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It all started with an idealistic list. If I could build the perfect town to live in, what would it be like? In the mountains, affordable, great activities nearby, and friendly people.
About two years ago, I had the opportunity to move from Sonoma County in CA, to Missoula, MT. A friend of mine was relocating and I decided to give it a try and leave my friends and family for an adventure. While it's been a great experience so far, the biggest lesson that I've learned is that I am a solar powered person, and I need to live somewhere with more sunshine to be happy. It turns out the western MT is fairly similar to Seattle with the average number of sunny days per year. Winter drags though April and May and then suddenly it's summer. And yes, I've tried supplements and UV lights to see if they help.
I've taken a recent promotion to a Project Manager position, so I am looking to stay in MT for another 8 to 10 months, and honestly the summers here are pretty spectacular. Not too worried about finding a job in the same industry, and I am willing to take a lower paying positing and work my way upward. But, I really don't think that I've got it in me to stay here for another winter.
So I turn to the expert advice of the forum to see if there are any suggestions for places that I should check out. I'm looking at small/medium communities that get a good amount of sunshine per year that are located in the mountains near to good biking and skiing. I don't mind the snow as long as it's not gray and cloudy most of the time. An active community would be nice for me to find. Trying to stay in the western part of the US, and I've been thinking about places like Bend OR, Grand Junction CO, Flagstaff and Prescott, AZ. Thought about heading back to CA, but would like to try somewhere else first. I checked out Boise, but I think that it's just a little too large of an area for me (great bike friendly city though).
Looking to put together a few scouting trips this summer to check places out.
Also (it's silly) but somewhere that has Oak trees is also a bonus. Because they're pretty, that's why.
For renting, probably around $1k would be the max, but I would eventually love to buy or build, and that budget would be around $250-$300k. So finding somewhere that's still mostly affordable would be nice.
I thought of Flagstaff right away. Lots of sun and the snow doesn't hang around that long when it comes. Nice little city. Amtrak, walkable downtown w/ shops.
Had a friend tell me to add Taos to the list as well.
I was going to say Taos or Santa Fe, but Santa Fe is pricey somewhat. Anywhere in New Mexico north of I-40 would probably fit your needs. And you have various sized cities in that area you could choose from.
I seriously considered Grand Junction and I still like the place but I decided on the Albuquerque area instead. For a young person, i think GJ would work well. I'm retired and favor a few more services and amenities but I live about 45 minutes out of downtown ABQ and the airport (partway toward Santa Fe). Both have many things to do for outdoor activities. ABQ has a bigger footprint, more work opportunities, and a near perfect climate but GJ probably gets more snow.
Santa Fe seems pricey if you decide to conform to the local lifestyle. It is touristic and there are a lot of cultural opportunities. I can be there in an hour but wouldn't want to live there. Taos is quite small and a mountain town with tourists in the summer and skiers in the winter...very pretty. Several friends keep a small 2nd home in Taos but live in ABQ. You have the mix of three cultures in New Mexico but not so much in GJ.
Albuquerque offers mountain and desert recreation and over 300 sunny days a year. Our oak trees are smaller Gamble Oaks growing in the mountains.
How about Greeley CO? It's just a bit over an hour north of Denver and in close proximity to the mountains/outdoor recreation with a cool, younger vibe like neighboring Fort Collins yet is still affordable and a bit less pretentious.
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