Been thinking a lot about relocating lately.If you could live anywhere, where would you go? I’m a freelance artist and am looking for a location which has a decent art scene, safe neighborhood, with either a decent nightlife or at least some breathtaking scenery to wake up to, a good modern-rock radio station wouldn’t hurt either. Certain places scene obvious like NYC but I’m open to suggestions.
Any thoughts? What would make that place better than any other?
In the same house as Cindy Crawford would be pretty nice.
In the same house as Tanya Harding would be not so good.
This sig not Y2K compliant. Happy 1900.
Depends on your money.
San Francisco would be great for what you want, but a small stuido(in a bad neighborhood) starts at $750 a month and gose up fast. I love SF, but may have to leave as I can’t afford it being on disabilty. 
Charlottesville, VA might suit your needs. You should check it out.
New Orleans is my favourite city.
Pros: Lots of artists, cheap beer, always something going on, lots of old buildings, people are friendly.
Cons: Heat and humidity, crime, a lot of stupid people.
I want to relocate to the Seattle area.
Pros: Lots of artists, great scenery, the weather (I like rain),
Cons: The weather (if you don’t like rain), King County is a bit conservative.
I’ve heard Portland is a great place. A friend described it as “Lovecraftian”.
San Francisco is still in bloody California.
Sf is really cheap cause if you are a guy, just walk down the street, there are usually several guys who say they would be happy to let you stay at their house for free.
Well, are you looking for a very big city? If so, disregard because St. Louis and Kansas City are the biggest cities I’ve lived in and I’m not recommending them.
I lived 14 years in the Ozarks MO/AR border area. Pine forests, beautiful lakes (not Lake of the Ozarks), streams, rivers, friendly people, wildflowers. MAN, I’m homesick. I couldn’t wait for winter to see the snow and ice for the one or two days that it would come. Then the Spring was just breathtaking with the redbuds, dogwoods, iris and daffodils all in bloom. In summer we could go swimming or hiking down in the cool, shady woods looking for rock formations. Then in fall when the trees changed, if the weather had not been too bad during the summer, WOW!
Didn’t MONEY magazine rank Rochester, Minnesota, as the best place in the US to live? Pittsburgh always ranks pretty high, too.
[shrug} I’d rather have my legs chopped off than live in either of those places, but then I don’t read MONEY magazine, either.
Uke
So we’re not considering outside the US then? 
If you do consider outside the US, I’d recommend the eastern (beach) suburbs of Sydney in Australia. I spent a good part of a year living in suburbs around Coogee, Randwick, Bondi and Rushcutters Bay, and I’d drop living in London like a stone to go back if I could.
I never touched him, ref, honest!
Crusoe Takes A Trip
SoSoMom,
I CURRENTLY live in Kansas City, hence my anxiousness to leave…
I would also consider living outside of the US, though probably not on the next move.
Free lance artist?
First Choice: Key West, Florida
Second Choice: Miami Beach, Florida
Third Choice: Sarasota, Florida
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
CITIES I HAVE ENJOYED VISITING OR LIVING IN:
Portland, OR: Nice if you can deal with rain. Seems to have more of a counterculture than most of the rest of Oregon, and therefore, there’s pretty much always something going on to suit pretty much any taste. Has one of the biggest bookstores anywhere (Powell’s). Lots of breweries and pubs.
Vancouver, BC: Much like Seattle. Good coffee, good bakeries, good beer, friendly folks everywhere. Cuban cigars. Giant park with mucho scenery right in town. Ferries to other very scenic places readily accessible. If flowers are your thing, the Bouchard (sp?) Gardens in Victoria are world-famous. Again, very nice if you can deal with rain. Without a doubt, this is my favorite Big City that I have visited.
Salt Lake City, UT: Surprisingly, a very nice city, once you get used to the odd addresses (Very logical, once you figure it out, but a little offputting until then). The non-Mormon population is growing, so there are good coffeebars and pubs. I have heard stories of difficulty finding work if one is not a Mormon, but this may be on the decline. Lots of statues and other public-space art. Cold in the winter, with snow. World-class skiing within an hour’s drive or so. Much mountain scenery all times of year.
Mammoth Lakes, CA: Just returned from this town. Gets busy with tourists and skiers in winter. There is a year-round population, though, with many miles of hiking and biking trails in the area. Spectacular mountain scenery. A short drive brings you to surreal volcanic scapes. The Owens valley and Mono lake (speaking of surreal) are also relatively nearby. Not for you if earthquakes and the possibility of volcanic eruption frighten you, as the volcanoes of the region are waking up. The Sierras in general are breathtaking, scenerywise, any time of year. Hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, etc. If you like all of the above, but don’t want to live in a ski town, try any of the small towns nearby on Hwy. 395: Bishop, Lone Pine, Big Pine, Tom’s Place, etc.
Ventura, CA: I’ve lived here most of my life. Population about 100K. A small night scene, including live music, coffeebars, and so on. Located appx. halfway between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, if you want more happenings. We’re right on the beach, so there’s oceanscapes all the time, and sunsets over the water every night. Mild weather. I have never lived in a house here that had A/C or cental heat. We get about one hot week (highs of 90+F) and about one cold week (Lows of 32-F) a year. As with most of California, it’s essentially desert, so rainfall is moderate to low. Small town feel with big-city aspirations. Agricultural history and present.
Ojai, CA: An artisitcally-rich community near Ventura. As it has a fair population of wealthy retirees, it can be expensive to live here. Very small-town feel, and the city council tries hard to keep it that way. There are nearby communities that are well within driving distance, if one chooses not to live in Ojai proper, including Oakview, Meiners Oaks, Casitas Springs, and Ventura. Good mountain scenery of a very different type than Mammoth Lakes. Warmer in summer and colder in winter than Ventura. No snow, and little rain.
If you’d like more detail on any of the above, let me know, and I will answer tot he best of my ability.
A committee is a lifeform with six or more legs and no brain.
If you don’t mind the cold, Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN. If you don’t mind the heat (and Cowboys fans…and UT football hysteria), Austin, TX.
“My hovercraft is full of eels.”
Oakland, CA has a thriving art community. Not as expensive as S.F, but headed that way. And it’s just across the bridge. Safe? Well, contact some artists who live there.
Here’s a link for your perusal. http://www.oakland.com/
Come on out and visit.
Peace,
mangeorge
I only know two things;
I know what I need to know
And
I know what I want to know
Mangeorge, 2000
Thanks so much Jo3sh for your detailed response. Ventura sounds especially nice. Though truth be told I’m still a little wary of living in earthquake country…
Can anyone tell me more about Austin TX? I’ve read the stats, (air quality, cost of living, etc.) but I’m looking for an insiders opinion.
Torgo, any more thoughts?
Earthquakes are just Nature’s way of letting us know we live in the real world.
South Island of New Zealand, preferably within drinking distance of Christchurch. Eight hundred thousand educated, English-speaking people on a most beautiful island a little smaller than Florida. You can ski, fish for enormous salmon and trout, and surf all in one day, and spend the evening partying in the crimeless, gorgeous town of Christchurch. The reefer ain’t to shabby, either. It’s a simply amazing place, and they don’t mind Americans too much at all.
I was going to suggest Austin, Tx. It’s a strange mix there, University of Texas so lot’s of college crowd stuff; Capital, so government stuff; Dell computer, so lot’s of high tech stuff. It’s on the edge of the Texas hill country, nice scenery isn’t far away. There is a lot of art and music, especially local stuff. My ex-sister-in-law is a starving artist and local musician there. It’s growing rapidly and who knows what will happen to it.
Jim