So where should I live?

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PrinceofWands

Lifer
May 16, 2000
13,522
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I've always been fairly sure that I'd never permanently leave the NW USA, but I'm someone that likes to question his reality as much as possible so it's time to re-evaluate. I figured there's enough people on ATOT who have been enough places that I'd get good recommendations if there are any better matches for me.

Here are my important issues:

Individual liberty & empowerment (especially privacy and self defense)
Very cool weather (the less days above 70f the better)
Wet environment (I prefer some rain/snow at least 1-2 days out of 7, and preferably more)
Green environment (LOTS of trees and grass and plants)
Water (I like rivers, streams, oceans, etc)
Elevation (I like mountains, hills, valleys, etc)
Rural (I HATE big cities, which to me are anything over 50,000 people)
Intellectual (I prefer to be within an hour or two of libraries, universities, museums, etc)
Connected (gotta have my high-speed internet, of some form)


Will post others as they come to me. So how about it; is there a better place for me in the world than the PacNW?
 
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PrinceofWands

Lifer
May 16, 2000
13,522
0
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Originally posted by: phoenix79
Alaska?
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That's one that I've always kept in the running as a possibility. I'd like to vacation up there a bit and get a feel for it. I am slightly worried about cost of living however, since I'm not likely to ever have a lot of money coming in.
 
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PrinceofWands

Lifer
May 16, 2000
13,522
0
0
Originally posted by: scott
that'd be Coeur d'Alene

or

someplace outside of, but within driving range of, Missoula


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I've actually been to both, and thought they had a lot of positives. I was in Montana during a bad drought, so there was no where near enough rain, but that was just a weather fluke I'm guessing. Getting to Coeur d'Alene it was WAY too dry and barren, but then once we got there it was fine...like a little oasis in the desert.
 
dainthomas

dainthomas

Lifer
Dec 7, 2004
14,936
3,915
136
If you want to expand your horizons beyond the NW, Idaho, Montana, or Alaska don't really seem like stretches. You're kind of limited by the wet weather criteria. If you flex on that, northern Arizona up around Flagstaff stays surprisingly cool in the summer. I'd imagine northern New Mexico (Taos area) would have a similar climate. Otherwise the mountains of Colorado or Utah (perhaps within an hour of Boulder or SLC) could be options. Jackson, WY is really nice (but expensive). I think some of the small Idaho towns over on the back side of the Tetons might be cheaper and you'd be pretty close to Idaho Falls.

If having a wet climate is high on your list, you'd pretty much have to go with coastal Alaska.
 
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soulcougher73

Lifer
Nov 29, 2006
15,895
4,451
136
I was going to say Portland, OR or Denver, CO until i saw your under 50,000 people thing. Maybe somewhere near these cities?
 
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tailes151

Senior member
Mar 3, 2006
867
9
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Fort Collins is a little over 100k, but a great town with pretty much everything else you mentioned. Though it is a college town so that could be a plus or a minus....
 
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thepd7

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2005
9,423
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Originally posted by: dainthomas
If you want to expand your horizons beyond the NW, Idaho, Montana, or Alaska don't really seem like stretches. You're kind of limited by the wet weather criteria. If you flex on that, northern Arizona up around Flagstaff stays surprisingly cool in the summer. I'd imagine northern New Mexico (Taos area) would have a similar climate. Otherwise the mountains of Colorado or Utah (perhaps within an hour of Boulder or SLC) could be options. Jackson, WY is really nice (but expensive). I think some of the small Idaho towns over on the back side of the Tetons might be cheaper and you'd be pretty close to Idaho Falls.

If having a wet climate is high on your list, you'd pretty much have to go with coastal Alaska.
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he wants cool and you recommended Arizona? Might as well say he should move to Texas (that's an exaggeration but still)

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Modelworks

Modelworks

Lifer
Feb 22, 2007
16,240
7
76
The outskirts of RTP in NC is pretty much what you described . There are cities there that have populations ranging from 1k and up. About a 30-45 minute drive to major colleges, about two hours from the mountains. Good weather, not a lot of snow. Temps are a bit higher than you like though.

 
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PrinceofWands

Lifer
May 16, 2000
13,522
0
0
Originally posted by: dainthomas
If you want to expand your horizons beyond the NW, Idaho, Montana, or Alaska don't really seem like stretches. You're kind of limited by the wet weather criteria. If you flex on that, northern Arizona up around Flagstaff stays surprisingly cool in the summer. I'd imagine northern New Mexico (Taos area) would have a similar climate. Otherwise the mountains of Colorado or Utah (perhaps within an hour of Boulder or SLC) could be options. Jackson, WY is really nice (but expensive). I think some of the small Idaho towns over on the back side of the Tetons might be cheaper and you'd be pretty close to Idaho Falls.

If having a wet climate is high on your list, you'd pretty much have to go with coastal Alaska.
Click to expand...

I really hate most everything about the SW. I've been all over it, and it's the ugliest landscape, and crappiest weather I can imagine. I really love the cool (under 70), the rain/snow (frequently), and love EVERYTHING being green and lush. Not some scrub pine with a barren underside, but EVERYTHING. That's like the antithesis of what I've seen in the SW. Maybe there are areas in the SW I just never saw, ones that look like this:

This is the sort of thing I like to see.
Notice what most NW lawns/neighborhoods look like?
 
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PrinceofWands

Lifer
May 16, 2000
13,522
0
0
Originally posted by: MotionMan
Originally posted by: PrinceofWands
Originally posted by: zerocool84
50k people is a big city to you???
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Yup. Hate it. My town has grown to 25k and I'm marginally unhappy.
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"Get off my lawn!!!"

MotionMan
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You're not far from the truth. When I was growing up we only had about 10k here, and I really loved it, though even then I wondered what a little 500 or 1500 person village would be like.
 
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