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Hi,
I am looking for a city in the USA that is as close as possible to the following:
1.Lower crime rate 2. Lots of parks and trails 3. Lots of things for young families to do
4. Nice views (mountains, lakes, rivers) 5. Shopping areas in short drive or walk 6. Good school systems
7. Cute downtown area
8. Active lifestlye 9. Friendly people/small community feel (easy to make friends as an adult) 10. Low unemployment rate 11. Mild winters (doesn't get a lot of snow, averages around 32-41 degrees F) 12. Medium sized (population around 100,000-150,000) but close to a larger city
*bold= more important
Also, my budget is $575,000 for a newer renovated home that has 3-4 bedrooms and 2+ bathrooms. I am also becoming a nurse, so nearby hospitals would be nice
Now of course, not all these things will be met, but I am looking for a city as close as possible to this. Thank you for your help!
Huntsville Alabama meets many of your requirements.
1. Lower crime rate. The crime rate seems fairly high, but it is mostly localized and / or drug-related.
2. Parks and trails. In the city there is a growing greenway system, plus several parks and recreation areas. Monte Sano State Park is minutes from downtown. Fantastic hiking within an hours' drive.
3. Young families. Huntsville is known as a great place to raise a family - good schools, sports, museums etc., nature.
4. Views. Foothills of the Appalachians, Tennessee River with lakes.
5. Shopping. Several national chains (e.g. Whole Foods under construction) within short drive. Not very walkable.
6. Schools. Huntsville and adjacent City of Madison have nationally ranked high schools (Gus Grissom HS, Bob Jones HS).
7. Cute downtown. Huntsville has a small but vibrant downtown (restaurants, bars / brewpubs, museums, civic center), with a large collection of antebellum homes.
8. Active lifestyle. Depends on you. Several gyms, hiking, running, mountain biking, hunting, fishing, boating, canoeing, etc.
9. Friendly people. I think so.
10. Unemployment. Depends on your field.
11. Winters. Not much snow / ice. We do get some days in the teens in January / February. The average Christmas Day temperature is 50F.
12. Huntsville population = 180,000. City of Madison pop = 45,000. Metro population = ~420,000. Nashville, Birmingham, and Chattanooga are each about 1 1/2 hours away. Beaches are about 6 hours away.
$575,000 will get you a nice home. Huntsville Hospital, UAB School of Medicine, and Crestwood Medical Center are located within a few miles of each other. HH also has a Madison location. The US Army also has a hospital at the military base (Redstone Arsenal).
Apex is more "Pleasantville" than the "Stepford" Cary....but neither is as "Mayberry" as they claim to be.
I personally would rather live in Apex than Cary; granted I also graduated from Apex High School and my mom currently lives right near downtown Apex so I might be bias.
Hearing the word "Cary" makes me cringe and roll my eyes instinctively; especially when it has a New Yoaka accent on it.
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