Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
-Cookeville TN, population not quite 31K but only an hour from Nashville, and home of Tennessee Tech
-Johnson City TN, population 63K in a tri- cities area of roughly 500K, home of ETSU and roughly 45 minutes from Asheville NC with similar terrain/outdoour lifestyle
-I'm in my 20s, so I would like a city that has a lot of people in their 20s and 30s.
-Somewhere where the people are nice and easy to talk to. Where's it's easy to make friends to hang out with and a decent/good dating scene.
-I've been to Chicago and hated it. I hate big cites that are fast paced and the streets are filled with people in business suits rushing to their next corporate meeting. A laidback city that has at least 50k people but definitely no more then say 300-400k. Just don't want to live somewhere where everything revolves around your career.
-A variety of outdoor activities like hiking, biking, snowmobiling, camping, skiing, or fishing, etc.
-But I also like going shopping, to the movies and going to eat. A city where you're not stuck going to the same few restaurants all the time. I'm not into clubbing and partying.
I have visited many cities looking for that same type of vibe (though I am older) and my first instinct was Asheville as an answer. It really nails the feel I think you're looking for from your description with a population largely geared toward those interests, a welcoming/friendly vibe easy to assimilate into and a restaurant/food scene that's mind-boggling for it's size that easily matches up to cities 10 times the population. Some say finding a job can be difficult (given the city's population is around 85K it's understandable) but with a degree that's in demand of any kind, you should be able to find something with a proper search and some time invested.
Yeah, Portland and Seattle are too big for me. They seem like nice cities though!
Right now I'm leaning towards Asheville, Portland Maine, Missoula, and maybe Flagstaff. I've heard it's hard to to get a job in Portland though. That worries me. Are there any cities in New Hampshire that would be a good fit for me?
Another area that comes to mind is the Albany-Schenectady-Troy(and Saratoga Springs) area of NY. It is close to the Adirondacks, Berkshires, Catskills and even the Green Mountains of Vermont.
What may be a good or bad thing is that you have 4 cities with their own scene and maybe a few smaller places that also have or are developing their own scene.
It is the 58th biggest metro in the country, but is only about 2-3 hours from NYC and Boston.
While the state capital is there, it also has a tech sector in the area. Higher education and healthcare are big there as well.
Last edited by ckhthankgod; 02-08-2016 at 01:57 PM..
I would say Portland, Seattle, Denver, or Austin, even though those are a bit larger. There's nowhere better to be in your twenties in 2016 than those cities. Lots of outdoor recreation at your doorstep in any of them.
I would say Portland, Seattle, Denver, or Austin, even though those are a bit larger. There's nowhere better to be in your twenties in 2016 than those cities. Lots of outdoor recreation at your doorstep in any of them.
The OP already posted Seattle and Portland were too big. Denver has a population similar to Seattle's. I'm not aware of Austin's populstion, but I thought it was a million. I could be wrong though.
There are plenty of smaller cities that meet what the OP wants. I'm puzzled how come few recommend any cities no with the 30 -40 highest populations.
I admire you, Bawac for trying to help.
Think 400,000 and lower.
MSR
Last edited by Mtn. States Resident; 02-08-2016 at 08:56 PM..
Yeah, Portland and Seattle are too big for me. They seem like nice cities though!
Right now I'm leaning towards Asheville, Portland Maine, Missoula, and maybe Flagstaff. I've heard it's hard to to get a job in Portland though. That worries me. Are there any cities in New Hampshire that would be a good fit for me?
Do you want to be in the east or west? I'm aware you don't want midwest. I think some are struggling here as you post both western and eastern cities together. Would you please clarify?
Please give us some more specific information so those who post aren't wasting their time or yours.
You need to have a job or be independently wealth for Missoula. I'd encourage you to check the jobs now for the work you do to see if there are openings in Missoula.
if you consider Asheville , may want to consider Greenville SC 60 miles south. warmer in winter by 10 degrees on average, and more stuff, and more modern, and much lower cost of living and a lot more jobs.
Another area that comes to mind is the Albany-Schenectady-Troy(and Saratoga Springs) area of NY. It is close to the Adirondacks, Berkshires, Catskills and even the Green Mountains of Vermont.
What may be a good or bad thing is that you have 4 cities with their own scene and maybe a few smaller places that also have or are developing their own scene.
It is the 58th biggest metro in the country, but is only about 2-3 hours from NYC and Boston.
While the state capital is there, it also has a tech sector in the area. Higher education and healthcare are big there as well.
I second this! I love Upstate NY. Saratoga probably has the most outdoorsy personality of the upstate region, in my opinion. Geographically, you can't beat Upstate NY. You've got Woodstock and the Catskills within 40 mins. Vermont is 20 minutes from Troy. You're so close to NYC/Boston/Montreal/Philly..close-ish. Weekend and day trips even are so easy. Lark St in uptown Albany is alive, full of young people constantly (mmm..Bombers Burritos!). You've got a great college scene, the people are so friendly everywhere.
I also back Ithaca and Burlington as options.
And, because my heart is perpetually fixated Westward, I have to recommend checking out Boulder if you're loaded, Ft Collins if you've got good savings and a marketable career to be able to find a job as it's heavily saturated.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
