[thebigbaker]

When we moved to Denver from Atlanta in 2005, it came down to Austin and Denver.  I absolutely love Austin, have many friends there and visit there at least once a year.  The deciding factor was the mountains and now that we've been in Denver for 7+ years, we wouldn't want to be anywhere else...well, except for Maui!  Good luck in your search.

[dcdwort]

My wife and I moved to Colorado Springs 27 years ago after looking into the Raleigh/Durham area, Phoenix, Portand and Seattle areas.  I have to admit the comment about Asheville NC is very valid.  I loved North Carolina, great people, beautiful country, etc.  Drinking Made Easy had a great episode on the beer scene there.  But Colorado won hands down.  There are over 120 microbreweries in CO with more coming every month.  Fort Collins would be a great place especially if you want a good garden and chickens, housing prices are right also.  It gets a little harder to grow and raise things in the Springs area unless you want to move out east into the prairie.  But then you get away from all the amenities.  Anywhere along the Front Range is nice.  Lots of churches, great water, lakes, streams, rivers, mountains, skiing, rafting, kayaking, hiking, biking, you get the picture.  We still talk about where we could move to now that the boys are out on their own, but we are still here!  I can do my job from anywhere I have internet access so work is not an issue.  Location is!   

[aa7yy]

I think you need to spend more time thinking about weather. What do you want your day to be like. I grew up in Seattle, I know what it's weather is like. I know it rains, but it really doesn't matter till you get older. When young the outdoors is great. Now that I am older, I know what to hot is. I hate AC, I hate 100 degree days. I don't mind the rain if I am inside. Don't care how cold it gets at night, I am in bed. Care a bunch about where it gets during the day. Anyhow, after spending a ton of time thinking about it, I think the best year round weather in the US might be near El Cajon California. Great beer seen is a plus. (San Diego) This link will give you some more west cost weather data. Sorry, haven't found it for the East or Central America.
http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/climsum.html

and for you Michigan guys, here is a link to the most expensive auto insurance in the US.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-most-expensive-states-auto-070135228.html

as for Europe, that's over the pole from the NW. Maybe even cheap out of Vancouver.

My choice might be Boulder, at least half of the year, then Tucson for the winters.

[hopfenundmalz]

My wife and I moved to Colorado Springs 27 years ago after looking into the Raleigh/Durham area, Phoenix, Portand and Seattle areas.  I have to admit the comment about Asheville NC is very valid.  I loved North Carolina, great people, beautiful country, etc.  Drinking Made Easy had a great episode on the beer scene there.  But Colorado won hands down.  There are over 120 microbreweries in CO with more coming every month.  Fort Collins would be a great place especially if you want a good garden and chickens, housing prices are right also.  It gets a little harder to grow and raise things in the Springs area unless you want to move out east into the prairie.  But then you get away from all the amenities.  Anywhere along the Front Range is nice.  Lots of churches, great water, lakes, streams, rivers, mountains, skiing, rafting, kayaking, hiking, biking, you get the picture.  We still talk about where we could move to now that the boys are out on their own, but we are still here!  I can do my job from anywhere I have internet access so work is not an issue.  Location is!

When in Colorado recently, I pointed out to the wife that it really does have the healthiest people in the nation.

[Joe Sr.]

When in Colorado recently, I pointed out to the wife that it really does have the healthiest people in the nation.

Yes, but people in Chicago are among the fattest! http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=3787974

[hopfenundmalz]

and for you Michigan guys, here is a link to the most expensive auto insurance in the US.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-most-expensive-states-auto-070135228.html

No fault insurance, high number of uninsured drivers, etc.

But I don't pay anything close to that number, and that is for 2 cars.

[brewmichigan]

and for you Michigan guys, here is a link to the most expensive auto insurance in the US.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-most-expensive-states-auto-070135228.html

No fault insurance, high number of uninsured drivers, etc.

But I don't pay anything close to that number, and that is for 2 cars.

yeah, me neither. If I was in that range I'd be moving.

[nateo]

I lived in Denver for a few years with no car. It was great and I paid $0 for car insurance.

[weithman5]

i can't bring myself to recommend ann arbor to anyone (i am a buckeye) but honestly that type of area may not be too bad

yeah we have a 8 ish hour flight to paris from chicago but, delta (putting in a little plug) will be starting again in october daily flights and may keep the trip from air france all year now. 

i live west of chicago about 30 minute train ride.  there are people with chickens near me but not many good spots at affordable prices till you get a little farther out.

[Vin S]

Being from the North East here are some of the areas You should take a look at. In RI if you work from home Newport great downtown area always holding some kind of event 1/2 hour from Providence 1 hour from Boston. If you look into Ct , Southington, West Hartford and if you draw a straight line North from West Hartford any town along the line. All have good schools.(Less than 2 hour ride to all the New England states and cities you listed). Burlington VT is also great . Most people I know who work in Boston live in NH because of taxes and you can get 2 to 3 times more house and property for the money.

[mihalybaci]

Have you ever been to Denver?

Nope. But I've been to Colorado Springs. LOVED it there (I was undecided between the AFA and Loyola) for the week that we stayed back in '99.

I've lived in Fort Collins, CO (~1 hour north of Denver) for 4 years now and its nice, but I'm ready to leave. So fair warning, the weather is nice (most of the time) but it's a double-edged sword. Every year I've been out here its gotten hotter (I think total we had close to 3 weeks of temps over 95F this summer) and drier (0.27" of rain in August). My hops were going gang busters in May, but then summer hit and they nearly died even watering twice a week. So basically there are two seasons, winter and summer. Winter when its cold and snows, then it moves right into summer where it temps hit the mid-80s early and stay there, with no rain, then fall lasts about 2-3 weeks before getting cold again.

 I can't wait to move back east.

[morticaixavier]

+1 to Burlington VT. It's not a major city but the art scene is great and it's only ~2 hours from montreal and ~3 from boston. No train service and real estate IN burlington is pretty dear but in surrounding towns it's pretty good.

[theDarkSide]

If you look into Ct , Southington, West Hartford and if you draw a straight line North from West Hartford any town along the line.

My wife is from Southington as well as my college roommate and other friends.  Great area, really close to NYC (drove back and forth planning the wedding years ago).  We almost move down there when we had to get-the-hell-out-of-massachusetts, but decided on NH instead. 

[theDarkSide]

+1 to Burlington VT. It's not a major city but the art scene is great and it's only ~2 hours from montreal and ~3 from boston. No train service and real estate IN burlington is pretty dear but in surrounding towns it's pretty good.

I graduated from UVM and Burlington is definately one of my favorite places I've lived.  Although that hill can get %$%^ cold in the winter with the wind blowing up from Lake Champlain.  Worked for parks and rec one summer and spent every sunset at the boathouse that year!! 

[morticaixavier]

+1 to Burlington VT. It's not a major city but the art scene is great and it's only ~2 hours from montreal and ~3 from boston. No train service and real estate IN burlington is pretty dear but in surrounding towns it's pretty good.

I graduated from UVM and Burlington is definately one of my favorite places I've lived.  Although that hill can get %$%^ cold in the winter with the wind blowing up from Lake Champlain.  Worked for parks and rec one summer and spent every sunset at the boathouse that year!!

My wedding was at the Rock Point outdoor chappel and the reception was at the boathouse. god that's beautiful. Apparently Hemmingway once said that the most beautiful sunsets he had ever seen were on the burlington waterfront.