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[CeciliaW]

If your livelihood was self-contained and you could move anywhere (that UPS delivers) where would you live and why?

[bae]

Where I live now. The San Juan Islands, in Washington State, right on the US/Canada border.

Temperate climate, easy access to ocean and forest, a community of friendly self-sufficient educated people, far from the madding crowd but easy to get to civilization if you make the effort, quiet most of the time.

[JaneV2.0]

Where I am now (Seattle Eastside)would be a strong contender, but San Francisco would be in the running. Maybe with a pied a terre in Portland. I'm a sucker for water and scenery, with civilization close by.

[Spartana]

My favorite topic!! As an early retiree who is isn't tied to a job, doesn't have kids, and really no family other than a sister, and who doesn't like the area she lives in (coastal SoCal), I am constantly tackling this question. I know the things that are important to me in terms of location (ocean, mountains, lakes, rivers, forest, sports and recreation opportunities nearby, 4 seasons, quaint historic area, small, walkable/bikeable urban city with public transit so I can be car free - all of which mean New England or mid-Atlantic states or Europe). But pinpointing a "practical" place isn't so easy. I have to look at things like housing costs, property and state taxes, utility cost to heat, etc... Much of which take New England, the mid-Atlantic states, and Europe out of the picture (Europe is out because I also have a dog which will live another 10 years or so). Also do I really want to move that far away from my sister - as I said my only family as well as my beach volleyball double partner? Do I want to move that far away from beach volleyball opportunities :-)! OK the last two I would probably be OK with giving up - moving far away from sister (as well as current BF) and not having as many VB opportunities. The rest, because they are income dependent, would be things I'd have to look at seriously.

So where to? Hmmm.... no idea. Though about places like coastal North Carolina or Virginia as they both have lower cost housing, seem to be low tax states, 4 seasons but milder than New England, quaint towns and lots of historic stuff, lots of outdoor recreational opportunities - and yes, even beach volleyball at least part of the year -and not too far from mountains (and I actually like the mountains there better than the Sierras). A bit too hot and buggy for me in summers although I do like the humidity, and not enough snow in winters, but I could probably find a way to work with that :-)!

Of course if money was no object (but of course it is), then I'd probably choose to live in New England in a smaller city like Portland Maine (one of my favorite cities) or Portsmouth, NH. Or drag the dog with me to some northern European town (Stockholm? Copenhagen? anywhere in Germany?)

[KayLR]

I'd stay in the Pac NW too---probably find a better place in PDX, tho.

[Jilly]

Right where I am. Yep.

[Tussiemussies]

I like it right where I am also, NW NJ.

[lhamo]

Within walking distance of my brother's house in N Seattle. Our kids and their cousins are very close in age, and it would be ideal if they could hang out together/go to the same schools. And I'd also hope the familial gravity caused by our concentrated presence would lure my mom and sister into the same neighborhood. Miss my family terribly and would love to be closer to everyone. It is the one huge, huge downside of our expat life.

[happystuff]

I would love to try the mountains... maybe the Catskills, or even just the Poconos. Not sure I would be able to handle the winter weather at my age now, but I've always wanted to live in the mountains and I'm beginning to think it may be one of the "roads not taken" in my life.

[catherine]

My job is self-contained and I can move anywhere I want. That's a really hard question for me.. because I'm here because this is where I raised my kids and I actually like New Jersey... Actually I love New Jersey for its diversity, proximity to major cities while still having farms, field, beaches, mountains. It has a lot of cultural amenities with several college towns and regional theatres, and it doesn't take all day to drive through. It's the butt of jokes but it's kind of fun being a citizen of an underdog state.

However, it's COL is no laughing matter. I am pretty sure that if it weren't for DH I would move. I'd either move to VT to be closer to three of my kids, or to CT, where I grew up (however, COL ain't cheap there, either). If I went out on a limb, I'd move to be closer to my brother/SIL in MN. I LOVE Minnesota also.

If I didn't consider family at all, I'd think about moving simply to a low COL area to maximize my savings potential--maybe Ashevile, NC or Knoxville, TN, or a suburb of Atlanta.


ETA: I just found that gawker rated NJ the #4 worst state in the US (http://gawker.com/5834800/the-worst-50-states-in-america-the-final-five). And I love what they wrote here: kind of mirrors my own apology for NJ:


Holy cow are a lot of Jerseyites completely obsessed with being from New Jersey. And why? It's a small state with no important cities and no major cultural export beyond embarrassing mooks. "Everyone in New York City thinks we suck," they complain. First off that's not really true, but also good grief if you're so upset about New York City, stop constantly defining yourself by New York City! Jerseyites have such a bizarrely inflated ego and defensiveness about their state that it's hard to actually praise it. It's reflexive. You almost need to say something bad about it, just to satisfy these fools' persecution complexes. New Jersey is a fine state with much to offer! But if you keep boostering for it when no one asked you to, everyone else is going to be mean to it. That's all. That's all the problem is here. (It is also polluted and gross and Trenton sucks and ew fake tans, but y'know.)

haha!

[Gregg]

My little garden spot in Nebraska is close to perfect with the exception of being too far from the ocean. I love the ocean of grass as much or more than the wet kind, but the seafood around here is challenging at best. Even so I like being where we have all 4 seasons, where I can grow anything short of bananas, where we get precipitation in manageable amounts most of the time, where we have a strong community sense, etc.

ETA: It's very cool to hear how many people here are happy with where they are. IMO, that's a huge part of the 'simple' canon so, as a group, we seem to be doing pretty well.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I might do pacific northwest (Seattle struck me as the perfect size city). Of course though I never think about it (the way I fantasize about Seattle), the bay area of CA and points north of there do have a lot of the same advantages (natural beauty) and better weather which might really agree with me more. I'd be heading north for sure like I have for countless vacations (not the only places I've been, just the most beautiful).

[lac]

Probably some place southwest: NM, CO, AZ, TX, UT, NV

I'd like to be someplace relatively warm but also be mobile to head north to MT, ID, WA, OR, WY. Just need to have good internet coverage :-)

[pinkytoe]

If I could change the weather and shrink the state, I would stay right here in Austin, TX. I really try to be happy with the heat but it presents many challenges. Additionally, trying to escape once in a while takes a long while as the state is so vast. So, if I could go anywhere of the places I really know, it would be PNW or a mountain town in Colorado or at least near the mountains.

[redfox]

Missoula is getting my attention lately... Or I'd go back to Lopez island where I spent the better part of 17 years...

[AnneM]

I will stay right where I am, in the Cascade foothills. Seattle is 35 minutes away with no traffic, yet I am in the mountains. It is beautiful here.

[24prins]

I'd also stay in NW NJ forever if money were no object. My county and the counties surrounding it are about as perfect for me as possible--small river towns, virtually no crime, little traffic compared to the rest of the region, and the benefits of having lots of affluent people to pour money into the schools and community efforts. The people in particular are the friendliest I've ever met, anywhere. The high COL (and especially the high taxes) are going to make the decision for us, though. This year we hit just about $10,000 in property tax. We're in a small house in need of repair and upgrading, and with one kid in college and another who will be there in a couple of years we just can't go on paying so much. We need to stay close to NYC for dh's job, though, and I don't want to move far from our families, so CT is an option we're considering. It's also beautiful and low crime, and good proximity to NYC. I don't know if the communities are as close as here, if only because the towns aren't as small. I would also consider parts of PA if it were closer to dh's job. None of these places are considered affordable, but the taxes aren't as high and that's a yearly expense that only goes up.

We are actually at the point where we would like to upgrade the house a little, but anything that requires a permit brings the tax assessor shortly thereafter. I guess this is why it's become an area for the affluent and those who've already paid off their homes and just have property taxes as their main home expense.

[Blackdog Lin]

It's not that I wouldn't like to live somewhere else, it's that I can't IMAGINE living anywhere else. I have lived my full lifetime in the small town I grew up in, in the rural Midwest. I feel rooted here and stupidly content. Sure it would be scenic to have a beachfront cottage (any ocean!), or a mountain cabin (the High Sierras are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen), but I'd miss my country and my people. For good or ill, I'm a Kansan forever.

[happystuff]

It nice to hear contentment from people! I guess in my circle, it's rare, so I'm finding it quite refreshing!

[Tammy]

I don't want to live in one place. I want to travel, changing locations every 3 months. Live in extended stay motels. But I want the same job, as i hate adjusting to new jobs. If only I could find something in nursing where i could work remotely in the same job ...

[Zoebird]

If money were absolutely no object and there were no barriers to entry of any kind: copenhagen denmark. We love it there.

Right now, we're just 2 weeks into pittsburgh. We are not in the neighborhood we want, but we're doing well. We like the neighborhoods over by the school (kid's school).

It's a really beautiful city, the museums and other amenities are awesome (and affordable), and there are lots of lovely views of ridges and rivers. There are lots of parks for hiking and all kinds of activities. I've found some community gardens, too.

And, I'm enjoying the seasons here. I'm looking forward to winter settling in, though I need to buy a few supplies (namely, for the car -- like a scraper thingy and a car cover).

[Yarrow]

I would live in Colorado with a view of the Rocky Mountains out my window. Estes Park, Colorado is the most beautiful place on earth in my opinion. It looks like Switzerland there in the wintertime.

[Gardenarian]

There is an online tool called Find Your Spot (http://www.findyourspot.com/) that helps people decide where to live. I think it might be partly funded by real estate developers in Arkansas...but still, interesting.

Edited to add: I just went through the quiz and they now require you to sign up to get results :-(
I'm googling around, looking for similar sites.

Here's an article on "Where to Live Quizzes" (http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/where-should-i-live-quizzes-have-you-taken-one-did-you-take-its-advice-187457)from Apartment Therapy.

[tetrimbath]

I just went through the Find Your Spot quiz too. Yes, I went through the registration, sigh. The best parts may be the questions that are asked before they ask for registration and demographics. What's important to you about where you live?

By the way, the results looked believable, except for Medina, WA. I like the neighborhood, but my house price target wouldn't pay for some of the cars in Medina (Bill Gate's neighborhood.)

[lhamo]

tetrimbath,

Funny story about upscale neighborhoods in the Seattle area: not far from the upscale neighborhood where my brother lives is the Highlands. My sister used to work at a tech company whose founder bought a house there. He had a company event there one time and I was blown away by the fireplace that was so big you could stand in it. I jokingly asked him if he had any positions open as scullery maid! I thought that would be an excellent way to finance grad school....

I also had a friend in grad school who was lucky enough to score a caretaker/companion type position to an elderly couple who lived in the Highlands. He lived in their guest house throughout grad school -- we were all incredibly jealous! The gatekeepers looked pretty suspicious of our beater car when we would drive him home after parties, etc.

[larknm]

Where natural disasters aren't occurring or likely to occur. Our cabin in the NM mountains is great except for wildfire threat in spring and early summer, the one road to get there and out too icy some places in winter to be able to use--sun never shines on some of these spots, and increasing number of hunters and decreasing amount and kinds of wildlife and plants. But the wilderness is glorious when those things not happening.

I'd also iike to live in a Winnebago camper, the kind that used to be also owned by VW and we move around to places we've loved and we think we'd love, on the lookout for big wild patches.

[puglogic]

Exactly where I am, in my smallish town in the mountains of CO.

The cost of living isn't bad. A home can be either expensive or reasonable - the smarter you are, the better you can figure out how to beat that system.
The weather is mostly great - balmy days punctuate even the coldest winters, and we have 300+ days of sunshine a year.
I can be deep in a forest by foot in 15 minutes, or if I hop in a vehicle I can be in downtown Denver in 35 minutes for the opera. (There is also public transportation if I just want to hop on a bus there.)
Surrounded by intelligent, generous, interesting, healthy people for the most part.
Very dog-friendly, with tons of interconnected county, state, and national parks to wander.
In my neighborhood, it is not as likely that a wildfire would take us, as there are wide paved streets, widely-spaced trees, etc.
Beautiful. I have a mountain view out my office window, and can walk down to the creek for a picnic dinner in about 5 minutes.
Can play air guitar at Red Rocks Amphitheater any time I want.

Downsides:
No ocean. But I spent many years living by the ocean and I'm sorta done with it except to visit.
Wildfires and flooding have been playing more of a part in our lives lately.
The occasional sub-zero snap or blizzard, but since my business is self-contained, I usually just hunker down until it passes.
The desperation of the energy industry here, and the specter of fracking (to either a) meet the demands of the people or b) to rake in greedy profits, depending on who you talk to.....)

[Spartana]

I don't want to live in one place. I want to travel, changing locations every 3 months. Live in extended stay motels. But I want the same job, as i hate adjusting to new jobs. If only I could find something in nursing where i could work remotely in the same job ...
OK I'm changing my answer to this instead :-)! My one goal in my early retirement has been to get rid of everything I own, including the house and car, and do the grundgy backpacker-around-the-world thing with long stays of several months in interesting places. Been loooooonnnnggging to do that for so long now but "life" (i.e. pets) have gotten in the way of that dream. But now that I am down to just one small dog (The Barkinator) then I can probably find a way to do this. Off to sell the house and declutter....well, not yet but soon :-)!

[Alan]

We've been contemplating this question for several years, without yet reaching a definitive conclusion. The plan is to abandon suburbia to a small rural home with acerage, possibly in Eastern Kentucky, Tennessee or Western Arkansas, which would be used as our home base while we spend half the year as nomads in the motorhome.

[Rogar]

I'm happy where I am at. I actually think I could be contented just about anywhere that had some close access to open space and outdoor recreation, changing weather with a real winter and summer, and a few larger town or city amenities. From what I've seen and heard about Bend, Oregon it might be a good second choice.

[pony mom]

Right now I'm quite content in my tiny NW corner of NJ (now there's three of us). People who badmouth NJ haven't been to this area, and they can stay away. It's beautiful, with rivers, mountains, and farmland. NYC is far enough away where it's a special treat to go there, and look forward to coming home again. Sure, it's a bit of a drive to go shopping, but it's a nice drive. It's far enough away from the snobby wealthier county to the south of me, a river separates us from the slightly redneckish areas of PA, and my area isn't too close to the lower-income towns with higher crime.

And, the Christmas tree farm just across the street was chosen to supply the White House with their holiday trees!! The Garden State at its best.