Best places to live in the US

I would suggest Valencia, California. Always sunny no snow. Willow Springs and Buttonwillow raceways are both very close. About 40 minutes from the beach. But, I may be partial considering I live here.

 

I see VA Beach on your list, its really nice down in this area, I am about 45 minutes from VA Beach and about the same from Richmond which is in the middle of VA. Williamsburg is really nice, very small town, everything is close. Only has snowed once in last 2 years and never gets too hot in the summer. It is very safe here and we are on a peninsula so lots of water. Virginia International Raceway is about 3 hours away and Summit Point is around 4 hours away and there is a rumor a new track being built in the next county over.

 

Zip code 94024, 94022

1 1/2 hours from Laguna Seca to the south, 1 1/2 hours from Infineon Raceway to the north, 3 hour from Thunderhill Raceway, 4 hours from Buttonwillow Raceway, 3/4 hour from San Francisco, 3/4 hour to Santa Cruz, moderate climate never seen snow, virtually zero crime rate.

 

A canyon drive away from the beach, no humidity, almost no crime:

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2007/snapshots/PL0678582.html

Problem is, it's in CA.

 

Hey, You described Newport Beach. Need not look furture!

 

As far as the Texas cities go...


El Paso = good climate, dry and temperate most of the year, hot as he!! summer (105+) also has problems due to Mexican drug war.

Austin = most liberal city in Texas, growth has outstripped the road capacity by a lot; traffic is awful. Beautiful scenery, lots to do. Weather is OK but hot (100+) in summer. This includes the Round Rock area also.

Houston = humid all year due to proximity to Gulf of Mexico, very hot in the summers. Lots to do, many good restaurants, etc. lots of traffic. would rather drive in Houston than Dallas. Traffic is better behaved. Lots of different cultural events, museums, etc. Lots of money in Houston but it seems relatively subdued and not so overtly in your face. Pro football, baseball and basketball.. There is a MotorSports Ranch near Houston and Tx World Speedway in College Station (90 minutes north of Houston) that hosts vintage races and NASA races. Also gets hurricanes.

San Antonio = hot summers, can be humid. Big city and growing rapidly. Lots of history and culture. Water supply will be an issue soon. (No surface reserviors). SA has its share of big business and big money but Houston and Dallas developed as business centers first. Huge military influence in SA. Pro basketball

Dallas = Not as humid as Houston or San Antonio, but maybe hotter in the summer. More weather variety. Great museums, shopping, dining, etc. Traffic is awful during rush hours. Lots of flashy money in Dallas. Pro hockey, basketball, football and baseball (the last 2 are actually in Arlington which is between Dallas and FTW)

Fort Worth = weather same as Dallas (30 minutes away), easier to get around in. Great museums and art scene. More western (think cattle and oil) and laid back. More blue collar historically than Dallas, but still lots of monied families in FTW. Traffic is worsening but is nothing like Dallas, Houston, Austin or San Antonio. FTW has a great downtown area. Motorsports Ranch is about 20 minutes SW from downtown FTW. Eagle Canyon Raceway in north of Dallas and FTW, Texas Motor Speedway is north of FTW also.

Of the 6 I'd pick FTW because of all it offers on its own and because Dallas is 30 minutes away if I need something not available in FTW while not having to put up with Dallas's bigger city issues. (I'm also biased because I live in FTW)

Abilene is 150 miles from anything else and is about 100K people. Kind of like a big small town. I know good people that live there but I don't think it has much to offer.

 

They've come along way with air conditioners.

Texas is a great place to live as long as you respect the weather. A/C in your house and car makes a lot of difference. If you really can't stand the heat, go somewhere during the hear of the summer. Convertibles can be used year round.

Keep in mind we have no income taxes and if you play your cards right property taxes are not bad (think Ag exemption ). Texans are generally very friendly and independent minded. Do not like government interference. Good places to drive. Not much traffic once you're out in the country. Housing and land prices are still reasonable.

 

If you're not a fan of heat and humidity, Tampa and Baton Rouge may not be for you.

 

Any website that recommends Oklahoma is broken.

 

A bit isolated from the rest of the country, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Kansas City, MO. Low cost of living with plenty of high paying job opportunities if you know where to look. Great areas, great restaurants, plenty of night life, nice and open, super friendly people that are down to earth and easy to meet. I lived right on the Plaza and it is a nice place to call your playground for a few years. Some outstanding looking women there too. Fairly mild winters. You get a snow or two but it melts quickly after. It is similar to living in Chicago weather wise except you tend to get an extra month of warm weather both in the spring and the fall and the winters aren't nearly as brutal.

If it wasn't for my family all located near Chicago I would have stayed there. I've lived in San Diego, Boulder, Kansas City, Naperville, Peoria, Orlando, Dallas, Houston, Peoria, Champaign, and now Chicago.

I'm not ashamed to say that I would choose Kansas City over any of those places. San Diego, Boulder, and Orlando are great cities to visit but I couldn't stand to live in any of those cities. Orlando was way too humid and hot most of the year and the people in all 3 of those cities in general were not my cup of tea.

 

I also think there must be a huge emphasis on schools on that list. Most of those areas have some of the best public school systems in the country. They are indeed a great place to raise a family, but I don't know if they are necessarily the best places for someone who is in their early 20s or retiring. So age bracket would effect that list a lot.

 

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I would vote for Austin. There's a reason everyone and their grandmas is moving here and not Kansas City or Willow Springs, and it's not because it sucks.

 

Meh..... sounds like an opinion to me.... We Okies just think you Texans are jealous!



Mike in Kuwait

 

Don't come to Florduh. Its full of old fools who can't drive.

 

+1

And it is generally pretty hot here (and really humid much of the time).
The roads are boring and crowded, and many of the residents are not friendly (Fchatters excluded of course!).

Personally I like the Boone, NC area. It is not close to the beach, but I've seen enough sand for two lifetimes.


BT