Best cities for the previous poster

[Mr. Smith]

San Francisco, California!

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[Dr. MB]

Nashville, TN? It fits most of the criteria and, while not near a coast it does have mountains nearby. Not sure about the humidity in that area.

I like the American West and I'd also prefer places that don't usually get more than a foot of snow, and have medium to hot summers. I don't want to live in a very wealthy area, and it should have a very low cost of living. I don't care about politics a whole lot when determining where to live, as long as it isn't elitist and is fairly socially libertarian. City size doesn't matter a whole lot. I'd also prefer to live near a river.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

I dunno--maybe Las Vegas or the surrounding metro area?

I prefer cities outside the Southwest, and particularly rural or suburban communities.  Preferably mainstream in politics and distinct seasons, but not a deal breaker for me.

[bagelman]

You might consider a city like Muncie IN, or Carmel if you like upscale suburbs close to big cities.

Need a city that won't be flooded or dried up by climate change within the century, for my own personal sense of security. This doesn't mean all coastal cities are out. Politics isn't important unless we're talking about a clear trend towards "socially liberal, fiscally rightist" views, which I suppose is a fairly minor negative. Machine politics and corruption are more serious negatives. Summers are allowed to be warm, but must be relatively mild. Winters, however, can be as snowy as they please. I'm not interested in drugs, and like most normal people am very disinterested in high crime areas. I don't mind urban decay though, as long as the people aren't decaying me. Having a university where I can continue my education is important, but college sports are not a positive factor. CoL must be reasonable. I like the outdoors, I have a preference towards secularism, and I'd like to be able to take strolls around town.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Missoula, MT
Eugene, OR

I'd like a cosmopolitan city with good public transportation and the vast majority of services/necessities within a 15 minute walking distance (about 3/4 of a mile).  Low crime.  Climate, CoL flexible.

[DFL]

Missoula, MT
Eugene, OR

I'd like a cosmopolitan city with good public transportation and the vast majority of services/necessities within a 15 minute walking distance (about 3/4 of a mile).  Low crime.  Climate, CoL flexible.

Seattle is the first city that comes to mind.

I'd like a cosmopolitan city (or charming town with at least 50K ppl) with a good public transportation system and high general quality of life. Nearby natural features / extensive hike/bike trails is a big plus, as are mild summers. Winters can be colder/snowy, I don't mind that. CoL variable. Good food scene is never bad, as is a walk-able/pedestrian friendly urban core (or at least some part of town, lol). Good public schools available as well. Trying to think of as many specifics as I can, lol.

[Unapologetic Chinaperson]

Montclair, NJ seems to be a pretty good place for you. It's a bit on the small side at around 37,000 people, but it's pretty integrated with NYC thanks to the extensive public transportation services (NJ Transit, etc.) Lots of parks and culture, all the good stuff. If you want a somewhat larger city I suggest looking into Hoboken as well.

- A large supply of well-paying tech jobs (obviously, as I like the idea of not starving)
- Would like, as an Asian person, a decently large Asian population, but in a reasonably diverse community (so at least 20% Asian, but an 80% Asian community would be bad)
- Lots of cultural amenities, such as restaurants, museums, concert centers, nightclubs, aquariums, etc.
- Walkable, or at least have public transportation that's not total garbage
- Reasonable cost of living (sorry, SF)

[HillGoose]

San Bruno, CA. I once dated an Asian girl who was from there, it sounds a lot like what you want, the cost of living is still high but definitely not SF.

I want this kind of area:

- Large investment banking industry, ideal career is bond analyst
- Large LGBT population
- Lots of shopping and malls
- I would prefer a warmer climate
- Would like to live in a suburb with lots of McMansions, don't care how long my commute is.
- Would be great if the area was more neoconservative politically

[Unapologetic Chinaperson]

Atlanta

- A large supply of well-paying tech jobs (obviously, as I like the idea of not starving)
- Would like, as an Asian person, a decently large Asian population, but in a reasonably diverse community (so at least 20% Asian, but an 80% Asian community would be bad)
- Lots of cultural amenities, such as restaurants, museums, concert centers, nightclubs, aquariums, etc.
- Walkable, or at least have public transportation that's not total garbage
- Reasonable cost of living (sorry, SF)

[JA]

Seattle, WA checks all of those boxes, although its COL is pretty high. Sacramento, CA would be another good option, although the job market there isn't particularly strong. Washington, DC would be another good choice except, again, the COL could be a bit high.

• Low Cost of Living (rent for a decent 1 bedroom apartment under $1,000)
• A decent number of tech jobs and/or an emerging tech economy
• Easy access to outdoor activities (especially mountains and water)
• All four seasons, but definitely not too hot summers
• Urban/cultural amenities such as trendy, nearby restaurants, bars, concerts, museums, and sporting events are a must
• A Democratic/Leftist political culture is very important (defined as secular-socially liberal and/or left-wing working class)

[bagelman]

Twin Cities MN has some affordable areas and seems to be a good fit for other criteria.

Need a city that won't be flooded or dried up by climate change within the century, for my own personal sense of security. This doesn't mean all coastal cities are out. Politics isn't important, but machine politics and corruption are serious negatives. Summers are allowed to be warm, but must be relatively mild. Winters, however, can be as snowy as they please. I'm not interested in drugs, and like most normal people am very disinterested in high crime areas. I don't mind urban decay though, as long as the people aren't decaying me. Having a university where I can continue my education is important, but college sports are not. CoL must be reasonable. I like the outdoors, I have a preference towards secularism (the city must not be an outright theocracy), and I'd like to be able to take strolls around town.

[Dr. Arch]

• Low Cost of Living (rent for a decent 1 bedroom apartment under $1,000)
• A decent number of tech jobs and/or an emerging tech economy
• Easy access to outdoor activities (especially mountains and water)
• All four seasons, but definitely not too hot summers
• Urban/cultural amenities such as trendy, nearby restaurants, bars, concerts, museums, and sporting events are a must
• A Democratic/Leftist political culture is very important (defined as secular-socially liberal and/or left-wing working class)

Madison, WI literally checks all those boxes, except for maybe mountains. Do you settle for steep hills?

@Bagel: Madison, WI seems to check off most boxes for you too. Another place to consider might be Des Moines.

What I'm thinking about:

• A good amount of land with my property to have dogs, a garden, whatnot
• All four seasons, but winters can't be longer than WI and summers can't be too hot (>85 average)
• Access to good/diverse places to eat, walk around, and shop when needed
• Access to markets where I can buy all sorts of ingredients, Puerto Rican and not
• Can't be too crowded (NY) or unkempt, but I can live close to a big city (not in it)
• Same as Jacobin, A Democratic/Leftist political culture at the state level
• A good economy that can provide opportunities for dynamic employment for me (I'll have a PhD soon)
• A welcoming culture

[JA]

@ Arch: I think parts of New England would be perfect for you. I'm particularly thinking of the area stretching from Albany, NY through Springfield, MA, and Worcester, MA up into Manchester, NH, and Portland, ME. It doesn't have the steep COL like Boston or Connecticut, there are plenty of cities and lots of small towns, there is some cultural diversity (especially in Albany, Springfield, and Worcester), they have pretty good economies (especially Manchester and Portland), lots of excellent educational institutions, there are an abundance of farms and rural areas throughout the region, the climate is a perfect four seasons (the mid-80s in summer and low-30s in winter), even the majority of rural White people in this region are liberal/Democratic, and you're not far from major urban centers (Boston and/or New York are a few hours drive).

As for you selecting Madison, WI for me - I think that's a great pick. Wisconsin is where I have my eyes set on relocating upon graduation, since not only do I love it, but my girlfriend is from the state and yearns to go back home. So, I definitely think Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago, and Minneapolis are at the top of my list.

• Low Cost of Living (rent for a decent 1 bedroom apartment under $1,000)
• A decent number of tech jobs and/or an emerging tech economy
• Easy access to outdoor activities (especially mountains and water)
• All four seasons, but definitely not too hot summers
• Urban/cultural amenities such as trendy, nearby restaurants, bars, concerts, museums, and sporting events are a must
• A Democratic/Leftist political culture is very important (defined as secular-socially liberal and/or left-wing working class)

[America Needs R'hllor]

While not perfect, I'd say that Haifa, Israel fits you well. Since it's not Jerusalem or around Tel Aviv, the rent costs there are quite low. It has the best Israeli institute for technological subjects (one of the best in the world- the Technion), and the city has a decent amount of tech jobs. There are beautiful mountains around it, and while the Haifa beaches aren't really meant for fun, it's a short train ride away from some great beaches to the north and south. It has a surprisingly good cultural and nightlife scene with some impressive events that mold Jewish, Christian and Muslim culture, and as for politics... I'd place it to the center-left, with a fairly big amount of both right-wingers the leftists, but most of the population doesn't really care either way. In any case, it's quite socially tolerant and there aren't any right-wing economic policies being implemented by the Mayor or something.

As for me, modified the request a bit:

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[100% pro-life no matter what]

You might like parts of South Florida outside of the most loud areas of Miami?

For me:

-Lack of cold winters (not seeing a single day above 60 in the extended forecast is simply depressing)
-Significant enough evangelical population that I could find a church I like (I'm Southern Baptist)
-Opportunities for well-paying jobs for that would make my private university education worth it
-Access to going to sports games
-Probability of having neighbors and co-workers that share my values
-In a low-tax state, preferably with a low-ish cost of living, but not to the point of being in the middle of nowhere
-Have good places to eat (I'm not a trendy eater at all, more of a traditional meat-and-potatoes sort of guy)
-Ideally, somewhere that has cute, conservative women in their 20s who are looking to settle down and start a family

[Dr. MB]

Dallas-Fort Worth area would fit you well. OKC also.

I like the American West and I'd also prefer places that don't usually get more than a foot of snow, and have medium to hot summers. I don't want to live in a very wealthy area, and it should have a very low cost of living. I don't care about politics a whole lot when determining where to live, as long as it isn't elitist and is fairly socially libertarian. City size doesn't matter a whole lot. I'd also prefer to live near a river.

[RFayette]

I would say Riverside, CA might be a good fit.


For me:
-Warm weather is very important.  Proximity to beaches and mountains are also a plus.
-Strong tech or insurance industry (am thinking of doing either data science or actuarial science)
-Access to hiking trails would be great.  
-Ideally a decent Evangelical population but also highly educated - I love college towns
-No preference on politics of area

[tallguy23]

San Francisco Bay area or San Diego sounds ideal (SD probably has more religious people FYI).

I like a big city with access to lots of nightlife options, culture, food options and entertainment. The ability to get out of town for the weekend and enjoy the outdoors or a slower pace of life would be nice.

[Mr. Smith]

Nashville, TN sounds about right.

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[HillGoose]

dang... are we doing non-American cities? Maybe Cape Town or Buenos Aires. Those are the only two places coming to my mind for that.

In terms of American cities, I have no idea. That's a hard one.

- Large investment banking industry, ideal career being bond analyst
- Large LGBT population
- Lots of shopping and malls
- I would prefer a warmer climate
- Would like to live in a suburb with lots of McMansions, don't care how long my commute is.
- Would be great if the area was more neoconservative politically

[JA]

Atlanta, Georgia fits you perfectly. I think Charlotte, NC would also be a great choice.

• Low Cost of Living (rent for a decent 1 bedroom apartment under $1,000)
• A decent number of tech jobs and/or an emerging tech economy
• Easy access to outdoor activities (especially mountains and water)
• All four seasons, but definitely not too hot summers
• Urban/cultural amenities such as trendy, nearby restaurants, bars, concerts, museums, and sporting events are a must
• A Democratic/Leftist political culture is very important (defined as secular-socially liberal and/or left-wing working class)

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Portland? Certain sections of New York, I imagine.

[RFayette]

Denver, CO seems like a great fit for you, JA. 

Again, mine:

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[100% pro-life no matter what]

Maybe the Raleigh/Durham area?  Not too far from either the beaches or the mountains.

-Lack of cold winters (not seeing a single day above 60 in the extended forecast is simply depressing)
-Significant enough evangelical population that I could find a church I like (I'm Southern Baptist)
-Opportunities for well-paying jobs for that would make my private university education worth it
-Access to going to sports games
-Probability of having neighbors and co-workers that share my values
-In a low-tax state, preferably with a low-ish cost of living, but not to the point of being in the middle of nowhere
-Have good places to eat (I'm not a trendy eater at all, more of a traditional meat-and-potatoes sort of guy)
-Ideally, somewhere that has cute, conservative women in their 20s who are looking to settle down and start a family

[bagelman]

Houston TX, Little Rock AR, Tyler TX

Need a city that won't be flooded or dried up by climate change within the century, for my own personal sense of security. This doesn't mean all coastal cities are out. Politics isn't important, but machine politics and corruption are serious negatives. Summers are allowed to be warm, but must be relatively mild. Winters, however, can be as snowy as they please. I'm not interested in drugs, and like most normal people am very disinterested in high crime areas. I don't mind urban decay though, as long as the people aren't decaying me. Having a university where I can continue my education is important, but college sports are not. CoL must be reasonable. I like the outdoors, I have a preference towards secularism (the city must not be an outright theocracy), and I'd like to be able to take strolls around town.