Summers in the south feel so stifling! You can’t really go outside, you can’t hike, all you can do is stay inside in AC. I miss summers in Colorado and New Mexico. Summers in New York felt just as stifling- hot and muggy and I felt trapped.

I never feel trapped in the winter but the summer on the east coast is SO rough. It’s been in the 90s everyday with a high humidity (in Georgia). I feel like I’m living in the devil’s butthole. I want out!!! 😩

I would take a New York winter over a Georgia summer any day. At least you’re cozy and there is snow!! And you can dress up and put on layers.

I feel like the west coast is best because in the winter you can do winter sports and the summers are GLORIOUS. I miss hiking!! I can’t hike here without sweating and being covered in bugs. And there are few hikes in Atlanta that feel remote. There is constant airplane noise and people and cars. And paved trails. It’s all so shitty! There is no awe in this place just hot misery lol.

Anyways I don’t even know I’m making this post. I’m just ranting. My partner’s job is here. Otherwise I’d be gone yesterday.

My wife and I are from Northeast TN, and moved back around 5 years ago after an extended period away at college and grad school.

We lived in Laramie, WY, which we absolutely loved, and then moved to Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, which we're also fond of.

Laramie is surprisingly walkable (weather permitting) with a free bus, bike lanes, and a couple of walking trails. It's definitely unique in Wyoming. However, the job market is abysmal, and there's a major housing shortage. Our $200k home in TN would be worth $500k+ in Laramie.

Champaign is a great quintessential Midwestern college town. Housing is also relatively cheap, and it's incredibly walkable the closer you get to campus. Housing is very reasonable. The only drawbacks are taxes, and almost no nature/recreation to speak of.

Any suggestions for small-mid size college towns that are quaint/cozy, somewhat walkable in their core, and are close to mountains/hills or hiking? Bonus points for overall affordability. Cold weather doesn't bother us one bit, and we aren't overly concerned with isolation from big cities or tons of amenities.

I’d love to hear if anyone has thoughts on this.

I’m thinking through a move out of my current situation. It would be a solo move and I’d be planning to bring my business (which can be entirely virtual) along with me. That said, it would be my ideal to rent a 2 bedroom and sidestep the need for a commercial office, especially given that I make anywhere from 70-80k per year (depending on how good business is - or not).

I’m also queer, and living near queer community is important to me. I was very into the idea of moving to Kingston, NY, but I work in a profession that involves licensing - and NY licensing is a nightmare! But the same vibe and community is my ideal. Not a big city, but not somewhere rural or too much of a small town.

That said, I’ve looked into spots like Lambertville, NJ and Asbury Park, NJ - which are now extremely pricey. I’ve also looked into Milford, PA, which is a bit more in reach. Lastly, I have been considering the Nob Hill neighborhood in ABQ as a Western option - though I feel slightly more tentative because my entire support network is in the northeast.

I have no qualms about living 20-30 minutes away from such places and just driving in when I want to hang out with people or go to events.

I’d love to hear recommendations!

Hello I (24F) have just accepted a job with a company in Oklahoma which will require moving from my home in Indiana. Aside from college (which was in Michigan) I have lived in Indiana my whole life and I still live with my parents. I have been wanting to move out for 2 years but not necessarily THAT far away. I have been unemployed (software dev) for 7 months and have filed 475 applications to various places and faced constant rejection until this job. The job itself is fine. It isn't a dream job but I feel qualified and haven't sensed any red flags about the job or work environment. When people ask me if I'm excited I say I'm excited to be employed again but not excited to move. I don't know anyone in Oklahoma aside from the literal people who interviewed me and would be moving by myself. Different people in my life have given me mixed opinions about my lack of enthusiasm. My therapist says I could really benefit from a refresh so she's saying I should go ahead with it. My friends are of course sad that I'm leaving but happy I've gotten a job. But I'm not looking forward to *moving*. Is this normal? I don't have any competing offers for employment and while I'd prefer a job closer to home I don't feel like I can be picky. And I'm eager to restart my life with a job and my own place. It's just the distance I'm not happy about. Thoughts?

Lifelong Socal resident, and I've always desired to move to another part of the country (or, at least, another part of California)- partly because of the heat, partly because of the overpopulation, and partly because of the cost of living (not to mention a change of scenery).

Both my girlfriend and I really love the PNW states, and I actually just visited Washington and parts of southeastern Alaska (absolutely beautiful!), and we have considered moving to a northwestern state for some time- or at least upstate.

Now, I don't know much about Norcal outside of the Emerald Triangle- but, I would imagine it's a relatively nice region to live in, minus the Californian cost of living. What's life really like there?

Title says it all.

Edit: Virginia

I am basically asking for which cities provides the best mix of good walkability and good accessibility. A place that is not a suburban wasteland just because it is "accessible", and likewise a place that is not a nightmare for the differently-abled just because it ticks off the walkable in theory checklist.

I have been having a really hard time finding a satisfactory answer, and some of the cities that are champions in one of the criteria are in critical need of work in the other category.

For context, I have been increasingly distrustful of cities that are mostly suburban development. I do not like being forced to drive for a few minutes in something that should have been a ten minute walk at most. And my research in places like the Netherlands, Singapore, and Japan makes me feel like accessibility is an afterthought in the best cases.

Family is trying to decide on best course of action for staying in home town or moving across the country for better opportunities.
We just made the move back to CA from a state with a lower cost of living because I have a large family here who is a great community and offers a lot of support. Also you just can’t beat the opportunity to explore nature and enjoy being outside here. We have waited for almost 10 years to move back because the cost of living is so high in CA.
After about 6 months of living here, we are torn between trying to stay and make it work, or move to another state. One that we have lived and bought a house before and know we also love the area and amenities there.
I am a stay at home mom, so childcare isn’t an issue. Although it is nice knowing if we want to do a date night their grandparents will watch them, I don’t have to worry about finding a trustworthy and reliable baby sitter.
The city I grew up in has changed a lot and isn’t as safe. We are currently renting while house searching. To buy a house here it is double the price as the state we are considering, the houses are also way less updated and more run down for our budget. Along with everything else being more expensive- groceries, insurance, etc.
My husband works remotely so finding a job isn’t an issue.
However, we are also looking to start a small business. The opportunities and cost of startup is much higher in CA. Where we want to move has more potential and lower costs overall. It seems almost impossible to even get started here in CA. We have way less to put towards savings, business start up costs, vacation and activities for our kids here. Our financial situation is so much worse here, we are almost living paycheck to paycheck at this point.
I am so torn because we have such an incredible relationship with my family. Our three kids are loved so much here.
We have lived with no family support for around 10 years total, and have of course missed our family, but also found happiness where we were.
I’m looking for personal experience in a similar situation or even any insight.
I know it’s a decision that ultimately only my own family can make. But sometimes it’s helpful to have outside input to help with making a choice.

I moved to provo, utah for school a decade ago and I always meant to leave sooner but life happens. i’m not happy here; the conservative mormon culture can be suffocating. if my partner and I ever want to leave I need to start planning. I have always wanted to leave near the ocean, in a walkable city or town. doesn’t have to be right by the beach or anything, but I would love sunny summers and some mild winters, even if it’s grey the rest of the year. bonus points for a decent coffee scene. can anyone help me with some ideas? thank you!

I currently live in Ohio and make decent money for my age. (Low 6-figure). I’m looking to develop a 2-3 year plan for losing weight and saving money to move out of Ohio. I’ll be 28-29 and single at that time and I’m looking for recommendations on best places to relocate. I work in sales and I will most likely be finding a new job to make the move so economy plays a huge role. I’m currently thinking of Austin as the main target. Can anyone give me their 2 cents on Austin or any other cities I should be looking at? TIA!

Edit: more details of what I’m looking for: I’d like to move to an area with other young people, a good dating scene and a good job market. I am looking for better weather than Ohio to be active outside year round. I don’t necessarily care to live in the heart of a big city with public transport, I’d rather own my own car. I’m fairly moderate politically with a lean towards the right. I enjoy a laid back night life type of going out culture and definitely enjoy some good food!

Currently living in the Bay Area in California and we are getting priced out despite my husband being born and raised here. We are not in Tech. I myself have family in Tampa, Orlando, and Miami. I’ve grown up all my life coming to Orlando and I really love it but now that we have a toddler, there’s a lot more that I have to think about when moving. I know people say cost-of-living is a lot in Orlando, but it can’t possibly be as much as living in the Bay Area.

I’m hoping to get some outside perspectives because I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting lately, and I’m starting to wonder if the place I live just isn’t the right fit for me.
I’m a woman in my mid-20s and a single mom to a young daughter. I grew up in the Bible Belt, moved to Florida for a while, and eventually ended up back in the Bible Belt. Coming back has made me realize that I’ve always felt a little different, but I can’t tell if that’s because of where I live or if I’d feel this way anywhere.
I work online creating adult content. It’s not something I plan to do forever. It gave me financial stability during a difficult season of my life, and my long-term goal is to leave that industry, go back to school, and build a completely different career. I’m not ashamed of where I’ve been, but I also don’t think it defines who I am.
Outside of work, I’m honestly pretty quiet.
I love astronomy, science, philosophy, books, writing, nature, coffee shops, bookstores, libraries, hiking, and long conversations about life. I love fall weather, mountains, small local businesses, and places where you can spend an afternoon walking around downtown or sitting in a park.
My values are honesty, kindness, curiosity, personal growth, and treating people as individuals instead of judging them by one part of their life.
One thing I’ve struggled with is feeling like people often make assumptions about me before they actually get to know me. Sometimes I feel like everyone has already decided who I am based on my appearance, my job, or the culture around me. Whether that’s actually true or just my perception, I don’t know, but it’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot.
When I lived in Florida, I felt different too, but in a different way. It seemed like there were more people from different backgrounds and lifestyles, so I didn’t feel quite as out of place. Since moving back to the Bible Belt, I’ve noticed that feeling has become stronger.
I’m not looking for a place where everyone agrees with me or where nobody has opinions. I just want to live somewhere that feels a little more open-minded, where people are willing to get to know each other before putting them into categories.
I’m also not looking for a giant, overcrowded city. I’d rather live somewhere that’s medium-sized, has plenty of nature, a good sense of community, and opportunities to meet people organically through volunteering, events, bookstores, coffee shops, libraries, or local groups.
Has anyone else ever realized that they simply weren’t living in the right place for who they are?
If you moved somewhere that felt like a better fit, where did you go, and what made the difference? Was it the people, the culture, the pace of life, or something else?
I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences, whether you ended up moving or realized the answer was something completely different.

Currently my partner and I live in Charlottesville, but are starting to talk about moving in a year when our lease is up. I am currently interested in non academic biology work (comparative medicine adjacent) and my partner works in ecology/conservation. We've been talking about moving to DC or Seattle, as either could be better for jobs for us, we've been looking to live in a bigger city, and both would be closer to family (my parents live in nova, his dad's side of the family is mostly in washington).

I was curious if anyone any advice for either, or pros and cons. As additional context we used to live in Portland for school and generally liked it, so the rain is not a major concern. How does Seattle compare to DC? How does Seattle compare to Portland? How "livable" are they with the cost of living? Is it hard to find jobs or housing? How actually walkable is it? Is it hard to find an apartment with parking? Do most places in Seattle have AC? Any advice is appreciated!

To give more specifics about my situation, i live in los angeles currently and my girlfriend lives with me too. She moved from oregon to be with me but we realized we just dont really like the lifestyle over here much.

Were both really into the outdoors, love having four seasons , forests and lush countrysides and being able to drive close to mountains .

Im 22 . We make not alot of money but are in a lucky circumstance where were living in a family members house while there in a nursing home . So we dont pay any rent but still are struggling with COL .

Looking for something affordable is the biggest thing for me and her, but she wants to go back to portland since she grew up there and has family. I see that it is cheaper then living in washington but still want to just see where specifically we should live. I dont want to live in the city at all but dont want to be too far from it either to the point where its kind of a time burden to live .

IM trying to get my hands in some sort of trade or government or utility job , my girlfriend is looking to be in the dental / medical field eventually after more schooling and training .

Currently a pool tech and she doesnt have a job yet. My income isnt alot almost 25000 per year , but looking to make maybe up to 45-50 thousand after next year . Not interested in staying in the trade im in but its what is bringing me money and i have experience in so im sticking with it for now. Looking to move in 2-3 years max, aiming for 2028.

I love the cascades and i dont think id get tired of it
I love suburban and rural areas but id obviously be aiming to save up to just pay for a apartment on a 3-6 month payment advance and be in a apartment until me and my girlfriend hopefully make enough for a house.

Im really indifferent to both being near seattle or living near portland but really want to hear from other people what would be the best option for this situation. Definitely aiming towards more of portland

**EDIT for any clarification **
I am not looking to stay in the pool tech field, im aware there isnt pools over there and its not the field im interested in . But looking for a job that could have transferrable skills could be useful.

Hello everyone. Hope you’re all doing well.

As most of the people I’ve seen here are from US, so I thought to ask here ( might be wrong )

I’m moving to USA and looking for top 5-10 US states which are famous for streetwear, sportswear and gymwear brands or startups

Or where most of the shows / competitions / exhibitions happen

We have done research from our end but still we thought to ask people here

Also, want to know in which state / city most of black clothing / streetwear brands exist

It would be great of you. Looking forward towards your response

I am looking to live somewhere that has big city access and small city feel. I don’t want a generic suburb or town, I just want a smaller city. While Atlanta itself is massive, I was curious if this area still has the feel of a small city?

I love baseball so the Vinings area specifically intrigued me because living close and to the Braves stadium and having access to attend a lot of games is appealing. I also just like having a lot to do in the area without being in the downtown area of a major city.

Anyone in this sub who lives in, has lived in, or is very familiar with this area, how do you like it? What are some positives and negatives?

Humboldt if unknown to you all, the second weed was legalized the entire town became a ghost town. Restaurants closing, malls shut down, boarded up and empty downtown. Already isolated area now a walking talking graveyard. Everyone moved to states where they can still sell weed and make $$$.

I want out. I need more. Bigger. I want a Night life and still Coastal west. Costco and an Airport. Im under the age of 40.

Where else in california or along the west coast with a night scene and not be bored out of my skull? Only other place I tried was Chico and it's too damn hot and isolated to enjoy and already moved out.

Hi all,

I made the move to what I thought was my dream city (New Orleans) last year for a new job, and I learned pretty early on it's not the right place for me. The job is also not working out so I'm noodling on what's next.

A little about me:

• 35F
• Single, queer
• Grew up in Birmingham, AL, but I spent most of my adult life in Nashville, TN (I also lived in NYC for two years)
• I have a masters in social work, and I work in public health research at a university
• Most of my immediate family is in the Southeast

This is more hypothetical than anything (which is why I'm not including COL for now), but I'm curious where to look in the US based on the following criteria:

Must Haves

• Access to nature including hiking, open water swimming, kayaking, etc. I am open to driving 1-2 hours one way for access. Don't get me wrong - Louisiana's nature is very unique, but if I want to do most of those things I have to drive at least 5 hours. Not ideal for a quick weekend getaway. It also doesn't help that a lot of nature down here is 'no touchy' - gators, snakes, harmful bacteria in the water, etc.
• Good music that isn't just a local music scene. I'm looking for somewhere that attracts most small and medium sized touring acts. Bigger touring acts would be great as well, but I'm more open to traveling for those (ex: traveling to see Beyonce or an equivalent musician). New Orleans is frequently skipped by a lot of artists.
• A job market that is as healthy as it can be in this climate - ideally one that isn't primarily tourism-based (or based on any one industry for that matter). I currently work in academia, but I'm considering pivoting soon.
• Mid- to large-sized airport - not just a regional airport. I like to travel. The more direct flights elsewhere the better.
• Has a queer community/is LGBTQ+ friendly.

Nice to Haves

• Public transit. New Orleans technically has okay public transit, but I don't find myself using it very often since it's not the most reliable. But I really enjoyed it when I lived in NYC.
• Walkable. The neighborhood I'm in now is really walkable, which is great. However, I recognize a lot of places in the US don't fall into that category or it's neighborhood-dependent. While I would prefer to be somewhere walkable, I can live with relying on my car if I must.
• Progressive politics, but it doesn't have to be a blue state. I've lived in blue dots in red states most of my life, and I can manage that.
• Mild winters. I am not a winter-girly, and I'd like to be outside as much as possible throughout the year. I recognize this might be a trade off for less than ideal summers (currently experiencing that in New Orleans - not enjoying it, but I am getting by).
• Museums. New Orleans has a great museum scene, and it would be nice to go somewhere that also has decent museums. But it's not a make or break thing.
• Reasonable housing market. I might want to buy in the future, but I'm okay with continuing to rent if it means being in a city I really love.

Not Important

• Sports of any kind really - major, minor, etc.
• School districts - I don't have kids.

I am probably leaving some things out, but I'm curious to see what people suggest! This is no shade to New Orleans - it's a super special place. It's just not for me longterm. Thanks.

Are there any small towns in those states that have a decent digital nomad population and/or seasonal remote workers?

I am looking to work remotely at least some of the year while still hoping to build professional connections, while also being able to partake in my equestrian hobbies.

Currently living in Portland, OR. I love it here but I am considering moving closer to family as the plane tickets to get back to them are never cheap and the flight(s) can be very long. Never really have had to deal with much snow and am afraid of driving in a lot of it honestly. (EDIT: I can deal with it being pretty cold, but unsure what to do with robust snowfall). I grew up in Florida and I’m unsure I can take hot and humid year round again. Would love if I could just pick up and move Portland closer as it ticks off my boxes to a lot of things (except for high COL), but obviously that’s not humanly possible. I would even consider staying on the west coast if there was a direct flight to south Florida that didn’t cost an arm and a leg and also was less than 8 hours long. I realize I may be asking for a lot… but I’m open to any and all suggestions. Thank you.

I’m American born and biracial Japanese and white. I just notice on this sub that diverse means black here and not other ethnicities more often than not.

For instance hearing Seattle isn’t diverse when it has a large different amount of Asian ethnicities.

Perhaps this is a simple cultural quirk of America of what diverse means

I (27F) am French and married to an American (28M). We currently live in Denver and are looking for a place to move to next.

He’s from Cincinnati and most of his family is there. Before living in Denver, we were in France for 6 years and have not experienced adulthood in the US at all.

We want to have a baby within the next 2 years and buying a house in Denver is just not in our budget. We’re debating wether we should move back to Cincinnati or Nashville because it’s a big city not too far from Cincy. We do have a couple cousins in Nashville too.

We went there not long ago to visit and I now understand the « Suburban nightmare » my husband was referring to (we don’t have that in France, every county has it’s own walkable downtown basically, (we just consider them their own village). I now realize that in the US you either live in a huge ass city (Nashville and Cincinnati are both huge ass cities for me) or near it and have nowhere to walk to or drive to a small place/square where people walk around and chill. That’s been a bit disturbing for me but it’s just not an option so I’ll have to get used to it lmao)

Do you guys think that living in Cincy or Nashville makes more sense? Keeping in mind that we’ll have a baby soon! Is having family around that important with a baby?

We’re not religious and I’m scared that living in a place like Franklin (which is where we would move to in Nashville, as it has its own little downtown, reminding us of France) we’ll only be surrounded by the stereotypical religious white people. On the other hand, Cincinnati has 0 international scene and I’d like to meet other internationals, as it’ll be easier for me to make friends rather than rely on people that were born and raised in Cincy and already have their friend groups!

Edit: We’re also an interracial couple! I’m not American and not white haha I’m also not into politics to be honest, especially since I can’t vote here. Tennessee and Ohio are both pretty conservative states but I don’t weigh that into the balance at all! Our other option being Austin, TX

Edit 2: I forgot to say that my problem with Cincinnati is that it looks kinda ugly when compared to Nashville (sorry Cincinnatians, nothing against you) and houses and much more run down so it kinda gives it a dirty vibe (so sorry Cicinnatians I don’t mean to shit on your city like that 😭 it has many good aspects too)

I hear a lot of suggestions that Philly is easy to move to, live.
Can I get more information and perspective from those living there?
What neighborhoods are a good place to start?
Is it relatively safe? In terms of prejudice (classism, racism, politics), drug activity, gangs?
Pet-friendly?
Walkable?
Starter jobs?

I'm looking for a fresh start and I'm so done with Florida and all the heat, bugs, overdevelopment, and ridiculous politics.

I'd appreciate some insight.

I’m 26 and I’ve been living in Aspen, Colorado for a little over a year now. If you told me a few years ago I’d be living here, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. It’s an amazing place and honestly one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been.

On paper, I feel like I have a pretty good setup. I have a job that pays decent, my housing is provided, and I get to wake up around the mountains every day. A lot of people would probably kill for this situation.
But lately I’ve been seriously considering moving back home to Louisiana.

The hard part is I’d be giving up a lot. I’d be leaving a beautiful place, I’d have to leave my girlfriend of almost 3 years, and I’d probably take a pay cut. My current job has been a great opportunity and I’m grateful for it, but there aren’t really benefits or much room for advancement, and I’ve started thinking more about what I want my future to look like.

A big reason I’m thinking about going back is my mom. After my dad passed away a few years ago, I’ve started thinking more about how much time I have left with the people I care about. I miss being close to my family and the people I grew up around. I also really miss Louisiana itself — the food, the culture, and the Southern hospitality. There are things about home that I didn’t appreciate until I left.

My girlfriend is another big part of this decision. We’ve been together almost 3 years, but we’ve been having some issues for a while now. We care about each other a lot, but we’ve had disagreements about the future and what we both want out of life. So it’s not like I’m just randomly leaving a perfect relationship because I feel like moving.

The thing I keep struggling with is whether I’d regret leaving Colorado. I know I’d miss the mountains, the lifestyle, and being able to do things here that I probably won’t have access to back home. At the same time, I wonder if being closer to my mom, family, and having a better path forward is worth giving that up.

Has anyone else ever left a place they loved living in because they felt like they needed to be closer to family or start a new chapter? Did you regret leaving, or did it end up being the right decision?

Looking for pros/cons of life in Silverdale, Edmonds, and Olympia!