Southerners - Help a bruh find a warmer place to live

[Dead Man]

Gents... I can't do this anymore.

I'm done with cold rain. DONE.

I love the culture here in Cascadia, love the riding when it's dry, love the geography, and even the climate has been not-that-bad in recent years, but it's been raining for 13 months now and I'm DONE. And I don't mean kinda done, little-too-far, maybe Bend would be OK... I mean I'm looking to put thousands of miles between this crap and my bike. That kinda done.

Here's what the perfect place would look like:

~As warm as possible
~Enlightened, forward-thinking culture
~Good riding with countryside access, some hills would be nice, decently wide roads/shoulders, cars that care..? Hoping to go basically car-free once settled, so I'll be riding a lot
~Sailing - Preferably within an hour or two of either Atlantic or Gulf coasts, but I'd settle for big lakes and/or fat rivers
~Prefer smaller towns (100k ish) over big cities, and here's where you guys really come in - I can google "liberal towns in the south" all day long, but that mostly produces the bigger cities I already kinda know about..

Cost of living and employment markets are irrelevant. I have pretty much no material standard for living, and I can work from pretty much anywhere.

Lastly, while I know parts o SoCal tick every box..... yea.. meh. I don't want to live anywhere west of Texas.

Places I'm looking at are Austin- easily topping the list- disorderedly followed by Memphis, Birmingham, New Orleans, Miami-Dade, and I suspect I'd really love to live in Savannah - which is my favorite place that I have actually been to in the south, but I haven't been there in almost two decades, so who knows how things are now..? Any Savannah Paceliners??

And again, what I'm really interested in is those smaller towns in between that you just don't hear much about. San Marcos, TX sounds like a little paradise, and I'm headed there for a visit soon... I'd love to get a list of these type places to go explore.

So ya.. if you live in the south, are a roadie, are lower-left ideologically, and love your town........ whereyat?

Your bruh humbly thanks any participants in advance.

[fa63]

Have a friend who lives in Birmingham. He likes it for both road riding and MTB. Also, good food.

You might also want to check some of the smaller towns a little outside of Atlanta: Woodstock and Canton come to mind. They are both very close (<30 min) to Lake Allatoona, where my buddy goes sailing all the time. Great road and MTB riding around the area as well; can do rolling hills or big mountains just to the north. They are also more progressive than one would imagine (Canton residents just elected an openly gay mayor), though it is not going to be Austin...

There is also Asheville, NC.

Savannah, Miami, New Orleans are just too hot and humid for too many days of the year... Plus they are flat which makes riding boring (I am originally from Tampa, FL; currently live in Atlanta).

Good luck!

[sailorboy]

Now that's what I call a professional-grade rant. Well-done OP!

My advice: New England. You are already used to progressive politics. You will have a tough time replicating that in the South in any meaningful way imho.

Seasons are getting more tolerable up here, and in 15-20 years sadly the effects of climate change will make the riding season longer (at least). For winter take up XC skiing. It worked for all the hard men and women of interior NE that I knew in the 80's/90's.

[FlashUNC]

Chattanooga.

[XXtwindad]

Gents... I can't do this anymore.

I'm done with cold rain. DONE.

I love the culture here in Cascadia, love the riding when it's dry, love the geography, and even the climate has been not-that-bad in recent years, but it's been raining for 13 months now and I'm DONE. And I don't mean kinda done, little-too-far, maybe Bend would be OK... I mean I'm looking to put thousands of miles between this crap and my bike. That kinda done.

Here's what the perfect place would look like:

~As warm as possible
~Enlightened, forward-thinking culture
~Good riding with countryside access, some hills would be nice, decently wide roads/shoulders, cars that care..? Hoping to go basically car-free once settled, so I'll be riding a lot
~Sailing - Preferably within an hour or two of either Atlantic or Gulf coasts, but I'd settle for big lakes and/or fat rivers
~Prefer smaller towns (100k ish) over big cities, and here's where you guys really come in - I can google "liberal towns in the south" all day long, but that mostly produces the bigger cities I already kinda know about..

Cost of living and employment markets are irrelevant. I have pretty much no material standard for living, and I can work from pretty much anywhere.

Lastly, while I know parts o SoCal tick every box..... yea.. meh. I don't want to live anywhere west of Texas.

Places I'm looking at are Austin- easily topping the list- disorderedly followed by Memphis, Birmingham, New Orleans, Miami-Dade, and I suspect I'd really love to live in Savannah - which is my favorite place that I have actually been to in the south, but I haven't been there in almost two decades, so who knows how things are now..? Any Savannah Paceliners??

And again, what I'm really interested in is those smaller towns in between that you just don't hear much about. San Marcos, TX sounds like a little paradise, and I'm headed there for a visit soon... I'd love to get a list of these type places to go explore.

So ya.. if you live in the south, are a roadie, are lower-left ideologically, and love your town........ whereyat?

Your bruh humbly thanks any participants in advance.

Asheville, NC. Middlebury (or Burlington) VT. Two cities I might consider living in.
And I still owe you beers in the Oakland Hills....

[zennmotion]

Charlottesville VA. Although the vampires do occasionally visit from out of town to burn tiki torches, the rest of time it's a great place to live and the riding is phenomenal.

[XXtwindad]

Now that's what I call a professional-grade rant. Well-done OP!

My advice: New England. You are already used to progressive politics. You will have a tough time replicating that in the South in any meaningful way imho.

Seasons are getting more tolerable up here, and in 15-20 years sadly the effects of climate change will make the riding season longer (at least). For winter take up XC skiing. It worked for all the hard men and women of interior NE that I knew in the 80's/90's.

Yeah, that was pretty good. But CunegoFan is still the King. Man, his **** is entertaining.

[fa63]

Chattanooga.

+1; totally slipped my mind in my first response. I love living in Atlanta, but wife and I have briefly considered moving there a couple times due to the quality of life there (outdoors, food, etc.) without the hassles of the big city. We did notice that it has gotten quite pricey there in the past few years, but I imagine it is still relatively affordable to someone moving from the West Coast.

[dsimon]

I was Born an raised on Tybee Island so yea I know a little about Savannah. But I would say Asheville NC, you get a true 4 season and the diversity. food culture and some southern charm still around

[Ken Robb]

While winter in the deep south is nice I would have a tough time enjoying summers there and the coastal areas are humid too. Huntsville, AL. is hot in the summer and it gets a little snow/ice occasionally in the winter but the average might suit you. My daughter lives in Guntersville, AL. which is a nice small, Southern town on a lake that is part of the Tennessee River waterway but you don't sound like a small town would suit you. OTOH it's 45 minutes from Huntsville which is pretty cosmopolitan due to NASA and Army Missile Command presence attracting people from all over the world to jobs there.

[Dead Man]

My main problem with really small towns is that there's no night life. I definitely like to get out in the evenings, and when everything closes at 9pm and there's nothing resembling a "club" within reasonable Uber distance, I'd probs start to go a little stirry.

Man, you guys are really giving me what I wanted though - google-earthing and wikipediaing with fury. Thanks for responses so far!

[simonov]

My main problem with really small towns is that there's no night life. I definitely like to get out in the evenings, and when everything closes at 9pm and there's nothing resembling a "club" within reasonable Uber distance, I'd probs start to go a little stirry.

Man, you guys are really giving me what I wanted though - google-earthing and wikipediaing with fury. Thanks for responses so far!

If you're willing to give up rolling terrain or going car free, South Florida gives you about 363 riding days a year and more boat culture than you can shake a stick at. Miami and Ft. Lauderdale are big cities, but they're diverse enough (both culturally and from neighborhood to neighborhood) that you could possibly find a place that feels rights. And you'd never have to worry about nightlife options.

[steveoz]

Well I'll tell you what area I've got my eyes firmly set on - Citrus County - namely Inverness/ Floral City area. It's got juust enough civilization, a good biking community, inexpensive (so far...) and a little more north in Fla as to be able to get a little cool weather. I live in the S Fla area - just cross Miami/Dade off the list, trust me....

[vqdriver]

go to hawaii

[Ralph]

I drive over to Inverness regularly to ride the trail thru town. Have lunch there. Have thought briefly of moving over that way. Until recently anyway.

At a recent county commission meeting, they voted to stop the library's subscription to the New York Times. One of many newspapers they subscribe to.....they would not even pay for a digital version. They voted, and the majority said on record....."we want to support Donald Trump". They said the Times is fake news. And over the objection of residents at meeting....the vote stood.

Not meaning to bring this subject into your quest.....but is something you will run into in small towns in the south. BTW.....There are plenty of progressive not so large cities in the warm SE. Asheville (as mentioned....but gets cold there), Gainesville, Fl, and many other progressive towns. Where I live in Central Florida has everything you ask about except mountains. We do have some 12-15% hills though.

Unbelievable....this day and time....read here. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/11/05/new-york-times-citrus-county-florida-library-subscription-rejected-fake-news/

[dancinkozmo]

Bentonville AR

[R3awak3n]

I was Born an raised on Tybee Island so yea I know a little about Savannah. But I would say Asheville NC, you get a true 4 season and the diversity. food culture and some southern charm still around

yeah Savannah is too flat. I was going to recommend Asheville as well. Great town, great ridding, 4 seasons but all manageable. Beautiful place.


I would say upstate NY but taxes here are ridiculous and winter sucks.... summer can also be WAY TOO hot. I do love it here though but man, every winter I want to move back to Portugal

[avalonracing]

I agree with a few people here that Asheville is nice. I could never do the Florida thing as it is way too flat. Charleston SC is nice and has access to the water also but again, I think it's too flat for cycling.

[Spaghetti Legs]

Charlottesville VA. Although the vampires do occasionally visit from out of town to burn tiki torches, the rest of time it's a great place to live and the riding is phenomenal.

+1 I love it here. Great restaurants (I mean a lot of top notch eating), college town, generally bike friendly. Even in the depths of winter I can still get out on the bike occasionally. Summers are hot and getting hotter, but better than points further south and on the worst days, I can escape up to the Blue Ridge Parkway where it’s 10+ degrees cooler.

Car free is possible here; train goes to DC and points north and it’s possible to safely ride a bike to the airport from downtown. Not much sailing here, although there is a river for kayak/canoe. Smith Mountain Lake is 2 hours south and Atlantic Ocean is 3 hours East.

[Lovetoclimb]

The SE will allow you escape some rain, but keep in mind we have hurricane season down here. And at times, crippling humidity. Now there are some pockets up in the mountains, Asheville or our NC high country (Boone area) that will get less rain and have less humidity. Winters are normal IMO. Similar to Ohio but typically a bit less harsh. And the 4 seasons are quite distinct and lovely. Close by is Greenville SC and not far from there is Athens GA. If a smaller city is your thing I would enoucrage some research into all of them. I moved from Cincinnati OH, a great city in its own right, to be in the mountains, and have never looked back.

[Tandem Rider]

I can't speak for everyone, but sunshine means a lot to my demeanor. In the Midwest, I dreaded winter, had to take Vitamin D, sunlamps, etc. Here, I just go play outside, it's sunny. I've been to Portland a number of times, too gray for me.:)

[DrewK]

Asheville. Especially if you do any MTB riding, or want to... south of Asheville is some of the best MTB on east coast, and you’re not far from lift served madness if that’s your style. Definitely a progressive thinking town. I don’t know much about night life, I am usually in bed by 9 (as I post this at 9:20)... I get a lot done between 5am and 9am every day! HA

But Asheville has mild winters, warm/humid summers.

Charlotte has a great roadie scene and plenty of nightlife.

Greenville SC also has a great road scene, not far from the MTB stuff either. Between Greenville and Asheville is roadie heaven. There is a reason that Hincapie built his hotel there.

[DrewK]

Savannah GA also sounds like a place that would check all the boxes for you. Or Charleston SC.

[sokyroadie]

Bowling Green KY would be a possibility - lots of nightlife - home of Western Kentucky University. Population is growing 60K+ lots of opportunity, good rural riding close by, not flat but more rolling hills vs mountains. Barren River Lake (10,000 acres) is 30 miles away and has an active sailing club - Port Oliver Yacht Club. Weather is pretty moderate in the Winter, normally very little snow. Nashville is 1 hr away and has everything.

I live on Barren and good riding around the lake.

[zmalwo]

San Diego is pretty nice I heard. Expensive though!

[Whit51]

Austin TX or Richmond VA.

[Louis]

I have one comment:

Be very careful when you establish your "must have, 100% certain" criteria, because you may find out later that they aren't as cast-in-stone as you might have originally believed.

Let's say, for instance, that you want to move to a warmer place because you don't want to cycle in cold weather in the winter. You might later find out that in winter you could use an indoor rower instead of riding in miserable weather or turning your mind to mush on rollers, and so avoiding cold winters may not be as critical as you thought. Besides, rowing is a much better workout than cycling. Not as much fun as riding outdoors, but way better for your body.

I won't bore you with the details, but several times in my life I've made a relatively big decision based on criteria that I later found out to not be as important as I thought.

Good Luck

[Ken Robb]

San Diego is pretty nice I heard. Expensive though!

We still like it but it's gotten pretty crowded over the past 50 years. Towns along the Central Coast of CA. are pretty nice and less expensive. San Luis Obispo is a college town with nice weather but I don't know what the real estate prices are like.

[Lanternrouge]

We still like it but it's gotten pretty crowded over the past 50 years. Towns along the Central Coast of CA. are pretty nice and less expensive. San Luis Obispo is a college town with nice weather but I don't know what the real estate prices are like.

SLO is pretty expensive, though I don't think as bad as the San Diego area.

[Ken Robb]

Thtennis with a bunch of guys e OP wants some night life hence my thoughts of SLO but Morro Bay, Cambria, and others are smaller/cheaper. I was surprised lately to discover that my cousin/old pal has moved to Nipomo where there are new developments popular with active seniors. After playing tennis for several months with a bunch of his neighbors he realized one of the other guys was at our high school at the same time as we were. Nipomo is not far from Santa Maria as the nearest "bigger" town. The whole area might be too quiet for the OP.

[nighthawk]

Asheville came to mind first, but think about Flagstaff, AZ.

Other thoughts... Pensacola, FL. Athens, GA. Greensboro, NC.

[Elefantino]

Gainesville is nice.

[nighthawk]

Gainesville is nice.

I lived there for a few years. Great town. Flat as a pancake, though.

[mjb266]

Sedona, AZ
Moab, UT
Gunnison, CO
SLO, CA

Some are up high, so chilly in winter, but “it’s a dry cold.”

[weisan]

Dead pal, you are correct in choosing Austin based on your criteria. Let me offer you some local area expertise.

1) traffic is not getting bad, it's BAD already, it doesn't need getting there.

If you don't need to drive to work every day, then it's a non-issue.

If you can use the train to get to work, then it's a non-issue.

2) Expensive housing

Austin is pretty much full.

Overflow to neighboring bedroom communities that are within 15-25 miles radius like cedar park, manor, round rock, to name a few, for more affordable housing options ($250-300k decent size house) but the problem is...point #1 - traffic.

Other than that, you are pretty much spot on.

I live in Leander, TX.

I think it's better than San Marcos but I am biased.

Contact me.

[BobC]

Williamsburg.
Great small town centrally located between Richmond & Hampton Roads. Great riding on & off road. Rolling hills. W&M is there, so there is stuff going on. Weather is mild.

[sailorboy]

Asheville, NC. Middlebury (or Burlington) VT. Two cities I might consider living in.
And I still owe you beers in the Oakland Hills....

I could get behind Burlington, but Middlebury? Not so much. It's a cute, sorta quintessential Vermont town, but not really any nightlife. Live in S. Burlington and visit Middlebury.

[glepore]

+1 I love it here. Great restaurants (I mean a lot of top notch eating), college town, generally bike friendly. Even in the depths of winter I can still get out on the bike occasionally. Summers are hot and getting hotter, but better than points further south and on the worst days, I can escape up to the Blue Ridge Parkway where it’s 10+ degrees cooler.

Car free is possible here; train goes to DC and points north and it’s possible to safely ride a bike to the airport from downtown. Not much sailing here, although there is a river for kayak/canoe. Smith Mountain Lake is 2 hours south and Atlantic Ocean is 3 hours East.

You can get to the bay in less time than the ocean, 2 hrs or so. But yeah, otherwise its a great place, aside from the fact that its been discovered.

[buddybikes]

Ok does such a thing exist:
- Ocean/estuary
- Not frigid NE winter
- Bike paths
- Reasonable access to good healthcare


We live on east bay RI, but I want some sun in winter for retirement.

[Gsinill]

San Diego is pretty nice I heard. Expensive though!

We still like it but it's gotten pretty crowded over the past 50 years. Towns along the Central Coast of CA. are pretty nice and less expensive. San Luis Obispo is a college town with nice weather but I don't know what the real estate prices are like.

Another thought on San Diego.
Don't underestimate the impact of where you grew up.
I lived in San Diego for 2 years and really missed the change of seasons.
One of the reasons I moved back to Chicago.

[steelbikerider]

Weisan is right. Leander - Georgetown, TX is a bettter choice than San Marcos. North of Austin but still within 45 min and avoiding the new construction and crowding that is hitting Austin - San Antonio.

[jr59]

I’m a southern guy. Born in Jackson Memorial hospital in the middle of Miami. But have lived and rode all over the south.
I would cross off south Florida off my list. To much traffic and such. Other places come to mind in Fla. As stated before Inverness, and Mount Dora come to mind. Gainesville and Tallahassee both college towns provide nice riding.

Augusta Ga, and Athens are good. Neither to far from sea or mountains.

Tough to beat Austin. Super place to ride, ear or go out for the evening. But sailing the lake would be boring.

Take both Memphis and New Orleans off your list. I’ve lived in NOLA and Memphis I’ve rode to many times.

Good luck, and let us know.

[Elefantino]

I lived there for a few years. Great town. Flat as a pancake, though.
True, but Clermont is only an hour south. And Gainesville is probably Florida's most forward-thinking cycling town.

[bigbill]

I'd live in Fredericksburg, TX in a heartbeat. It's a little more than an hour west of Austin (airport), incredible cycling, great downtown area with lots of restaurants, and mild weather. Texas has a great gravel riding scene too, lots of routes and events.

I live in NW AZ for now. I make frequent trips to Flagstaff and the MTB riding is awesome but the roads are starting to get a bit busy. High cost of living. Sedona has a little better weather but still has a high cost living. Flagstaff is on I-40, you have to want to travel to Sedona. Prescott is nice too. Either place would fit your progressive requirement.

[texbike]

Another spot to consider on the I35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio is New Braunfels. It's an old German-settled town with lots of character, a wonderful city park with a spring-fed river originating in the middle of it (the Comal-shortest river in Texas which flows into the Guadalupe river in town), a great lake close by (Canyon Lake), beautiful scenery just to the West (it sits on the edge of the Hill Country), great road riding out the door, two growing cities within an hour drive, and the coast is only a couple of hours away. Plus, every November they have WurstFest - their version of Oktoberfest which takes over the town.
Oh, and housing prices are still reasonable.

I love Austin, but it's becoming increasingly expensive and challenging from a cycling perspective.

Texbike

[Hellgate]

Dead pal, you are correct in choosing Austin based on your criteria. Let me offer you some local area expertise.

1) traffic is not getting bad, it's BAD already, it doesn't need getting there.

If you don't need to drive to work every day, then it's a non-issue.

If you can use the train to get to work, then it's a non-issue.

2) Expensive housing

Austin is pretty much full.

Overflow to neighboring bedroom communities that are within 15-25 miles radius like cedar park, manor, round rock, to name a few, for more affordable housing options ($250-300k decent size house) but the problem is...point #1 - traffic.

Other than that, you are pretty much spot on.

I live in Leander, TX.

I think it's better than San Marcos but I am biased.

Contact me.Agreed, on all points. Austin is full, burp...

Unless you're comfortable with riding in traffic to get to riding with less traffic, you need to not live in Austin.

San Marcos, eh, it's mainly the frontage road of I35 and everyone rides to Austin for nightlife.

[zap]

Gents... I can't do this anymore.

I'm done with cold rain. DONE.

~As warm as possible
~Enlightened, forward-thinking culture
~Good riding with countryside access, some hills would be nice, decently wide roads/shoulders, cars that care..? Hoping to go basically car-free once settled, so I'll be riding a lot
~Sailing - Preferably within an hour or two of either Atlantic or Gulf coasts, but I'd settle for big lakes and/or fat rivers
~Prefer smaller towns (100k ish) over big cities, and here's where you guys really come in - I can google "liberal towns in the south" all day long, but that mostly produces the bigger cities I already kinda know about..


New Bern/Oriental NC.

Send Smiley a pm. He is into sailing and checked those small towns out.

Raleigh, NC is roughly 2 hours from New Bern and Wilmington and the cycling scene is very active. The majority of motorists are friendly towards cyclists and cyclists may use full lane.

[C40_guy]

Boulder.

[oldpotatoe]

Boulder.

Maybe not.
~As warm as possible
~Enlightened, forward-thinking culture
~Good riding with countryside access, some hills would be nice, decently wide roads/shoulders, cars that care..? Hoping to go basically car-free once settled, so I'll be riding a lot
~Sailing - Preferably within an hour or two of either Atlantic or Gulf coasts, but I'd settle for big lakes and/or fat rivers
~Prefer smaller towns (100k ish) over big cities, and here's where you guys really come in - I can google "liberal towns in the south" all day long, but that mostly produces the bigger cities I already kinda know about..

Cost of living and employment markets are irrelevant. I have pretty much no material standard for living, and I can work from pretty much anywhere.

Lastly, while I know parts o SoCal tick every box..... yea.. meh. I don't want to live anywhere west of Texas.

-2 feet of snow yesterday..temp about 10 degrees F right now
-not much sailing, particularly now..ice sailing?
-EXPENSIVE-median house >$1MILLION
-west of Texas..yo

I think something in Georgia, NC, SC, VA.....maybe Florida(altho the riding there, P-Cola and Tampa was downright scary).

Virginia Beach was nice..I was there as recently as 34 years ago...:)

[Ken Robb]

Another thought on San Diego.
Don't underestimate the impact of where you grew up.
I lived in San Diego for 2 years and really missed the change of seasons.
One of the reasons I moved back to Chicago.

This is a great example of "different strokes" because I spent my first 22 years in Chicagoland and NEVER seriously considered moving back there. :)

[MrCannonCam]

Saw a few people post Asheville...I lived in Asheville and loved it but the job market sucks (which is irrelevant in your case as you posted). It rains a ton in the spring and with the elevation you still get all kinds of weather. Great all around riding (as long as you like to go up) and a really fun city to live in though. Good nightlife, progressive thinkers, reasonable cost of living overall. Extremely scenic and outdoors oriented. Not much water anywhere remotely close for sailing though. It’s becoming a huge tourist town, I didn’t mind it but you really have to mindful of when you plan to ride in the warmer months because the tourists don’t know how to drive on the tight, winding mountain roads...

I’d really recommend Greenville SC (about an hour south of Asheville). Smaller than some of the other cities but still a decent sized metro area (bigger than Asheville). You are at the foothills but still below most of the winter weather (you can be in Highlands or Brevard in the 'real' mountains in 45 min-hr). You have hills/flats anything you want to ride and good road conditions. The cycling community there is great, more full time dwellers and less touristy than Asheville. A bigger road community in Greenville than MTB (Asheville is a mixed bag, more of an mtb destination but good road scene as well). Lots of awareness for cyclists. Downtown is really nice, lots to do, big arts scene, good food. You can live downtown very reasonably and get around by bike. By far the most progressive city in SC politically and socially. Lake Keowee and Lake Hartwell are an easy drive and the ocean is only 3-4 hours as well. Easy access to Atlanta, Charlotte, Charleston as well for what it’s worth.

If I moved back down south I’d pick Greenville...

[EricChanning]

Washington DC. It's officially a southern town. I'm thinking you might really like Takoma Park, MD in particular.

Progressive thinking population
Gravel roads and MTB trails under 1.5 hours away by car.
Chesapeake Bay is 45 minutes away.
Plenty of bike lanes, bike trails (rails to trails), great parks and lots of cyclists.
Mountain ranges within 2 hours drive.
Plenty of great local road riding out of your front door.
Large cycling community

Great diversity of people.

Come visit.

[oldpotatoe]

Washington DC. It's officially a southern town

Progressive thinking population
Gravel roads and MTB trails under 1.5 hours away by car.
Chesapeake Bay is 45 minutes away.
Plenty of bike lanes, bike trails (rails to trails), great parks and lots of cyclists.
Mountain ranges within 2 hours drive.
Plenty of great local road riding out of your front door.
Large cycling community

Great diversity of people.

Come visit.

There's a punchline there somewhere...:) Not the 'population' per se but the temporary residents..some of them...

[MrCannonCam]

There's a punchline there somewhere...:) Not the 'population' per se but the temporary residents..some of them...

...not to mention the traffic....I really like DC but the traffic is on another level, even from our NYC metro traffic...

[EricChanning]

...not to mention the traffic....I really like DC but the traffic is on another level, even from our NYC metro traffic...

If you don't have to drive to work everyday and get around mostly by bike, traffic is mostly a non-issue.

There's a great network of roads for cycling. Since, most car traffic occurs on the major arteries, you end up with plenty of riding options in the burbs. Rolling roads everywhere!

[EricChanning]

There's a punchline there somewhere...:) Not the 'population' per se but the temporary residents..some of them...

Figured I would serve up a softball with the first statement!

Speaking of ball sports. A few temporary residents found out just how unpopular they are among our population during their visit to one of our world series games. I'll say no more on that.

[d_douglas]

Listening in out of curiosity as I am Canadian and honestly haven’t seen much of the US (regrettably, as I would love to eBauvann it with my family for a year !)

Living in the PNW like you, I feel your pain in the relentless weather. That said, in Canada, we are living in the best climate possible, so count yourself lucky to have so many warmer options. I guess that’s why there are Canadian snowbird communities all over the Southern USA.

Do you have kids/spouse to consider? With little kids, that drives where I would want to live. Too small and there’s nothing to do, so kids get up to no good( too big and they get into big city problems !

[45K10]

Dude, take some extra Vitamin D and stay put. I grew up in Tennessee, lived in NC for a number of years and Tallahassee for awhile as well. I also lived in the PNW for a few years before moving to the Boston area.

The PNW is waaaaaaaaaaaay better than anywhere down South.

[C40_guy]

Maybe not.


-2 feet of snow yesterday..temp about 10 degrees F right now
-not much sailing, particularly now..ice sailing?
-EXPENSIVE-median house >$1MILLION
-west of Texas..yo

I think something in Georgia, NC, SC, VA.....maybe Florida(altho the riding there, P-Cola and Tampa was downright scary).

Virginia Beach was nice..I was there as recently as 34 years ago...:)

Nice town. Small town feel, quite spread out. No climbing to be had. Not sure I'd ride the roads there.

Okay, I'll try again.

Costa del Sol.

That's east of Texas, as is Boulder (if you draw the line with the right Sharpie!)

Austin is north and east of Texas, too, until you get out of the city limits.

Or Harwichport, on Cape Cod. Plenty of sailing, lots of good riding, some rolling hills, only a couple of hours away from colder mainland New England.

[BobC]

Virginia Beach was nice..I was there as recently as 34 years ago...:)

VB is a mixed bag. Great place to raise the kids. Lots to do. It is getting pretty full. Traffic is stupid here. Weather is stupider. Cannot wait to leave once the youngest is in college.

[Dead Man]

Dude, take some extra Vitamin D and stay put. I grew up in Tennessee, lived in NC for a number of years and Tallahassee for awhile as well. I also lived in the PNW for a few years before moving to the Boston area.

The PNW is waaaaaaaaaaaay better than anywhere down South.

i can always come back, when im tired of being warm, fit, tan, and happy.

[paredown]

Bentonville AR

People probably thought this was a joke, but...

As I like to tell people, the area around Bentonville is the summer playground for that whole corner of the Midwest, so there are really nice lakes (some WPA-created), golf courses, MTB trails and such. And it is emphatically NOT the South--it is (to all intents and purposes) the mid-west. Also, the University in Fayatteville (and a performing arts center that is on the circuit in town) is close by, and there are two good sized cities within an easy drive (Tulsa or Kansas City), and more local amenities than you would expect because of the Wal-Mart effect.

Good small airport with daily direct flights to Newark/NY, Dallas and Chicago.

Moderate weather (although you do get Gulf humidity in the summer), and just below the typical path for Tornado Alley.

That said, my lovely wife decided that she would not retire there, even though we renovated the house that we were supposed to retire in while we were there.:mad:

Like a lot of small US cities it is not cosmopolitan--and its more progressive politics gets obliterated in state-wide elections by Tidewater Arkansas--which is the South... If we had moved back we had the beginnings of a nice network of friends to hang with, and I think it would have worked. Financially it would have been so much better than the tax hell-hole that New York is.

[Dead Man]

Maybe not.


-2 feet of snow yesterday..temp about 10 degrees F right now
-not much sailing, particularly now..ice sailing?
-EXPENSIVE-median house >$1MILLION
-west of Texas..yo

I think something in Georgia, NC, SC, VA.....maybe Florida(altho the riding there, P-Cola and Tampa was downright scary).

Virginia Beach was nice..I was there as recently as 34 years ago...:)

yea.. denver aint happening, though i think theres a lot about ol 'Rado id really like.. "great place to visit, wouldnt want to live there."

[AngryScientist]

don't you have like 46 kids? is proximity to them not a concern?

[grateful]

Grew up in Seattle, didn't leave until my 30's. Explored a bit. In 2008 I was living in Coeur d'Alene and received 12 feet of snow and that was it for my wife.

We moved to the outskirts of Austin (Round Rock) in April, 2009. At that time the commute to downtown was 45 minutes to an hour. When I arrived it Round Rock was basically an outlet malls and developing "communities). You will know what I mean by "communities" if you move down here. Not what I considered communities up in the NW.

Round Rock is now a fully developed 'burb of Austin. Very little if any vacant land, if any. It takes at least 20 minutes to get to the freeway to head to Austin. Luckily I no longer make that trip but I would guess the time has doubled.

I recently got tired of traffic just going to the store and I was able to sell my lovely community house and get relocate to Lago Vista.

Lago Vista is a small town a from commute from Austin. If you consider the 'burbs (Cedar Park in this case) you are 20 minutes from Big Box stores and all the fast food you could desire.

The riding here is awesome. It is Hill Country and there are backroads (both paved and gravel) galore. Many are brand new pavement with little to no traffic as the area prepares for the onslaught of Austin. I was not the very first to move here and I certainly won't be the last.

If you are curious I just closed on the lot behind my home and we picked it up for less than $20,000.

Lago Vista sits on Lake Travis. It reminds me of the Northwest without the clouds and the cold.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

[zap]

Washington DC. It's officially a southern town. I'm thinking you might really like Takoma Park, MD in particular.

I lived in metro D.C. for 32 years, 17 of those years in Potomac. Never considered D.C. a southern town. Takoma Park is an interesting place but never thought of living there from a cycling standpoint. Plus it takes too long to get on the beltway.

Finally, D.C. area motorists.......not very nice towards cyclists.

[zap]

I guess that’s why there are Canadian snowbird communities all over the Southern USA.

Driving down I95 from D.C. earlier in the month, every RV we saw had Quebec plates. I grew up in Montreal and we spent Christmas breaks in Florida.

[mjb266]

As I read, and re-read the OP, why not Wenatchee?

[paredown]

As I read, and re-read the OP, why not Wenatchee?

That has been our short list for a while, as well as Spokane. Lee side of the Coastal Range, so much less precipitation--but they do get real winter...

[grateful]

And 300 days of sunshine!

[Ken Robb]

Dave Thompson can tell you all about Spokane from a cyclist's perspective.

[EricChanning]

I lived in metro D.C. for 32 years, 17 of those years in Potomac. Never considered D.C. a southern town. Takoma Park is an interesting place but never thought of living there from a cycling standpoint. Plus it takes too long to get on the beltway.

Finally, D.C. area motorists.......not very nice towards cyclists.

Some of our best routes are in Potomac! Can't tell you how many miles I've racked up riding roads there. Most my experiences on the roads there have been fine.

I don't know how I would rate DC driver hostility compared to what exists in other cities of similar size. Is there a survey out there somewhere?

[paredown]

Some of our best routes are in Potomac! Can't tell you how many miles I've racked up riding roads there. Most my experiences on the roads there have been fine.

I don't know how I would rate DC driver hostility compared to what exists in other cities of similar size. Is there a survey out there somewhere?
I have to say--I absolutely detest the DC area weather in the summer, hate the drivers and actually actively dislike a lot of the people in that area. I did ten years there when I was first married, and I will be happy if I never go back...

[zap]

Some of our best routes are in Potomac! Can't tell you how many miles I've racked up riding roads there. Most my experiences on the roads there have been fine.

I don't know how I would rate DC driver hostility compared to what exists in other cities of similar size. Is there a survey out there somewhere?

That's one reason why we moved to Potomac. Country roads one light away. Driver anger worsened with each passing year.

The experience are my own. I've ridden and raced in Toronto, Montreal (metro area's) and many eastern US states now including the Raleigh area. Some in Europe too.

Oh, I love the summer weather in DC :banana:. NC is not much different.

[Rpoole8537]

Saw a few people post Asheville...I lived in Asheville and loved it but the job market sucks (which is irrelevant in your case as you posted). It rains a ton in the spring and with the elevation you still get all kinds of weather. Great all around riding (as long as you like to go up) and a really fun city to live in though. Good nightlife, progressive thinkers, reasonable cost of living overall. Extremely scenic and outdoors oriented. Not much water anywhere remotely close for sailing though. It’s becoming a huge tourist town, I didn’t mind it but you really have to mindful of when you plan to ride in the warmer months because the tourists don’t know how to drive on the tight, winding mountain roads...

I’d really recommend Greenville SC (about an hour south of Asheville). Smaller than some of the other cities but still a decent sized metro area (bigger than Asheville). You are at the foothills but still below most of the winter weather (you can be in Highlands or Brevard in the 'real' mountains in 45 min-hr). You have hills/flats anything you want to ride and good road conditions. The cycling community there is great, more full time dwellers and less touristy than Asheville. A bigger road community in Greenville than MTB (Asheville is a mixed bag, more of an mtb destination but good road scene as well). Lots of awareness for cyclists. Downtown is really nice, lots to do, big arts scene, good food. You can live downtown very reasonably and get around by bike. By far the most progressive city in SC politically and socially. Lake Keowee and Lake Hartwell are an easy drive and the ocean is only 3-4 hours as well. Easy access to Atlanta, Charlotte, Charleston as well for what it’s worth.

If I moved back down south I’d pick Greenville...
+1 on Greenville, South Carolina. I used to live there, now I live 30 miles north in a small town with three red lights which is 2 miles from another small town with three red lights. Greenviile can have it’s conservative politicians, but it has changed a great deal over the last 25 years as for international businesses have moved in. About 10 miles north of Greenville is the Travelers rest area. You are close to Furman University, and a bike path that will take you into Greenville. You’re also close to many rural roads that will take you through the hills and into the mountains. As stated earlier, Lake Keowee is just over an hour away and it is beautiful.

[gasman]

don't you have like 46 kids? is proximity to them not a concern?

I was thinking the same thing. You had some great pics of them here.

[makoti]

...not to mention the traffic....I really like DC but the traffic is on another level, even from our NYC metro traffic...

Yeah, thinking this suggestion might be from the travel board. It's cold & damp when it's cold, hot & muggy when it's not. Roads are really busy. Not a small town feel, to be sure.

[Yoshi]

Spain/Portugal.
Seriously. Look into it.

[Dead Man]

I was thinking the same thing. You had some great pics of them here.

I try not to think about them. Nothing I can do. Bum deal for all of us.

[gasman]

I try not to think about them. Nothing I can do. Bum deal for all of us.

I'm sorry to hear that.

[45K10]

i can always come back, when im tired of being warm, fit, tan, and happy.

True, true

If you really want to make the move then I would suggest Tallahassee. The road riding is pretty awesome with enough hills to keep things interesting. The place is pretty cheap, fairly liberal and the night life is okay as well. It is kind of isolated though so if you are into racing you'll have to drive a lot.

[Tickdoc]

Puerto Rico.

[45K10]

Puerto Rico.

Yep Puerto Rico is pretty sweet. My wife and I were married there about 9 years ago and were serious roadies at the time. The roads can be a bit sketch but we found the drivers to be pretty friendly and it is beautiful.

You do need to be able to speak a little Spanish though to make things easier.

Anyway, I too am sorry to hear about your family situation. I hope things get worked out.

[R3awak3n]

people recommending PNW are crazy. Sure its a beautiful place but its very depressing in winter and its a long winter. I rather get snow and cold and no natural sunlight for months on end. Summer is amazing though, the best in the world but the trick is to go and spend summer there, amazing weather beautiful place but I do not miss living there.

[jlwdm]

Dude, take some extra Vitamin D and stay put. I grew up in Tennessee, lived in NC for a number of years and Tallahassee for awhile as well. I also lived in the PNW for a few years before moving to the Boston area.

The PNW is waaaaaaaaaaaay better than anywhere down South.

I have to disagree. I lived 40 plus years in Western Washington, before moving to AZ and TX. PNW is great to visit in the summer.

Jeff

[oldpotatoe]

~As warm as possible
~Enlightened, forward-thinking culture
~Good riding with countryside access, some hills would be nice, decently wide roads/shoulders, cars that care..? Hoping to go basically car-free once settled, so I'll be riding a lot
~Sailing - Preferably within an hour or two of either Atlantic or Gulf coasts, but I'd settle for big lakes and/or fat rivers
~Prefer smaller towns (100k ish) over big cities, and here's where you guys really come in - I can google "liberal towns in the south" all day long, but that mostly produces the bigger cities I already kinda know about..

How's yer Italian?
Bari
Brendisi
Lovorno
Palermo
Catania

Last 2 actually Sicily. No self deserving Sicilian would call themselves 'Italian...:)

[Matthew]

I think I'd be more concerned about my family situation than moving somewhere warm. This thread is getting odd. Maybe it's just me. Hope it all works out though.

[weisan]

Nothing weird here.

Dead pal was being straight and honest when the question was raised about his family instead of being evasive.

Give him the due respect and right to privacy, just stay on topic.

If the table is turned, and it's you, what would you like us to do?

[jr59]

Nothing weird here.

Dead pal was being straight and honest when the question was raised about his family instead of being evasive.

Give him the due respect and right to privacy, just stay on topic.

If the table is turned, and it's you, what would you like us to do?

Well said, and 100%!

I hope he finds what he is looking for.

[BRad704]

While winter in the deep south is nice I would have a tough time enjoying summers there and the coastal areas are humid too. Huntsville, AL. is hot in the summer and it gets a little snow/ice occasionally in the winter but the average might suit you. My daughter lives in Guntersville, AL. which is a nice small, Southern town on a lake that is part of the Tennessee River waterway but you don't sound like a small town would suit you. OTOH it's 45 minutes from Huntsville which is pretty cosmopolitan due to NASA and Army Missile Command presence attracting people from all over the world to jobs there.



Funny that I'm just now reading this thread. I'm from Memphis and right this minute sitting at my parents house on Lake Guntersville, after running a Turkey Trot 5k in Huntsville.

Memphis is a good city and has done a LOT of improving over the last 10 years.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[45K10]

I have to disagree. I lived 40 plus years in Western Washington, before moving to AZ and TX. PNW is great to visit in the summer.

Jeff

I hear you and agree with you about AZ and TX (From Austin west) but I don't consider those place the South. The humidity and the bugs in the deep South are down right depressing from June to November.

[jimcav]

Had a buddy who lived in Atlanta and I visited him often. very different, more cosmo/progressive than what I remembered of GA, having been born there in Columbus and memories of 1975 era. At one time he lived next to Piedmont park, another time in a suburb town about 30 minutes away. Lots of great riding that I saw, although this is now 15+ years ago and undoubtedly more crowded.

Why have you ruled out CA? I dislike the cost of living, but other than that, of all the places I've been, I love the weather and you can find small mountain towns, high desert, beach, or pick a place with relatively easy proximity to both. Might be worth spending some time in areas. I don't road bike anymore, but back in 2008 did a tour through Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Mt Figueroa and it was beautiful.

I lived in Poulsbo WA for 2 years and it was beautiful but the gray and wet does get old. Now, I work from home and it would be tolerable as most days there was some brief period where is wasn't so wet to prevent riding--but back then i was stuck at my desk for those periods.

When traveling from CA to see my mom in IN, the place that most surprised me was the OK City and Tulsa area, but that was mainly friendliness on stops and the unexpected nice areas to trail run and mtb. I don't know anything on the road bike scene.

Good luck!

[gasman]

Nothing weird here.

Dead pal was being straight and honest when the question was raised about his family instead of being evasive.

Give him the due respect and right to privacy, just stay on topic.

If the table is turned, and it's you, what would you like us to do?

Well said Wise One.

He’s asked for recs and let’s let him have his privacy.

[Dave]

Two places to live makes the most sense for the retired or those who can work remotely. I love the Colorado summers. Never too hot and always dry, with challenging mountains and hills to ride. The winter sucks, but not as much as the northeast part of the country. Some of our winters are extremely dry, so there's a fair amount of winter riding possible. Not this year though - we just had a record setting 20" snow. It will be quite awhile before it's dry again.

Not sure where the best winter hangout would be. I've considered Austin, maybe for full time, but I know the summers are scorching.

[Jaybee]

Two places to live makes the most sense for the retired or those who can work remotely. I love the Colorado summers. Never too hot and always dry, with challenging mountains and hills to ride. The winter sucks, but not as much as the northeast part of the country. Some of our winters are extremely dry, so there's a fair amount of winter riding possible. Not this year though - we just a record setting 20" snow. It will be quite awhile before it's dry again.

Not sure where the best winter hangout would be. I've considered Austin, maybe for full time, but I know the summers are scorching.

Not that we needed more people here, but winter in CO is fun! Even when it dumps snow, it will be bluebird sunny the next day and you can have your pick of recreational activities. Just finished a fat bike ride/hike-a-bike in the snow myself.

[Plum Hill]

What about Kelowna, B.C.?
Supposedly like Napa Valley; temperate.
Residents I’ve communicated with are very happy living there except for housing costs.

[zmudshark]

What about Kelowna, B.C.?
Supposedly like Napa Valley; temperate.
Residents I’ve communicated with are very happy living there except for housing costs.Everyone from Kelowna come to Phoenix for the Winter. Not even joking.

[Dead Man]

Austin.... god what a gem

i love this town. so much.

ive travelled across the sw for the last month, from west to east through every major town (skipped flagstaff, due to blizzard warnings), and austin is my absolute favorite so far.

stopped in mellow johnnies this morning and scoped the yellow jerseys on the wall and that uberfamous silver olcv with corn cob cassette and 53/39 with dt front shifting.. im not much of an icon worshipping type, but i have to admit i had no compunctions about standing around gawking and takin pics

anyway.. austins rad. probs gonna rent a bike tomorrow.. anyone wanna go for a ride?

[zap]

Austin, TX is a nice place.

[Mr. Pink]

Get back to us in August.

[oldpotatoe]

Get back to us in August.

Reality, what a concept. Or get good lights.
Daily high temperatures decrease by 3°F, from 97°F to 94°F, rarely falling below 87°F or exceeding 102°F. The highest daily average high temperature is 97°F on August 5.

Daily low temperatures are around 75°F, rarely falling below 70°F or exceeding 78°F. The highest daily average low temperature is 75°F on August 10.

For reference, on August 5, the hottest day of the year, temperatures in Austin typically range from 75°F to 97°F

[Louis]

Reality, what a concept. Or get good lights.

Ever since I've picked up indoor rowing as my go-to cardio, especially during cold weather, I've concluded that I'd prefer weather that's a bit on the cold side compared to weather that's hot and humid.

The thing is, assuming you don't have to ride outside, it's always easier to put on a layer or two to stay comfortable, compared to the heat. Once you're down to shorts and t-shirt there isn't much more you can do to improve the situation. So, as long as there isn't too much winter precipitation to deal with, I'd prefer colder rather than hotter.

[texbike]

Austin.... god what a gem

i love this town. so much.

ive travelled across the sw for the last month, from west to east through every major town (skipped flagstaff, due to blizzard warnings), and austin is my absolute favorite so far.

stopped in mellow johnnies this morning and scoped the yellow jerseys on the wall and that uberfamous silver olcv with corn cob cassette and 53/39 with dt front shifting.. im not much of an icon worshipping type, but i have to admit i had no compunctions about standing around gawking and takin pics

anyway.. austins rad. probs gonna rent a bike tomorrow.. anyone wanna go for a ride?

Hey Deadman,

I just made it back in from doing some trail-building and am about to head to my daughter's basketball game, but would be happy to get out for a ride and show you around a bit later today or tomorrow morning if that would be better. I may even have a bike that you can borrow if you're in the 56/57 range.

Send me a PM.

Cheers,

Texbike

[buddybikes]

Big Sir...

I could retire here: https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/48136-Highway-1_Big-Sur_CA_93920_M12943-19022?view=qv

[Louis]

Big Sir...

I could retire here: https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/48136-Highway-1_Big-Sur_CA_93920_M12943-19022?view=qv

Agreed, but I'd have to sell most of my hoard of Suntour and Simplex components to afford it. Tough decision.

[jlwdm]

I have no problem with the Austin weather, but I could not live there because of the traffic, which is only going to get worse.

I spent a fun weekend in Austin a week ago - car related. Friday taking a driving course at a track. Saturday 9 hour drive in the Hill Country, including Twisted Sisters. Sunday skid pad class in the morning followed by Lime Creek Rd in both directions on the way home.



Jeff

[texbike]

... followed by Lime Creek Rd in both directions on the way home.

Jeff

And THAT's why I refuse to ride my bike on that road! ;) Here's a view from my car. EARLY Sunday Mornings are the best.

Texbike

[Dead Man]

I have no problem with the Austin weather, but I could not live there because of the traffic, which is only going to get worse.

I spent a fun weekend in Austin a week ago - car related. Friday taking a driving course at a track. Saturday 9 hour drive in the Hill Country, including Twisted Sisters. Sunday skid pad class in the morning followed by Lime Creek Rd in both directions on the way home.



Jeff

The traffic is insane, as it seems to be all up and down central TX, but I no longer drive and like it that way, so nbd for me at this point.

[grateful]

The thing about San Marcos is rural adventure abounds dead west and you are halfway between both San Antonio and Austin so you can experience two very diverse cultures. A major University is local so you always have access to all that a community based an influx of young people and a highly educated older population affords.

While not an industry expert I believe that bedroom community appreciation still has a way to go in the greater Austin market and the price should not be shocking to someone from the PNW.

That said Austin proper is indeed full. If you need to commute any distance and can not use our limited mass transit it can be life impacting although, if you are from Seattle, you understand the challenges.

Dead pal, you are correct in choosing Austin based on your criteria. Let me offer you some local area expertise.

1) traffic is not getting bad, it's BAD already, it doesn't need getting there.

If you don't need to drive to work every day, then it's a non-issue.

If you can use the train to get to work, then it's a non-issue.

2) Expensive housing

Austin is pretty much full.

Overflow to neighboring bedroom communities that are within 15-25 miles radius like cedar park, manor, round rock, to name a few, for more affordable housing options ($250-300k decent size house) but the problem is...point #1 - traffic.

Other than that, you are pretty much spot on.

I live in Leander, TX.

I think it's better than San Marcos but I am biased.

Contact me.

[jlwdm]

And THAT's why I refuse to ride my bike on that road! ;) Here's a view from my car. EARLY Sunday Mornings are the best.

Texbike

I was surprised to see a few bicycles on both Twisted Sisters and Lime Creek Rd.

Jeff

[Dead Man]

The thing about San Marcos is rural adventure abounds dead west and you are halfway between both San Antonio and Austin so you can experience two very diverse cultures. A major University is local so you always have access to all that a community based an influx of young people and a highly educated older population affords.

While not an industry expert I believe that bedroom community appreciation still has a way to go in the greater Austin market and the price should not be shocking to someone from the PNW.

That said Austin proper is indeed full. If you need to commute any distance and can not use our limited mass transit it can be life impacting although, if you are from Seattle, you understand the challenges.

partying in san marcos tonight.. cheap food and drinks, plenty of .. youthful, attractive ladies .. im comfortable atm

[grateful]

God bless Texas State!

partying in san marcos tonight.. cheap food and drinks, plenty of .. youthful, attractive ladies .. im comfortable atm