North/North East location recommendation (home, employment, neighborhoods)

[mlearn2]

Hey,

I was wondering if anyone had any insight into where a good place to move would be for someone who is single and in their mid-twenties. I have a few places in mind, but I'd like to see what my peers have to say as well.

A few of the qualifications I've come up with:

- Safe
- Friendly
- People are generally happy living here
- A good place to raise a family (A future hope of mine)
- Located somewhere in the North / North East (I'd like a place with all four seasons; I don't hate winter.)
- Sufficient amount of young people
- Decent employment opportunities
- Close (hopefully less than an hour away; the closer the better) proximity to hiking, skiing/snowboarding, fishing, camping, kayaking, rock climbing, biking opportunities. Basically, someplace close to outdoor activities.
- Size can vary, but I don't want to live in a huge city (250,000+ people is a no go). Small town/cities aren't off my radar.
- Sports teams are a plus, but even somewhere without a major sports team but close enough to travel to see a game every now and then is acceptable as well.

Anyone have any ideas?

[steel03]

I would recommend Upstate New York, Vermont, Maine, and northern Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Specifically, Portland, Maine and Duluth, Minnesota seem like good options for you.

[just_sayin']

If your 250k+ limit is only city-limits population and not metro population.....Any of the Upstate NY metros would work for you. Buffalo has NHL and NFL and Syracuse has essentially the only worth-mentioning college sports in the state. Rochester has the healthiest economy and the major upstate metros and generally the nicest suburban neighborhoods.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by mlearn2

- Safe
- Friendly
- People are generally happy living here
- A good place to raise a family (A future hope of mine)
- Located somewhere in the North / North East (I'd like a place with all four seasons; I don't hate winter.)
- Sufficient amount of young people
- Decent employment opportunities
- Close (hopefully less than an hour away; the closer the better) proximity to hiking, skiing/snowboarding, fishing, camping, kayaking, rock climbing, biking opportunities. Basically, someplace close to outdoor activities.
- Size can vary, but I don't want to live in a huge city (250,000+ people is a no go). Small town/cities aren't off my radar.
- Sports teams are a plus, but even somewhere without a major sports team but close enough to travel to see a game every now and then is acceptable as well.

I'd recommend Madison, Wisconsin. It hits all of your criteria. It's safe, friendly, has a young population, a very low unemployment rate (5.4%) as the state capital and home of the University of Wisconsin, excellent nearby recreational opportunity, bike-friendly in general, population of 235K and is a bit over an hour away from Milwaukee for pro sports (MLB's Milwaukee Brewers or NBA's Milwaukee Bucks).

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by just_sayin'

If your 250k+ limit is only city-limits population and not metro population.....Any of the Upstate NY metros would work for you. Buffalo has NHL and NFL and Syracuse has essentially the only worth-mentioning college sports in the state. Rochester has the healthiest economy and the major upstate metros and generally the nicest suburban neighborhoods.

I concur and I'd even add Ithaca, as it has the lowest unemployment rate for all NY metros and one of the lowest in the conutry. It also has Cornell University sports, a good art and music scene, is right on a Finger Lake, is close/close enough to skiing and mountains, has a Downtown with things to do and is growing and is largely safe with good, diverse schools in the Ithaca City SD.

Albany may work as well and it is within a couple of hours from NYC or Boston. It has a areas like Center Square/Lark Street in Albany, Upper Union in Schenectady and Downtown Troy, which attract younger folks. Can't forget Saratoga Springs as well. Again, there are plenty of good schools in that area and there are two Division 1 sports programs and pro sports are in the bigger areas mentioned.

A big sleeper may be Plattsburgh, due to having a 2 and 4 year college, but also for being close to Burlington VT and Montreal, along with being more affordable than Burlington. Both of those cites are about an hour or so away. You could even take a ferry over to Burlington and if you have an enhanced driver's license or passport, Montreal is no problem. Plattsburgh also has good schools and a free beach on Lake Champlain for city residents and is less than an hour from the Adirondacks. You could get your sports fix in both of the aforementioned cities on a Division 1 and Pro level as well.

Also, depending on what kind of jobs you are looking for, unemployment rates may be misleading, as a certain industry may be doing well in spite of the numbers. Health care is one that comes to mind, as well as higher education.

I'd also add cities in Michigan like Lansing and Ann Arbor as possibilities.

[mlearn2]

I've looked into Madison, and it seems like one of the better options. Are there any places similar to it on the East Coast?

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by mlearn2

I've looked into Madison, and it seems like one of the better options. Are there any places similar to it on the East Coast?

Ithaca is essentially a smaller version from what I've heard, but that could have been just one person's opinion. Burlington VT may also fit. Amherst MA may be another option.

[marothisu]

Madison, WI is the first thing that comes to mind.

[ckhthankgod]

Another place that may fit is New Paltz NY, which puts you reasonably close to NYC and it is right by the Catskills. You may find employment in the Hudson Valley. It is known for its Hippy vibe.

A sleeper could be the Allentown-Bethlem-Easton area in PA, as you would be close to the Poconos, Philadelphia and NYC.

In the Midwest, you may like other Big 10 college towns like Champaign-Urbana IL, West Lafayette IN, Bloomington IN and Iowa City IA. Akron and nearby Kent in Northeast OH could be worth a look.

While it isn't in the Northeast or Midwest, but close, Morgantown WV could be a possibility and is only an hour south of Pittsburgh.

[steel03]

Just a reminder that Madison is almost three times bigger than your specified maximum population at 600k people. If you're willing to go bigger than 250k, add to your list Ann Arbor, MI; Des Moines, IA; Syracuse, NY; Lincoln, NE; Lansing, MI; and Omaha, NE. All between 300k and 900k and all have similar vibes to Madison. Ann Arbor, Des Moines, and Omaha are especially similar.