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I'm tired of Chicago winters. During my vacation this year I want to scope out somewhere warm in the US to live. See details...
Ok, I've had 35+ years of Chicago winters. I'd rather not make it 40. I have some vacation time coming and want to visit a few cities in the US to decide where to live. The cities have to be warm year round if possible due to some respitory issues I have - preferably no cooler than 50 degrees during the day. Heat isn't a nuisance to me - the hotter somewhere is, the better I like it.
Since my skill sets are portable and I have no immediate family ties to hold me back I have the freedom to move wherever I choose.
My qualifications for a new city are:
1 - An excellent public transportation system - or - a downtown where anything I need is only a few block walk away. If I can give up driving, I'd be happy to.
2 - Affordable living. I don't want to spend half of what I make for a roof over my head and a communal bathroom. The city has to be affordable to live in.
3 - Major international airport within a 1 hour drive so my brother can visit if he so desired.
4 - Excellent food and culture.
5 - Low or non-existent state tax. (IL wants to double taxes - SEE YA Gov. Quinn!).
6 - State University nearby would be a plus.
7 - Broadband internet is available!!! I need internet!
So, with those 7 things in mind, what city / groups of cities could I reasonably visit in two weeks time and get a decent feel for where I'd like to put down roots in?
Since my skill sets are portable and I have no immediate family ties to hold me back I have the freedom to move wherever I choose.
My qualifications for a new city are:
1 - An excellent public transportation system - or - a downtown where anything I need is only a few block walk away. If I can give up driving, I'd be happy to.
2 - Affordable living. I don't want to spend half of what I make for a roof over my head and a communal bathroom. The city has to be affordable to live in.
3 - Major international airport within a 1 hour drive so my brother can visit if he so desired.
4 - Excellent food and culture.
5 - Low or non-existent state tax. (IL wants to double taxes - SEE YA Gov. Quinn!).
6 - State University nearby would be a plus.
7 - Broadband internet is available!!! I need internet!
So, with those 7 things in mind, what city / groups of cities could I reasonably visit in two weeks time and get a decent feel for where I'd like to put down roots in?
answers (6)
I think you may have to compromise. My idea is:
Jacksonville, FL -
On Christmas, it was 84 degrees. I was sweating. It did get into the 30s for around 3 or 4 days in late January, but nobody hear knows what snow is.
And since someone mentioned Portland, I always think of Portland as a grown up Jacksonville - it has a similar, chilled out vibe, but is bigger and more hippie-fied.
So Jacksonville -
1 - There is not excellent public transportation, and driving will be a must. However, no matter where you live, there seems tot be a carbon copy of every store 5 minutes away.
2 - One of the cheapest places you can live, and clean. You can get a brand new 3 bedroom condo for $150K.
3 - JAX airport is 30 minutes away no matter where you are.
4 - Food - there are some great places (some closer to Ponte Vedra $$$) and more all the time. Culture, well, not so much... what do you mean by culture? We have a lot of parks, beaches, lots of outdoor activities. We have museums, but they aren't like The Metropolitan.
5 - No state tax.
6 - UNF is a great state school; many of its professors have or end up teaching at places like Duke, Harvard... they pay well and have a lot of talent, especially in Political Science, Philosophy, and Business. You can always commute to the behemoth UF, around 2 hours away.
7 - Plenty of internet.
I should mention, it may be culture shock to someone from Chicago, but it won't be movie-esque. Many of its residents are from all over the world; we have a large Indian, Arabic, Asian, and African American population, so it is pretty diverse. There are some large companies with a heavy presence in Jacksonville, such as BAC, ML, Fidelity, BCBS, Wachovia, Modis, and British Airways, among many others. It is also the cleanest city I've lived in. Since the downtown area is in the process of gentrification, there aren't really a lot of "bad" parts in the city (regardless of what our #1 for Murders in FL award will tell you). Surprisingly, some of the seedier places are near the beach (reminds me of Death Wish 3 sometimes). If you don't like the locals, again, many of the residents have been forcibly relocated there from their companies (lots of former NY, NJ, and PA residents here).
Jacksonville, FL -
On Christmas, it was 84 degrees. I was sweating. It did get into the 30s for around 3 or 4 days in late January, but nobody hear knows what snow is.
And since someone mentioned Portland, I always think of Portland as a grown up Jacksonville - it has a similar, chilled out vibe, but is bigger and more hippie-fied.
So Jacksonville -
1 - There is not excellent public transportation, and driving will be a must. However, no matter where you live, there seems tot be a carbon copy of every store 5 minutes away.
2 - One of the cheapest places you can live, and clean. You can get a brand new 3 bedroom condo for $150K.
3 - JAX airport is 30 minutes away no matter where you are.
4 - Food - there are some great places (some closer to Ponte Vedra $$$) and more all the time. Culture, well, not so much... what do you mean by culture? We have a lot of parks, beaches, lots of outdoor activities. We have museums, but they aren't like The Metropolitan.
5 - No state tax.
6 - UNF is a great state school; many of its professors have or end up teaching at places like Duke, Harvard... they pay well and have a lot of talent, especially in Political Science, Philosophy, and Business. You can always commute to the behemoth UF, around 2 hours away.
7 - Plenty of internet.
I should mention, it may be culture shock to someone from Chicago, but it won't be movie-esque. Many of its residents are from all over the world; we have a large Indian, Arabic, Asian, and African American population, so it is pretty diverse. There are some large companies with a heavy presence in Jacksonville, such as BAC, ML, Fidelity, BCBS, Wachovia, Modis, and British Airways, among many others. It is also the cleanest city I've lived in. Since the downtown area is in the process of gentrification, there aren't really a lot of "bad" parts in the city (regardless of what our #1 for Murders in FL award will tell you). Surprisingly, some of the seedier places are near the beach (reminds me of Death Wish 3 sometimes). If you don't like the locals, again, many of the residents have been forcibly relocated there from their companies (lots of former NY, NJ, and PA residents here).
| Asker's rating: |
Definitely has given me some food for thought where to check out.
voted helpful: maxzhichao
First, here is the tax-by-state site I used. It breaks down all the various taxes, but I scanned it for the state-tax:
http://www.retirementliving.com/RLtaxes.html
Since most of the lower-taxed states are FREEZING, your options are already limited. However:
Oregon has no state tax and Hawaii comes in at 4 cents.
EUGENE, OR almost meets the specifications weather wise, and it is home to the university of oregon. not sure it is large enough for you......
PORTLAND, OR
weather may be a tad colder during the day than you want, but it is a decent sized city and has some killer donut shops highlighted on the travel channel!
HAWAII..........4 cents........an extra .5 if you live in Oahu....but is probably too expensive.
Here is a calculator that looks at living costs that breaks things down for you:
http://swz.salary.com/CostOfLivingWizard/layouthtmls/coll_metrodetail_137.html#moving
Other states with low taxes that might fit weather specifications if anyone else out there can break it down:
North Carolina 4.75
Georgia 4
Missouri 4
http://www.retirementliving.com/RLtaxes.html
Since most of the lower-taxed states are FREEZING, your options are already limited. However:
Oregon has no state tax and Hawaii comes in at 4 cents.
EUGENE, OR almost meets the specifications weather wise, and it is home to the university of oregon. not sure it is large enough for you......
PORTLAND, OR
weather may be a tad colder during the day than you want, but it is a decent sized city and has some killer donut shops highlighted on the travel channel!
HAWAII..........4 cents........an extra .5 if you live in Oahu....but is probably too expensive.
Here is a calculator that looks at living costs that breaks things down for you:
http://swz.salary.com/CostOfLivingWizard/layouthtmls/coll_metrodetail_137.html#moving
Other states with low taxes that might fit weather specifications if anyone else out there can break it down:
North Carolina 4.75
Georgia 4
Missouri 4
voted helpful: maxzhichao
Wow your criteria does not compute lol. I would say Arizona but we have very poor public transportation. We have an affortable living here. Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport is one of the largest airports in the country and has freeway access too all of the Valley. We have a good culture and food selection, very large selection of cities outside The Valley like Sedona and Flagstaff that offer great culture and fun. Tax wise we are low but we have sales tax so that means no luxury tax. Universities are big here we have ASU, NAU, UofA. Cox Cable provides a very fast very good Broadband internet. As for weather year around warm weather with very small amounts of cold normally at night.
I could also suggest San Diego area although cost of living is going to be a bit high.
I could also suggest San Diego area although cost of living is going to be a bit high.
voted helpful: maxzhichao
I have a cousin near Phoenix, and her advice was "not Phoenix" :) Arizona does sound attractive enough to put on the short list of places to visit.
Actually, Tucson might be good. I have cousins that live there and love it. They warn me never to stop through Phoenix when I drive to their house though b/c of all the crime!
I personally can't stand it here in Arizona. I personally love the cold and snow. If I needed the heat I would choose a smaller town near to a large one in California, like Escondido, Monterey, Carlsbad etc etc.
Yes, just about anywhere with most of your qualifications is going to have high tax.
Probably the best match would be Charlotte, NC. You get four seasons, but the winter really doesn't get too cold. You've got major league sports; several universities nearby; a light rail system for mass transit; and an international airport right there.
In addition, the state tax is pretty low; but many towns in NC can add their own city tax. Charlotte's is 3%, so that comes out to 7.25% sales tax.
I happen to like Salisbury, about 20 miles north, but then that wouldn't be walking distance--but it has a vibrant culture and is home to a couple of universities.
Probably the best match would be Charlotte, NC. You get four seasons, but the winter really doesn't get too cold. You've got major league sports; several universities nearby; a light rail system for mass transit; and an international airport right there.
In addition, the state tax is pretty low; but many towns in NC can add their own city tax. Charlotte's is 3%, so that comes out to 7.25% sales tax.
I happen to like Salisbury, about 20 miles north, but then that wouldn't be walking distance--but it has a vibrant culture and is home to a couple of universities.
voted helpful: maxzhichao
I'd visit Atlanta for sure, and consider Tampa.
You're a TV guy.. there's only 1 answer. Los Angeles
yeah, but the state taxes are not all that great. Otherwise, I agree. This city kicks it up!!!!!!!!!!!!
I might put LA down on the "visit" list. Traffic is the one thing that might put me off - I'd prefer to go car-less if possible, and rent one when absolutely necessary.
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What was even cooler was the bank had two small arsenals of firearms for us and the executive protective details. I miss the bank some days. :)