best place to live in the US?

[MadJack]

If you had you choice to live in any place you have visited, or have lived in, in the USA, where would you go and why?

Why do I ask? Well, in 4 years my youngest will be graduating and then I'm outta here. We want the 'perfect' place for our dream home and to live out our best? years.

Perfect for me is; not too much city and not too rural. Right now we're too rural. Western Maryland -- Closest town of 25,000+ is about 40 minutes away and there's nothing there either. I'm thinking to live outside a city (10-15 miles) of 70,000-100,000 and 60-80 miles from a major city (major sports city size).

I'm asking for a lot here too

I don't want winters that go much below 45 degrees and don't want summers that go over 90 degees, although I can put up with more of a hotter summer than I can a colder winter. We don't want snow and ice at all.

Texas, Florida, Louisanna, for example, are out! Too hot! Any place that gets snow is out, although I know Florida and Georgia (too hot too) get a freak snow every once in awhile (that's cool). So basically, the north and far south are out. I don't want midwest either because I'll be too far from the ocean and it would make me feel like I'm sitting in the middle of a restaurant........I like to sit on the out-skirts

We've got it all in Maryland (ocean and mountains, etc) but I prefer a tad warmer in the winter. From all the places I have been, I think it's pretty much narrowed down to certain parts of Virginia and North Carolina, although they can get too much on the hot side too.

I can 'bend' a little on the climate but if I do bend, it's gonna be warm over cold.

What do you guys think and why?

thanks

 

[fletcher]

st,Augustine fl it's great

jacksonville 40mins
daytona beach 40 mins
orlando 1hour 30
tampa about 2:15
cocco beach about 2:30
keys 6 hours
atlanta 7.5-8hours
and more
great golf great fishing and best of all doesnot take an arm and a leg to live beach front.

[This message has been edited by fletcher (edited 07-12-2001).]

 

[Subagoto]

Asheville, NC kinda fits the bill. Near Charlotte and Raliegh (sort of). It is a trek to the beach. Might be a bit cold in the winter for you though cuz it is in the mountains. Richmond, VA is a great place to live. Hot in the summer! I have also heard great things about the high desert areas of Colorado and NM. Not desert, high desert. Money magazine always has these rankings every year about the best places to live in the US. See if you can check that out online.

 

[Subagoto]

Oh, why not Annapolis!? too cold in the winter I guess. There are some nice places down around Wilmington/Southport, NC. again, hot in the summer. Hmmm, tough call.

 

[Bonovox]

San Diego is hands down the greatest place in the world. Live a little inland and you have 85-90 in the summer with it cooling down at night. In the winter it's 55-70. Mountains, ocean, desert, golf, Padres, Chargers, women. It's the most amazing place on earth. It's not a huge business district, but for pure quality of life, it's the greatest place on earth.

 

[visionary]

hands down...san diego area...del mar is a great little town...even a little inland is nice..plus you have La Jolla and many nice coastal towns... you have san diego 20 minutes away and l.a. 1.30 - 2hrs away....

 

[Subagoto]

I have heard great things about SD too if you are willing to go to the West Coast.

 

[MadJack]

San Diego is hands down the greatest place in the world.

that's definitely one place i'm visiting before i make my decision. kind of far from my roots but i know the climate is damn near perfect.

Subagoto--yup, annapolis is too cold. i've lived near there before. the eastern shore of maryland is not out of the question. NC has some of the nicest areas that fit our wants. plus, loophole resides there

 

[MadJack]

fletcher--too hot, no?

 

[Its Gravy]

Lived in Tampa, Florida--Great Place, cool winters and mild to medium summers, very humid and doesnt get hotter that 95 degrees. Alot of thundersortm/tropical strom warnings along with the hurricanes. All in all many means on entertainment. Busch Gardens...Sea World...Tampa Bay Devil Rays baseball games

Grade B+


Honolulu, Hawaii..Awesome doesnt get any hotter than 88degrees and and averages 75. Light misty rain everyday..high cost of living,,beautiful beaches,the women are very juicy!!! Downtown nitelife is always booming, even at 3am, tourists everywhere from all corners of the world, nothing like a 1 night stand with a swedish tourist..then follow that up with a chick from Venezuela. Too many things to list to do.Grade: A


San Antonio, Texas (Currently)Hot as hell, and nothing but big women here

easily gets to 100+ during the summer. Winters are mild avging in the 50's. Not a damn thing to do here except watch Spurs games....besides that.......NADA Grade D+

 

[volfan]

------------------
Those who are skilled in combat do not become angered,

Those who are skilled at winning do not become afraid.

Thus the wise win before they fight, while the ignorant fight to win.

Zhuge Liang

 

[Rama]

Northern California, doesn't get too hot or too cold. Beautiful scenary, near big city(SF).
Negatives: expensive as hell.
Lived in Delmar, CA for a while, expensive and too hot for my tastes. Coastal SD is better than the inlands were it gets really hot and dry.

 

[fletcher]

no you avg about 58 - 60's in the winter summer 90's humidity is not that much different then back home in aug for the summer months and great ocean breeze most of the time if its still which isnot many days it can suck,thunder storms and nor easters are great really dont have that much treats of getting hit by a hurricane was much more worried when i lived in ft.lauderdale and i got andrew in 92 and then i lived in ceder key and was always looking.
to me its the san diego of the east but smaller almost the same but sun comes out before 11 in st.augustine.
its along way from home out here,its tuff,but san diego area between sd and ocean side are great but it cost more then fl for house and forget living on the beach.

 

[JT]

Santa Barbara area is quite nice. Where I live isn't so bad and Ojai is close by which is more rural but warmer. Plus there is Malibu, Laguna, and San Diego. Great weather, scenery (women and geography), variety of things to do, earthquakes, mudslides, fires, opps!

Got off track
there

 

[cisco]

Santa Barbara area. Lompoc, Santa Maria etc.
If the cost of housing scares you away try Oregon. There are a lot of beautiful places there. Coos Bay, Beaverton etc.
Me, I like it right where I am.

 

[AR182]

Jack.....You might want to consider the Phoenix/Scottsdale area.The winters are beautiful,temp.range between 50-70 degrees.Although the summers tend to get rather hot,it is not to bad once you get used to it.Coming from NY it took me awhile,but now i can tolerate it.The evenings are rather comfortable,while during the day people are in their pools or inside in the a/c.It is also about 4-6 hour drive to either Las Vegas or San Diego.It is also less expensive living in the valley than in California.

 

[loophole3]

if i was relocating in the carolinas i would probably look at the area west of charlotte. about an hour out of town it gets rural real fast in the foothills. you would also be around an hour from the lake lure area of the mountains, one of the most beautiful, relatively undeveloped yet accessible mountain areas in nc. you're also only about five hours from the coast. worth looking at.

 

[Gatorbait]

Black Mountain NC.....Ashville area. Cold doesn't last long nor heat last long. Pretty much beautiful 8.5 months of the year. Golf courses everywhere and nice at that. Not far from the water.

 

[beantownjim]

jack if you can wait about 10 or 12 years i will join you.we can both leave our wives find some young broads with all the money we will be making with nicks,and my picks.jack we can go back to the old days when men were men and women were a buck.i heard the carolinas are nice summers a little hot but its hot here in boston now.look into south carolina i heard you get a lot for your money as far as real estate goes.

 

[dawgball]

I have a couple of clients in Oakland, CA. First, I think the reputation holds the city back, but they talk like it is paradise. About 300-350,000 people (correct me if I'm wrong), Bay Area, right beside San Fran so you get the big city without the traffic. This is just me quoting these individuals. I've been trying to make a visit out there, but the accounts aren't big ehough yet.

I guess the boys from that side of the hill could inform you more.

As far as close to home. I love the area in North GA. Mountains, lakes, and close to Atlanta. I love Atlanta, but the sports fan base SUCKS! They are the biggest fair weather fans in the world. It doesn't help that their football team plays in a dome.

When the Braves start going to the crapper, the fans will be sparse again even though the stadium is one of the best to watch a game.

Oh well, North GA is good for fly fishing, hiking, and the likes. I think that is up your alley.

------------------
Sic 'em
dawgball