[skyler]

It gets way too damn hot in the south, too. Way too damn hot. My only real complaint besides red necks. But you find them everywhere.

Not Berkeley. But I'd trade the homeless for rednecks, any day. Belligerent bums are a serious problem in Berkeley.

[MrNate]

It gets way too damn hot in the south, too. Way too damn hot. My only real complaint besides red necks. But you find them everywhere.

Not Berkeley. But I'd trade the homeless for rednecks, any day. Belligerent bums are a serious problem in Berkeley.

Berkeley is a problem in Berkeley.

[bluesman]

Maui?

+1

Hawaii is great if you're independently wealthy.

[chumley]

I live in Helena, Montana.  As a state capital, we have been somewhat recession-proof thanks to government jobs.  We also have two kickass microbreweries in town, which is not bad for a city of 50,000. We also have great outdoor recreational activities...one of the finer city trail systems in the country.

So with that, I would consider state capitals.  Personally, I don't like big cities and lots of people, having lived in southeastern Pennsylvania for many years. I would stick with the west - Boise, Pierre, Salt Lake, etc.

Also, consider Alaska...after living there so long, you will get a check from the government for living there.  Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks..even Sitka.  I'd live in all of them.

Here in Montana, our larger towns are good places to live.  Bozeman and Missoula get a lot of press being college towns, but I wouldn't pick them....there is too much disparity between the wealthy and the burger flipping class.  The cost of living in Bozeman is very high....most blue collar types live in Belgrade and commute to Bozeman to work. Billings and Great Falls wouldn't be bad places, and they have LHBSs.

[tubercle]

Come on down to the upstate of S.C.

 The microbrewery thing is finally catching on here and they are starting to pop up everywhere. R.J. Rockers in my hometown and Thomas Creek next door in Greenville. Several up the road in Asheville.

Weather is temperate year round and folks are laid back.

  Three hour drive or less to Charleston, Asheville, Charlotte, Atlanta, Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head, Savanna, the Outer Banks, etc. Interstate to take you in any direction.

Unemployment is a little high right now but thing are picking up. The BMW plant (in my home town) has just added another production line and have announced they are going to hire another 500 or so. The dozens of satellite plants that supply BMW will have to ramp up too. Boeing just broke ground in Charleston on a new airplane plant but word is most of the suppliers will build here because of the infrastructure and available labor force.


 Like NASCAR? This is the original  home and where it all started; way before Charlotte made that claim. Darlington, Bristol, Talladega, Atlanta, Daytona and Martinsville are day trips (well, not Daytona and Talladega, but round trips without sleeping has been done )  

 Did I mention the food? Food was invented in SC.

 I would appreciate if you would move here, we need your tax money to fix the potholes.
 

[rabid_dingo]

Put my vote down for Colorado. In the main city of Denver it is still cheaper than living in California or other
major metro areas...get outside of Denver and the cost of living (mortgages) get smaller, or stay the same but
buy much more. I live 12 miles outside of the city limits and own 9.25 acres for the same price of a medium to
large home. I am 20 min from downtown. 1.25 hrs from skiing and the rest of the mountain activities.
Beer is damn near limitless. More and more breweries distribute to Colorado and I have yet to taste all the
local ones. We have 4 seasons. Summer being the shortest, Spring and Fall are tied for duration, and winter is it's
own category.

Work is out there if you put in the effort to find a job. Even my 58 year old FIL found a job in an accounting firm...

The only downfall, there is verly little green on the Front Range. Being Semi Arid, not enough mositure for green plants
trees and what not. Mostly beige. Unless you get into some older Denver neighborhoods. Large trees and lawns but
that is it...
 

[weazletoe]

  I'm going to toss my Idaho hat in the ring. (mainly so I don't have to suffer alone!)

[a10t2]

Don't worry Weaze, a good portion of my jobs prospects are in Idaho Falls.

[weazletoe]

Seriously!? That would be sweet! We would be neighbors!!! 

[theoman]

It's hard to beat Colorado. I lived in Boulder for 6 years and loved it. I now live in Belgium and love it here, too. Maybe I'm just another fan of "B" places.