If you had to live in a small town or city (<150k), what would you pick?
One of the recent threads about people not wanting to leave their hometowns got me thinking about this. I know we fetishize mega cities on this board, but rarely do we discuss smaller cities.
So, on that note, if you had to resettle in a city or town (lets max out the metro population at 150,0000), where would you choose? Let's try not to focus on places that are adjacent to a mega city...so add 1.5-2 hours minimum driving time to a major city center as a limitation. Please include pics and explanation of what appeals to you if you want! Here are my top picks: 1.) San Luis Obispo, CA / Population 47,541 I'm not sure why I am so drawn to this place, but I have always loved the central CA coast, and this town is so charming, walkable, and is economically thriving due the local presence of a major University. One of the rare US towns that is somewhat affluent/solidly middle class and not full of WalMarts. I enjoy the climate/landscape, as it's very Mediterranean and far enough from the sea that it's actually hot in the summer. https://d14dsi4x2zx6ql.cloudfront.ne...B_1280x642.jpg https://d14dsi4x2zx6ql.cloudfront.ne...B_1280x642.jpg https://www.visitcalifornia.com/site...1280x640_1.jpg https://www.visitcalifornia.com/site...1280x640_1.jpg http://www.asherworldturns.com/wp-co...3/IMG_3281.jpg http://www.asherworldturns.com/wp-co...3/IMG_3281.jpg 2.) Santa Barbara, CA / Population 92,101 The Spanish architecture, walkability of the downtown area, manicured neighborhoods and culture of wellness; reminds the most of a Mediterranean seaside town. If there were jobs to go around in my industry here I'd move there in a heartbeat for sure. The surrounding nature is also just so stunning and I like that it's a lot greener than most of SoCal. http://faculty.engineering.asu.edu/z...ara.jpg?w=1400 http://faculty.engineering.asu.edu/z...ara.jpg?w=1400 https://s-ec.bstatic.com/images/hote...6/34629531.jpg https://s-ec.bstatic.com/images/hote...6/34629531.jpg https://s.abcnews.com/images/Travel/...6_16x9_992.jpg https://s.abcnews.com/images/Travel/...6_16x9_992.jpg https://www.californiabeaches.com/wp...r-1000x667.jpg https://www.californiabeaches.com/wp...r-1000x667.jpg 3.) Reykjavik, Iceland / Population 122,853 Ok, I am admittedly cheating since the metro area has 228,260 in the so-called "capital region", but I think RVK might be the most dynamic/cosmopolitan/exciting city of its size I've ever been to. Great nightlife, love the Icleandic culture, and overall good lifestyle. Love the culture of swimming/hot pots that people go to on a near daily basis. Would be a fantastic place to raise a family and it's insanely safe. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...2C_Iceland.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...2C_Iceland.jpg https://c8.alamy.com/comp/HAFA8N/peo...vik-HAFA8N.jpg https://c8.alamy.com/comp/HAFA8N/peo...vik-HAFA8N.jpg http://www.traveller.com.au/content/...4678541766.jpg http://www.traveller.com.au/content/...4678541766.jpg https://icelandmag.is/sites/default/...?itok=ADoUTAO9 Other contenders: Charleston, SC / Calistoga, CA / Bainbridge Island, WA (it's only accessible to Seattle by ferry so rather isolated) |
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Annapolis, MD or Charleston/Savannah
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Maybe Sarasota or Naples in Florida and Sonoma, California.
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Newport, RI, Burlington, VT or Portsmouth, NH
A lot of the small CA towns are actually part of a much bigger area...otherwise, I'd pick something like Manhattan Beach or Ventura. |
Santa Cruz despite all the tweekers
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There are a couple of great N. Arizona towns I could live in
Prescott 42k : https://www.greentreeinn.com/wp-cont...ey-row-min.jpg https://www.wanderwithwonder.com/wp-...hotography.jpg Flagstaff (metro 130k): https://www.visittheusa.com/sites/de...?itok=LTCbaNLd https://cdn.allflagstaff.com/images/...untains_lg.jpg https://www.flagstaff365.com/wp-cont...00x470-tag.png And of course, Sedona (pop~ 10k) not much for urbanofiles but its got great scenery: https://images.fineartamerica.com/im...carl-amoth.jpg https://i.pinimg.com/originals/37/99...3d8fbbafea.jpg https://resizer.otstatic.com/v2/phot...e/23751131.jpg |
The city-state called "Monaco". As of 2017, it had 38,695 residents.
That place is lovely. I'd pick that place, if I had to live in it. I wish I could afford it, but if I was forced to be anywhere, it would be Monaco. |
Locally? If I could cheat it a bit, probably Kingston, ON (metro pop. 160,000). Fairly vibrant, historic university city 2 hours drive/train ride from both Toronto and Montreal.
https://live.staticflickr.com/4062/3...bcd232e6_b.jpg Kingston Ontario at Night by Jack Tome, on Flickr Otherwise, one of the other Victorian towns along the Lake Ontario shoreline like Cobourg or Brockville would work. Globally though? I'll happily live in any Mediterranean or Alpine town. Maybe compromise between the two with somewhere like Lake Como. https://odis.homeaway.com/odis/listi...26b2b3.c10.jpg https://www.vrbo.com/436662ha |
Santa Barbara, CA (that's pretty far from LA, right)?
Ann Arbor, MI |
Key West, Florida. Chapel Hill, NC. Boone, NC. Any number of NC beach towns.
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[QUOTE=the urban politician;8597381]Santa Barbara, CA (that's pretty far from LA, right)?/QUOTE]
I wouldn't call it "far" maybe like hr hr 1/2 from downtown LA - |
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santa barbasa is 95 miles driving distance from downtown LA. google maps says that the current drive time is 1:47. to put it in local terms, that's roughly the same distance from downtown chicago to downtown milwaukee. |
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For the person saying it's 1/2 drive to LA, that's absolutely not true. On a good day, maybe 90 minutes, but typically well above that. |
This is easy-- Burlington, VT. It's a beautiful town right on Lake Champlain, with great breweries, restaurants, and entertainment. It also has fantastic skiing, biking, and hiking close by.
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This answer fits the city population requirement, but falls out of line in regards to the metro population requirement; however, I'll say it anyway. I'd definitely choose Harrisburg if I had to live in a small city! It has a nice setting on the Susquehanna River, beautiful architecture, great jobs in government, and Amtrak access to Philly, NYC, and Pittsburgh!
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Portland, ME is a great city, but it's metro pop. is half a million. Quote:
I've said it many times here before, but Eastern Pennsylvania's small cities are - at least as far as urbanity is concerned - the best of their size in North America. If I were from the region and priced out of the big cities, I'd definitely consider places like Allentown or Reading as viable cheaper alternatives. (also all too big for this thread though) |
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