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As much as I love Austin, it's starting to become too big for me. I've come to realize I prefer a city with around 300K people maximum. Also, although I like the no income tax of Texas, the property taxes take a large bite because of the increasing prices.
These are my requirements:
* city population between 100K-500K, metro between 150K-1M
* average winter highs above 50 during January (I hate cold weather)
* fairly consistent weather (I hate the day to day swings here)
* low property taxes
* nice restaurant scene (I like to eat out)
* theaters with food/beer/wine (like Alamo Drafthouse)
* high percentage of females to males (I'm a single male)
* either near the beach, mountains, or both
* fairly close to a big city for excursions
* good roads, low traffic conditions
* unique culture
* some festivals throughout the year
Right now I'm considering these cities: Albuquerque NM (mountains & dry weather), Lafayette LA (low property taxes & culture), Tucson AZ (mountains & dry weather), & Charleston SC (beach & culture)
But I'm open to other ideas.
I'm basically trying to find the "next Austin," what Austin was circa 1990.
As much as I love Austin, it's starting to become too big for me. I've come to realize I prefer a city with around 300K people maximum. Also, although I like the no income tax of Texas, the property taxes take a large bite because of the increasing prices.
These are my requirements:
* city population between 100K-500K, metro between 150K-1M
* average winter highs above 50 during January (I hate cold weather)
* fairly consistent weather (I hate the day to day swings here)
* low property taxes
* nice restaurant scene (I like to eat out)
* theaters with food/beer/wine (like Alamo Drafthouse)
* high percentage of females to males (I'm a single male)
* either near the beach, mountains, or both
* fairly close to a big city for excursions
* good roads, low traffic conditions
* unique culture
* some festivals throughout the year
Right now I'm considering these cities: Albuquerque NM (mountains & dry weather), Lafayette LA (low property taxes & culture), Tucson AZ (mountains & dry weather), & Charleston SC (beach & culture)
But I'm open to other ideas.
I'm basically trying to find the "next Austin," what Austin was circa 1990.
As already recommended I would suggest checking out St Petersburg FL
It hits all of your criteria and is a city on the move in terms of development and that energy coming together like it has already in cities like Austin, Nashville and Raleigh-Durham. Having personally witnessed that type of growth I see St Petersburg very clearly heading that direction unlike any other city in the Southeast except maybe Louisville, which doesn't hit your geographic proximity requirement to beach or mountains.
As much as I love Austin, it's starting to become too big for me. I've come to realize I prefer a city with around 300K people maximum. Also, although I like the no income tax of Texas, the property taxes take a large bite because of the increasing prices.
These are my requirements:
* city population between 100K-500K, metro between 150K-1M
* average winter highs above 50 during January (I hate cold weather)
* fairly consistent weather (I hate the day to day swings here)
* low property taxes
* nice restaurant scene (I like to eat out)
* theaters with food/beer/wine (like Alamo Drafthouse)
* high percentage of females to males (I'm a single male)
* either near the beach, mountains, or both
* fairly close to a big city for excursions
* good roads, low traffic conditions
* unique culture
* some festivals throughout the year
Right now I'm considering these cities: Albuquerque NM (mountains & dry weather), Lafayette LA (low property taxes & culture), Tucson AZ (mountains & dry weather), & Charleston SC (beach & culture)
But I'm open to other ideas.
I'm basically trying to find the "next Austin," what Austin was circa 1990.
Tucson is in a beautiful setting, but you really have to be someone that enjoys the desert. What I found alarming with Tucson was it seems to be stuck in the past, with no desire to ever move forward. It's road system is no system at all. It is a very frustrating area to drive in, with only 1 fwy, and long surface streets in terrible shape. The one fwy only skirts the city to the west, and runs north south I-10. The entire city of Tucson and its suburbs to the east, are not served by a fwy at all, just surface streets. Many street are in such poor shape, you wonder how could any city allow this to happen to itself. Many are so bad they are not fit to drive on. Though I believe some have been repaved. It really takes forever to get across town in Tucson. The obvious reason that is very visible with Tucson is lack of revenue coming into the city. It is a very poor city and Tucson does not want to become another Phoenix. You will notice that immediately when talking, to many long time residents. You will notice that and a few other things very quickly.
So again the setting Tucson sits in is just beautiful, surround by mountains on all sides. It's just the stagnant viewpoints of many long time residents, the lack of proper revenue coming into the city. Plus the refusal to live in this day and age with a proper road system, will continually hold Tucson back. These problems are obviously a big part of the reason, Tucson does not attract businesses and employment. Believe me when I say there are people in Tucson that commute to the Phoenix area for employment. They simply cannot find it in Tucson. Phoenix is 110 miles to the north, then add on wherever your going in that huge massive Metro.
If you end up deciding on Tucson. Make sure you visit and make it long enough, that you know you will be comfortable actually living there. Rents are not really all that low, for anyplace you would want to live. Rents are raised very frequently. Like Austin it is a big University Town, which we all know has an impact on rents. So good luck but do make a visit and make sure you know, what your getting into wherever you decide to move to.
As already recommended I would suggest checking out St Petersburg FL
It hits all of your criteria and is a city on the move in terms of development and that energy coming together like it has already in cities like Austin, Nashville and Raleigh-Durham. Having personally witnessed that type of growth I see St Petersburg very clearly heading that direction unlike any other city in the Southeast except maybe Louisville, which doesn't hit your geographic proximity requirement to beach or mountains.
The problem is that Tampa/St. Pete is too big - 2.5 million in metro. I've found that I prefer a mid sized city, that area is too big. I did like the Clearwater beaches though, wow!
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