If you had a choice which city would you move to ?

[Russell]

Where and why ? Just curious to know what cities are on the minds of the finance savvys.

For me, I love SoCal but can't afford the housing so Austin, TX is my first choice due to it having a decent IT/Techie job market and cheap housing. Next choice would probably be Portland or Seattle but Portland doesn't have many jobs and both Seattle and Portland are pretty expensive housing wise.

[Ima saver]

I would stay right where I am. I live in a little town, right in the mountains, on a creek. We have almost no crime. We found this place about 24 years ago, but now everyone is finding out about it. Land use to be cheap. We bought right on the river for $13,000 now it is $250,000 an acre, but I still love it here.

[Lemony]

Vancouver, British Columbia. It's a beautiful, clean, multicultural oasis. Expensive, though . We currently live in a nice, wealthy city, but I don't like the hoity-toity attitudes of the people who live here.

[PrincessPerky]

Pgh (or surrounding area) not for the price, but for the family... I miss mine (but I would prefer a winter home in the south!)

[mccartygirl]

I must be crazy, what is Pgh?

I'd love to live in Kona. We had a great when we went there a few years ago and we're going to be spending a week there in December. But ask me again in Dec, we'll be spending a week on Kauai too, Kona might have some competition.

[naturallyadiva]

I am living in the South, North Carolina to be exact and I would choose to live here forever due to the fact that the cost of living is cheap here. And all of my family is here.

[cercis]

LOL - I read the title and thought "Austin" then I clicked the link and it was one of your choices.

I LOVE Austin. Love, love, love it. It's fun, still has lots of small, independent stores. You can get organic produce easily (they're the home of Whole Foods). There's a Costco. It's only 6 hours from family (as opposed to the 12 we have now), it's liberal and warm (most liberal areas are in colder areas). They get very little snow or winter weather.

They can grow the plants I miss (redbuds mainly). They're the home of a pretty good school. They have the largest urban bat population in the US and they celebrate that fact.

What's not to love?

[jodi]

Aside from the lousy winters, I would stay right here in central NY. Couldn't stand to be away from our families, who ALL live here. We are in a very small town (2000 people) located 10 minutes from a small city, and 45 minutes from a larger one (Syracuse).

[abowers]

I do like the Rochester/Western NY area because despite the winters, there are beautiful falls (foliage) and the springs and summers are nice. Also skiing is cheap and close, housing is affordable, and there are lots of nice parks and lakes to visit!

We have also been thinking about moving somewhere a little further south once we are both done with grad school, but that would be farther from my family, which is in the Rochester NY/Buffalo NY area.

[akaivyleaf]

I like the big city of Atlanta, but I came from a small town, and wouldn't mind retiring in a small town to live out the rest of my days. Problem is, I don't know which small town to migrate to. I don't want extremely cold, I don't want extremely hot, I don't want neighbors that I can see, but I would like to know they are somewhere. I have a while more to think of it. I have 25 more years before I can draw down on my 401K or Roth but I don't plan on working that long. Any suggestions for small?

[Ima saver]

Move to blairsville, Ga. We are two hours north of Atlanta, but I have never been cause I hate traffice. The area used to be really rural, but lately the Atlanta people have discovered the small town in the mountains, It is pretty here with no crime, low taxes.We recently got a home depot and if we only had a publix, I would think I was in heaven.

[PrincessPerky]

Pgh is Pittsburgh, sorry I forget to put the whole name.

[mccartygirl]

That's what I thought but you know what happens when you assume

[Fern]

If family ties and job were no object, i have had nice things about:
Seattle
Austin
Asheville, NC

I am getting tired of New England winters, don't like the extreme heat of the south, woudl steer clear of west coast due to earthquake and the midwest cus it's flat. (dont mean to offend anyone, but...)

may retire in Virginia/NC area. I guess for now CT is ok, but real estate is very expensive here, and as i said, winters make me hibernate. i like a town that's large enough to have some cultural activites, perhaps a small college, but no so large that iti's lost its rural charm.

there's a fun website i've mentioned here before with a quiz to help you find the best spot for you. it's called www.findyourspot.com

[contrary1]

I've never felt I could just move to any city I wanted. Family obligations always weigh heavy on me so I could not picture moving. Tried it once and it was not easy............so here I am, back "home".

I do think I will move after my mom dies.... and a big move too. I'm really thinking some small town in Mexico is going to be home for the last years of my life. I've spent time there, enjoy it and know money will last longer compared to the US.

[markio26]

i want to move to raleigh, nc.. it is close to myrtle beach and easier to travel to fla. for vacations... they have 3 malls close to the triangle... lots of educational things to do, great restaurants and wonderful golf courses... living is a lil higher there, but, so much more to do for free... museums, parks, etc...

[baselle]

Originally Posted by Fern

If family ties and job were no object, i have had nice things about:
Seattle
Austin
Asheville, NC

I am getting tired of New England winters, don't like the extreme heat of the south, woudl steer clear of west coast due to earthquake and the midwest cus it's flat. (dont mean to offend anyone, but...)

may retire in Virginia/NC area. I guess for now CT is ok, but real estate is very expensive here, and as i said, winters make me hibernate. i like a town that's large enough to have some cultural activites, perhaps a small college, but no so large that iti's lost its rural charm.

there's a fun website i've mentioned here before with a quiz to help you find the best spot for you. it's called www.findyourspot.com

Seattle had a 6.8 magnitude earthquake in February 2001. Just a little FYI from a Seattleite.

[Fern]

guess seattle is off limits for me, along with entire west coast. i'm a fraidy cat when it comes to earthquakes and tornados. too unpredictable and potentially catastrophic for me!

[PRICEPLUS]

Don't ever want to live in a city again. I was born and raised in New York City. I might want to live about 45 minutes outside some southern city of mid size but I would never live "in" a city again.

[Thrifty Ray]

I grew up in So Calif (too much traffic) and lived in Page AZ for a short time...we moved to So. Oregon 12 years ago.

My first choice is So. Oregon- we have 4 seasons here...which we didn't have in So. Calif.
I love where I live (2 acres, 40 black oak and tall pine trees) but someday, I would love to build a home where I have a river view (Im envious Ima saver). There are lots of possibilities for this here in Oregon....DH and I are starting to look for that little piece of heaven now.

I loved Arizona for all of it's natural sandstone beauty. Page is right by Lake Powell- one of the prettiest lakes. This would be my second choice.

I guess since I haven't travelled too much, my choices are limited. However, I have all 4 of my kids right here in So. Oregon....so I wouldn't go very far anyways.