Debbie

I would check into Portland, Oregon,Vancouver, Washington(this is right next to Portland) Also check into the Reno area, Lake Tahoe is right by there. If you want by the ocean, try Astoria, Oregon.

Frankie

Here are the places I have lived listed in order - first is the best !
1 - Cleveland, OH
2 - Wilmington, DE
3 - New Orleans, LA
4 - St. Louis, MO
5 - Buffalo, NY
6 - Toledo, OH
7 - Lima, Oh
8 - Chicago, IL

Christy

Ohmigosh!! I can't believe the response. I've been out of town for a bit and just had the oppty to check in. Thank you to everyone for their emails. They're awesome! At first glance, I'm drawn to Portland, Nashua, Baltimore, Hampton Roads and maybe Williamsburg. I guess I'm looking for a mid-size town, good arts/sports, slower pace of life, affordable housing & not more than an hour or two from the beach. I'm in north NJ right now, and its way too crowded. Thank you again. You guys are great!!!

Liz

New York - have lived in Phili, Boston, and LA . Been many times to Chicago, San Fran, New Orleans, DC. Nothing can compare - one hour from Manhattan you have the beaches or the mountains. Inside the food, museums, the pace keeps you young.

John

I go for college towns. Lots going on, fairly liberal. The best: Austin,Texas; Chapel Hill, NC; Charlottesville, VA; and the best of the best--Boston.

Rachael

If you decide on a city, i recommend living in a suburb of that particular city. You get all the advantages of that city, plus a quiet place to live, and it's much safer.

anthony

Greenville SC is a wonderful community that has great views of the western NC mountains and a couple of beautiful lakes very close.
Residents are very friendly, lots of international investments like BMW, and #1 new housing market according to US News two years ago.
only 3 hours from Charleston coast and 50 minutes from Asheville NC Mountains.

lisa

Hi Christy. I have lived in Michigan (OK) and North Carolina (better), and now live in Washington DC and I love it! P.S. My boyfriend is from northern New Jersey like you and he loves Washington too, although actually he lives across the river in Arlington, Va.

Of the cities you listed, I like Baltimore best and Portland second.

I would not live in Williamsburg or Hampton Roads -- have spent a significant amount of time in that area (used to date someone who went to Wm. & Mary) -- Williamsburg in particular is overrun with tourists all the time.

Ann

Las Vegas: Real estate is very reasonable, the wheater is very pleasant year round, a straight shot to L.A. via Interstate 15, a lot of employment opportunities, and Las Vegas has a very low crime rate compared to oher cities like New York or Chicago. Downsides: Summer heat, it can get as hot as 115 degrees for several days in a row at least there is no humidity like the Midwest where I live, another downside is devastating flash floods.

Lisa

San Diego, California. Best climate on earth. Lots to do. Clean and not as crowded as other large cities.

Judy

I'm glad to read all of these responses and not see Denver listed anywhere. That's because we don't want everyone to catch on to how wonderful it is here...we have too many people moving in already. It is a city that has everything going for it except access to the ocean but please tell everyone how bad it is...this way it can remain our Rocky Mountain secret.

Roger

I have lived in New Jersey (born & raised), Kansas, Missouri, New York, California, Indiana, Texas and South Carolina. I have also visited a total of 43 states. The best place for those who are empty nesters is Charleston, SC which is where I live now. Reasons are too numerous to mention. Unfortunately too many early retirees are discovering Charleston and are moving here in droves.

dan woodlief

John, for college towns you left out Madison, WI, which to me is a larger more varied version of Chapel Hill, which I also love. Chapel Hill can be expensive though. I would rate these as two of the best places to live.

Christy

Thanks again for all the great responses. Madison, WI sounds great, as do soo many of them. Went down and explored Richmond and Charlotte, but neither seemed to "fit". My b-friend and I I think have narrowed it down to Baltimore or the DC/VA area. Sounds like like of opptys and variety of things to do, while kind of close to an ocean. Thanks again!!!

david

Enjoyed your posts and the replies...did note all of the responses were mentioning large cities...ie. Chicago, New York etc...none of which would be on my list. Give a a small town in any midwest area and I would name it number one...no congestion, lots of elbow room and clean air. That is paradise.

me

anywhere except nj- get out while you can. why is everyone moving to atlanta?

sandi

nj is great for us--we liked the east coast for jobs and great beaches, nj beaches are beautiful! And what beats the ny area for arts and entertainment? But I see that you feel its too crowded...if true, I suggest midwest or northern west coast.

me

People who think Jersey beaches are beautiful have never seen another beach!
They are seaweedy, dirty, crowded, and the water is no where near as pretty as the gulf. The beaches in NJ ARE pretty compared to everything else in NJ.

Lisa

I can't believe all of the responses you've gotten. Since you seem to have narrowed it down to the MD/DC/VA area I will put in my 2 cents and say that there are lots of wonderful areas to live in this area.
Annapolis is great, too. We live in a very rural suburb that feels like the country but is 10 min to Annapolis (boating, Naval Academy, restraunts, bars, shopping) 20 minutes to Baltimore (restraunts, bars, sporting events) and 20 minutes to DC.(museums, the arts, politics, shopping) Just over 2 hours to the beach and the same for the mountains, local skiing, etc.
There are tons of employment opportunities in this vacinity, so depending on what you do...pick your new job and then your new address...traffic can be an issue if you're going to work downtown. Best of luck to you!

Karin

Dear Christy:
I think you are making a BIG mistake. I lived in Philadelphia (center city and the country) for 5 years (and also grew up in the midwest). There is NOTHING like the West Coast - especially Portland Oregon. The beaches don't even compare with the "shore". You MUST take a vacation out here and decide for yourself before making a huge mistake!