Best midsized town in America
 

Travelers may know best!<BR><BR>I am ready to move away from Chicago and want to live in a city between 10,000 and 100,000 people. I work as a nurse, have no close family and can relocate to almost anyplace. My career allows relocation almost anywhere<BR><BR>I am open to any type of weather.<BR><BR>I am looking for advice from travelers/residents who have been around and know where the best places are.<BR><BR>So my question is: What is the best free- standing non suburban town to live in between 10,000 and 100,000 in the USA?<BR><BR>Here is my criteria:<BR><BR>Lots of college educated, professional people<BR>Progressive people for town of its size<BR>Natural Beauty<BR>Culture <BR>Good shopping<BR>Big City within 150 miles<BR>Good people<BR>Clean tidy neighborhoods<BR><BR>I asked on another internet site and got these responses:<BR><BR>Fort Collins, Co<BR>Tallahassee Florida<BR>Mankato Minnesota<BR>Salem Oregon<BR>Manchester New Hampshire<BR>Burlington, VT<BR>Chapel Hill, NC<BR><BR>Your advice?

Not to offend you or anything since I think your question is legit BUT you will attract a large amount of bickering and city-bashing with this and all "which city is best" questions. This thread will eventually degrade to a few posters who will toot their city and bash others and the name calling and mudd slinging will begin. I suggest you do a little reasearch on each city and draw a conclusion for yourself.

Durango, Colorado is pretty good, but we don't have the shopping, and it's about 200 miles to a big city.

Eugene, Oregon! I'm not sure of the exact size, but it is everything else that you're looking for. My in-laws live there and love it, and we love to go visit them.<BR><BR>You're close to the ocean, in the beautiful Willamette River valley, with Portland and Seattle both within driving distance (Seattle's about 4 hrs, I think, and Portland around 2). Good shopping, a university, neighborhoods of all kinds for people of all incomes... I'd definitely check it out.<BR><BR>By all means, don't move to Mankato, MN. I lived there for a summer when I was in college, and it has VERY little going for it.

I love Fort Collins and Burlington. Clean fun college towns. Denver and Montreal fall into your mileage limits I believe. Mankato, I don't get that one. Manchester is ok, but it's starting to turn into a Boston bedroom community. Not familiar with the others.<BR>I live 30 miles west of Chicago and I'm thinking about boogying out of here too.<BR>Boulder is great too, but may be a little bigger than you want.

How about adding Flagstaff, Arizona to your list? Within a few hours of Phoenix/Scottsdale, yet up towards the mountains so you have a more temperate climate. Close to Sedona which is very beautiful. And also a "college town."

My vote goes to Mankato, MN. I went to college there and loved it. Great shopping, lots of trees, hills and great people. Very little crime and easy access to Minneapolis 80 miles away.

Prescott, Arizona may be another town to consider to meet your needs.

Connie - <BR><BR>Outside Magazine recently published their 10 Places to Live list - which is focused on things that interest active, outdoorsy people but also incidentally considers a lot of the criteria you mentioned and might be a good place to start in terms of resources. From what I recall, health care was a big source of employment in many of these areas. They are online at outsidemagazine.com. Good luck.

Wow, no California towns on the list yet? Since you didn't add cost-of-living to your criteria I'd vote for Santa Barbara. Definitely fits all your criteria -- one of the most beautiful places I've been. But the job market is tight and housing is pricey.

Littleton, NH.

Considering that she mentioned that she's a nurse, Santa Barbara is pretty much out of the running since she won't be able to afford to live there. <BR><BR>San Luis Obispo is also a great area, but the housing has got so high that I'm not sure if it's much of a choice on a nurse's income. Doesn't seem like there's much to choose from in California anymore in terms of affordability.

Charlottesville VA and Burlington VT would both fit the bill admirably. SO would Amherst/Northampton Massachusetts. <BR><BR>Boulder is a suburb, and Tallahassee on your list is a joke, right? WHich is to say it does not fit...

What is wrong with Tallahassee, Florida?. It gets my vote! Lots of trees, close to the beach, college educated people, two major Universities, State Capital, lots of culture. It is a great town.

Connie-<BR>Here's a vote for Ann Arbor, Michigan. It's a health care and education mecca. Housing is a bit pricey, but depending on where you live in the Chicagoland area, it may not be a huge difference. Lots of culture, wonderful old neighborhoods and a real downtown. It's in an area of rolling hills, near to many small lakes and the Huron River. (You can canoe within the city limits.) <BR><BR>I'm biased and a former Ann Arbor resident but it gets my vote despite the weather!

Connie-<BR>Here's a vote for Ann Arbor, Michigan. It's a health care and education (Univ. of Michigan Med Center and other health system options) mecca. Housing is a bit pricey, but depending on where you live in the Chicagoland area, it may not be a huge difference. Lots of culture, wonderful old neighborhoods and a real downtown. It's in an area of rolling hills, near to many small lakes and the Huron River. (You can canoe within the city limits.) Growth and urban sprawl are a bigger issue than before, but tight zoning and control is in place. Ann Arbor is the home to Tom Hayden and the SDS and there is still a great deal of tolerance for diverse opinions and people.<BR><BR>I'm biased and a former Ann Arbor resident but it gets my vote despite the weather!

Teri<BR>I lived in florida for 7 years and dated a girl from Tallahasse. I agree it has trees and is the state capital. For the rest, I continue to disagree.

Look into Madison, WI, it usually gets a top rating in magazines as a best mid-sized town to live in. U of WI is there, Chicago is less than 150 miles away, state capital, lake in the middle of town & is one of the most highly rated cities for women to live in.

I second the vote for Prescott or Flagstaff Arizona. Flagstaff is bigger and has the college, but Prescott is just lovely. It has a beautiful town square and nice small-town feel, but it is easy to get to Phoenix.

x:<BR>Nurses in California make 70K+ per year and they have a shortage. I wish I could transfer as easily and make that kind of money. Salary is relative though due to cost of living differences. But they now make considerably more than say police or firemen in California and have much more job flexibility. Almost double what teachers make.<BR>Connie: Go for it! You're in the drivers seat.

A second Susan seconding Madison, WI. I'm from there, now living in Chicago. I live for the day I can go back! Since you're in Chicago perhaps you're familiar with Madison.<BR><BR>I suggest you make a short list of candidates (with Madison on it!) and try to visit each place. You'll experience Madison's beauty, progressive, educated citizens and lively culture, not to mention the plethora (ten-dollar word!) of restaurants and shopping available.<BR><BR>Out of curiosity, when people mention what great shopping - i.e., Target, Wal Mart - a city has, do you assume, as I do, that they're being facetious?<BR><BR>Go visit Madison and report back here, Connie.

$70K is ok money, but it's just about poverty level in Santa Barbara.

How about Santa Barbara CA? I've often thought that if I would move out to the west coast that is where I would like to live. And from what I can tell, it seems to match up with everything you want. Monterey/Carmel and Laguna Beach would be a couple of other great options if the west coast interests you.

I love Santa Barbara and Laguna Beach, but I'd hate to have to try and live there on a nurse's income. Yes, nurses often make upwards of $70,000, but that doesn't go far where the rents and housing costs are so outrageous.

We love Ft. Collins, Co and would recommend it to anyone. Do think the traffic and growth is really taking over the area tho. Last time we were there they had a regular rush hour!!

I think Manchester NH has gotten too big and you should aim just a bit further north to Concord NH. Downtown Concord is lovely with many tidy neighborhoods, esp pretty in the spring when shrubs start blooming and festive in the fall/winter with holiday decorations. Concord Hospital has a great reputation and depending on your career preferences Concord also has a wonderful Hospice and popular birthing centers. There's a renovated arts center, free lecture series, local law school, local technical college plus branches of other colleges. It gets a little quiet at night but the mountains/lakes region is only an hour away to the north. The ocean less than an hour to the east. Within 2 hours you can be in Boston or Providence. Manchester has a great airport. There are active farms within the city limits. You could canoe on your lunch hour. Check out the local newspaper www.concordmonitor.com.

How about our town. Rochester, NY. It was ranked right up there. We have the four seasons, plenty of snow (if you like to ski), Lake Ontario, we are getting a fast ferry that will bring you to Toranto in less that two hours (the money exchange is great). Eastman house, great hospitals, New York <BR>City is less than an eight hour drive. Hills, mountains, great schools and resturants.

Go to money.com and look for the "Best Places to Live" article. You can do your own search based on the many of the criteria, including town/city population, you listed in your post.<BR><BR>I know it's not the same as getting personal input from fellow Fodorites, but it might help you narrow down your search.<BR><BR>Good luck!

Sorry, Connie, I just tried to find that survey online and it appears that Money removed it. They do have a "Best" section, but I did not see it as I scanned the page. Each year they do a survey of the best places to live. You can probably get the issue from your local library.

Another vote for Madison, WI. It meets all your listed specifications.

Actually Madison doesn't meet all the criteria because its population is about 200,000, but it feels much smaller. Traffic is not a big deal, good food, good college/progressive atmosphere, lots of things going on around town. I am a former resident and loved living there. You even get used to the snow (sort of). I have lived in and around Chapel Hill for a while too. Chapel Hill itself is small (about 50-60,000) and works hard to remain so. It borders Durham and is just 25 miles or so from Raleigh, which provides lots of things to do in the area. The whole Triangle area is now over 1 million people. Of course, except when it gets real hot in mid to late summer, the weather is fabulous. As a nurse, you would love the opportunities for employment at top-notch hospitals here. There are Duke, Durham County, and a VA Hospital in Durham, UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, and several in Raleigh. Madison is much more isolated in comparison, but it is fairly close to Chicago and Milwaukee.

Madison is okay. You've got all the old places scattered downtown by the college, but good shopping along Towne Boulevard. We'll usually stop in at the Applebee's for a late lunch after visiting the stores.<BR>

BB, Agreed--I usually stop by Kohl's about once a week to see what they've got in stock...

Connie,<BR><BR>Since I haven't seen it mentioned yet, I thought I'd throw my hat in for Texas. Specifically Austin, Texas. First of all, there are plenty of educated/professional people there. It's home to the largest university in the country (bounces back and forth with Ohio State), there's a lot of outdoor activity, beautiful country all around, if you don't like the weather, just wait a few minutes! Also, as opposed to most of the other cities in Texas, Austin is a very progressive place (mostly because there are a lot of young professionals in the area). But, if you like winters, then I'd advise to look elsewhere, because you'll only get about two weeks of cold weather and the rest of the time it'll be beautiful. Not only that but Austin's only 2 and a half hours from Houston, 3 hours from Dallas/Ft.Worth, and 1 hour from San Antonio. I could rave and rave about Austin (I lived there for 5 years) but if you want more info, just ask!

How about Newburyport Mass. Boston Magazine just named it as one the best places to live in New England. Its the right size. Has a local hospital right in town plus many others within commuting distance. Its located at the mouth of the Merrimac River (which flows from the White Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean). There is lots of natural beauty between the Plum Island National Nature Reserve (undeveloped ocean beach over 6 miles long) and Maudsley State Park (large wooded area on the river). Lots of restaurants, lively arts scene. The town itself is full of beautiful federal architechture. Its too far from Boston to be truly suburban but it does have the commuter rail to get you in town in just over an hour. It also has a very real feeling of community. Has a great summer festival scene. Lots of outdoor concerts and plays. Boardwalk along the river to stroll. Most residents are college educated from what I can tell. Relocated here 15 years ago from the South Shore of Boston and haven't regretted one second of it.<BR><BR>Check it out. Please let us know what you decide.

How about Glendive MT? It is a beautiful place high in the plains of eastern MT. No stuffy college types here, plenty of cigar smoking blue collar salt of the earth types. Lots of places to eat including, McDonalds, Wendys, and KFC. This town is real America!

Jess, take your Austin hat back!!! ;-)Austin is approaching 500,000, and Travis Co and surrounding areas are already past 1,000,000...

Northampton, Massachusetts.

Put a fork in Austin--it's done, what with the telecom bust. Also, living in Austin would require you to live in Texas--cracker heaven, for sure!

Connie, are you really going to move, or are you actually writing a column for a travel section?<BR><BR>If you are genuinely a nurse looking to relocate, it's obvious that a college town with a teaching hospital is what you want. But your 150-mile radius to a big city is pretty limiting, since suburbs can reach out to 50 miles sometimes. And, as you found out here, people define a big city differently. I don't consider Raleigh a big city, by any stretch, although Chapel Hill will qualify as progressive and lovely.<BR><BR>I'd go for the NH or Vt. suggestions if you genuinely are willing to deal with winter some more. You can visit Madison yourself some afternoon and see what you think about that. I think you'd perpetually miss Chicago there.