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Kinda, most of my dealings were in Gainesville during my time in GA, and my mom has lived there five years now as well as a brother of mine, so sometimes I interchangeably say I lived in Gainesville, but never actually lived there...
I lived in Flowery Branch and networked around across parts of Gwinnett from Buford to Norcross to Suwanee to Snellville to Lawrenceville to Duluth, so about 6-7 years ago I was pretty familiar with Gwinnett...
I've always clarified that I didn't live in the city of Atlanta. Spent much time in the city though, so I didn't come to the conclusion that it isn't for me by just staying out in Gwinnett or Hall, however I your point about how I spent my time in Atlanta is well-received. I still get down there to see my mom every year, and we always do something in the city because there's nothing in Gainesville, but Georgia in general isn't my style...
I totally understand. I don't have kids, so I would never live that far out personally. I would live over the County line in Peachtree Corners if I did have kids for the schools alone, though. I have to admit that I do like what's happening with the old railroad towns in Gwinnett; Norcross, Duluth and Buford have cool little Downtown's. I'm close-in on the Chamblee/Brookhaven line, so it's a very different feel. I love my part of town and my neighborhood, so I have no plans to ever leave. I'm more of a city guy at heart.
Slightly right leaning, but not religious.
Four seasons with a mild winter though. unless it's in the mountains
By the ocean, in the mountains or by a lake.
A plethora of outdoor sports and activates. Biking, hiking, skiing, golfing, camping, surfing, swimming, etc.
Population under 50,000.
Low number of people per square mile.
With in an hour and half drive of a medium sized city with at least a regional airport.
Affordable property and land. Would like to have some land to set up a farm on unless it's close to the ocean.
A location that would allow for the use of solar panels / wind turbines for all power.
A climate that would allow for growing a good number fruits and vegetables.
I've considered areas around Santa Fe, NM / Moab, UT / Ogden, UT / Peublo, CO / Brunswick, GA or East Lakes, FL
-Safety is an absolute priority. You can't keep your community safe and have the rule of law enforced you are not worth it. -NO democrat-controlled cities. Doesn't have to be blood red as I'm indie, but based on this recent nonsense I've had ENOUGH of blue cities. Working, fine whatever I gotta make bread if that's where the jobs are, but NOT residing. They're not worth it.
-Metro area of 500K.
-Flat is fine I suppose. These hills in Pittsburgh are wearing me out and I ain't getting younger lol.
-4 seasons is fine. I don't even mind the cold; a few subzero days won't scare me. But I'm not a fan of tornadoes and these crazy t-storms where it's literally dangerous to step outside. -Transit. Bus, train, IDC. Doesn't have to run 24/7 but give me a nice alternative to driving or Uber. -Clean streets/sidewalks. FFS is there any pride in these places?
-Reliable Internet availability.
-Plentiful blue collar job opportunities with wages that aren't embarrassingly low.
-Affordability. Not dirt cheap but not over $700-$800 minimum for a studio apt.
-Safety is an absolute priority. You can't keep your community safe and have the rule of law enforced you are not worth it. -NO democrat-controlled cities. Doesn't have to be blood red as I'm indie, but based on this recent nonsense I've had ENOUGH of blue cities. Working, fine whatever I gotta make bread if that's where the jobs are, but NOT residing. They're not worth it.
-Metro area of 500K.
-Flat is fine I suppose. These hills in Pittsburgh are wearing me out and I ain't getting younger lol.
-4 seasons is fine. I don't even mind the cold; a few subzero days won't scare me. But I'm not a fan of tornadoes and these crazy t-storms where it's literally dangerous to step outside. -Transit. Bus, train, IDC. Doesn't have to run 24/7 but give me a nice alternative to driving or Uber. -Clean streets/sidewalks. FFS is there any pride in these places?
-Reliable Internet availability.
-Plentiful blue collar job opportunities with wages that aren't embarrassingly low.
-Affordability. Not dirt cheap but not over $700-$800 minimum for a studio apt.
Slightly right leaning, but not religious.
Four seasons with a mild winter though. unless it's in the mountains
By the ocean, in the mountains or by a lake.
A plethora of outdoor sports and activates. Biking, hiking, skiing, golfing, camping, surfing, swimming, etc.
Population under 50,000.
Low number of people per square mile.
With in an hour and half drive of a medium sized city with at least a regional airport.
Affordable property and land. Would like to have some land to set up a farm on unless it's close to the ocean.
A location that would allow for the use of solar panels / wind turbines for all power.
A climate that would allow for growing a good number fruits and vegetables.
I've considered areas around Santa Fe, NM / Moab, UT / Ogden, UT / Peublo, CO / Brunswick, GA or East Lakes, FL
- Cold four season climate
- Low cost of living
- Access to nature, preferably mountains but lakes or rivers can work. I love exposed rock best.
- Sidewalks and trails
- Stable slow growth in both population and economy (neither booming nor decaying)
- Grid layout with wide streets
- If I have kids someday, competitive schools
- Diversity and integration
- Not a tourism or retirement destination
Not sure if it exists, south of the US-Canada border anyway. I haven't found it yet. Work has come first
- Cold four season climate
- Low cost of living
- Access to nature, preferably mountains but lakes or rivers can work. I love exposed rock best.
- Sidewalks and trails
- Stable slow growth in both population and economy (neither booming nor decaying)
- Grid layout with wide streets
- If I have kids someday, competitive schools
- Diversity and integration
- Not a tourism or retirement destination
Not sure if it exists, south of the US-Canada border anyway. I haven't found it yet. Work has come first
Couldn’t you find a lot of that in the northern Midwest?
I love the suburbs of Philadelphia. I have four seasons, public transportation, though I have to drive to a train station. There are lovely small towns like Haddonfield and New Hope to visit. There are farms in the area where I can pick my own produce or buy it. Depending upon location, the beach or hiking small mountains can be a day trip. Skiing is a weekend. The ocean isn't warm enough for me until August. Early September is better. There is a town on Long Beach Island named Surf City. They have an annual surfing competition. I remember when Ron Jon Surf Shop was a shack in Ship Bottom which rented boards in the 1960s.
Other than Carmel, CA, this is the nicest place in which I've ever lived
Affordable for Median Wage in Region
Large Korean Community
Numerous and Large Ethnic Communities
No "Constant" Sun Like in Los Angeles or Phoenix
Lots of Thunderstorms
Major Airport with Connections to Asia
Accepting of Ethnic, Religious, and LGBT Minorities
Some Changes in Seasons
Growing or Thriving while Holding Steady in Population
Public Transit I Could Survive Off
More or Less Three Days of Snow
Politically Balanced Between Liberals and Conservatives
Minimal Danger of Hurricane Making Landfall
Personally, I feel like DFW is my best bet here-which is unsurprising because I live here and love it here. It would make sense that, as a result, some of my preferences match what I love about my current location. In fact, I think DFW, for me, only misses out on two of my things: DFW does not get as much snow as I want (lately, we are lucky to get one day a year) and DFW gets WAY too much sun. Some would argue it misses out on public transit, but, while I agree it is bad, I can confidently say from experience that it is good enough for me to survive without a car.
Seattle, my favorite metro in the nation, also does well, missing out only on having frequent thunderstorms and being politically balanced, as it seems to be overwhelmingly liberal and Democrat. Possibly also being affordable, though I know salaries are higher in Seattle, so that may not be the case.
There are other things like nice schools or low crime, but I didn't include them because all major metros have areas that fill those two requirements.
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