Hi everyone! I'm trying to decide where I want to move to and am having a hard time with the decision and would love any feedback and advice!

About me: 24 years old, single, graphic designer, agnostic, fairly liberal, love animals, vegetarian, not very athletic or outdoorsy (I enjoy sailing, tubing, rafting, swimming holes / passive-type outdoors over big hikes, skiing, rock climbing etc) but adventurous...I enjoy going on adventures and trying new things, from bungee jumping to cooking classes to curling up with a good book. I was born in New Zealand, grew up in Raleigh, went to school in Florida, lived abroad in Melbourne, Australia, and have done a lot of traveling.

What I'm looking for: a vibrant, fun environment with lots to do (new events, festivals, groups, etc), preferably on or near water, not overly cold like Chicago or Boston, open-minded community that leans left over right, Eco-friendly, lots of great food & smoothie/granola bowl/etc type places, cultural & artsy, sunshine

Don't want: anywhere overly conservative or religious, too expensive, very suburban/kids & family oriented, long miserable winters, flashy club vibe like Vegas or Miami, overcrowded, grimy/dirty cities

I'm currently focusing on Denver or Austin, but would be open to other suggestions & places I haven't considered as well. On the job hunt, my friends are spread around and I have one best friend who recently moved to Denver, no friends in Austin, and my parents are located in Raleigh.

Wow I know that was a lot, but wanted to put the full picture out there haha thank you so much in advance!!

Austin, while leaning more left than other parts of Texas - is not as liberal as one might think. Just my personal observation - my son and daughter in law live there...
Good luck with your move (and Denver is cold ;-) )

You're too late for Austin...it is overcrowded and expensive.

How much can you afford for an apartment?

Denver is expensive, overcrowded and the downtown area has unfortunately become dirty/grimy.

Our winters aren't horrible and the snow usually melts quickly, but we definitely have our cold spells although we can also get beautiful warm days too.

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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Other than the sunshine, you're looking for Portland or Seattle.

Try city-data.com, that is a relocation forum.
Fodor's is geared toward people traveling on vacation, etc.

"preferably on or near water"
hmmmmm.....other than that, Denver is great.

....Denver is expensive, overcrowded and the downtown area has unfortunately become dirty/grimy. ......

Must be from the Austin chamber of commerce. Check with you Denver friend to see if they agree. A ridiculously statement.

My brother recent moved to San Antonio and is appalled at the conservative politics of Texas especially at the local level. So you may want to take that into consideration

Having moved to Denver from Chicago I can assure that Denver winters are far better than Chicago. January can be a cold month but generally our winters are fairly mild.

Denver has one of the youngest and highest educated population in the US so you would fit in well.

A good and growing public transit system is in place. And you truly have year around recreational activities. But you may have to learn how to ski or at least snowboard.

Denver would be a far better choice over Austin.
Check the weather today especially the relative humidity for Austin.

Portland Oregon or Seattle Washington fit what you ask for.