best places to live or retire

8/14/2019 Best Places To Live or Retire

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Find Utopia’s Best Places To Live in the USA - Here are the places we feel offeroutstanding living environments based on lifestyle, culture, educationalopportunities, recreation, etc. There is a list for large, medium and small citiessince population size could significantly influence your personal preferences.http://www.findutopia.com/

LARGE CITIES:

1. New York City- expensive but if you can afford it, no other city in the US hasthe range of attractions of NYC. It offers the best of everything: culture, careeropportunities, restaurants, shopping, museums, etc.

2. San Diego- a large city with a laid back but sophisticated lifestyle. Has someof the best weather in the US. Great beaches, restaurants and night life.

3. Chicago- has many of the same amenities of NYC without all the frenzy andexpense. A more livable version of NYC, with Midwestern values.

4. San Francisco- A contemporary city that offer a sophisticated lifestyle

without formality. Beautiful surroundings, great restaurants, and the capital ofthe new tech economy.

5. Los Angeles- A big city with a trend setting environment. If you want to livewhere the latest cultural trends begin, then this is the place for you. Lots offlash though it’s low on substance.

6. Dallas- One of the most underrated cities in America. Has great amenities witheasy accessibility and it’s much more sophisticated than outsiders realize. Lotsof transplants, which makes it the least ‘Texas’ of all cities in the state. Acost of living that is lower than most major cities.

7. Boston- If you like history and tradition then Boston is the place for you.

Highly educated area with some of the best colleges in the nation. Not for youthough if cold winters are a problem.

8. Seattle- Beautiful city with a sophisticated modern economy. Gray skies andrain could be a deterrent.

9. Washington, DC- the center of political power in the world. Great careeropportunities and extensive cultural attractions.

10. San Antonio- most people don’t realize it but San Antonio is the 7th largestcity in the USA. However, the metropolitan population is much smaller that theother top 10 metro areas. The city is 60% Hispanic so it has a cultural flavorunlike any other major city in the U.S. Mild winters (hot summers) and a cost of

living much lower than other large cities.

MEDIUM SIZE CITIES:

1. Portland, Oregon- A laid-back hip, trendy city with great brew pubs andrestaurants. Beautiful scenery and lots of outdoor recreational possibilities. Oneof the most environmentally conscious cities in the country.

2. Burlington, Vermont- The largest city in Vermont (175,000 metro population) hasmany of the benefits of a bigger city. Beautiful surroundings on Lake Champlain,great restaurants, outdoor activities, a university and only 2 hours from



Montreal. Very cold and long winters though.

3.Asheville, North Carolina- Located in the mountains of western NC, it hasbeautiful surroundings. Has a bohemian feel to it with a nice downtown and a goodarts community. The Biltmore House (largest mansion in the USA)is located here anddraws lots of tourists. Moderate cost of living.

4. Olympia, Washington- the state capital has great scenery and a slower paced

feel than its neighbors- Tacoma and Seattle. Has an active arts community and areasonable cost of living for a city in the northwest.

5. Austin, Texas- A fast growing city with a trendy downtown. The ‘live musiccapital’ has seen many restaurants and condos spring up downtown recently. Laidback, liberal attitude. Mild winters but very hot and long summers.

6. Boise, Idaho- One of the fastest growing cities in the country. Many outdoorrecreation opportunities and a vibrant downtown. Cold winters and mild summers.Idaho is a very conservative state with a strong Republican base.

7. Bellingham, Washington- pretty surroundings with a bohemian feel to thedowntown area. Has active theater, cinemaphile, and symphony organizations.

8. Madison, Wisconsin- This capital city is situated between two lakes whichprovides beautiful scenery. Has a large university, great restaurants and yearround outdoor recreational activities. Mild summers and cold winters.

9. Boulder, Colorado- At 5,430 feet above sea level, acres of vast open space rollinto Boulder’s quaint cityscape tucked into the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.Located 35 miles northwest of downtown Denver, Boulder is a mountain communitywith natural beauty, hip urban culture and many outdoor activities. Home toUniversity of Colorado.

10. Charleston, South Carolina- A sophisticated, historic southern city locatedon the ocean. Many beautiful historic homes, a picturesque downtown, and a large

fine arts community. Has many upscale amenities for a medium size city. Mildwinters, hot humid summers and the occasional hurricane.

SMALL CITIES:

1. Port Townsend, Washington- Charming Victorian seaport town with a historicdowntown. With the Olympic Mountains on one side and Port Townsend Bay on theother, the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the north and access to both salt and freshwater bodies, Port Townsend is a unique location for recreational opportunities. 2. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho- located on the shores of a beautiful lake, this smallcity has a vibrant downtown and many recreational activities. Well located forwinter sports and has world class golfing for the summer months. The downtown

offer a wide selection of shops and restaurants

3. Flagstaff, Arizona- clean mountain air, year-round recreation, forest paths,lively entertainment scene, and 1890s charm. Located near the Grand Canyon, thegeography typifies rugged western terrain. The summers in Flagstaff are muchcooler than what you might expect in Arizona.

4. Bennington, Vermont- located in southwestern Vermont, this non-touristy, realworking town of 15,000, is surrounded by the Taconic and Green Mountains. It iscentrally located near many New England cultural amenities. Williamstown and N.Adams with its world class museums are only a 30 minute drive. The heart of the



Berkshires, Albany NY, Saratoga NY are only about a hour away. New York City isonly 3½ hours by car and Boston even closer. Rural but not isolated. Has greatfour season recreational attractions nearby. Bennington College is located here.

5. Hilton Head/Beaufort, SC- located near the Atlantic Ocean both of thesecommunities are sophisticated small towns with vibrant arts communities and greatshopping and dining. Hilton head is a world class resort community and theamenities one would expect. Beaufort’s entire downtown is designated a National

Historic District and offers shops, galleries and fine dining.

6. Hot Springs, Arkansas- This city was voted as one of the best small arts townsin America. It has a large Victorian downtown with many shops and restaurants andis surrounded by a National Park. The surrounding scenery consists of rollinghill and forests. Mild winters but hot muggy summers. Housing here is much lessexpensive than other Top 10 places and the overall cost of living is quite low.Because of this, many retirees have relocated here.

7. Bend Oregon- Located in the high desert, this is a great place for people wholike the outdoors and great scenery. Golf courses, skiing, rock climbing andhiking are some of the possible activities. Known as "the sunny side of Oregon,"the Cascade mountains act as a protective buffer, giving Bend only 12 inches of

precipitation per year. Renovated in 2002, the Tower Theater is located in theheart of historic downtown Bend and offers something for everyone.

8. Camden Maine- the quintessential New England village situated on a beautifulbay. This pure Currier and Ives village seems like it’s from another time. Becauseof the large tourist trade this village has more amenities than most towns thissize. It is also under 2 hours from Portland, ME if you need some bigger cityattractions.

9. Easton, Maryland- Located on the Eastern Shore, this quaint small city with ahistoric town center has easy access to the cities of Annapolis, Washington, DC,and Baltimore. It also has Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries in their backyardfor sailing, canoeing, kayaking, and crabbing. The restored art deco Avalon

Theater provides a showcase for the performing arts.

10. Oxford, MS- Oxford is a vibrant University town, filled with unique shops andgalleries, eclectic restaurants and clubs. It is home to the University ofMississippi and hosts an array of athletic events as well as performing artsprograms, scholarly presentations, and exhibits. Nobel Prize-winning authorWilliam Faulkner and many other writers such as John Grisham, Willie Morris, BarryHannah, Larry Brown have at one time or another called Oxford home.

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