kimmywen

What liveable cities are out there where a well-off liberal family would feel at home? Prerequisites are warm weather most of the year, liveable downtown, smart growth, community-minded people, low plastic surgery/excessive makeup quotient, low consumerism, organic markets etc. Places that come to mind are Berkeley (but earthquakes), Santa Fe (but cold winters), and Portland (but rainy). Any others, and why?

trippinkpj

Austin, TX comes to mind, but long hot summers.
Re earthquakes, they aren't as often and damage causing as people think in the Berkeley/ SF bay area. I'm a native of the bay area (over 50 yrs.), and the most damage I've encountered was minor cracks in stucco and a few broken items during Loma Prieta quake in 89.

Barblab

You discribed Austin,TX, but it may be too hot in the summer.

capxxx

Boston (except in February)

Research Triangle Park, NC (except consumerism and big hair)

ncgrrl

Carrboro, NC

enzian

Portland meets those criteria so well---I wouldn't worry about the weather.

marginal_margiela

Bel Air, Maryland
Seaside, Florida

Orlando_Vic

Broward County, Florida (i.e. in and around Ft. Lauderdale) is the most Democratic county in the entire state.

jent103

Chapel Hill/Carrboro, NC would seem to fit the bill. I'd call it a relatively "liberal" population (depending on whatever you mean by that), two organic markets that I remember (moved away a year and a half ago), walkable downtowns with a good combined transit system. Excellent city schools. Pricey compared to the surrounding area, but probably not bad if you're considering CA.

They do get the occasional hurricane remnant in the fall and ice in the winter, but nowhere's perfect. The only big hair I recall was my own on humid summer days.

rhrd

An implication by the OP is to avoid "tourist seasons". I would therefore avoid Florida. OP also doesn't mention heat being a problem. Austin is very livable and liberal; amazing that it is in Texas. Arizona is famous for retirees, have you looked into it (again, very warm).

New England is very down to earth, how about Burlington?

wtm003

"low...excessive makeup quotient"

What the heck does this mean? Is lip gloss and mascara okay?

kureiff

Missoula, MT. But winters can be snowy and cold.

mlgb

Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo

kimmywen

I'm the OP - I don't mind heat under 95 degrees but am not crazy about humidity. Burlington, while a beautiful place and a leader in "organic living," is way too cold - I spent 4 years in New England during college and that was enough snow for me. Austin may be worth exploring but I just hope it's not anything like the rest of Texas (Dallas is the antithesis of what I'm looking for - i.e. no liveable downtown, plenty of SUVs contributing to global warming, lots of big hair, consumerism, large egos). I think my ideal would be a larger Madison or Boulder without the cold winters (which perhaps describes Portland). Any thoughts on Berkeley or Santa Fe?

RBCal

"For a supposedly liberal family, you seem to have several prejudicial requirements."

Yes, "low plastic surgery/excessive makeup" people are such an oppressed group.

Santa Barbara has better weather than Berkeley but more plastic surgery. Maybe Ojai? It's an artsy place.

NeoPatrick

I have to laugh at this question too. I always thought being liberal meant you had few prejudices against other people and would enjoy living where there were various types of people.

Making sure that the people around you aren't into plastic sugery and excessive makeup seems a lot like making sure there are no blacks, gays, or hispanics in the area. What's "liberal" about finding a place to live where everyone believes as you do?

What am I missing here?

Wayne

If this is a serious inquiry and kimmywen isn't just pulling our legs, I would go along with a previous suggestion: San Luis Obispo. Perfect climate, open-minded and upscale residents, lovely surroundings. Only potential problem is you have to get on a waiting list for water hookup; some have already been waiting a long time.
Good luck.

kimmywen

I'm not sure what you are referring to by "tenents." And, yes, it is the Dallas Cowboy makeup that I prefer not to have to view every day (but I'm not a big fan of the whole goth thing either). In any event, we self-described "liberals" are notoriously close-minded so I did not intend to insinuate otherwise (I was simply expressing a preference; I was not claiming to be open-minded). Perhaps you can ignore that one line in my original post (the one referring to plastic surgery and makeup) and get to my original question - what cities out there would fulfill the other listed criteria, and why.

mah1980

I think the OP just phrased it poorly. He/she is saying that instead of a place like Dallas (e.g., heavy makeup quotient, materialism, gas guzzling Hummers as status symbols) he/she would prefer to live in a place like Berkeley, et al.

Others to add in would be Asheville, NC but has cold weather, or Athens, GA. Both liberal southern towns that are quite different politically from their states.

Nora_S

I'd say that choosing plastic surgery or wearing a whole lot of makeup is a lot different than being black, gay or hispanic. Those are who you are, not choices you make. And I can see how a person who valued his or her appearance so much that they would spend thousands of dollars on plastic surgery might be deemed to have a different value system---by choice----than someone who wouldn't consider that. And I can also see how a person who describes him- or herself as liberal and interested in low consumerism, organic foods, and the other things the OP mentioned might not feel at home among people who place huge emphasis on appearances.

I grew up in California and became very weary of the artificiality. When I went back for a high school reunion, I was appalled at all the advertising by plastic surgeons in the hotel in-room guide. It's like it was the major local industry.

I don't think it's just coincidence that neither I nor any of our friends---who comprise a diverse group of professional people of various ethnic backgrounds---wear a lot of makeup*
or contemplate plastic surgery. Of course, it helps that we are all natural beauties.

*mascara and lipgloss excluded, of course.