Best Places to Live in the US

[Kathryn41 3,205]

It isn't on your list, but you might want to look in Colorado. I have a number of good friends who live there including a number who have chosen to move their recently from both east and west of Colorado. Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, and Boulder area have all earned their accolades. These people are liberal thinkers and don't have a lot of money and have been able to make decent and happy lives for themselves there. Having visited Colorado Springs/Manitour Springs area, I know that I would seriously consider living there myself if we weren't tied to the Georgia area. Good luck.

[danae 0]

Okay. I know you guys are holding out on me. Somewhere there is the perfect town - full of liberals and former hippies - with farmer's markets and community gardens and libraries and a dog park. The housing costs are reasonable, the wages are decent (especially for nurses). Lots of international food. Tolerable weather. Lots of lakes, rivers ... maybe near the ocean? Traffic that won't make you drive off of a bridge. Maybe a big city close by ... but not too close?

I know you didnt mention florida in your possibilities- but Gainesville, FL has most of the things you mention here. It is a student town, but with a TONNE of former hippies! The community is wonderful.

It is very liberal, has farmers markets, libraries and the best dog parks ive ever been to!! The food places are awesome, weather is obviously hot in the summer months, but colder in the winter (it does freeze some days).

The only thing I dont know about would be the wages.

I love it there- and am moving back asap!!

[mychelle 1]

Okay. I know you guys are holding out on me. Somewhere there is the perfect town - full of liberals and former hippies - with farmer's markets and community gardens and libraries and a dog park. The housing costs are reasonable, the wages are decent (especially for nurses). Lots of international food. Tolerable weather. Lots of lakes, rivers ... maybe near the ocean? Traffic that won't make you drive off of a bridge. Maybe a big city close by ... but not too close?

uhmm...anywhere in the US the NURSES' wages ARE decent. since you haven't made up your mind yet...i suggest you try working as a travelling nurse instead...on contract...few months to a year. my nurse friend did that for a while...then she and her husband finally settled in Seattle, WA. i don't know why she didn't pick Hawaii...she was working there for a while (they got married there instead.) anyways, good luck on your choices!

my top 3 places to live would be San Francisco, CA - Seattle, WA - Los Angeles, CA (i'm here already...gonna try to move up the list soon. hehe)

yes...all west coast. if i have to live in the east...i got to choose NY, NY. =D

[Garfield fan 0]

I've never been to any of your city options, but as a big dog lover, I would say San Francisco, CA will be great ! I read somewhere that they have more dogs than kids there and it's a puppy heaven, lots of stores and even restaurants that welcome dogs A friend of mine used to live there for 3 years and she loved it. I guess you can always choose some small town nearby, that way you won't have to worry about traffic.

[minha_raposa 0]

Santa Fe, NM is very nice. My aunt lives in the mountains above, the Jimenez mountains, and it's breathtaking country. It's nice to be able to go to Santa Fe for the southwest feel then up into the mountains for hiking, skiing, waterfalls. I highly recommend Santa Fe. But it can be expensive and make sure you're moving into a nice area. White Rock is a very nice one.

With a fiance from the UK who lives literally next to the sea and with me being from the Great Lakes State it's not something that would work for us. We need to see water

Joey

We moved to Santa Fe from Albuquerque last November for my work in Los Alamos. What I can tell you is Santa Fe is very artsy and eclectic. Like everywhere in New Mexico, it is very beautiful and you are centrally located to most anything you could ever want to do (except go to the beach). The weather here in New Mexico is virtually PERFECT year round...summers hot with very little humidity, nights cool 50's to 70's, and winters with temps that you don't freeze in with mountain snows and GREAT skiing. We are in the monsoon season right now so it may rain once a week or less. The downside to Santa Fe is the housing...very expensive, and not much nightlife; however, Albuquerque is only about 45 minutes south and it is a much, much bigger city and housing is significantly less. The downside to ABQ is the punk-### looser gang bangers!

As for employment...there are several high quality hospitals in ABQ and SF (Lovelace, Presbyterian and Women's Hospital, and the UNM hospital in ABQ). The area is also high tech with Intel, Sandia National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory and others such as Eclipse Aviation. If you are skilled, high-paying jobs are easy to find but most unskilled or those limited with skill typically work for a little better than minimum wage in ABQ. Santa fe has a "living Wage" that raises the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour.

As for public transporation, the bus services are very good in both SF and ABQ and they get you to most places you'd want to go. ABQ has also just established a new rail transit system that goes between the outlying towns and will soon go to Santa fe. Driving is fairly simple and the roads generally good when they don't have orange barrells everywhere. The drivers are another story altogether...the only advice I can tell you is DO NOT GO when the light turns green or you may well DIE, and DO NOT look at other drivers or even act like you are mad that they just ran you into a wall because it is a sign of "disrespect" and you may DIE.

Overall, life here is very good.

Good luck!

p.s.- check out the Monster.com job board. Presbyterian has 100's of jobs available for most every medical profession.

By the way... Santa Fe if OVERFLOWING with Liberals and hippies. You want Kumbaya then this is your town. There are even a few hippy communes around real close. Madrid comes to mind (an old mining ghost town revived by the artist and hipsters)

Edited July 28, 2006 by minha_raposa

[Alex+R 0]

Okay. I know you guys are holding out on me. Somewhere there is the perfect town - full of liberals and former hippies - with farmer's markets and community gardens and libraries and a dog park. The housing costs are reasonable, the wages are decent (especially for nurses). Lots of international food. Tolerable weather. Lots of lakes, rivers ... maybe near the ocean? Traffic that won't make you drive off of a bridge. Maybe a big city close by ... but not too close?

If you were just willing to put up with winters (and they're a bit chilly) then you have just described Madison, WI. 2 hours from Chicago, 5 from Minneapolis, and FULL of the people you'd like, the attractions you'd like, not very bad traffic. It's just...sigh...the weather. I'm a big-city girl, but Madison, WI is the perfect place for me. Just... the weather. Ok It's not even the weather, it's the cold. Because even in winter it's blue skies a huge amount of the time. Beautiful scenery.

[sparkofcreation 0]

We moved to Santa Fe from Albuquerque last November for my work in Los Alamos. What I can tell you is Santa Fe is very artsy and eclectic. Like everywhere in New Mexico, it is very beautiful and you are centrally located to most anything you could ever want to do (except go to the beach). The weather here in New Mexico is virtually PERFECT year round...summers hot with very little humidity, nights cool 50's to 70's, and winters with temps that you don't freeze in with mountain snows and GREAT skiing. We are in the monsoon season right now so it may rain once a week or less. The downside to Santa Fe is the housing...very expensive, and not much nightlife; however, Albuquerque is only about 45 minutes south and it is a much, much bigger city and housing is significantly less. The downside to ABQ is the punk-### looser gang bangers!

As for employment...there are several high quality hospitals in ABQ and SF (Lovelace, Presbyterian and Women's Hospital, and the UNM hospital in ABQ). The area is also high tech with Intel, Sandia National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory and others such as Eclipse Aviation. If you are skilled, high-paying jobs are easy to find but most unskilled or those limited with skill typically work for a little better than minimum wage in ABQ. Santa fe has a "living Wage" that raises the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour.

I did want to point out that Albuquerque also recently passed a law increasing the minimum wage, and the cost of living here is *much* lower than Santa Fe. I love to visit Santa Fe, wouldn't want to live there.

Albuquerque is desperately seeking nurses, my apartment complex is full of new nurses from Oklahoma sent by a medical staffing agency (the agency puts them up here for 90 days while they find housing; some just move into other apartments in the complex).

We've had rain three times this week so far and that's less than it rained earlier in the month (it rained every day from June 30 through July 10; not all day every day, just that we got a thunderstorm every evening or morning); I thought Santa Fe was supposed to get *more* rain than 'Burque, not less?

I totally love Albuquerque, and in fact took my current job just so I could move here. It's got real character in a serious way, and it's gorgeous. And the cost of living is low, and the people are super-nice, and it's sunny all the time. (Okay, it's sunny *almost* all the time but we've had three thunderstorms this week.)

Oh, and the punk-### loser gang-bangers are pretty much only in certain parts of the city. Don't go there and you'll be fine. There's no danger to going to any of the cool stuff, if by cool stuff you mean downtown, Nob Hill, Old Town, museums, any of the parks [great hiking here, in a variety of environments, up at the top of the mountains, along the Rio Grande, through the Petroglyph Nat'l Monument...], NE Heights, NW Heights ...

Since you mentioned dogs: I've never lived anywhere as dog-crazy as Albuquerque. Everyone has dogs, nearly all landlords allow them, and the city has several off-the-leash dog parks.

Edited July 28, 2006 by sparkofcreation

[ILIKEALLCAPS 0]

Eugene is starting to suffer from growing pains....a lot of big city issues for a smaller city. Lots of work in Portland, Olympia, and Seattle areas for a nurse...they're offering pretty dang decent signing bonuses due to a nursing shortage. Portland has moderately expensive housing and some traffic issues, but all the other pluses you are looking for. Olympia is slightly more affordable housing, but will probably soon be swallowed up as the Seattle/Tacoma urban sprawl lurches south. It does, however, have reasonable traffic (apparantly a lot of bicycle traffic encouraged as well) and is driving distance to just about everything you might want. (note that I'm not sure what you consider to be bad traffic.....the freeways in rush hour in Portland drive me bonkers....but I'm a displaced farm boy).

Of the lot you listed, I'd choose Portland (and pretty much have, living just a bit north of there).

[minha_raposa 0]

We moved to Santa Fe from Albuquerque last November for my work in Los Alamos. What I can tell you is Santa Fe is very artsy and eclectic. Like everywhere in New Mexico, it is very beautiful and you are centrally located to most anything you could ever want to do (except go to the beach). The weather here in New Mexico is virtually PERFECT year round...summers hot with very little humidity, nights cool 50's to 70's, and winters with temps that you don't freeze in with mountain snows and GREAT skiing. We are in the monsoon season right now so it may rain once a week or less. The downside to Santa Fe is the housing...very expensive, and not much nightlife; however, Albuquerque is only about 45 minutes south and it is a much, much bigger city and housing is significantly less. The downside to ABQ is the punk-### looser gang bangers!

As for employment...there are several high quality hospitals in ABQ and SF (Lovelace, Presbyterian and Women's Hospital, and the UNM hospital in ABQ). The area is also high tech with Intel, Sandia National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory and others such as Eclipse Aviation. If you are skilled, high-paying jobs are easy to find but most unskilled or those limited with skill typically work for a little better than minimum wage in ABQ. Santa fe has a "living Wage" that raises the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour.

I did want to point out that Albuquerque also recently passed a law increasing the minimum wage, and the cost of living here is *much* lower than Santa Fe. I love to visit Santa Fe, wouldn't want to live there.

Albuquerque is desperately seeking nurses, my apartment complex is full of new nurses from Oklahoma sent by a medical staffing agency (the agency puts them up here for 90 days while they find housing; some just move into other apartments in the complex).

We've had rain three times this week so far and that's less than it rained earlier in the month (it rained every day from June 30 through July 10; not all day every day, just that we got a thunderstorm every evening or morning); I thought Santa Fe was supposed to get *more* rain than 'Burque, not less?

I totally love Albuquerque, and in fact took my current job just so I could move here. It's got real character in a serious way, and it's gorgeous. And the cost of living is low, and the people are super-nice, and it's sunny all the time. (Okay, it's sunny *almost* all the time but we've had three thunderstorms this week.)

Oh, and the punk-### loser gang-bangers are pretty much only in certain parts of the city. Don't go there and you'll be fine. There's no danger to going to any of the cool stuff, if by cool stuff you mean downtown, Nob Hill, Old Town, museums, any of the parks [great hiking here, in a variety of environments, up at the top of the mountains, along the Rio Grande, through the Petroglyph Nat'l Monument...], NE Heights, NW Heights ...

Since you mentioned dogs: I've never lived anywhere as dog-crazy as Albuquerque. Everyone has dogs, nearly all landlords allow them, and the city has several off-the-leash dog parks.

I'll agree with you about ABQ...I lived there from 1994 until Nov. past, and would MUCH rather live there than SF. However, she was mentioning the liberal eclectic kind of area and I don't think there is any NM place more so than SF. You are very much correct about the "bad" areas but I have lived all over the NE heights and can assure you that you will also meet the punks in even the best neighborhoods. Its not that they do thing to your property so much as you encounter them in traffic situations. All in all though, the problem is not much different than you would encounter in other larger type cities...I just have a real adversion for the TYPE of fricking losser kid that we have here. No respect for anyone!

As for dogs... once the new HEART ordinance goes into effect, the city of ABQ regulate how you are allowed to play with your dog, what kind of (required) toys you are allowed give, what kind of bowl your dog is allowed to eat from, annual registration and fee requirements, etc.. Thanks Sally Maes!!!

I forgot about the ABQ living wage, but it does not go into full implementation for another year or so as it is a phase in kind of thing.

Bottom line: I am with Spark...ABQ is the better place.

[john_and_marlene 162]

Okay. I know you guys are holding out on me. Somewhere there is the perfect town - full of liberals and former hippies - with farmer's markets and community gardens and libraries and a dog park. The housing costs are reasonable, the wages are decent (especially for nurses). Lots of international food. Tolerable weather. Lots of lakes, rivers ... maybe near the ocean? Traffic that won't make you drive off of a bridge. Maybe a big city close by ... but not too close?

I think you should have migrated the other direction and found a city in Canada.

[bebop + rocksteady 0]

http://www.findyourspot.com

One of my FAVORITE websites on the web.

Cass (bebop the great)

[Reba 2]

James and I have been searching for "the perfect city" for over a year now. I don't think it exists You just have to find someplace that's tolerable with *most* of the things you want. As the man says "you can't always get what you want"

Try wikipedia for city and state statistics tho, there's census information and wage information etc list for just about every city in the US.

And once you find a city that you think would be tolerable, always check their city website and chamber of commerce websites. You'll find other information there. And then go visit to see how it feels.

[wherezdabearz 1]

Quote "Somewhere there is the perfect town - full of liberals and former hippies - with farmer's markets and community gardens and libraries and a dog park. The housing costs are reasonable, the wages are decent (especially for nurses). Lots of international food. Tolerable weather. Lots of lakes, rivers ... maybe near the ocean? Traffic that won't make you drive off of a bridge."End quote

Could I suggest my new hometown, Missoula, Montana? Very liberal, university town full of dogs and coffee shops, former hippies, writers, farmer's market twice a week, craft market on Saturdays, cinemas, theatres, skiing in winter, 'floating' on the river in the summer...and the Stones are playing at the university stadium in October.

Has all of the things you mention apart from decent wages (although may be different for medical staff!) and 'tolerable weather' is subjective. Here it's hot/warm and dry in summer, cold but dry in winter (so not bone chillingly cold). And no sales tax. I love it!!

Alison

[sparkofcreation 0]

As for dogs... once the new HEART ordinance goes into effect, the city of ABQ regulate how you are allowed to play with your dog, what kind of (required) toys you are allowed give, what kind of bowl your dog is allowed to eat from, annual registration and fee requirements, etc.. Thanks Sally Maes!!!

Err. The requirements about toys and things like that were removed before the law was passed. And registering your pet has always been a requirement. The fees for pet ownership are not increasing, only the fees for having an unspayed/unneutered animal, and the number of litters per dog and per owner is limited.

For people who spay/neuter their pets like responsible owners, the only real difference is the microchipping requirement (and you can get the chip for $6 at the humane society to take to your vet to inject--or to inject yourself if you know how), although you now have to get written authorization to have more than six pets in a household. And the law also increased the amount of time shelters will hold pets before putting them down, which is surely a good thing.

Edited July 29, 2006 by sparkofcreation

[Garfield fan 0]

... although you now have to get written authorization to have more than six pets in a household.

That will make me strike NM out of my list ... I wonder if you can have more than 6 fish in your aquarium ...