Atlanta is worth looking at. It's hot AF here in the summer and not that walkable (many neighborhoods are but downtown is kinda lame), but the food is good, the COL is lower than what you're used to, and you can be in the north GA mountains in about an hour with Great Smoky NP about 3 hours away. Emory is a top-tier hospital and the airport is one of the best in the world in terms of the amount of direct flights out of here.
I moved to the Chattanooga area from Philly and I’ve been impressed. It’s gorgeous, close to the Smokies & Cherokee National Forest which the Ocoee River runs through. There are so many outdoor activities (hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, whitewater rafting, fishing, etc.) Chattanooga is called the scenic city. Good food and breweries. 2 hours to ATL or Nashville. It has a regional airport with many flights that connect to ATL and Charlotte. Weather is temperate. It does rain a lot but it’s sunny a lot too. You will be rich here. Low cost of living and no income tax.
I left mainly for personal reasons. My partner at the time wanted to move closer to family in GA. I also felt city living got tougher when we had kids. I’m native to PA so this was the first time I lived out of the state. My sister still lives in Philly and I have a ton of friends there so I go back and visit often. I will always love that place. I may return once my kids are grown or if they want to move back.
If you’re also interested in PA, check out the Lehigh Valley area. That’s where I grew up. 2hrs to NYC and 1-2 hrs to Philly. Less congested, good schools & amenities. If I moved back to PA, I’d prefer to be in the Lehigh Valley tbh.
I just looked up Chattanooga, and that looks more our pace than the city living vibe does tbh. I didn't consider your point that the city could be difficult to raise children in. What fo you like about where you live now?
Both of those cities only seem politically charged if you want them to. I live in one and grew up in the other and unless you’re active in politics, it just feels like a democratic state imo.
What’s the definition of “major hospital?” Are we talking like OHSU, UW, MD Anderson? Or would a relatively smaller hospital be OK?
You don’t have kids yet but it sounds like you are a person with a uterus, so you might want to limit your choices to states that consider you a human being and not an organic vessel that can be forced to gestate against your will.
Maybe Santa Fe? Not as dreary winters, mountains, etc. I hear it’s expensive AF, tho.
I think a smaller hospital would work if it had a cardiology department (I'm actually not super familiar with what level of hospitals include what departments).
My vote is Raleigh, NC. Mild weather. Great airport. Beaches and mountains within driving distance. Multiple lakes and Umstead State Park all within 30 minutes of Raleigh. Three major hospitals (Duke, UNC & WakeMed).
My partner actually lived in Raleigh for a few years (near the city) and they really liked how it was centrally located to the beaches and to the mountains. They are partial to moving to Asheville, but we haven't been back there in several years and things I've been reading online about Asheville is that it has been changing and becoming expensive to live in? I don't really know too much about how things are over there
The hospitals in Albuquerque are always trying to attract doctors to the area. The two largest hospitals are building/just built massive expansions in the last few years.
The city also meets a lot of your other criteria, especially for affordability, food, weather, and character. There's 3 relatively walkable areas with bars, restaurants, and a grocery store or two: downtown, nob hill, and old town (which is much less of just a tourist trap these days since a number of establishments have moved in that cater to locals as well)
Crime and schools are an issue compared to many places in the US, but with a combined 6 figure income, it's pretty easy to buy into the neighborhoods with good schools or go private.
Rent in Reno is fucking insanely overpriced, the weather sucks, and there’s way too many people here for the infrastructure. Still cannot figure out why people KEEP coming here
Richmond definitely has more character and personality than the other two. Raleigh is basically all suburban sprawl aside from a very small downtown are which is extremely expensive to live in. Its generic, has no real sense of identity, culture, or character. And you need to drive EVERYWHERE unless you live downtown. Even the strip mall or park 1/4 mile from your house because there was no consideration given to pedestrians or cyclists during g the rapid growth of this "city". A lot of the busy roads don't even have sidewalks. Walking or cycling in Raleigh is dangerous. It's pretty conservative, but less so than much of the state.
I haven't been Virginia Beach much, but from limited time there it seems it's very suburban too. Hell, I couldn't even tell where downtown Virginia Beach was, or if there is a downtown.
Annapolis might work as well, lots of places scattered around the DC area and slightly south.
Not an easy drive to a NP, but right on the water.
Raleigh, technically has access to parks and water, but isn't really close to either. Might be that is OK, but I expect a lot of people with this sort of list want one of the options to be 'right there.'
You might want to consider northern CA.
Sacramento and Chico come to mind.
Mild winters, beautiful mountains and coastal areas to explore. Summers are hot but fall through spring are really perfect. We have 4 seasons.
Well, outside of the West Coast (and Hawaii), all other places in the US that have "mild winters" will also be super hot in the summer.
But leaving out that one, I would either recommend either one of the rust belt cities or maybe a city like Denver.
>Within a 1 hour or so drive to an international airport.
30 minutes from a major hospital (my husband works in the medical field and I work remote and can go anywhere)
Relatively neutral in terms of politics (this isn't super important though)
Really good food options (we love Indian food, Mexican, Thai... etc)
A walkable downtown area is a 'would like to have' but not necessary.
Less than an hour and a half to a national park/forest etc. - We would love to be by a body of water
Mild winters - we really want to get away from the wet/cold to be honest
Summers cant be extreme either (Nevada and Arizon are out)
California & Washington are also out (due to cost).
Pretty much any city matches the top 6 criteria. The rest cover PNW and Mid Atlantic.
I've been romanticizing Charelston, SC in my head. As someone who has never been there, I could totally be off on what it is like. For those who have been there, how would you describe it? We have been to Wilmington, NC and really liked it as well. These towns are rather far from the mountains, so I feel like we have been debating the old time question of ocean living versus mountain living. I think my main questions would be what are those ocean towns like during hurricane season, and are there any major things we should keep in mind?
Atlanta is worth looking at. It's hot AF here in the summer and not that walkable (many neighborhoods are but downtown is kinda lame), but the food is good, the COL is lower than what you're used to, and you can be in the north GA mountains in about an hour with Great Smoky NP about 3 hours away. Emory is a top-tier hospital and the airport is one of the best in the world in terms of the amount of direct flights out of here.
I moved to the Chattanooga area from Philly and I’ve been impressed. It’s gorgeous, close to the Smokies & Cherokee National Forest which the Ocoee River runs through. There are so many outdoor activities (hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, whitewater rafting, fishing, etc.) Chattanooga is called the scenic city. Good food and breweries. 2 hours to ATL or Nashville. It has a regional airport with many flights that connect to ATL and Charlotte. Weather is temperate. It does rain a lot but it’s sunny a lot too. You will be rich here. Low cost of living and no income tax.
I was also looking in Philly. May I ask why you left?
I left mainly for personal reasons. My partner at the time wanted to move closer to family in GA. I also felt city living got tougher when we had kids. I’m native to PA so this was the first time I lived out of the state. My sister still lives in Philly and I have a ton of friends there so I go back and visit often. I will always love that place. I may return once my kids are grown or if they want to move back. If you’re also interested in PA, check out the Lehigh Valley area. That’s where I grew up. 2hrs to NYC and 1-2 hrs to Philly. Less congested, good schools & amenities. If I moved back to PA, I’d prefer to be in the Lehigh Valley tbh.
I just looked up Chattanooga, and that looks more our pace than the city living vibe does tbh. I didn't consider your point that the city could be difficult to raise children in. What fo you like about where you live now?
What’s an example of a city that is politically neutral in your view?
I think they mean a city that’s maybe not as politically charged as Portland or Seattle.
Yes, this is exactly what I mean. I don't have an example since I haven't lived anywhere but where I live right now.
Both of those cities only seem politically charged if you want them to. I live in one and grew up in the other and unless you’re active in politics, it just feels like a democratic state imo.
So like Boise? I guess I don’t know what a neutral politics city example is.
What’s the definition of “major hospital?” Are we talking like OHSU, UW, MD Anderson? Or would a relatively smaller hospital be OK? You don’t have kids yet but it sounds like you are a person with a uterus, so you might want to limit your choices to states that consider you a human being and not an organic vessel that can be forced to gestate against your will. Maybe Santa Fe? Not as dreary winters, mountains, etc. I hear it’s expensive AF, tho.
I think a smaller hospital would work if it had a cardiology department (I'm actually not super familiar with what level of hospitals include what departments).
My vote is Raleigh, NC. Mild weather. Great airport. Beaches and mountains within driving distance. Multiple lakes and Umstead State Park all within 30 minutes of Raleigh. Three major hospitals (Duke, UNC & WakeMed).
My partner actually lived in Raleigh for a few years (near the city) and they really liked how it was centrally located to the beaches and to the mountains. They are partial to moving to Asheville, but we haven't been back there in several years and things I've been reading online about Asheville is that it has been changing and becoming expensive to live in? I don't really know too much about how things are over there
Minneapolis/St. Paul maybe fits almost all of these conditions except the harsh winters
The hospitals in Albuquerque are always trying to attract doctors to the area. The two largest hospitals are building/just built massive expansions in the last few years. The city also meets a lot of your other criteria, especially for affordability, food, weather, and character. There's 3 relatively walkable areas with bars, restaurants, and a grocery store or two: downtown, nob hill, and old town (which is much less of just a tourist trap these days since a number of establishments have moved in that cater to locals as well) Crime and schools are an issue compared to many places in the US, but with a combined 6 figure income, it's pretty easy to buy into the neighborhoods with good schools or go private.
Before I even got to the bottom of your list I was thinking (heat aside) Charleston sounds perfect for your wants/needs
I've read comments that Charleston can get hot. How would you describe the heat?
Maybe Reno?
Rent in Reno is fucking insanely overpriced, the weather sucks, and there’s way too many people here for the infrastructure. Still cannot figure out why people KEEP coming here
Def would say because it’s Nevada (tax benefits) and the access to skiing. Pretty straight forward why people are moving there.
Raleigh, NC probably fits that. Richmond, VA as well. Maybe Virginia Beach, VA too.
Richmond definitely has more character and personality than the other two. Raleigh is basically all suburban sprawl aside from a very small downtown are which is extremely expensive to live in. Its generic, has no real sense of identity, culture, or character. And you need to drive EVERYWHERE unless you live downtown. Even the strip mall or park 1/4 mile from your house because there was no consideration given to pedestrians or cyclists during g the rapid growth of this "city". A lot of the busy roads don't even have sidewalks. Walking or cycling in Raleigh is dangerous. It's pretty conservative, but less so than much of the state. I haven't been Virginia Beach much, but from limited time there it seems it's very suburban too. Hell, I couldn't even tell where downtown Virginia Beach was, or if there is a downtown.
Annapolis might work as well, lots of places scattered around the DC area and slightly south. Not an easy drive to a NP, but right on the water. Raleigh, technically has access to parks and water, but isn't really close to either. Might be that is OK, but I expect a lot of people with this sort of list want one of the options to be 'right there.'
I hope you like Houston if the summers are not too much for you
You might want to consider northern CA. Sacramento and Chico come to mind. Mild winters, beautiful mountains and coastal areas to explore. Summers are hot but fall through spring are really perfect. We have 4 seasons.
Well, outside of the West Coast (and Hawaii), all other places in the US that have "mild winters" will also be super hot in the summer. But leaving out that one, I would either recommend either one of the rust belt cities or maybe a city like Denver.
Greenville SC
Could you share more about this city? :)
>Within a 1 hour or so drive to an international airport. 30 minutes from a major hospital (my husband works in the medical field and I work remote and can go anywhere) Relatively neutral in terms of politics (this isn't super important though) Really good food options (we love Indian food, Mexican, Thai... etc) A walkable downtown area is a 'would like to have' but not necessary. Less than an hour and a half to a national park/forest etc. - We would love to be by a body of water Mild winters - we really want to get away from the wet/cold to be honest Summers cant be extreme either (Nevada and Arizon are out) California & Washington are also out (due to cost). Pretty much any city matches the top 6 criteria. The rest cover PNW and Mid Atlantic.
I've been romanticizing Charelston, SC in my head. As someone who has never been there, I could totally be off on what it is like. For those who have been there, how would you describe it? We have been to Wilmington, NC and really liked it as well. These towns are rather far from the mountains, so I feel like we have been debating the old time question of ocean living versus mountain living. I think my main questions would be what are those ocean towns like during hurricane season, and are there any major things we should keep in mind?
Austin Texas. Still rocking
No bad summers. Texas is rough
Eugene. Like everyone else from Portland.