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I'm trying to figure out where I want to live and found this forum. I'm 24, but feeling ready to put down roots somewhere new. I am originally from Michigan (grew up metro Detroit and northern Michigan, went to college near Ann Arbor). This summer I got a fully remote job and moved to Florida to stay with my mom while I decide where to go next. I'm looking to move next spring.
Here is some criteria I'm looking for:
-AFFORDABILITY: Ability to live on 60k salary as a single person comfortably. I'm early in my career, so this will go up but I don't want to be struggling until that happens.
-RURAL / MID SIZE CITY: I don't want to live in suburbia. I want to be able to buy a house with land, but I would like to be within 30 minutes of a mid size city that has a downtown with restaurants / bars / entertainment. I'd love if the city has a lot of local businesses as well.
-OUTDOORS: I love spending time outdoors so proximity to parks, hiking, mountains, and ocean / lakes to swim and kayak. Biking trails would be nice too.
-POLITICS: Leaning left is preferable. Okay with a moderate area as long as it's LGBTQ friendly. Some other progressives preferable to find like minded community.
-WEATHER: Open to most climates. I love 4 seasons but struggle when it's gloomy all the time or rains everyday (probably rules out the PNW). I don't mind snow, especially if it's guaranteed by Christmas. I hated the hot humid Florida summer.
If a place fits every other category I would overlook this, especially considering I could travel somewhere else for a few months as a remote worker.
-BONUS: Close by airport, within a few hours of a big city where concert tours usually go.
-PLACES I've considered: Outside of cities like Asheville NC, Savannah GA, Eugene OR. Possibly New England towns in Vermont / Maine, not sure which ones to look at specifically.
Chattanooga, Knoxville, Greenville. The metros aren’t left leaning however, but they cross off your other boxes. And close to Atlanta when you need the big city
IN Asheville, but not NEAR it. The city really is an island of blue in a deeply red, socially conservative area of Appalachia. Go not too far outside of the city and you'll see plenty of open carry, pickups with gun racks, Confederate flags, and MAGA hats. Even now.
Not too far away from Asheville you might try Boone, which is outdoorsy, quasi-touristy, and has a college in it, Appalachian State, that gives it something of a youthful artsy vibe. But it really is a small town. I can see getting bored there and ending up in Asheville anyway. Or in Charlotte, 90+ minutes away.
Last edited by citylove101; 11-14-2021 at 09:18 PM..
For some this is a factor: it's one thing to find a metro with congenial political alignment, but if it's in a non-swing state with a strongly opposing political alignment, you may find the state overriding the local in matters that concern you.
I'm trying to figure out where I want to live and found this forum. I'm 24, but feeling ready to put down roots somewhere new. I am originally from Michigan (grew up metro Detroit and northern Michigan, went to college near Ann Arbor). This summer I got a fully remote job and moved to Florida to stay with my mom while I decide where to go next. I'm looking to move next spring.
Here is some criteria I'm looking for:
-AFFORDABILITY: Ability to live on 60k salary as a single person comfortably. I'm early in my career, so this will go up but I don't want to be struggling until that happens.
-RURAL / MID SIZE CITY: I don't want to live in suburbia. I want to be able to buy a house with land, but I would like to be within 30 minutes of a mid size city that has a downtown with restaurants / bars / entertainment. I'd love if the city has a lot of local businesses as well.
-OUTDOORS: I love spending time outdoors so proximity to parks, hiking, mountains, and ocean / lakes to swim and kayak. Biking trails would be nice too.
-POLITICS: Leaning left is preferable. Okay with a moderate area as long as it's LGBTQ friendly. Some other progressives preferable to find like minded community.
-WEATHER: Open to most climates. I love 4 seasons but struggle when it's gloomy all the time or rains everyday (probably rules out the PNW). I don't mind snow, especially if it's guaranteed by Christmas. I hated the hot humid Florida summer.
If a place fits every other category I would overlook this, especially considering I could travel somewhere else for a few months as a remote worker.
-BONUS: Close by airport, within a few hours of a big city where concert tours usually go.
-PLACES I've considered: Outside of cities like Asheville NC, Savannah GA, Eugene OR. Possibly New England towns in Vermont / Maine, not sure which ones to look at specifically.
Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Until you check it out you'll probably think I've lost my mind, but would highly suggest Columbia SC. It's an affordable mid-sized city with excellent outdoor recreation in-town and within a reasonable drive, left-leaning despite SC's overall lean right (which is moderating over time), very active downtown and entertainment districts, LGBTQ+-friendly with a very visible and active community (while lacking the uptight pretense of many cities), has a milder four-season climate with nice Falls/Springs, short mild winters and hot/humid summers (the usual 2-3 months), has secondary airport status with nonstop flights to/from NYC, DC, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta and several others (or drive 90 minutes to Charlotte) and finally usually a concert tour hotspot due to the University oF South Carolina and its central location within the state.
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