HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > United States


Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #21  
Old Posted Dec 24, 2017, 8:45 PM
jd3189 jd3189 is offline
An Optimistic Realist
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Loma Linda, CA / West Palm Beach, FL
Posts: 5,569
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pedestrian View Post
The southern Appalachians is probably as close to "good weather" as he'll come outside CA. The summers are mild due to altitude and the winters, in NC and southward, aren't too harsh. Asheville, Birmingham, Chattanooga . . . .
I would vouch for that too. Particularly Chattanooga and Asheville since I lived near the latter and visited the former for a few days.

The culture is still Southern around the cities but there has been a steady flow of newcomers over the years. A lot of former Californians and people from the mountain west have come here to settle. Even Downtown Asheville is a hippie oasis in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which has made it expensive.

Chattanooga can get somewhat humid in the summer, but it's not anything to worry about. But then again I'm not a good source because I grew up in humidity.

Either way, it's a beautiful part of the Eastern US and South in particular. Reminds me of the French Countryside with some industrialism.
__________________
Working towards making American cities walkable again!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #22  
Old Posted Dec 24, 2017, 10:13 PM
lio45 lio45 is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Quebec
Posts: 41,956
Chattanooga is pretty hot and humid in summer, though. (By California standards.)

How about the highest elevations in the interior Southwest? (AZ/NM/UT)
Aren't there select areas that are sunny and dry year-round yet not too hot in summer due to altitude? I'd guess so.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #23  
Old Posted Dec 24, 2017, 10:38 PM
the urban politician the urban politician is offline
The City
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Chicago region
Posts: 21,375
Move to Chicago.

It's a big, real American city. Real problems, real solutions, real everything.

Lots of amazing food, awesome nightlife, corruption, gangs, great architecture, easy to make friends, good prices, limited douchebaggery.

It's a real place. 4 seasons. Summers are amazing, winter is cold.

Come to Chicago
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #24  
Old Posted Dec 25, 2017, 3:04 AM
Sun Belt Sun Belt is offline
BANNED
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: The Envy of the World
Posts: 4,926
With so many locals fleeing their island, Puerto Rico has some cheap ocean front places for well under $200,000. You could snag a foreclosure for even cheaper if you pay cash.

Here's an ocean front condo on the 18th floor (won't be flooded or blown down by the next hurricane) just outside of San Juan for $165,000, hoa $155/mo.
https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sal...69_rect/13_zm/
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #25  
Old Posted Dec 25, 2017, 3:13 AM
Sun Belt Sun Belt is offline
BANNED
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: The Envy of the World
Posts: 4,926
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pedestrian View Post
The southern Appalachians is probably as close to "good weather" as he'll come outside CA. The summers are mild due to altitude and the winters, in NC and southward, aren't too harsh. Asheville, Birmingham, Chattanooga . . . . I spent 4 years in Durham, next door to Raleigh, and if weather's the criterion I vote an unequivocal thumbs down. Nothing's like a central Carolina ice storm and the summers are typically hot/humid.



San Diego, near the ocean--like La Jolla--unquestionably has the best weather in the continental US and I'd rate it over Hawaii too (Hawaii's too humid and a bit too hot for my taste). I haven't looked into it, but for low taxes and cheaper living, maybe look a bit farther south in Mexico (not all the way to Cabo but across the border).
What about Reno, NV? On the CA border, but much cheaper and not too far from The Bay. All the outdoor activities of the Sierra and Lake Tahoe.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #26  
Old Posted Dec 25, 2017, 4:58 AM
cannedairspray cannedairspray is offline
BANNED
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 2,210
Quote:
Originally Posted by the urban politician View Post
Move to Chicago.

It's a big, real American city. Real problems, real solutions, real everything.

Lots of amazing food, awesome nightlife, corruption, gangs, great architecture, easy to make friends, good prices, limited douchebaggery.

It's a real place. 4 seasons. Summers are amazing, winter is cold.

Come to Chicago
I'm not saying you're a satirical "Go Chicago!" twitter account, but if you were, would your posts be any different?
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #27  
Old Posted Dec 25, 2017, 6:37 AM
BnaBreaker's Avatar
BnaBreaker BnaBreaker is offline
Future God
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Chicago/Nashville
Posts: 19,476
So you want a vibrant urban area with no crime and perfect weather that is also affordable? Hm... I think you might need to lower your expectations just a touch. Have you looked into Azerbaijan?
__________________
"Emancipate yourself from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds."

-Bob Marley
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #28  
Old Posted Dec 25, 2017, 2:30 PM
Pavlov's Dog Pavlov's Dog is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 356
Columbus, Indiana. Lots of great architecture for such a small town. Very low unemployment rate. Cheap place to live.

Not in a city but 45 min to Indianapolis, 1 hr. to Louisville and 1:30 to Cincinnati. Less than an hour to Bloomington where you have Indiana University so its pretty close to a lot of things.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #29  
Old Posted Dec 26, 2017, 1:51 AM
dc_denizen's Avatar
dc_denizen dc_denizen is offline
Selfie-stick vendor
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: New York Suburbs
Posts: 10,999
New Orleans
Reno
Porto, Portugal
Penang, Malaysia
__________________
Joined the bus on the 33rd seat
By the doo-doo room with the reek replete
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #30  
Old Posted Dec 26, 2017, 2:10 AM
CastleScott CastleScott is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Sacramento Ca/formerly CastleRock Co
Posts: 1,055
Chattanooga is very nice-been there a few times, Huntsville AL is nice too and not far from Chattanooga.

As for me-wife and I may just stay in Sac or move up the road to Yuba City (there's still lots of inland places in Cali that are affordable).
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #31  
Old Posted Dec 26, 2017, 2:17 AM
CastleScott CastleScott is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Sacramento Ca/formerly CastleRock Co
Posts: 1,055
Oh btw you might like Colorado Springs although it can snow there in early May however the summer thunderstorms are fun to watch!

Denver has gotten too expensive and even a bit like Cali a bit over-taxed and regulated locally.

Tulsa and Oklahoma City are quite affordable.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #32  
Old Posted Dec 26, 2017, 10:14 PM
weatherguru18 weatherguru18 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 303
Regardless of what anybody says, you're going to get the biggest bang for your dollar in Texas. It doesn't matter where (although Austin is increasingly expensive). Houston, DFW or San Antonio is your best bet. I just bought a brand new, 1,800 sq. house, fully custom, for $230,000 (Lennar).

I grant you the property taxes are high in Texas but there's no state income tax, business friendly climate, low taxes in general, hot in the summer, cool in the winter (with bouts of warmth and biting cold at times). Granted Houston and DFW aren't the prettiest landscapes in the world but if you're looking for tax relief and great quality of life on the cheap, you should consider it.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #33  
Old Posted Dec 28, 2017, 6:05 PM
hauntedheadnc's Avatar
hauntedheadnc hauntedheadnc is offline
A gruff individual.
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Greenville, SC - "Birthplace of the light switch rave"
Posts: 13,284
People have mentioned Asheville as a place for your to consider, so I'll address what I can about it considering your criteria:

Quote:
Originally Posted by CaliNative View Post
1. Affordable living cost---rents less than $1000 for a nice one br apt. or under $250,000 for a decent house. Reasonable taxes and govt. services.
This might be difficult. You can still find one-bedroom apartments for under a thousand, but they'll still be close to that amount. They'll also be tend to be in charmless suburban complexes. The cheapest I was able to find was $835 for a rundown 70's complex on the east side of town. You won't find anything affordable in or near the cool neighborhoods.

Meanwhile, if you're very lucky you can find a house inside the city for $250k, but about the only places that go for that are doublewide trailers. The farther out from town you go the lower the prices will be. In town, for a house though, expect to pay $300k at minimum.

Quote:
2. Climate not intolerably cold in winter or insufferably hot, humid and bug ridden in summer. Moderate 4 seasons OK. I think I could get used to a cold winter as long as it doesn't get much below 0 degrees F. Long hot humid summers more difficult, and bugs that bite are a negative. That rules out much of the south and Maine during the early summer black fly season.
The past couple of summers have features 90+ temperatures for weeks on end, and bugs will be awful if you are near any source of standing water like a pond or a wetland. Mosquitoes can be a special kind of hell. In the winter it can get viciously, bitterly cold, and I've been informed by knowledgeable sources from northern climes that there is something about the cold here that is just somehow more unbearable than the cold found in Connecticut, Wisconsin, or the Andes Mountains (which is where the knowledgeable sources were from). The coldest is has ever gotten here is -35F.

Quote:
3. Decent cultural attractions, nice parks, museums, libraries etc. Major sports teams a plus but not essential. Smaller cities (under 500,000) OK as long as there is a good university nearby, and a fair concentration of intelligent people.
Decent attractions, yes but you likely won't consider UNC-A a good university, nor any of the others nearby like Western Carolina, Mars Hill, Appalachian State, or any of the colleges. The closest "good" universities are probably Wake Forest and the University of Tennessee.

Quote:
4. Tolerable traffic & commutes, decent economy, fair air & water quality, no EPA superfund cleanup sites nearby.
To a Californian traffic is tolerable so long as it is actually moving, I have been informed, but to the natives here, traffic is godawful. We are a city of 90,000 in a metro of 250,000 accommodating -- according to the latest figures -- roughly 27,000 tourists per day (or about ten million per year if you prefer). That's a lot of people driving.

Quote:
5. Crime and homelessness not rampant; opioid and drug use not out of control.
We can have, depending on the weather, between 500 and a 1000 homeless people in town on any given day. Crime isn't out of control, but the drug problem is. In 2016, 400 babies were born addicted to opiates at the hospital here in town, which is ten percent of the total of babies born there, and double the number of addicted babies born in 2015. Meanwhile, a drug bust in a neighboring county ended up with so many arrests that school buses had to be brought in to transport the arrestees, and it turned out they were the center of a drug ring that supplied heroin to all the big cities in Tennessee.

Quote:
6. No bias or dislike against ex-Californians ( I guess that rules out Oregon & Washington).
Anyone from outside gets bitched about, whether they're from Florida, Atlanta, up north, or anywhere else, but people will be decent enough not to say anything to your face.

Quote:
7. Minimal risk from hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanoes, fires, droughts, floods etc.
Increasingly it seems we're having more erratic weather, leading to more droughts and fires. Otherwise we have the occasional flood but we're safe otherwise. Tornadoes are extremely rare and only touch down briefly. I can recall a huge to-do made in the news when one touched down on the Biltmore Estate and tore a branch off a tree, and again when one did the same thing in West Asheville. You won't have to worry about volcanoes, and you won't have to worry about earthquakes until the New Madrid fault lets loose again, or the one that hit Charleston back in the 18-whatevers.

Now, I know you weren't likely to consider my city in the first place, but you did ask, and I figured I'd answer all the same.
__________________
"To sustain the life of a large, modern city in this cloying, clinging heat is an amazing achievement. It is no wonder that the white men and women in Greenville walk with a slow, dragging pride, as if they had taken up a challenge and intended to defy it without end." -- Rebecca West for The New Yorker, 1947
Reply With Quote
     
     
End
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > United States
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 7:58 AM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.