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We love places like Bend, OR and Boulder, CO. We want a community that is filled with fit, active people. I don’t care about liberal vs. conservative because I can’t stand politics in general. They’re all liars in my book. We just want a place with a live and let live attitude.
We don’t have children yet but do eventually plan on starting a family. Therefore, it would be important to have good schools in the area that we decide to settle down in. Also, a safe place to live with minimal crime is an absolute must.
We would prefer a climate that is on the sunnier side. We loved Portland and Seattle, but we visited in the summer and we are well aware that the gorgeous weather we experienced is typically only 3-4 months a year with the rest being overcast with a light drizzle. Being from Florida, we fear that the incessantly grey skies would wear on us the rest of the year. We would also like a change from the hot, humid Florida climate. Actually having 4 seasons sounds pretty great.
Outdoor recreation is key. We want access to mountains, forests, lakes, mountain biking and running trails, and preferably ocean (although this is not an absolute must). We love the idea of being able to go hiking, camping, mountain biking, and skiing (in the winter) on the weekends.
Size of the city is not all that important to us. We just don’t want to be in a small town. We would still like a place that has a good variety of quality restaurants, fun bars, great breweries, and a walkable downtown. And proximity to a large city would be nice for concerts, sporting events, et c.
Lastly, we would prefer a location in the west. We do love the fall foliage of the east, but we have decided that we can take an annual vacation for that.
Some of our favorite places that we are considering:
Bend, Boulder, Fort Collins, Boise (we’ve never been before, but we are intrigued by the area)
Missoula and Bozeman are on the short list as well, although we are somewhat concerned about being so far away from a major city/metro area.
Northern California is another great option, just concerned about the COL and how crowded it can be. The Bay area is great, but we’ve never been to the Sacramento/Davis area and don’t really know much about it.
Please let me know if there are any other large/medium size cities that we should be considering.
What would you do to earn an income? This matters a lot because if you need a certain type of job then that can narrow it down and if you're in the service industry or work at Walmart then that changes things as well because some areas are very pricey.
Sacramento is actually pretty cheap by California standards, not too far from the Bay Area for urban activities, or the Big Sur/Monterey area for nature. Sacramento has a lot of recreation in the areas around it too, and the beautiful WIne Country close by too. Summers there are hot but it's not humid, and nights do drop into the upper 50sF or 60sF. Winters get a bit chilly. So you won't get a 4 season climate with snow, but you do get some seasonal change and can always drive up to the mountains for snow in the winter.
We love places like Bend, OR and Boulder, CO. We want a community that is filled with fit, active people. I don’t care about liberal vs. conservative because I can’t stand politics in general. They’re all liars in my book. We just want a place with a live and let live attitude.
We don’t have children yet but do eventually plan on starting a family. Therefore, it would be important to have good schools in the area that we decide to settle down in. Also, a safe place to live with minimal crime is an absolute must.
We would prefer a climate that is on the sunnier side. We loved Portland and Seattle, but we visited in the summer and we are well aware that the gorgeous weather we experienced is typically only 3-4 months a year with the rest being overcast with a light drizzle. Being from Florida, we fear that the incessantly grey skies would wear on us the rest of the year. We would also like a change from the hot, humid Florida climate. Actually having 4 seasons sounds pretty great.
Outdoor recreation is key. We want access to mountains, forests, lakes, mountain biking and running trails, and preferably ocean (although this is not an absolute must). We love the idea of being able to go hiking, camping, mountain biking, and skiing (in the winter) on the weekends.
Size of the city is not all that important to us. We just don’t want to be in a small town. We would still like a place that has a good variety of quality restaurants, fun bars, great breweries, and a walkable downtown. And proximity to a large city would be nice for concerts, sporting events, et c.
Lastly, we would prefer a location in the west. We do love the fall foliage of the east, but we have decided that we can take an annual vacation for that.
Some of our favorite places that we are considering:
Bend, Boulder, Fort Collins, Boise (we’ve never been before, but we are intrigued by the area)
Missoula and Bozeman are on the short list as well, although we are somewhat concerned about being so far away from a major city/metro area.
Northern California is another great option, just concerned about the COL and how crowded it can be. The Bay area is great, but we’ve never been to the Sacramento/Davis area and don’t really know much about it.
Please let me know if there are any other large/medium size cities that we should be considering.
Northern California ticks most of those boxes and its much cheaper than southern California as long as you are further inland.
I would say come to Seattle, as there seems to be a fair amount of Florida expats here, but you said you would prefer a sunnier climate.
Eastern Oregon/Washington would probably suit you, as would Colorado and other Rocky Mountain states.
What would you do to earn an income? This matters a lot because if you need a certain type of job then that can narrow it down and if you're in the service industry or work at Walmart then that changes things as well because some areas are very pricey.
I am currently an Orthopaedic surgery resident, and I won't even begin to start searching for job opportunities for another few years still. We just wanted to start making a list of potential places we would consider living.
I would say come to Seattle, as there seems to be a fair amount of Florida expats here, but you said you would prefer a sunnier climate.
Eastern Oregon/Washington would probably suit you, as would Colorado and other Rocky Mountain states.
Seattle is the most beautiful city in the country (tied with SF, but #1 nonetheless!). No other city can rival Seattle's combination of urban and natural beauty. Other than the predominantly overcast weather, I consider it utopia. Since I have never lived anywhere with that type of climate, I really don't know how I would handle it, but I am hesitant to say the least. Regardless, I have no doubt we would love the recreational opportunities there. It remains on our list as a possibility.
Seattle is the most beautiful city in the country (tied with SF, but #1 nonetheless!). No other city can rival Seattle's combination of urban and natural beauty. Other than the predominantly overcast weather, I consider it utopia. Since I have never lived anywhere with that type of climate, I really don't know how I would handle it, but I am hesitant to say the least. Regardless, I have no doubt we would love the recreational opportunities there. It remains on our list as a possibility.
Try coming up during the non-summer months for a week and see. However, lately our winters have been drier than usual, so you may get a couple of sunny days dotted in there if you're lucky.
But seriously, I have ran into so many people from Florida here who absolutely love it, it's insane.
Quick sidenote: I lived in Seattle for 26 years. Yes, Summers are beautiful and you'll find cheerful, smiling people all over in the summer. Yes, the landscape is like a fairy tale land with all the green and moss and life.
BUT
I couldn't take it. Waiting all year for 2 months of Summer (and that is if you're lucky some years) was horrible. It came and went so fast. The rest of the year is fairly mild in temperature but it drizzles almost constantly. Many days my pants would be soaked to the mid calf from just walking around. Being close to the water the clouds seem to sit right on top of you and they are socked in with days of no sun for weeks. I wish I was exaggerating. I moved to New Mexico recently for a few years for some sun therapy but with my husband and I thinking about having children in the next few years we decided being closer to our families in the NW is a must. We are on a similar hunt now, trying to find good weather and nice people in a live and let live sort of environment.
So far we have Ashland OR, Bend OR, Walla Walla WA on the list with an option of checking out places in Idaho as well (I have a sister living there).
Good luck on your journey!! Hopefully we will both gain some insight on places that meet at least more than half of our criteria
But I just wanted you to know about Seattle for sure, I think you would regret a decision to move there within 2 years tops.
To the OP: I think Colorado may suit you. Fort Collins and Boulder, both college town, offer four seasons and the outdoor recreation you seek. I would also suggest you check out Flagstaff, AZ as well.
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but with my husband and I thinking about having children in the next few years we decided being closer to our families in the NW is a must. We are on a similar hunt now, trying to find good weather and nice people in a live and let live sort of environment. 
