Quote:
Originally Posted by blakcloud
I would suggest Huntsville, Alabama. Yes, I stereotyped it before I got there and boy did I change my mind. Small city but plenty of good cycling. Lots of hills to train, mountain biking and cyclocross. You never get the snow that you did in your neck of the woods. You can ride all year around with just a little discomfort.
I have been in around Fairfax Virginia at least a dozen times and Huntsville reminds of very much of Fairfax.
Housing is still affordable and available. Homes that would be about a $800,000 dollars in Toronto, sell for about $300,000 in Huntsville and surrounding area. As for jobs, there is the Redstone Arsenal and of course NASA which might be good for your wife.
The downside of Huntsville is flying in and out of the airport. It has the most expensive tickets to fly in the country, so many fly to Nashville and take the shuttle into Huntsville (this is what I do). They also don't sell Powerball which means driving to Tennessee. Tornadoes can also be troublesome. I had the rare privilege of seeing my first Tornado as I was driving from Nashville to Huntsville and it was pretty scary.
Check it out online, it might be a contender.
|
I have to provide a completely different take on Huntsville after living there for a year. Worst road rage incidents (also highest number of them) occurred there on everything from 7am commutes to work to after work and weekend road rides. Just the biggest collection of "asshole" drivers I've ever encountered in addition to streets becoming increasingly clogged and poorly designed for bikes to boot. One of the worst cities I have attempted to find enjoyment out of, but hey they have endless sprawl and chain stores/restaurants dotting the surrounding landscape so maybe that's a plus for some.
I will give a big up to Cincinnati OH where I lived for quite a while. Better still live outside the I-275 beltway in Northern KY and have access to some seriously prime road riding right out your door with a 15-20 min drive to downtown. IT work has to be plentiful there, DOD/Military no idea but its a sizable city that is growing gangbusters. MTB and gravel riding are limited but there is a strong and dedicated MTB scene there with several 6hr races, the Mohican MTB race a few hours drive away, and some top notch gravel riding within 2 hrs in SE OH, and deeper into KY.
Currently residing in Western NC and if you can make the careers work in or near Asheville, I have to give it the top spot. Ignoring the city of Asheville, property is still affordable, and a sound investment, on balance the riding here has to rival a place like Boulder for access to whatever you want close to right out your door depending where you are in relation to Pisgah Natl Forest. As someone who always felt to pull towards Norcal, PNW, their agreeable climates, ecosystems, and the people I've met from those areas, I have come to accept the many negative aspects I see about living here that are outweighed by the positives. The riding being the biggest positive of them all.
Happy to answer any questions about Cinci or Asheville as best I can, enjoyed living in Cinci for 4 years, and coming up on 5 years in WNC.