making drastic changes in life

[Crankin]

I will answer you, based on my personal experience, living in the south and the west, as a northeastener.
When I moved to Miami as a teen, it was the height of the late 60s. All I saw, sort of blended in to the urban/suburban landscape, were Confederate flags, KKK signs not that far out of town, and other kids telling me I was going to hell because I was Jewish. It was such a culture shock, I didn't speak to my dad for months. Fast forward a few years, when I moved to AZ. That was fine at first. I also had my sheltered little world in a university town and my friends from the Jewish Community Center. Work was full of super conservative teachers and students from one particular religion. I had a great job, a house in a very desireable area, and lots of friends. But in the end, I wanted my kids to grow up with the values I grew up with. It just felt super hard to do it in AZ, as the political climate became increasingly repressive. I think it would have been easier in Tucson, which is more liberal.
I have been enamored of the climate and other recreational activities in quite a few places I have visited, but I know I could never live there. Hence, my list is very short when it comes to places I could actually live. I love where I live and we decided about 5 years ago, we are never moving. This is why we are now living in a smaller townhouse that is paid for. We will travel and maybe buy a small 2nd home in western MA, but I learned a long time ago that there's more to a place than the scenery.

[rocknrollgirl]

but I learned a long time ago that there's more to a place than the scenery.

Yep. I do like it where we live, we are just concerned that it will not be sustainable in retirement. Oh well, time will tell.

[Crankin]

That is why we have downsized now. We don't have any bills except utilities and our condo fee and our own fun!

[emily_in_nc]

RnR, as a North Carolinian, I will comment. I totally, completely get what you are saying. I was born and raised in Raleigh, the state capital, a university town, and much more progressive than either western or eastern NC. There are a few well-known "blue" enclaves in NC, and these tend to be much more tolerant of all forms of diversity (in religion, sexuality, etc. etc.) (I am also not religious.) I always thought Asheville, in the western part of the state, and probably where you are looking, would be included on this list, but according to this site: https://www.roadsnacks.net/these-are...orth-carolina/, it is not. However, there is a strong artistic community there, and it is always thought of as a diverse and progressive city.

I have lived in each of the four top cities on the list from the site above, and I can vouch for them. They also have better cycling than the western part of the state, which is mountainous, roads are skinny, most have no shoulders, and very short sight lines. It's absolutely beautiful, but I don't feel comfortable riding in most places in western NC. We own a small piece of property in the NW corner of the state, on a river, and I would not ride my road bike there. I only ride my MTB on the dirt road the property is on, which is very rural and a dead end road.

The cycling in the Piedmont is much better, though you will still run into the occasional problem with loose dogs, rude drivers (who tend to be driving the huge pickup trucks), etc. The rural areas of the Piedmont are a lot more conservative than the cities themselves.

So, you might want to check out Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, and Durham. I am partial to Hillsborough, as it is the smallest of these cities, but they all have their good and bad points. Durham, to me, would be the least cycling friendly of the four. Chapel Hill and Carrboro have the university, some bike lanes and paths, a good farmer's market, lots and lots of crunchy granola types, runners, cyclists, outdoor activities. I love this area and would certainly live there again if the opportunity arises. Chapel Hill is the most expensive of these cities but probably very decent by your northeastern standards.

I know you are a trail runner, and I think you would find places to run in all of these communities. I suspect Umstead Park (which is in Raleigh) is the nicest park for trail running (I've MTB'd there but not run), but I am sure there are many others I am not even aware of.

If you have any questions I can help with, feel free to ask!

[rocknrollgirl]

Thanks Emily. I am sure there will be lots and lost more discussion and searching for us before we make a move. I will check out the places you have mentioned.

[Pax]

Moving to the south has been a huge cultural shock for us. The religious aspects are difficult because the separation of church and state isn't adhered to down here; go to any public school event and they will open and close with a christian prayer. The rebel flags and the culture attached to them is ubiquitous; the conservative political views are also dominant and freely discussed... in the grocery store by a clerk, by the guy at the tire store, coworkers, etc.

[Blueberry]

A current NC person chiming in here.

There are definitely isolated pockets that are more progressive - but as soon as you get outside of them, the culture shock is real. I live in CH. I used to live in Durham. In town, it's mostly OK. I think for day to day cycling (except a very small core in the center of CH), Durham is actually better for biking now. Chapel Hill has won all sorts of awards, but my bike commute sucks (and that's not really unusual). There just aren't safe connectors from some parts of town to other parts of town. Carrboro is better, but very small. Once you get out into the country (where you would do long rides), there is a lot of cyclist hate. Someone told me (though I haven't been able to verify it) that a pace line was shot with pepper spray recently. My DH was hit by a car last week in Wrightsville Beach, NC. On another forum I frequent, a poster was hit on the same day in Greensboro, NC (and the driver was planning to leave the scene). There's a group in the rural areas outside Chapel Hill that absolutely hates cyclists and have been working on advocacy to keep bikes off the road (Schley Grange).

TL; DR: After I finish medical school (residency at the latest), we plan to get the heck out of NC. There's just too much cyclist hate in addition to other hate (HB2, anyone?).