If you could live anywhere

**gravitylover** · 07-21-2007, 09:42 AM

Where would it be.

My wife seems to have come to the realization that there may be better places than NY. There are obviously some parameters that we need to work with, most importantly it has to be a great place to raise kids. We have 8 year old twin daughters so good schools are a must. What we don't want to do is make a lateral move from one suburb to another but top notch medical services are second on the list as her dad is over 80 and will be going with us. Outdoor recreation opportunities would probably be next on my list.

I don't need the most radical terrain just reliable snow and (because I'm old

) I wouldn't mind a climate that's not prone to extremes. Prime mountain bike riding is equal to my winter expectations.

A little culture is important too since I don't think you should raise kids in a vacuum. Ya know a few decent museums and maybe some theatre, I guess a college wouldn't be bad to have near.

So the ideas I've had on where are Bend/Redmond, Whitefish/Kalispell and Homewood/Tahoma/Tahoe City. Any thoughts from the collective?

**Benny Profane** · 07-21-2007, 09:57 AM

Boulder or SLC, but you'll still be living in a suburban thing. At least it ain't NY.

edit: You're leaving one of the best places in the country for medical care. Don't expect much at all (relatively speaking) in the places you mention. That's why I mention those two cities. Plus, I assume, ya gotta work for a living, and both Denver metro and SLC have vibrant economies. And mellow weather for an 80 year old.

**SkiCougar** · 07-21-2007, 09:57 AM

man, go to Denver. it has all the things a big city has that you mentioned and the rockies with everything you want in the backyard. no offense to what you listed, but theyre not going to have the art and medical anywhere close to what you may want or need.

**SkiCougar** · 07-21-2007, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by Benny Profane

Boulder or SLC, but you'll still be living in a suburban thing. At least it ain't NY.

yeah, i nominate SLC too.

**RootSkier** · 07-21-2007, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by gravitylover

Whitefish/Kalispell

Missoula would be a better Montana choice to fulfill the criteria you listed.

**72Twenty** · 07-21-2007, 10:33 AM

In order to meet all of your criteria, I'm another vote for either SLC or the Colorado Front Range. Coming from NY, I would say you would like CO much better than UT, but that's just me. Some smaller cities to really consider in CO that are close enough to Denver - look into the Fort Collins/Loveland area.

**Tippster** · 07-21-2007, 10:36 AM

Louisville, CO (yes, Colorado - between Boulder & Denver) was just voted one of the top 5 places in the country to live... again. Gotta have something going for it....

**gravitylover** · 07-21-2007, 10:38 AM

I knew UT would come up but having lived there twice and left twice I don't think it's where I would want to try again. I forgot to put Steamboat on my list. I know that "culture" isn't necessarily high on the list in most resort areas but it's better than outside resorts. I also forgot to add that home prices wouldn't be an issue. We'd be selling two houses here and would want to turn it into real estate anyway.

**Viva** · 07-21-2007, 10:44 AM

Sandpoint
Santa Fe

**72Twenty** · 07-21-2007, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by gravitylover

I knew UT would come up but having lived there twice and left twice I don't think it's where I would want to try again. I forgot to put Steamboat on my list. I know that "culture" isn't necessarily high on the list in most resort areas but it's better than outside resorts. I also forgot to add that home prices wouldn't be an issue. We'd be selling two houses here and would want to turn it into real estate anyway.

Colorado is you answer then.

**AsheanMT** · 07-21-2007, 10:59 AM

Montana sucks balls. Don't come here. You'll hate it!

**Steven S. Dallas** · 07-21-2007, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by Viva

Santa Fe

I don't know if the snowfall is reliable enough, but Santa Fe seems pretty awesome to me. My buddy just moved there and absolutely loves it.

**spindrift** · 07-21-2007, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by gravitylover

...A little culture is important too since I don't think you should raise kids in a vacuum. Ya know a few decent museums and maybe some theatre, I guess a college wouldn't be bad to have near.

So the ideas I've had on where are Bend/Redmond, Whitefish/Kalispell and Homewood/Tahoma/Tahoe City. Any thoughts from the collective?

Given what you said your criteria are, I don't think any of those places are gonna do it for you (not that I've been to all of them). Arts, medical care, etc. are not there in any serious measure. Heck, a serious medical trauma (really bad car wreck, life/limb threatening frostbite, super critical neurological thing, etc) in Whitefish will land you in Seattle (and not in 10 minutes)!

And IMO conventional schools blow just about everywhere at this point. So regardless of the stats and reputation, you might find at some point that the schools don't do it for you - regardless of where you move. For example, the reason my area schools look so good is that the area is full of affluent educated parents who help their kids directly, pay for private tutors, enroll their kids in SAT prep courses, hire private college counselors, etc. - so the stats look great. But it is despite the schools, not because of them. FWIW - I was suckered in by those stats... Obviously YMMV. Still, just go in with your eyes open regarding schools - even well rated ones - and a possible need for flexibility downstream.

Echoing at least part of what others have said, I'd say two of the obvious choices are the Denver and Seattle areas. Maybe add Portland. If you want to avoid the burbs, you can either go for the urban core or skip a town or two out past the suburban/rural border. You obviously know this issues with SLC. BTW, for better or worse, Seattle's arts scene has really been upping its game the past few years. The music scene is well known. SAM is bringing in some pretty cool art. The new sculpture garden is just a delight. And emergency medical care is top notch.

Or you can recognize that there is a gap between your top one or two priorities you mentioned and the others and maybe own up to skipping arts, or A+ medical care, or schools, or instant ski access, etc... And get a bigger list to choose from...

**kayaktheworld** · 07-21-2007, 11:31 AM

Seattle sounds like a place you might enjoy. Good music scene, plenty of museums, the best truama hospital on the west coast, skiing within 45 minutes to an hour. There are plenty of living oppurtunities both on the east side of seattle (suburbs) as well as in the city itself. Pretty clean city, lots of character.

Hope you guys find a good place.

**P_McPoser** · 07-21-2007, 11:43 AM

Denver Area. No Doubt.

**cj001f** · 07-21-2007, 11:52 AM

Bend/Redmond is a bit lacking on the culture and medical care side. You might want to check out Grants Pass/Ashland in Southern Oregon - lots of retirees moving so they probably have the medical care covered better

Seattle is a cool city, both it and Portland have more 'culture filled' neighborhoods than Denver - the never ending prairie sprawl is fucking depressing. They also have, IMHO, more of the coastal culture.

Gotta have something going for it....

Top10 lists = filler

**MOHSHSIHd** · 07-21-2007, 02:35 PM

Yep. Front Range Colorado. Its a no brainer.

**Young Yeezy** · 07-21-2007, 02:39 PM

VANCOUVER!!

**Rontele** · 07-21-2007, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by cj001f

Bend/Redmond is a bit lacking on the culture and medical care side. You might want to check out Grants Pass/Ashland in Southern Oregon - lots of retirees moving so they probably have the medical care covered better

Seattle is a cool city, both it and Portland have more 'culture filled' neighborhoods than Denver - the never ending prairie sprawl is fucking depressing. They also have, IMHO, more of the coastal culture.

Top10 lists = filler

I have to agree with cj on this one. Portland does a great job of managing their open space. Denver--the city proper--is great to live in, as would Boulder, Fort Collins, or Golden, but outside of those three it is absolute suburban h3ll.

**telepariah** · 07-21-2007, 04:46 PM

If I could live anywhere I would stay right where I am here in SoBo. Louisville is a great little community with a core that has a real small town feel to it. And it is 7 miles from my house so for all practical purposes, it is Boulder. Our friends live there and their kids go to Fairview HS in Boulder. We are 23 miles from Denver and while Denver was a cultural vacuum for the longest time, things are getting better (depending on what kind of culture you are looking for -- but it isn't just a cowtown anymore). Great skiing is just over an hour and the summer backcountry in Indian Peaks is even closer and about as good as it gets. Health care is excellent. Winters on the Front Range are generally mild with just a few cold snaps and summers are hot and mostly dry.

All that said, I would be very happy in Seattle or Portland as well.

**brice618** · 07-21-2007, 04:56 PM

Out of curiosity how far is Fort Collins from good skiing? Lift and Hiking access?

**telepariah** · 07-21-2007, 05:14 PM

shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... it's a secret.

Add an hour to times from Boulder for resorts. The local bc is 87 miles away (RMNP a little closer).

**Obstruction** · 07-21-2007, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by Viva

Sandpoint
Santa Fe

+1
I'm all over Sante Fe when I can finally shed the daily grind. That place is the balls in my estimation.

Sandpoint also passes the cool little city test w/good med care and decent skiing nearby and outstanding skiing not far away.

I'd consider Durango in this kind of mix.

**highflyingpilot** · 07-21-2007, 06:44 PM

I'll second the Seattle suggestion. Bellevue has arguably one of the best school districts in the country, year round skiing in the cascades, along with cool summers and warm winters. There is really nowhere else in U.S. where you can live in relative warmth and yet only be half an hour away from some pretty decent skiing. Bellevue is technically a suburb but it has it's own downtown and a few high rises and is generally a nice city. The city of Sammamish is nearby, #11 on the best cities to live in. More or less anywhere in the PNW

**GoldMember** · 07-21-2007, 07:08 PM

Bellevue is going nutso. I was there about 3 weeks ago and there were at least 20 tower cranes in commission in the downtown area alone. I would look more at Issaquah or maybe even North Bend (quick access to Alpental) but North Bend gets quite a bit more rain.

Personally, I'd go for Sandpoint. Right on the lake with Schweitzer only 11 miles away; Nelson is about an hour and a half with all kinds of skiing opportunity and Spokane is about an hour and a half away if you need a little bigger city for medical, etc. I live in Spokane but spend about half my winter in Sandpoint and Schweitzer. Summers are awesome with an incredible amount of open mountain areas, mtb'ing and, of course, Lake Pend O'Reille right there. It's a cool little town.