adrift in a sea of choices....i.e. where to move, (employment, movies)
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First off. Hello everyone. I happened upon this site and thought it a good forum to ask for opinions.
I'm 38 and looking to take my life in a new direction. I've been trying for the past few weeks to find a city I might like to live in, but have found my efforts frustrated by my lack of experience and number of choices. To that end, I thought I might ask for advice here.
I live in Rockford Il, and absolutely hate it. Passionately! I moved here with my wife six months ago from Skokie (North suburb or Chicago), and we both have found life here an empty experience. We need more. Much more. On my end, I cannot stand winter any longer. I need more mild climates. I've been to Florida and Georgia, but didn't care for the humidity. I've been looking heavily into Phoenix (I have a friend there), but there is so much bad written about the sun city that I'm not sure. I considered Portland or Seattle, but the gloomy weather would be an issue (Depression, I get it bad during winter and too many rainy days (2 or more))
I think I'd prefer a more liberal city. I like movies, bookstores (used and new) a must. Continuing educational opportunities would be a consideration. Also, I have spent several years in an industry I have come to hate (Printing) and need some choices for a new career, something artistic perhaps as I do not do well in a corporate environment.
Basically, I liked alot of the choices in Chicago e.g. Food, music, shopping, fitness and so on.
Can anyone toss off some possibles. California might seem Ideal, but the cost seems far too much for me.
Colorado? Dry climate, TONS of sunny days year 'round, lots and lots to do, colleges & universities, a generally highly educated population.
Much of the Front Range is getting overcrowded (IMHO) and pricey - I lived in Colorado for 17 years - but it's a neat place to live, especially if you like being outdoors.
From your post, much of Colorado would fit every one of your criteria although I'm not sure about the employment situation.
Think about some of the other parts of the Rocky Mountain West and environs - the higher parts of AZ (like Flagstaff), Utah, Montana, like that. Yes you get cold winter but it's dry and sunny, not that much snow compared to where you are now.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'll recommend the Research Triangle in NC, the Annapolis area in Maryland (proximity to both DC and Baltimore for jobs), and Naples, FL. The big strikeout in these 3 areas is the humidity, but a humid 88 degree day in MD is still better than a 115 degree day in Phoenix (with one exception - on the golf course).
I tried to pick areas that would get you out of the Midwest in general if you're looking for a change. I don't know a ton about areas further west but Colorado could be a good choice too.
The prior post from travelling_paws has it right, try CO. If the Front Range (aka I-25 corridor from Pueblo to Fort Collins) is too pricey, there are other areas, but there is much to choose from along the FR and almost certainly something will fit your budget & lifestyle.
Boulder, Golden and Fort Collins are younger, hipper places - are college towns. Colorado Springs has a lot to offer, is more conservative and has many religious organizations. I think there is so much to choose from along the FR that you'll love it.
We have low humidity, lots of sun, and the farther south you go the milder the winters. There is plenty of talk on all of these aspects of Colorado Springs in the thread: https://www.city-data.com/forum/color...o-springs.html
Good luck in your searching. I'm not a realtor and have no involvement in the industry in any way.
I think what you are looking for is more than you will find in any city. You don't like your job, you don't like your career path, you don't like where you live and you describe your current situation as "an empty experience."
Anyway, I'll ditto the 2 previous posters on Colorado and North Carolina. Both are beautiful. NC gets humid but I don't think it's that bad from my experience. Colorado gets crazy weather at times but I think it's cool. Both states have metro areas with all the schools you could possibly want + all the amenties you listed. Best of luck to you.
christina0001- I agree that what I'm looking for is more than just relocation. That would only be part of the equation. That's why an area with a diversity of jobs would be nice.
Anyhow. Thank you for the suggestions. I've assumed Colorado is a bit cold in winter. I don't necessarily like the idea of 115º degree summers, but I think I'd rather deal with a few months of that than six or seven months of the cold.
I'm not so much an outdoor type e.g. camping fishing etc. But I like the option of finding hiking and bicycling and such to be available. I think that was one of the things I felt Phoenix had over anywhere else.
I will look more in-depth into the Colorado and North Carolina, but I think I feel more drawn to go west than east.
I'll also ditto Colorado. It's not "winter free" but definitely MUCH milder than IL. On the front range you'll get snow, but it usually melts within a day or two (a week at most). Lots of sunny days. Some winter days are chilly, but in the 5 years I lived there, I don't think I'd ever experienced zubzero temps. Summer days can be hot, but not Pheonix hot..and it's dry, so that helps a lot. Because it's a semi-arid climate, the evenings usually cool off nice and there are very few mosquitoes!
Colorado Springs (where I lived) is probably the most conservative city in Colorado (lots of military and religious influences) but you'll find a little of everything there as far as people go. The economy is stable and housing is affordable compared to places like Cali or NYC... but it is growing and prices are going up. This holds true for the whole front range...some places like Boulder are starting to price "regular" folks out of the market, but at least for now, that's the exception, not the rule.
Lots of great hiking/biking opportunities. Coloradans tend to be fit and active and enjoy the outdoors.
The only downsides (IMHO) were the lack of water (I was born in the land of 10,000 lakes) and the fact that it's growing SO much. New developments and strip malls go up almost overnight and the infrastructure (roads, etc.) can't keep up with the growth. Going east-west in Colorado Springs usually means stopping at dozens of stoplights. If you like cities and lots of people you'll probably be fine...but it was just getting a little too crowded for my tastes.
If you want something a little smaller, you might want to consider: Chyenne, WY, Boise, ID, Grand Junction, CO.
What MidniteBreeze said too.
Winters there are dry and sunny, so if you're being active you can be out in a t-shirt in 40 degree weather comfortably, or at least I can. Unless you are in the mountains, snow usually is melted and gone within a day.
I'm in Michigan, where winter can get long and cold and dreary, not at all like that along the Rockies! I miss Colorado winters.
I'm thinking if it falls below 50º in the day during anytime of the year I pretty much wouldn't like it.
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Colorado is the place
