Best places to live in the US

To me, you described San Francisco. Check it out.

 

Before you move to CA, you may want to look at what size house you get for your money. Housing prices in major areas are ridiculously inflated and the nicer and safer the area, typically, the more expensive it is to live in.

 

YAY, I live in Round Rock

 

Loaded question. How important is access to a sizeable airport?
Personally I like:
Austin: (you can get a gun rack specific to your Ferrari )
Charlotte
Northern California: (I know it's general and I know theres a lot of communists )
Santa Fe/Taos area

El Paso sux, no offense

 

Not just any canyon drive.. MALIBU CANYON ROAD!!! Even though it's California, it may still be an improvement over the taxes he pays in Canada.

 

I dont think theres much of a tax diff b/w Cali & Canada. At least in Canada he gets "free" dental.

 

As far as the midwest goes, I think East St. Louis & Gary Indiana are both pretty awesome towns!

 

Well, its a suburb of LA, about an hour from downtown. Its kind of half and half, you will find very down to earth people, as well as the 'plastic/silicon' type. Its all around a very nice place to live. But if you have the money for Newport Beach, go to Newport Beach, one of my favorite places in the world.

 

I was completely joking about those two locations and wouldn't recommend either of them. My wife & I live on the north side of Chicago in a neighborhood called Lincoln Park. Lot's of fun things to do in Chi-town, I highly recommend it if you don't mind the cold, rain and snow. You and I are the same age (you're two weeks older then me) so I would imagine that things I deem entertaining you might as well.

Only other place we lived was Scottsdale (my wife & I are ASU alums). Despite the awesome weather it kind of wore thin and we had to come back to Chicago.

 

Chicago has a lot of snow. We had some frigid days this winter. Under 20 below zero several times. In my experience, Scottsdale was almost like a suburb of LA and the people in general were much different. Don't get me wrong, I love it there and visit twice a year. Will be there for a week next month. I just don't want to live there on a full time basis. To split the year up half there and half here would be great, I just can't do that at 27 years old. Maybe in like 25 years.

By the way the Barrett-Jackson Auction is kind of fun. Went to 4 of them. I was never a buyer so the "hype" never effected me personally.

 

you are young so I retract by recommendation on New Mexico. If i was your age South Cal hands down. Specifically the San Diego area. You get everything you asked for + slopes are less than 2hr flight away.

Austin is prob to hot for your tastes, tho the Ladies are HOT too!

 

Southern California is the only location that meets all your criteria (except "affordable").

Seriously, I don't know what people are thinking recommending places like Tennesse (gets very HOT and HUMID and COLD). San Francisco is even more expensive than So Cal, and can be very damp. Etc...

As much as I hate to say it, So Cal is your best bet. I sometimes think of moving back there (especially on a snow day like today) but then I see threads about vehicle registration tax, illegal alien problems, and legalized weed. Oh, and Octamom...

 

not St Louis