coastline. |
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11-22-2011, 09:20 AM
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81,337 posts, read 109,212,034 times
Reputation: 17073
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Princeton NJ also would work, as it is very similar to nearby New Brunswick.
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11-22-2011, 09:32 AM
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4 posts, read 32,654 times
Reputation: 18
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Wow thanks for all the great info! With this alone, I have my homework set out for me... Lots of cities to explore. Thank you
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11-22-2011, 01:22 PM
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Location: Corona, CA
137 posts, read 220,937 times
Reputation: 102
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ckhthankgod
Perhaps Philadelphia or Washington DC for major metros, eventhough the whole Bos-Wash corridor could work. For medium or smaller metros, maybe Albany, Kingston(New Paltz), Burlington, Portland ME, Charlottesville VA, Richmond and Harrisburg. Scranton-Wilkes Barre and Newburgh-Middletown-Poughkeepsie may work as well. Specific communities like Nyack, White Plains/New Rochelle, New Brunswick/Piscataway, Cambridge, Amherst, New Paltz, Charlottesville, Newark DE and College Park MD might be exactly what you are looking for. New Brunswick might be perfect with Rutgers being there and its proximity to the Jersey Shore and the Poconos and Catskills. It is also between NYC and Philadelphia. Charlottesville with University of VA is close to the coast and the mountains too.
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No, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre will NOT help if sunshine is a main factor. You will be equally depressed with the cloud-cover there as in NE Ohio. I assume the OP lives near Cleveland, which receives 49% of the annual possible sunshine. Well guess what -- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Binghamton, NY receives between 49-51% annually. The only place in PA near the mountains with high sunshine % is Harrisburg (58%). Also, the Poconos would have the same sunshine % as Scranton/WB. Word of advice-- for PA sunshine, stick to Harrisburg, York, Philadelphia area. Avoid Western, Central, and Northeastern PA.
I also like to point out that you mentioned College Park, MD. That is an improvement over NE Ohio. I went to school there and was pleasantly surprised at the abundant sunshine compared to Scranton, PA, especially during the winter months. |
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