Considering moving within US, What city/area would you suggest?

[DeniseGoldberg]

This is a really dangerous thread for me!

I dream of moving west someday, and I've been thinking of Colorado east of the Rockies, Washington, and Oregon. Of course other locations could still jump into play since I'm not ready to pull the plug on my current location yet - but you gals are getting my imagination stirring again...

--- Denise

[archibella]

I'll make another vote for Texas-- San Antonio.

-Jobs: some big employers in the area are Toyota, USAA, and SBC. Pay scale may not be as high as other larger cities, but cost of living isn't either...
-You're within 2.5 hrs of the beach, close enough for a day trip but far enough to be out of hurricane range.
-Other weather: Ok... so it gets really really hot and kinda humid in the summer. But winters are wonderful if you don't like cold. Occasionally we have air alerts, but not like Houston and some of the west coast.
-this is the city I started riding in. On the south side you have long flat stretches of farm country; On the north side you have rolling hills to hills; In the city there are tons of streets to explore (although not as bike friendly as Austin, SA is getting there). Also several big parks for mountain biking.
-LBS-- there are several, most of which are good.
-Cost of living is pretty decent, as well as housing costs. You can find just about everything.
-There are several other major cities close-by: Houston and Austin for things you can't find here as well as alternate airports.
-People; the people here are really friendly! I relocated here 3 years ago, and am really enjoying it.
-Entertainment... There are lots of fun restaurants; there's the riverwalk! There isn't as much theatre and classical music as there could be, but we still do ok (have a symphony and a broadway series).

I guess in short, san antonio is like a big small town (of 1.2 million)

good luck on your relocation search!!

[Crankin]

Luv 'in Austin, that brown cloud DOES do damage to your body. Just this summer, I had a "funny looking" chest xray. My internist sent me for a CT scan and then to a pulmonary dr. to look at it. It showed an area of calcification in one lung that probably is scarring from repeated infections like bronchitis. As soon as the pulmonary doc saw that i had lived in Arizona, he said, "Do you know what Cocci is?" I certainly do know what it is, and although I never thought I had "Valley Fever," I guess I must have had it, when I though it was something else. I guess it just took 15 years to show up.

[SalsaMTB]

I like the Raleigh N.C. idea also. It's one of the fastest growing cities in the US, good size and I've heard great riding. Whatever you do, stay away from MI!!!!

[luv'nAustin]

I know that there are plenty of other cities that suffer from the brown cloud syndrome. Unfortunately, they are often in beautiful settings and sometimes it is a direct cause of the surrounding mountains holding the pollution in the "bowl" and not allowing it to escape into the atmosphere. It was often mentioned in the news (during certain times of the year) when we lived in Denver and Boulder.

I have a friend in Diablo that refuses to run on busy roads becuase she fears that the exhaust does more harm than the exercise does good.

Perhaps we should be wearing masks? Gosh, that would be pretty funny, can't imagine how I could suck in enough air to get me up a hill with a mask covering my mouth. I could just see it coming untied and sucking it down my throat as I gasp for more air! Guess I'm letting you all in on my level of fitness.

[SadieKate]

Funny that this topic should come up today as a friend, the MadCyclist, also sent me this article about diesel fumes.

http://www.sacbike.org/sacbiking/Diesel.htm

[luv'nAustin]

no denying...pollution is a very bad thing!

[Irulan]

I've heard great things about Vancouver also. Never been there myself but it is on my list.

Hey Grog, how far are you from Fernie? I will be skiing up there from Feb 8-12....

topic drift. I just got back from Fernie last night, I sure hope conditions improve. Our plan was to ski 4 days. We skied 1.1. On Friday it was pouring at the base and we turned our tickets back in after one run to the top. The top of the mountain has been getting lots of heavy "cascade cement" snow that only skiers who dont' know any better would call "powder". We skied one day anyway when the rain quit and had fun, but at $60 a pop we weren't going to ski a lot of crud when we can do that at home for free. We actually came home a day early. I sure hope it improves for you! You know when you go to Sparwood to look at the Biggest Truck in the World that your ski vacation has gone sideways.

Irulan

[Irulan]

I'm not too sure about the SF Bay Area being such a great place. I'd move in a minute if it weren't for my job.

Housing is $$$$$$
Schools are iffy -- some are great, others not so much.
Air Quality

I don't know what the jobs are like, but I know a couple people (cyclists) in Boulder, CO that just love it.

Spokane WA is nice too, but again, I know nothing of the job market.

I'm with snap here. We left the Bay 16 years ago due to cost of housing, commute times and poor quality schools ( gotta love prop 13) and lack of mountains.

Spokane has a definite IT sector, just not on the scale of a huge city. Liberty Lake is where it's all happening. Hewlett Packard, Telect, XO, Worldwide Packets all have a presence here.

Our public schools are very good.

Irulan,

[Irulan]

andrew wants to buy a second home there. I'm curious what others think of Boise. Sounds like a lot of great outdoor activities, but I'm wondering what the city is like? Restaurants, entertainment? a good sushi place? organic produce? marinated tofu? falafel and hummus?

Boise is the hippest city in Idaho. IT's a U- town, and the state governement seat which gives it a leg up over any other small city in the state. Any small city in the interior will never have the same caliber of things as a costal, major city but the way I see it, that's the sacrifice you pay for more affordable housing, less crowds, more open space and so on.

irulan

[SadieKate]

The top of the mountain has been getting lots of heavy "cascade cement" snow that only skiers who dont' know any better would call "powder".

Ah, like Sierra Cement? Now that yellow is in Utah she's having to learn to deal with that weird powdery stuff they call snow out there.

[DirtDiva]

Oh, the hardship!

[cindysue]

You know when you go to Sparwood to look at the Biggest Truck in the World that your ski vacation has gone sideways.

LOL - but sorry - what a bummer! Guess we'll just have to see how the weather is a month from now. Thanks for the update!!!

[Irulan]

It is a Really Big Truck. Really.

[BikeMomma]

Here is some info about air quality and city ratings. http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/04/28/air.pollution/

This article is from 2004 so things may have changed slightly - probably not for the better though.

Oh my gosh, I did NOT need to look at that link....Central Valley cities are six out of the top ten, and I work in Merced...geez! I need to move to the coast. Been saying it...this proves I need to do it!

You do not want to move here!
- Bike "cough, hack" Momma