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I'd probably pick a smallish (sub-250k population) city, I think. The kind that rural folks mean when they say they're going to The City to shop. Maybe a "unive

by ashark 9y ago

I'd probably pick a smallish (sub-250k population) city, I think. The kind that rural folks mean when they say they're going to The City to shop. Maybe a "university town". Beats exurbs or ultra-pricey real cities. The trick is finding one small enough that you aren't stuck with shitty schools if you want to live in the city core.

rm_-rf_slash 9y ago
Well that often tends to be the case. Most college towns, even little ones, are so much more expensive than the countryside. Here in Ithaca NY, the property market (relative to income) is ungodly expensive, because most people either bought their houses decades ago when they were affordable, or they're college students who will pay any price in rent to get their quality education. Some people commute in from as far away as Syracuse or even Pennsylvania. Property prices are much more affordable 15 minutes drive in any direction, but no college professor or staff would want their kids going to any of the crackerjack rural schools. Can't say I speak for the Midwest, so it could be different there.
eropple 9y ago
That's part of it. The other part is transit. Cars are bad; I don't really want to ever own one again and I definitely don't want to have to drive one every day if I do. So anywhere I'd want to move would need to either be super walkable or have transit. And small cities usually, IME, aren't the first and don't have the second. I live in a 50K-population city adjoining Boston, so they exist, I just don't know how well they exist independent of bigger cities.
- ashark 9y ago
  Inexpensive, 100%-no-car-required, and decent schools is... a tough set of requirements to satisfy in the US. Hell, getting any two of those is an accomplishment.
  - eropple 9y ago
    True enough. I'd pass on the third, at least for now, for the first two. But those two alone is a mess.
- mod 9y ago
  Regardless of where I live, I don't feel the need to leave my "home" every day. Not to say I don't go outside, but I don't need to commute somewhere (I own some acreage and I spent plenty of time on outside on it). I live a few miles from pavement, so I definitely need a car to go anywhere. But I don't need to go anywhere on a normal day. I go to the nearest city about 3-4 times per month. I do take advantage of UPS deliveries a lot, but I could do without if I were more patient. I've set up my life to not need a daily commute, but I haven't taken the car out of it. If I tried harder, I could probably go without the car, but I don't think that would be healthy (Amazon Pantry options are lackluster last I looked). To reiterate, I'm not even close to a paved road, let alone a grocery store or city, and I can manage not to drive very often. Seems like you could too, if you made it your focus. But we've all gotten used to living a few minutes from this and that and so we have to go do something, in our car, nearly every day.
  - eropple 9y ago
    I like people. I like being with people. I like seeing my friends in person. I also do not like cars. Healthy places don't need automobiles for everyday use, but hermitage is not something I'm remotely looking for.
doomlaser 9y ago
Champaign-Urbana, IL campus of UIUC, a top 5 CS program, good infrastructure, and charming

by ashark 9y ago

rm_-rf_slash 9y ago

Well that often tends to be the case. Most college towns, even little ones, are so much more expensive than the countryside. Here in Ithaca NY, the property market (relative to income) is ungodly expensive, because most people either bought their houses decades ago when they were affordable, or they're college students who will pay any price in rent to get their quality education. Some people commute in from as far away as Syracuse or even Pennsylvania. Property prices are much more affordable 15 minutes drive in any direction, but no college professor or staff would want their kids going to any of the crackerjack rural schools. Can't say I speak for the Midwest, so it could be different there.

eropple 9y ago

That's part of it. The other part is transit. Cars are bad; I don't really want to ever own one again and I definitely don't want to have to drive one every day if I do. So anywhere I'd want to move would need to either be super walkable or have transit. And small cities usually, IME, aren't the first and don't have the second. I live in a 50K-population city adjoining Boston, so they exist, I just don't know how well they exist independent of bigger cities.

ashark 9y ago
Inexpensive, 100%-no-car-required, and decent schools is... a tough set of requirements to satisfy in the US. Hell, getting any two of those is an accomplishment.
- eropple 9y ago
  True enough. I'd pass on the third, at least for now, for the first two. But those two alone is a mess.
mod 9y ago
Regardless of where I live, I don't feel the need to leave my "home" every day. Not to say I don't go outside, but I don't need to commute somewhere (I own some acreage and I spent plenty of time on outside on it). I live a few miles from pavement, so I definitely need a car to go anywhere. But I don't need to go anywhere on a normal day. I go to the nearest city about 3-4 times per month. I do take advantage of UPS deliveries a lot, but I could do without if I were more patient. I've set up my life to not need a daily commute, but I haven't taken the car out of it. If I tried harder, I could probably go without the car, but I don't think that would be healthy (Amazon Pantry options are lackluster last I looked). To reiterate, I'm not even close to a paved road, let alone a grocery store or city, and I can manage not to drive very often. Seems like you could too, if you made it your focus. But we've all gotten used to living a few minutes from this and that and so we have to go do something, in our car, nearly every day.
- eropple 9y ago
  I like people. I like being with people. I like seeing my friends in person. I also do not like cars. Healthy places don't need automobiles for everyday use, but hermitage is not something I'm remotely looking for.

doomlaser 9y ago

Champaign-Urbana, IL campus of UIUC, a top 5 CS program, good infrastructure, and charming