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OP here -- thanks for all the suggestions. Please keep them coming!
I've ranked the criteria; hopefully will expand the recommendations.
TOP:
sunshine - doesn’t need to be hot climate, but has long days year-round
nature - national parks, lakes, mountains, coastlines, beaches
safety - could go on a walk without my phone and be safe, no men catcalling me and sexually harassing me on the streets, small homeless community
healthy food options - local produce, farmers markets
community - close-knit, sense of belongingness, traditions
educated people - great schooling systems
NEGOTIABLES:
quality coffee (espresso)
MILD winters
fitness studios - cycling and hot yoga / active community
activities that aren’t centered around drinking / drugs
good restaurants - james beard awards, food & wine awards, michelin stars
would love to be around boats (maybe sailing / harbor)
small businesses that build the community - locals allow these businesses to grow by supporting
friendliness
hallmark town, gilmore girls town
Cat calling can happen anywhere. I wouldn’t describe SoCal as a tight knit community otherwise it checks all the boxes. We pay our teachers well as well. Otherwise anywhere on the east coast south of Dc could work imo
Cat calling can happen anywhere. I wouldn’t describe SoCal as a tight knit community otherwise it checks all the boxes. We pay our teachers well as well. Otherwise anywhere on the east coast south of Dc could work imo
I wouldn't say SoCal has long days year-round, either. No place does unless you're near the equator. Right now it's getting dark by 5:00.
Otherwise what the OP is describing sounds like more a small town on the Central Coast than anywhere in the LA Metro, but those small towns are painfully expensive and there are few jobs.
OP here -- thanks for all the suggestions. Please keep them coming!
I've ranked the criteria; hopefully will expand the recommendations.
TOP: sunshine - doesn’t need to be hot climate, but has long days year-round nature - national parks, lakes, mountains, coastlines, beaches safety - could go on a walk without my phone and be safe, no men catcalling me and sexually harassing me on the streets, small homeless community
healthy food options - local produce, farmers markets
community - close-knit, sense of belongingness, traditions
educated people - great schooling systems
NEGOTIABLES: quality coffee (espresso)
MILD winters
fitness studios - cycling and hot yoga / active community
activities that aren’t centered around drinking / drugs
good restaurants - james beard awards, food & wine awards, michelin stars
would love to be around boats (maybe sailing / harbor) small businesses that build the community - locals allow these businesses to grow by supporting
friendliness
hallmark town, gilmore girls town
Check out Chapel Hill-Carrboro NC. It hits all of the criteria in bold and just misses two.
OP here -- thanks for all the suggestions. Please keep them coming!
I've ranked the criteria; hopefully will expand the recommendations.
TOP:
sunshine - doesn’t need to be hot climate, but has long days year-round
nature - national parks, lakes, mountains, coastlines, beaches
safety - could go on a walk without my phone and be safe, no men catcalling me and sexually harassing me on the streets, small homeless community
healthy food options - local produce, farmers markets
community - close-knit, sense of belongingness, traditions
educated people - great schooling systems
NEGOTIABLES:
quality coffee (espresso)
MILD winters
fitness studios - cycling and hot yoga / active community
activities that aren’t centered around drinking / drugs
good restaurants - james beard awards, food & wine awards, michelin stars
would love to be around boats (maybe sailing / harbor)
small businesses that build the community - locals allow these businesses to grow by supporting
friendliness
hallmark town, gilmore girls town
You might want to check out Flagstaff, Arizona.
Sunny weather, tons of mountains and hiking, with colder winters but beautiful ones. Also, Sedona, Phoenix and Tucson with super warm sunny winters are not far away.
Tucson is another option. Relatively reasonable, progressive (if that is important) a ton of good coffee spots, amazing winter weather, healthy food options, good community, and decent schools in some districts.
I'm an early childhood teacher (K-2) looking for a very specific place to move, but can't find it. Below I've listed my qualifications. Please let me know where I'm searching for!
educated people
quality coffee (espresso)
nature - national parks, lakes, mountains, coastlines, beaches
MILD winters
can take my long walks, hikes
safety - could go on a walk without my phone and be safe, no men catcalling me and sexually harassing me on the streets, small homeless community
fitness studios - cycling and hot yoga / active community
healthy food options - local produce, farmers' markets
community - close-knit, sense of belongingness
activities that aren’t centered around drinking / drugs
good restaurants - james beard awards, food & wine awards, michelin stars
would love be around boats (maybe sailing / harbor / marina)
small businesses that build the community - locals allow these businesses to grow by supporting
overall friendliness
community traditions - festivals, fairs, contests, rodeos, parades, anything!
sunshine - doesn’t need to be hot climate, but has long days year-round
hallmark town, gilmore girls town
I recommend checking out Stars Hollow, CT!
In seriousness, Annapolis, MD could be a good fit for you. I wonder if Greenville, SC or Charleston, SC might also work for you. By reputation, maybe Asheville, NC. (I've not been there so I don't know for sure.)
If the winter and boating things are negotiable, it sounds like you'd be happy in any number of small college towns in New England like Williamstown, Northampton, or Amherst in Massachusetts, and Hanover in New Hampshire. You could also look in the Hudson Valley north of NYC places like New Paltz or even Poughkeepsie (some good areas, others not so nice). The HV is also easy access to the river and nearby lakes for boating.
Go to work for the Department of Defense Education Activity. They hire teachers to work near or on military bases, many of them overseas. So to fit your criteria there are several bases in Italy and Spain that have schools that teach the children of military members stationed at those bases. There are of course other bases and teaching opportunities in other European countries, as well as countries in other parts of the world. Many are in warm locations, provide a secure and close knit community, with intelligent people working on those bases.
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