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As someone with similar criteria I have some suggestions I feel would work well for you. If you can get past the two-hour drive to a major airport Asheville NC is a great option. It's pretty much disaster-free and has a national caliber food scene.
While a bit more pricey, Boulder CO is another possibility.
Do you know if I’d have to encounter roaches living in Asheville? I have an actual phobia. It’s awful. Idk if it’s warm enough there where it’d automatically be an issue like it would be in more southern states…?
There are usually some trails / hiking areas less traveled even in popular areas if you consciously select them over the most popular.
Other possibilities include Corvalis OR, Woodinville WA.
Maybe Kingston NY, Lebanon NH or Springfield MA. Liberal but not very liberal, at least overall. Probably very liberal neighborhoods / parts of town.
Never heard of them til 2 minutes ago but Finchburg / Leominister MA are liberal voting, decently close to Boston and natural areas. Anybody know them?
Do you know if I’d have to encounter roaches living in Asheville? I have an actual phobia. It’s awful. Idk if it’s warm enough there where it’d automatically be an issue like it would be in more southern states…?
They aren't around in higher elevations in NC like Asheville (or in VA either), too dry and/or cold I guess. Asheville's official elevation is 2100 feet but there are areas of the city that sit at 3500 feet and on up to around 4000+ feet.
As someone with similar criteria I have some suggestions I feel would work well for you. If you can get past the two-hour drive to a major airport Asheville NC is a great option. It's pretty much disaster-free and has a national caliber food scene.
While a bit more pricey, Boulder CO is another possibility.
Boulder is close to Denver and incredibly expensive. Heck, I'd consider Boulder a part of Denver.
Colorado Springs is not as politically conservative as it was 20-30 years ago. 43% in El Paso County voted Democratic in 2020 Presidential election.
There are still prominent religious conservative groups in area but only 35% of adults self-identified as religiously affiliated in the leading national religious survey. Though "in" / not in May be too sharp a distinction. Projections are that self-identified "Christian" will become a minority nationally in next few decades to "none".
Colorado Springs is not as politically conservative as it was 20-30 years ago. 43% in El Paso County voted Democratic in 2020 Presidential election.
There are still prominent religious conservative groups in area but only 35% of adults self-identified as religiously affiliated in the leading national religious survey. Though "in" / not in May be too sharp a distinction. Projections are that self-identified "Christian" will become a minority nationally in next few decades to "none".
Just FYI, Christian doesn't necessarily mean politically conservative.
If they're looking for liberal, Colorado Springs is NOT a fit, even if it's "not as overrun with Christian fundamentalists as it used to be." If you honestly believe that, you haven't heard of Andrew Wommack and his Seven Mountains dominionist (Christian fascist) cult compound in Woodland Park. They believe in revolution - violent if necessary - to replace our current legal system with biblical (aka "Christian" sharia) law. They're actively trying to take over school boards in and around the Springs.
Denver, Golden, or Boulder are ok fits, but hiking trails around here get crowded in the summer.
Imo of course Colorado Springs is not a particularly good target for the OP; but since CS and its politics came up, I gave a brief response about the political climate there to my outsider understanding from a couple hours away fwiw to that aside.
I know the basic story on Wommack and it is part of the reason I did not pursue my possible interest in Woodland Park in past. I am briefly aware of school board fights in the general area. A local would know more. But my general impression is that the right and extreme right is not as powerful there as they were in the past in CS politics. The intensity of the most zealous and their number in the whole are 2 different things, both being important. Probably not relevant to discuss further here but perhaps it is in some existing or future CO forum thread.
If the OP considered the CS area, it should be Manitou Springs.
Last edited by NW Crow; 01-29-2023 at 03:43 PM..
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