Hi all. I'm new to the Mustachian world and am seeking some advice. I've read other threads here about searching for a new place to live, but everyone has different priorities and circumstances, so I'd like to outline mine and see if anyone has anything to contribute. I'm going to overshare here in hopes that more data will produce better results. Thanks in advance for reading. I'd also like to say that I know that many aspects of my life are not Ultra Mustachian, but I am new to this and am trying to work these principles into my existing dreams and lifestyle without abandoning the things that are important to me. Please don't judge too harshly.
My boyfriend (28) and I (30) are late to the saving game, and are at Stage 1. We keep our finances mainly separate, but I will combine here for the sake of simplicity. We have lived in NYC for 7 years (the distractions of which have stunted our adult growth) and will finally be leaving in 6 months. We're beyond excited to move on! We have a small amount of credit card and student debt (about 20k combined), mainly his student loans. We make enough money (125k pre-tax combined) to cover our expenses and have been using Mint to budget for years, but our cost of living here is very high (rent + utilities= 2200), even when trying to practice frugality. International travel has tended to suck up our extra income and leave us in the hole. Our goal is to live abroad eventually, but first plan to move to a new US city and establish a business that allows us to travel for work in the meantime (textile and artisanal goods import business with a boutique and online sales.) This will make the travel habit more sustainable, which is a priority for us. We're world travelers (love cheap and exotic places like Vietnam, Morocco, India) and will always keep that as a part of our lives, but we are willing to cut back heavily on that while saving enough to eventually move abroad and run a small business, which is our version of early retirement. There is more to be said about our long-term goals, but for now I am trying to sort out a 5-10 year plan.
We both have Bachelors degrees, mine from UC Berkeley in an impractical and esoteric liberal arts subject, his from a small NYC university in Entrepreneurship. We currently work in hospitality, me waiting tables for pretty great money but no benefits, him managing a high end bar with benefits. He has hotel experience and I've worked as a well-paid executive assistant in the past, but office life is not for me. I will probably get another restaurant job to get me on my feet in a new location. I can also do location-independent online editing to supplement. He is ready to start his business in a new city, and I will be involved.
We are heavily tattooed, ride motorcycles, and prefer an unconventional and adventurous life. We live in Chinatown and love the challenge of being surrounded by a culture other than our own. We like being able to walk out the door and interact with all kinds of people. We're city people, and not afraid of the rougher parts of town. Our values teeter somewhere between sex, drugs, and rock n roll, and crunchy granola, free love, and peace. Dive bars at night, yoga in the morning. Call me a hipster, yuppie, whatever...I get it. But that doesn't mean I want to live in Williamsburg surrounded by thousands of people who look like me.
Onto the question of where to live. I know this is subjective and personal, but maybe some of you have similar interests and can help guide us. Any ex-New Yorkers who have found happiness elsewhere? New York has spoiled us in the way of stimulation, diversity, and access to amenities. But in an effort to save money, we have had to hugely restrict our participation in many of the best things this city has to offer. The long winter offers hardly any outdoor/free activities, and being stuck in a shoebox apartment cooking 3 meals a day is depressing. Our values don't always align with those of our friends/peers, who tend to focus more on status, consumerism, and self-promotion. I'd rather spend my time gardening and having a backyard BBQ than shopping and going to a nightclub.
He is from Boulder, and while Colorado aligns with many of our values, he wants somewhere new and has categorically ruled out returning. I'm from Southern California (too sprawling and car-centric) and have lived in San Francisco (and Oakland and Berkeley), to which I would return in a heartbeat if it weren't for the tech boom and its effect on the cost of living there. Moving there would mean equal, if not higher, COL. We want a place that keeps us stimulated and challenged, provides an opportunity to build a small (but possibly mobile) business, and ticks enough of the boxes to keep us happy for a few years while 'stashing cash away. Simple enough right? Ha, right. You never know, maybe one of you has the answer!
What we definitely want:
-Cheaper rent and overall lower cost of living
-Walkable neighborhood, with option for Metro/biking as needed
-Energetic, creative city with progressive attitude and intelligent population
-Access to varied ethnic cuisines, diversity, music, international culture
-At least a small amount of green/sustainable/earth friendly consciousness in the community, enough to provide support for backyard farming and DIY projects
-Greenmarket, farmer's market, or CSA (I would like to volunteer, or at least source good groceries)
-Dog-friendly living arrangement and public spaces
-Access to an international airport
-Support for small business, and a demographic who will buy our goods
-Free activities, festivals, community events
-Busy bar and restaurant scene (to work in, not to spend money in)
What we want but could compromise on:
-Car-free life
-Ideal housing is a small cottage or 1 bedroom house with outdoor space a couple of blocks from grocery stores etc., with a small space to work on our motorcycles and DIY home projects (like the houses found in new orleans or north berkeley). Would like the option to sublet on AirBnB when out of town.
-He likes to camp in tents, I prefer at least a cabin
-He likes to mountain bike, I prefer a long walk around the city
-Food trucks, dive bars, jazz, rock n roll, cheap wine
-Year-round motorcycle riding weather and maybe even a moto culture (i know it's not Mustachian, but we love it)
-Location within a few hours' flight/driving time to see family in CA and CO
-Nicer, humbler people with a friendlier attitude than New Yorkers
What we'd like to avoid:
-Snow and cold winters (dealbreaker)
-Intensely humid heat
-Endless grey skies (I suffer from SAD here in NYC)
-Cultures focused on mindless consumerism
-Bible-thumpers, ultra-conservatives, etc.
-Suburban sprawl, Applebees, Walmart
-Anywhere in the Northeast
-Neighbors whose idea of travel is a Disney cruise
-Condos
-Being landlocked
What we don't care about:
-Family friendly, schools (kids not in the cards right now)
-Real estate prices (ditto)
-Winter sports, golf, surfing (although a beach would be a bonus, but is tied to higher cost of living)
-Tech/Fortune 500 jobs
-"High" culture things like opera, Broadway, etc.
The Shortlist So Far (none of these ticks all the boxes):
New Orleans (looking good, but hot, poor), Portland (grey/crowded?), Seattle (same), Austin (too crowded?), Oakland (too close to SF/high COL), San Diego (too many cars, homogenous), San Luis Obispo (too sleepy?), Nashville, San Antonio, Tucson, Atlanta, Mexico City, Berlin, Buenos Aires
Please share any suggestions of places I have overlooked. My boyfriend claims to be openminded but will really only look at "world class cities", which are generally not very Mustachian. Help me convince him and myself to go check out a few new places and pick our new location. Thanks again! Looking forward to your replies.