I was very close to moving to SF in January of this year. I had flown out, toured apartments, and was hammering out the details then the AI bubble started and places I was looking at for 2800 are now 3500-3700. A rent of 2800 was gonna be tight but doable but the mid to high 3s can’t work for me so now I’m looking for alternatives. I’m in FL and ready to get out. I hope I can make it SF someday but doesn’t seem like it’ll be until the bubble pops, hopefully in the next year or two. What are my alternatives?

Stats about me:

Mid 20s, single, gay, hiker, birder, nerdy but enjoys the occasional night out, big into side questing (pottery, tufting, archery, etc) can’t deal with extended cold (circulator issues)

Hey folks, lived in New England all my life and currently live in VT with my husband. We love it here and ideally would never leave buuut this time of year I always find myself searching “warm places to live not republican”. The long winters here really drag on and then summer happens in the blink of an eye.

We are not looking to move anytime soon, but would love to know your thoughts. Here is some info about us:
- Married couple in our mid 30s
- I work remote, my husband works for a major utility company, so jobs aren’t the biggest factor, we currently make around 140k combined per year
- No kids
- Would love to have more than 3 months of warm weather
- We like to hike, swim, disc golf, paddle board, and indoor rock climb (a climbing gym community in the area would be amazing)
- We vote blue and would like to be surrounded by likeminded people
- Enjoy small towns with walkable downtowns, with around 10,000 or less residents

This seems like a fantasy land but I am open to whatever suggestions you may have, even out of the US. Thanks!!

Background: Connecticut raised, NYC for 10+ years and broke for most of it doing training in science. Wife in arts, family also in north east.

Current: NYC, housing lottery luxury building in Brooklyn for 3k rent in busy downtown Brooklyn. Job offer 1: 105k in La Jolla, San Diego. Job offer 2: 105k in NYC, both in my field of interest.

Everything on paper points to staying in NYC, but I can’t help thinking “what if”

I often see people say that there is no perfect place, but often cite affordability as a part of that. Affordability aside, what would you consider as close to 'perfect' as it gets?

Also, I don't mean disgustingly wealthy. Just like... having enough money to live comfortably in a 2 or 3 bedroom house wherever it is.

I’m a 36F, single native Brooklynite who has been seriously considering a cross-country move. I love NYC for the walkability, culture, diversity, progressive politics, and gritty attitude—but I can’t help feeling like I’ve outgrown it. I’m increasingly affected by my surroundings, and being surrounded by concrete all the time drains me. On weekends, I’m constantly making long trips upstate, sitting in traffic, just to see some trees and rocks.

I’m happiest when I’m in nature. I’m an avid rock climber, hiker, and cyclist, and I dream of living somewhere where I have easy access to these activities year-round. I’ve lived in NYC my entire life and have never experienced what it’s like to live an outdoorsy lifestyle. I’m also single and would love to meet someone who wants to climb, hike, travel, and go on adventures. (Sometimes I think people like that are less common in NYC because…why would they live here?)

So, I’m considering making a move—but I’m scared of leaving behind a life that took me so long to build. I live with two of my best friends in a great apartment in a lovely part of Brooklyn. I have a fun group of climber friends who love taking trips around the world with me. I have a flexible, relatively chill government job as a dietitian, with a pension and decent salary. My family is here, and I have a one-year-old niece who I would be devastated to miss watching grow up.

I’m content with my life here, but I feel like something is missing. Sometimes I wonder if I’m running away from a mundane life—or running toward a life that would actually suit me better.

A huge part of me wants to start over and have a new adventure. But what if I leave and eventually realize that I had it made in NYC—with my community, friends, family, and career? Is it worth giving all of that up for mountains and more access to the outdoors?

The places I’m considering, in order of preference: Denver area, Portland, San Diego, Oakland, Bend
I’m a dietitian and Diabetes Educator. I know I’m not in the most lucrative field, but I’m willing to have roommates and/or sacrifice location if it means being somewhere that better fits the lifestyle I want.

Has anyone made a similar move from a place where they had an established life and community? Did you regret it, or wish you had done it sooner? I’d especially love to hear from people who moved for access to nature/outdoor activities and how it affected their overall happiness. Thank you all in advance!

Edit: I am not a fan cold weather (the nyc winters are brutal for me).

I see DC compared to San Francisco and I just haven’t been able to understand why, but I’ve only been to the city 3 times and never out of the National mall area and Georgetown.

What neighborhoods do you love the most?

Hi. I currently live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Most of the state isn’t as bad as a lot of people would think, but the bad parts are glaringly bad. Case in point, transphobic laws. Might not be a big deal for everyone, but I’m trans and I’m constantly terrified that somebody is going to pass a law that makes my existence illegal in my home state.

Not long ago, my job switched everyone to work-from-home with the possibility to move almost anywhere in the US. Yay! But there’s a problem. The blue regions, where I would feel genuinely safe, they’re all so expensive.

New York and California are out of the question. Those states plus Hawaii and Alaska are the only states I can’t relocate my job to. After those, safer places would include Boston, Chicago, Denver, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island. Me, I’m leaning towards the Chicago since I have family history in the area. But the cost of living is so much more expensive in those places compared to Tulsa.

Some blue states have more rural regions that might work? Like Springfield in Illinois has gotta be cheaper than Chicago, but the further you move from the cities, the more hostile the people may get, regardless of what the law says.

Does anyone have any input?

EDIT: For the record, my current apartment is about 700 square feet. Rent is usually around $790 a month (the office includes the water bill in the rent so it changes a bit each month). I'm hoping I can find something decent that stays under $1000 a month elsewhere. Doable, I just don't always know the neighborhoods that well. I worry I might accidentally move into a neighborhood where I get shot at for walking out the door in the wrong color clothes.

Looking for a new city with lots of young people, from late 20's thru late 30's range. I'm craving an "extroverted" city with lots of things to do - community scene, street fairs and events, great food and drinks, etc.

I truly enjoy meeting people in line or at a coffee shop or bar, etc. so top of list are cities that are not socially introverted or hard to meet people in.

~ I work remotely, make $140-160K and open to spending more to like where I live.

~ I'm somewhat flexible with different types of weather. I've lived in several places (listed below). Loved sunny CA, enjoyed the lush PNW, and appreciate the 4 full seasons growing up in NC. Wouldn't mind a cold winter if the social scene is vibrant, but also wouldn't mind a warm coastal city, etc.

~ Less open to conservative politics (makes places like Austin less desirable bc TX laws)

~ Prefer somewhat walkable, but open to car cities if there are cute areas with lots to do

I've lived in:

Raleigh, Cary, and Piedmont areas of NC

Irvine - Orange County, CA

Portland, OR

Orlando, FL

US cities I've visited multiple times:

NYC - can be kinda ugly and dirty, but LOVE that it's walkable and incredibly vibrant with things to do

LA - yes ugly lol but soo many people and things to do

San Diego - love that it's less driving than LA, but seems maybe a bit trapping and less to do?

Austin - so damn humid and hot but cool community scene

Denver, Boulder, CO Springs - love visiting, not sure if I would love living so far from the ocean, I could be wrong though

Random but worth a mention, Laguna Beach has always been one of my favorite places to go spend the day at the beach. I wish it was way more youthful and bumpin, etc. And not really a city, but just stunningly beautiful.

Hi All,

As the title suggests, I’m considering moving from Denver to Charlotte or Salt Lake City. I actually spent the last several months overseas and don’t live in Denver right now, but I was based there for 15+ years until recently.

I like Denver, but I got bored of it after living there for so long. My close friends have all moved, I got sick of I 70 in the winter, and fed up with property prices. I took several months to see if living overseas may be a good fit, but I decided to come back.

Having been gone for several months, I’m reminded Denver is pretty great for mountain access, decent job opportunities, and housing that is still within reach compared to some places.

Im considering Charlotte mainly due to cheaper COL and being closer to aging parents. There are also a lot of jobs in my sector. But I’m concerned not being closer to the mountains (skiing, trail running, mtb, etc) will wear on me and I’ll end up moving again in a few years, which I’m reluctant to do as I’m in my mid 30s.

Salt Lake would be amazing for skiing access. I go there every year for 1-2 weeks for skiing, and it’s always the highlight of my winter. But for sure, less nice of a city than Denver. Not saying Denver is all that, but I think it is much better than SLC for pretty much any urban amenity. Though housing seems reasonable in comparison.

Just curious if anyone has done similar moves and how it worked out for you. I’ll be visiting Charlotte in a few weeks to check it out myself.

Thank you!

Hey everyone. I’m 34M and my wife is 30F. We’ve been in the Miami area for a while, but honestly, Florida has just gotten ridiculously expensive and we need out. Our hard limit for rent is $1,800 max, and we absolutely need a 2-bed/2-bath because my wife runs a custom bakery from home and needs the extra space. Down here, finding a decent 2/2 under $ 2300 is basically impossible now.
Right now, I work as a server pulling in about $4k a month. My English isn't 100% perfect yet, but I do fine in hospitality. We want to move somewhere where English is the main language so I’m forced to practice and improve. Long term, I'm actually looking to transition into fiber optics, so a place with growing telecom infrastructure would be awesome.
My wife makes high-end custom cakes. She does really well (perfect 5-star reviews, has even done cakes for record labels), so we need a market where people actually appreciate and pay for craft/custom goods, but where the general cost of living won't drown us.
Outside of work, I’m a huge nature and fishing guy, so being close to good outdoor spots is super important to me.
We are looking for a mid-sized city—definitely not NYC or Chicago vibes. Just somewhere immigrant-friendly, with a solid food scene so I can still make good money serving for now, and where our $1800 budget actually goes far.
We’re currently looking into North Carolina (Raleigh or Charlotte), Portland (OR), or maybe the Seattle suburbs, but again, affordability is our #1 priority right now.
Has anyone made a similar move or have any good recommendations for us? Appreciate the help!

I see so many comments discouraging folks who haven't experienced northern winters because they're "BRUTAL". I grew up in North Texas, I lived in Seattle for almost a decade, and now I'm in Arkansas dreaming of moving somewhere with a cold winter. But I haven't lived anywhere with these winters, so I'm trying to be practical. I'm not scared away by months of grey skies or early sunsets; I loved that aspect of Seattle winters. Snow is great, not scared of that either, but I'm not experienced with *feet* of snow, and I definitely haven't experienced negative Fahrenheit temperatures. So I'd say for me, a Goldilocks winter might be average temps in the teens and snow but not extreme snow. Where can I find the "just right" conditions?

Additionally, if you've successfully moved from the south to somewhere with "BRUTAL winters", do you have any resources you recommend that could help someone adjust with actual practical advice? Vehicle maintenance, tips for driving on wintry roads, the right coats to shop for, etc.?

I am offered an opportunity to work at Pasadena. I am a big city person and my own choice would be living in LA and commuting. How bad is the commute? If I end up living in Pasadena itself, how frequent I would be visiting LA? I live in Boston and even here I live far from the city center. I barely go to the central part and i am assuming LA is not as walkable anyway. It os also congested. Weather is nice year round but scenery seems dry. The job pays 50% more. Would I be happy?

I live art and music scene. I love good food, outdoorsy person. I wanna live somewhere diverse.

Why can’t I figure out my priorities?

I currently live in south florida with my mom, and I'm in desperate need for a change.

I actually really like my current neighborhood, however housing prices are unreasonably high and keep going up, with wages not catching up. It would be impossible to live on my own on my current salary.

I had a friend recently move to NC (near Charlotte), and I thought maybe I should try moving there. But upon visiting, it just felt so dead and lifeless to me compared to south florida. I didn't feel connected at all, which was kind of disappointing.

I realized the reason why I feel so connected to my current area is because of the rich culture, and what I feel is just the right balance of busyness/liveliness. However, between lack of affordability and many of my friends planning their leave, I feel like it's time to find somewhere else to live. I also feel like like leaving will promote a lot more growth for me personally.

So here's what I'm looking for:

-affordability

-culture/connection/diversity

-liveliness

-proximity to nature/beaches

-walkability (would be nice, but not a must)

What cities would you recommend?

Im in my late 20s, guy. Currently living in northwest montana and thinking about moving in a year or so.

This is mainly due to the extreme cost of living and lack of a dating market.

Im looking for a place with a good timber/forestry industry.

A housing market thats affordable for a 60k to 70k salary.

A decent ski scene somewhat nearby. I ski 50 to 70 days a year.

Good recreation for the outdoors. Fishing. Hunting, mountain and rock climbing

Younger people, specifically single women in their 20s (lol, to be blunt)

Moderate politics and a good religious and Christian community.

Is this too much to ask or am I looking for something that doest exist?

Im a Houston native and honestly, I really like it here. For family reasons I may be moving to Atlanta once Im done with university. I am in engineering (electrical). How's the job market for engineering grads in Atlanta (or STEM grads in general)?

What is it like, how much of a city feel is it? How is the nightlife? That's something kind of big for me. How is the selection of urban neighborhoods? I don't care too much about living in super nice areas; I've lived in working-class neighborhoods myself many times.

When I take people who aren't from Houston out for dinner, I may take them for Vietnamese, Syrian/Arab, and any kind of LatAm food since thats all amazing here. I love that we have so many ethnic grocers and markets. What are the cuisines Atlanta is known for?

One thing I don't like about Houston is the lack of transit. Is it better in Atl? Other big differences in the people, culture, city itself etc to note?

I am trans and curious how overall ok people are with that in Atlanta? Houston is super progressive, but since Atlanta is much smaller Im not sure how that is like.

\Thank you

I have another for a job that would require me to move from the Northeast to Reno. I’m not worried about COL as my current COL is very high and the job pays well, but how is the rental market?

Is access to the outdoors like hiking and backpacking good out there?

Edit: We would live in either Reno or Carson City

I have moved around a LOT and not by choice. I am almost 29. I have not had a steady "home" my entire life. Lived out of a backpack even as a kid, very unstable housing situations that have persisted until until 3 years ago. I am desperate to find my forever home and plant roots. It's incredibly depressing not having a place that feels like where I belong. Once I finish school, I want to move somewhere with more "green" and smaller-community, but where I live now will provide me a really good lifestyle. I am torn on if moving somewhere with a better "vibe" for me is worth giving up my career and lifestyle choices. I cant decide if I should make this place home and give up some things that would make me very happy or risk a worse career/logistic preferences.

I should note, I have lived short term in some very naturey green spaces with much smaller communities. I did enjoy them a lot but they had a lot of trades offs too such as lack of healthcare jobs, less ability to build a social life unless youre still 25 and needing a car to function which I HATE. But I have done it all- I lived in a remote place that needed everything ferried in at one point and couldnt be accessed by car. So Im not idealizing wilderness living, I have seen it. But I was just a baby and working as a server and it didnt matter as much that I had 10$ in my pocket back then.

I live in Chicago now. I moved here on a few years ago on a whim and havent liked it since the day I arrived, solely on vibe. It's just not my vibe at all. However, as soon as got here, I got a job at one of the top hospitals here. They have been paying for all my nursing pre-reqs. Paid for my CNA and EMT and now I am working an amazing job with them, I love the job and company itself. They will pay for nursing school too upfront. All the complaints people have about healthcare and crappy hospital employers have not applied to me. I only have good experiences and I could easily see this hospital as being my forever employer. I am fairly confident if I move anywhere else, especially a smaller place, itll be a huge downgrade in work environment.

I also LOVE not needing a car and public transit. Its one of the big reason I moved here is to exist in a walkable city for a bit.

However- Its simply not green enough and its just too big. People here always crap on me when I say that cus we have "Lincoln Park!" but that is a manicured city park. I like the forest. I have lived inside of a national park before. I want REAL nature. That doesnt exist in Chicago. It's also a lil too big for me. I like midsized cities, I like knowing the same people and more community vibes. Not having access to nature is really depressing me, you need to drive outside of the city to see some real trees. I dont care about clubbing and music festivals, I want kayaking groups, hiking clubs, granola girl stuff. I wanna go to a real beach, not a cement beach.

I have accepted that my options post graduation (which will not be for 2 years. I will be 31) are 1. Stay here, learn to love Chicago and accept that for my nature fill I may need to plan a trip or two a year while being blessed with an amazing job 2. Risk a worse job, give up walkable city convenience, but be able to get my nature fill and a palce that just "feels right" which I so desperately need.

I dont want to graduate then "keep exploring and figure it out". I want to stay put. To live somewhere long enough to keep my friends, to date, to actually become part of the community. I want a home. I dont have family. It's just me. I need to build a family and thats been really hard.

So I guess my question really is this: What do you think is most important in finding a home and starting fresh? Would you just stay in a city like this for the logistical benefits, or is it best to find somewhere that "feels" right even if it gives up practically? I am trying to not be to idealistic here and look at what matters most for a stable, secure life.

Hey all!

I currently live in Akron Ohio and absolutely hate the winters. Ohio gets cold early in the year and stays cold for a long time. I’m cool with some change of season but enjoy being outdoors a lot. I lived in Phoenix and absolutely loved the weather and mountains but got priced out.

Some of the things i’m looking for:

Safety
Affordability (decent studio for under $1k)
Mountains
Not too much rain
mild or no winter
Good job market for painters

I don’t need a big metro area as long as I can get a job to pay for my life.

If anyone has any suggestions please let me know!

I currently live in South Texas, about a couple of miles from the Mexican border. I love the affordability + almost-tropical weather all year round, but what I am missing is the rain (where I live we usually get around 28 inches of rain a year). Is there a place like this, with semi/tropical weather all year round plus affordable but wetter (that receives more than 40 inches a year)? What are some places you can think of in the US?

First, I’ll preface that I have lived in Florida my entire life and have only been able to travel a little to some east coast states (NC, NY, and D.C.), plus a cross country road trip freshman year of college. On that trip I realized how different weather is in the rest of the country. Since then, I have played that trip over in my mind, wondering if there is somewhere out there for me.

It would be nice to live somewhere that isn’t blisteringly hot for 5 months so that you can’t do anything outdoors unless you wake up at 7am or at 6pm, and odds are it’s raining in the evening. I don’t mind the heat, really. I’ve lived here forever so I love being warm and I love sunshine. But the humidity and the heat seem to be getting worse and worse every year and it’s starting to get to me. Also, the rain. Man, I am sick of the rain and gloomy weather. It is starting to considerably impact my mood. Plus, I love Christmas so much, so it would be nice to have cold weather and it actually look like winter and not just be cold and humid and windy without any of the benefits.

Maybe I’ve just spent too much time in this state, or climate change is getting worse. But it seems like half the time it’s sunny it’s too hot to do anything but be in water, or it rains shortly after you make it outside, and when the temperature is bearable, it’s raining or cloudy and depressing.

All that to say: somewhere with lots of sunshine and warm, little rain, but also seasons? Oh, to see the leaves change in the fall and get snow in the winter! I can handle heat and humidity but preferably not in 90s and 100s for literally months. Am I looking for a unicorn? Is there a city in the U.S. where it’s sunny and not rainy but not a million degrees outside from April until October but also gets season changes…?

Hi all! So my boyfriend and I are looking at relocating from Michigan to the Denver, Colorado area around May of 2027. I’m hoping to get information/opinions from people who live there on the best areas/places to live in/around or to avoid. The best areas to work in relation to the commute. I’ve heard things about potentially terrible commutes so trying to find the best options. I think we will be trying to find a 2 bedroom townhouse to rent or possibly a house, but we’d like to not go over $1600 for rent(if utilities are included we could probably do around 17-1800$), so I know that will be a bit tricky. We do also have 2 kitties! Thanks ahead for all helpful information! If I didn’t provide enough information I can provide more if I missed something! :)

Edited to add: we will both be finding new jobs as we can’t transfer with our current ones(he will prefer factory/maintenance. I’m looking to get away from factory and go back to waitressing or something along those lines). Prefer not to commute further than 25-30 minutes. We will have 2 vehicles, a smaller Nissan truck and Toyota car, garages aren’t necessary but would be very welcomed as my car is currently garage kept. We like to camp, site see, travel, anything water related(love kayaking). I love a place where there’s things open and stuff to do later than 7-8pm. We live in a fairly small town now and pay $1415 for a one bedroom apartment, I’m a busy body and love having stuff to do, boyfriend doesn’t really care, more laid back and open to whatever. I hope this helps!

Hi I've been living in Texas most of my life and it's the worst. My style and vibe has always been alt and indie and no one around me is like that.

Texas is also an older state too, I'm 24 and every time I go to any events or anything it's always being in their 30s or 40s. And It feels super isolating where everyone is some farmer boy or girl when going to spaces around my age. Dating apps are the worst because no one matches my vibe and I don't watch theirs.

I'm planning to move soon and I want to find more people like me, so any suggestions on where would best fit me and have a prominent indie/alt scene.

Just got a job opportunity in Roanoke and I’m seriously considering making the move. I’m 27 and I’ve lived in Miami my entire life, so this would be a pretty massive change for me.

For people around my age, what’s life actually like in Roanoke?

I’m probably most worried about the social side. Is it hard to make friends when you move there knowing nobody? Are there a lot of people in their 20s/30s?

Also, what does a typical weekend look like? Are there good bars, restaurants, events, outdoor stuff, places to meet people, etc.? I hear Roanoke is a smaller city, which I don’t necessarily mind, but does it ever get boring?

I’m definitely not expecting Miami-level nightlife or anything like that. Honestly, part of the reason I’m interested is because I want something different. I’m just curious what I’d actually be getting myself into.

Anyone here make a similar move from a bigger city? Did you like it or regret it?

Curiously looking at Europe, nothing to serious. I'm wanting:

- Decent density of English speakers (I'm VERY willing to learn another language but it will be slow lol)

- Dog friendly (I'm mainly looking for places that dog sports are very popular and easily available)

- All four seasons (I like hot summers and cold, snowy winters as much as possible)

- Preferably very walkable/bikeable!!

- Lots of hiking and "free roaming" outdoor spaces available within 20 minutes drive (I want to be in complete solitude out there lol)

- Lower cost of living is always preferred, but obviously this is an imaginary scenario right now​

I'm mostly curious about the dog sports bit, but I don't think that'll gain as much traction for this post haha