5 ms·

Boise, Bozeman or Missoula are mountain towns with young tech/startup cultures where you can still have a huge impact.

vlucas 12y ago
I am sure there are many places where this is the case, but the OKC area is where I live :).
davidw 12y ago
Yeah, the midwest is a step too far for me. I've got to have some mountains... some... something. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Oklahoma/@35.856529,-97.819933,3a,75y,271.36h,89.43t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s1PPz2_ISHMpfYfsEATd2mw!2e0!4m2!3m1!1s0x87ac3911b1ac4f9d:0x5d1ccf33400aea48 https://www.google.com/maps/place/Oklahoma/@35.856529,-97.81... randomly grabbed from outside of Oklahoma City. Looks mind-numbingly boring. Ft Collins in Colorado looks like a calmer, more affordable place than Boulder.
- vlucas 12y ago
  Most of the midwest looks like that - even in Colorado. Here's a streetview I randomly grabbed just outside Ft. Collins: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Fort+Collins,+CO/@40.336186,-104.437468,3a,75y,125.81h,89.55t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1szlZ4y3TpLzHvYabYanGivg!2e0!4m2!3m1!1s0x87694a4590f030ad:0xa9b14228b4ab4082 https://www.google.com/maps/place/Fort+Collins,+CO/@40.33618...
  - davidw 12y ago
    That's more than 70km outside of town, to the east:-) Get closer and you get mountains.
    - modfodder 12y ago
      The spot you chose is also 70km outside of Oklahoma City. West/N.West of OKC is very flat. The further you move east the more terrain you have including the Ouchita Mts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Oklahoma#mediaviewer/File:Talimenavista1.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Oklahoma#mediaview...), the Arbuckle Mts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbuckle_Mountains#mediaviewer/File:Turner_falls_ok.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbuckle_Mountains#mediaviewer/...), and the Wichita Mountains (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wichita_Mountains#mediaviewer/File:Elk_Mountain,_OK.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wichita_Mountains#mediaviewer/F...). Now none of these hold a candle to the spectacular geography of Western Colorado, but they offer nice reprieve from the office for nature lovers. And plenty of lakes for those that prefer swimming, sailing, etc.
- micro_cam 12y ago
  Here is one from the town I live near: https://www.google.com/maps/@46.2468,-114.177067,3a,75y,254.76h,77.89t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s7klGY5aevH2YE1G35SrRvQ!2e0 https://www.google.com/maps/@46.2468,-114.177067,3a,75y,254.... The view of the thousand foot granite cliffs a few miles up in the mountains is blocked by the trees growing along the blue ribbon trout stream.
avn2109 12y ago
shhhhhhh... you are giving away my secrets.
mrfusion 12y ago
I just looked them up, the climates look pretty dismal? 9 month winters basically?
- micro_cam 12y ago
  Clearly you aren't a skier ;) I can't imagine seeking out a mountain town if you don't enjoy some sort of snow sport but the winters aren't as bad as all that and last maybe 4 months. I moved to the Missoula area from Seattle. Summer is hotter but drier, winter is colder but drier and sunnier and I can ski powder most weekends. I've come to enjoy a 20 degree dry day more then a 40 degree and drizzling day like we would get lots of in Seattle.

I am sure there are many places where this is the case, but the OKC area is where I live :).

Yeah, the midwest is a step too far for me. I've got to have some mountains... some... something. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Oklahoma/@35.856529,-97.819933,3a,75y,271.36h,89.43t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s1PPz2_ISHMpfYfsEATd2mw!2e0!4m2!3m1!1s0x87ac3911b1ac4f9d:0x5d1ccf33400aea48 https://www.google.com/maps/place/Oklahoma/@35.856529,-97.81... randomly grabbed from outside of Oklahoma City. Looks mind-numbingly boring. Ft Collins in Colorado looks like a calmer, more affordable place than Boulder.

vlucas 12y ago
Most of the midwest looks like that - even in Colorado. Here's a streetview I randomly grabbed just outside Ft. Collins: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Fort+Collins,+CO/@40.336186,-104.437468,3a,75y,125.81h,89.55t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1szlZ4y3TpLzHvYabYanGivg!2e0!4m2!3m1!1s0x87694a4590f030ad:0xa9b14228b4ab4082 https://www.google.com/maps/place/Fort+Collins,+CO/@40.33618...
- davidw 12y ago
  That's more than 70km outside of town, to the east:-) Get closer and you get mountains.
  - modfodder 12y ago
    The spot you chose is also 70km outside of Oklahoma City. West/N.West of OKC is very flat. The further you move east the more terrain you have including the Ouchita Mts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Oklahoma#mediaviewer/File:Talimenavista1.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Oklahoma#mediaview...), the Arbuckle Mts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbuckle_Mountains#mediaviewer/File:Turner_falls_ok.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbuckle_Mountains#mediaviewer/...), and the Wichita Mountains (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wichita_Mountains#mediaviewer/File:Elk_Mountain,_OK.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wichita_Mountains#mediaviewer/F...). Now none of these hold a candle to the spectacular geography of Western Colorado, but they offer nice reprieve from the office for nature lovers. And plenty of lakes for those that prefer swimming, sailing, etc.
micro_cam 12y ago
Here is one from the town I live near: https://www.google.com/maps/@46.2468,-114.177067,3a,75y,254.76h,77.89t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s7klGY5aevH2YE1G35SrRvQ!2e0 https://www.google.com/maps/@46.2468,-114.177067,3a,75y,254.... The view of the thousand foot granite cliffs a few miles up in the mountains is blocked by the trees growing along the blue ribbon trout stream.

avn2109 12y ago

shhhhhhh... you are giving away my secrets.

mrfusion 12y ago

I just looked them up, the climates look pretty dismal? 9 month winters basically?

micro_cam 12y ago
Clearly you aren't a skier ;) I can't imagine seeking out a mountain town if you don't enjoy some sort of snow sport but the winters aren't as bad as all that and last maybe 4 months. I moved to the Missoula area from Seattle. Summer is hotter but drier, winter is colder but drier and sunnier and I can ski powder most weekends. I've come to enjoy a 20 degree dry day more then a 40 degree and drizzling day like we would get lots of in Seattle.