Does this place exist? (Snowy winters, friendly people, historic architecture, low taxes) (houses, school)

[LostAnomaly]

Hi! I recently left a certain high-tax west coast state for a temporary spot in the desert, and am now trying to figure out a place to "put down roots." I may be a bit of an anomaly, so I'm having trouble figuring out where to go. I'd appreciate any advice!

I know the perfect place doesn't exist and I'll need to compromise in some areas (perhaps many), but I thought I'd tap into the collective wisdom of the City Data forum to see if there's some place I haven't yet considered.

Here's what I'm looking for:
- Lots of green and water (fresh water preferred, especially lakes)
- Friendly, reliable people (I'm tired of California flakiness)
- A more humid, cooler climate (dryness and heat above 90F crush my soul)
- Four seasons, a snowy winter, and actual "weather" (I find endless sunshine boring and love winter clothing)
- Outdoor activities (hiking, swimming, skiing, boating, horseback riding)
- Lower taxes (especially income tax)
- A business-friendly, more conservative state that is not a "sanctuary state"
- A bit of a tech/startup/entrepreneurial scene
- A strong connection to the land, agriculture, farming
- Common sense urban planning (bike-friendly, transit-friendly, walkable downtown)
- Historic and more traditional architecture
- Within a 2-hour drive of a major airport, or very close to a smaller regional airport
- Not everyone is married, but also not exclusively a college town
- Some single men with integrity and high motivation
- Population somewhere between 25,000 and 600,000
- Smart workforce for when I need to hire (I currently work from home)
- No sagebrush or chaparral

As someone who's spent most of her life in the busy, stucco'd sprawl of SoCal, I really dig the beautiful stone and brick architecture (whether they're houses or public buildings) in places east of the Rockies. Traditional farmhouses are awesome, too. Also, I'm sick of cactus, sagebrush, and succulents and prefer colorful, green English-garden-style flora. One of my favorite climate types is Koppen Cfb, but the only place it exists in the continental US is a very liberal sanctuary state (Washington) with a high business gross receipts tax. Boo.

Basically, I'm looking for Switzerland, but in the U.S. Does something like it exist here?

More about me, in case it's helpful:
- Mid-30s female, single, no kids
- Motivated and creative entrepreneur with high income
- Educated (grad school) but I don't think higher education is required to be smart and successful
- Friends and family are scattered around the country
- Fiscally conservative
- Socially I don't care too much, as long as it doesn't harm anyone and it's not shoved in my face
- High respect for military
- Strong moral principles but not religious
- Strong love and respect for animals and nature
- Down-to-earth and friendly

Thanks so much!!

[Thoreau424]

I racked my brain thinking of a place, but only came up with places in Europe and possibly Canada. Some US locations started coming to mind, only to have other factors squash them and cancel them out.

[Soonhun]

Originally Posted by Thoreau424

I racked my brain thinking of a place, but only came up with places in Europe and possibly Canada. Some US locations started coming to mind, only to have other factors squash them and cancel them out.

What conservative Canadian or European places were you thinking of with low taxes, especially by standards of an American?

[Count David]

OP, you essentially want a liberal town and lifestyle with a conservative populace.

You will need to bend on some of your criteria. I mean Coeur d'Alene, ID is a good candidate, but lacks some pretty glaring things.

[Southern man]

Originally Posted by LostAnomaly

Hi! I recently left a certain high-tax west coast state for a temporary spot in the desert, and am now trying to figure out a place to "put down roots." I may be a bit of an anomaly, so I'm having trouble figuring out where to go. I'd appreciate any advice!

I know the perfect place doesn't exist and I'll need to compromise in some areas (perhaps many), but I thought I'd tap into the collective wisdom of the City Data forum to see if there's some place I haven't yet considered.

Here's what I'm looking for:
- Lots of green and water (fresh water preferred, especially lakes)
- Friendly, reliable people (I'm tired of California flakiness)
- A more humid, cooler climate (dryness and heat above 90F crush my soul)
- Four seasons, a snowy winter, and actual "weather" (I find endless sunshine boring and love winter clothing)
- Outdoor activities (hiking, swimming, skiing, boating, horseback riding)
- Lower taxes (especially income tax)
- A business-friendly, more conservative state that is not a "sanctuary state"
- A bit of a tech/startup/entrepreneurial scene
- A strong connection to the land, agriculture, farming
- Common sense urban planning (bike-friendly, transit-friendly, walkable downtown)
- Historic and more traditional architecture
- Within a 2-hour drive of a major airport, or very close to a smaller regional airport
- Not everyone is married, but also not exclusively a college town
- Some single men with integrity and high motivation
- Population somewhere between 25,000 and 600,000
- Smart workforce for when I need to hire (I currently work from home)
- No sagebrush or chaparral

As someone who's spent most of her life in the busy, stucco'd sprawl of SoCal, I really dig the beautiful stone and brick architecture (whether they're houses or public buildings) in places east of the Rockies. Traditional farmhouses are awesome, too. Also, I'm sick of cactus, sagebrush, and succulents and prefer colorful, green English-garden-style flora. One of my favorite climate types is Koppen Cfb, but the only place it exists in the continental US is a very liberal sanctuary state (Washington) with a high business gross receipts tax. Boo.

Basically, I'm looking for Switzerland, but in the U.S. Does something like it exist here?

More about me, in case it's helpful:
- Mid-30s female, single, no kids
- Motivated and creative entrepreneur with high income
- Educated (grad school) but I don't think higher education is required to be smart and successful
- Friends and family are scattered around the country
- Fiscally conservative
- Socially I don't care too much, as long as it doesn't harm anyone and it's not shoved in my face
- High respect for military
- Strong moral principles but not religious
- Strong love and respect for animals and nature
- Down-to-earth and friendly

Thanks so much!!

Carrollton ,Georgia with the exception of the 90deg. Weather.

[NDFan]

Nope.

[LostAnomaly]

Originally Posted by Count David

OP, you essentially want a liberal town and lifestyle with a conservative populace.

You will need to bend on some of your criteria. I mean Coeur d'Alene, ID is a good candidate, but lacks some pretty glaring things.

I suppose - though I don't know why common sense things like walkability, bike- and transit-planning are considered liberal policies in this country.

Coeur d'Alene is gorgeous!

[LostAnomaly]

Hehe. If I had to choose between liberal and conservative at the state/local level, I'd rather have a more liberal city (due to those "progressive" urban planning policies) in a more conservative state (for the tax purposes, overall fiscal responsibility, and less nanny-like behavior).

I'd probably prioritize climate/terrain and people. I can always travel to a bigger city to ride a train and look at cool architecture.

I knew this would be a challenge!

Anything in the midwest? I'm not as familiar with that area...

Thanks again.

[Count David]

Originally Posted by LostAnomaly

I suppose - though I don't know why common sense things like walkability, bike- and transit-planning are considered liberal policies in this country.

Coeur d'Alene is gorgeous!

Indeed it is.

And to respond to your previous statement, it's pretty obvious that most conservative cities/towns do not prioritize things like that, in fact, they discourage them if anything. Conservative cities and towns are typically suburban in nature, if anything is prioritized it's to better accommodate more single-family houses and more roads (aka car-oriented transit).

[jfre81]

Cleveland/Akron general area of NE Ohio probably meets more of this criteria than not.