If you could live anywhere in the US...?

[Michael in ABQ]

This is a fun tool  -  https://www.movemap.io/explore/us

It basically puts me where I am (northeastern-ish US) or the PNW.

Pretty accurate, it basically showed most of Wyoming, Idaho, and western Montana with some scattered places in western Virgina and a few counties in Georgia and Tennessee. Not really interested in the east coast or south so it just reinforces somewhere in the northern part of the mountain west.

[HPstache]

This is a fun tool  -  https://www.movemap.io/explore/us

It basically puts me where I am (northeastern-ish US) or the PNW.

Very Cool.  Apparently cheaper parts of Idaho, Utah & Colorado would be my ideal.

[Arbitrage]

This is a fun tool  -  https://www.movemap.io/explore/us

It basically puts me where I am (northeastern-ish US) or the PNW.

I got halfway through the tool, just doing weather-related criteria, and I had eliminated 100% of the places on the map.

I do think the data in the tool for weather is a little off, for what it's worth, or at least not very consistent/clear from the description.  "Day temp in summer" doesn't allow you to choose below 78, but in my location there is no month that has a high temp averaging above 74 (and the tool actually eliminates it below 84, I discovered).  It is very rarely 84 in my location...so maybe that temperature is a +2 sigma or something? 

San Francisco is the only major US city with cooler summer temperatures than Bellingham, and somehow in the tool it doesn't make the cut until 82 F.  80s are super rare there.

[E.T.]

This is a fun tool  -  https://www.movemap.io/explore/us

It basically puts me where I am (northeastern-ish US) or the PNW.

This tool is so funny! Out of 12 counties it picked for me, one is where I live now. I was very surprised lol.

[Metalcat]

That map mostly gave me locations in northern Vermont, which makes sense since I used to live right on the border of northern Vermont and it's one of my favourite places.

I'm pretty much okay with anything in terms of weather. I'm from a  Nordic family, so I don't believe in bad weather, just the wrong clothes.

Extreme weather really sucks when you have no choice but to drive in it, or if the region doesn't have the infrastructure to cope with it. Weather in and of itself though doesn't bother me as long as I have a reliable way to stay safe.

Forest fires though? Having just spent a summer on an island with a raging fire nearby?? Yeah, those I could do without.

[wenchsenior]

Currently live in the Madison, WI area and love it.  Granted the winters can suck for a couple months, the area just has so much going for it.  Very bikeable city, and not too big, not too small.  Has an absurd number of high quality restaurants given its size and a massive farmer's market each Saturday.  The politics are wacky as its the state capital with a major research university in the city limits.  The area is seeing a booming tech sector recently as well.

Otherwise, the driftless area of SW Wisconsin/SE Minnesota is gorgeous and at the moment, have my sights set on towns within that region for a potential future move.  I also loved San Diego during my time there; though it is expensive.  In a perfect world, I'd have my winter/San Diego house and upper midwest house.

I was just looking at real estate in New Glarus and Mineral Point last weekend. I love SW WI.

[GuitarStv]

I'm pretty much okay with anything in terms of weather. I'm from a  Nordic family, so I don't believe in bad weather, just the wrong clothes.

Cold weather is no biggie - add the right clothes.  But hot, humid weather is a whole other thing.  Once you're naked and have shorn all your body hair off the options for cooling become more limited.  : P

[Metalcat]

I'm pretty much okay with anything in terms of weather. I'm from a  Nordic family, so I don't believe in bad weather, just the wrong clothes.

Cold weather is no biggie - add the right clothes.  But hot, humid weather is a whole other thing.  Once you're naked and have shorn all your body hair off the options for cooling become more limited.  : P

Yeah, it gets insanely hot in Ottawa, but I have AC in my house, so as long as I can escape into AC, especially to sleep, I kind of like cooking in the soup-y heat when I go outside.

There has been no AC at my place for the past year though, so I was happy to escape to the much milder summer in Newfoundland, where there were only 2 days of "hmm...it's a bit hot."

[wenchsenior]

This is a fun tool  -  https://www.movemap.io/explore/us

It basically puts me where I am (northeastern-ish US) or the PNW.

I got halfway through the tool, just doing weather-related criteria, and I had eliminated 100% of the places on the map.

This is consistent with my lived experience, since I've spent the vast majority of my life living in San Diego and SF/Oakland and am often unhappy with the weather because it has failed to be perfect on a given day.

Perhaps if I could live anywhere in the US I should live in the place where the weather is the absolute shittiest (for me, that would be somewhere humid and very hot in summer and very cold in winter, with lots of mosquitoes whenever possible) to reset my internal thermometer. 

There are many many days where I sit in awe of the lovely weather I'm enjoying, but there are also more than a handful of days that I'm resentful of the cold in winter (or summer!) or either the undesirably overcast day or the undesirable heat in summer.  It's easy to say I should be able to just appreciate where I live with a change in attitude without having to actually move and live somewhere terrible, but my attempts to appreciate here more seems to have coincided with an increase in resentment at the "bad" days instead. 

I'm surprised others on this thread living in nice-weather areas seem to be able to continue their appreciation for it year after year.  Doesn't the hedonic treadmill apply for weather for all of you, too?

When I put criteria into that calculator that are the opposite of what I want, it's giving me lots of KS, MO and southern IA/IL, so I guess I have my marching orders.

I definitely appreciated every nice day when I lived in MN and WI. When I was in the Caribbean (I didn't live there, but would do long work stints), I was always concerned with low pressure systems that could disrupt work with extensive rain b/c there are few things as miserable as a group of biologists trapped indoors when time is running out to collect data, and I don't miss that crabbiness. Also, there was hurricane risk, and indeed we rode out two hurricanes that obviously disrupted work.

When I worked in CA, and living in AZ and TX, I definitely took the sun for granted to an extent that weather rarely factored into any planning,  unless it was monsoon season in AZ (then it must be factored in, but mostly it's very exciting rather than annoying). But I enjoy clouds and rain now in a way that I most definitely never did growing up the Midwest.

[Cranky]

I'm pretty much okay with anything in terms of weather. I'm from a  Nordic family, so I don't believe in bad weather, just the wrong clothes.

Cold weather is no biggie - add the right clothes.  But hot, humid weather is a whole other thing.  Once you're naked and have shorn all your body hair off the options for cooling become more limited.  : P

Depends? If the streets are too icy to walk or bike and it's too cold to stand outside waiting for the bus, you are pretty much stuck at home for two months if you don't drive. I don't actually mind the heat.

[nereo]

Cold weather is no biggie - add the right clothes.  But hot, humid weather is a whole other thing.  Once you're naked and have shorn all your body hair off the options for cooling become more limited.  : P

Depends? If the streets are too icy to walk or bike and it's too cold to stand outside waiting for the bus, you are pretty much stuck at home for two months if you don't drive. I don't actually mind the heat.

In my experience, places that have that kind of weather often enough for it to be a concern usually know how to manage it and keep the sidewalks passable.  Won't help much with bikes unless you get one of those fat tire ones though.

I cycled in Quebec year-round and didn't need a fat-tire. Studded snow tires for bicycles are amazing, and not terribly expensive (unlike fat-tire bikes, which are absurdly expensive).  Given the choice for commuting, i'd go studded on my standard commuter bike. The trickiest part of winter cycling is balancing outwear so you don't freeze or sweat. Handling snow/ice is pretty easy.

[Morning Glory]

Cold weather is no biggie - add the right clothes.  But hot, humid weather is a whole other thing.  Once you're naked and have shorn all your body hair off the options for cooling become more limited.  : P

Depends? If the streets are too icy to walk or bike and it's too cold to stand outside waiting for the bus, you are pretty much stuck at home for two months if you don't drive. I don't actually mind the heat.

In my experience, places that have that kind of weather often enough for it to be a concern usually know how to manage it and keep the sidewalks passable.  Won't help much with bikes unless you get one of those fat tire ones though.

I cycled in Quebec year-round and didn't need a fat-tire. Studded snow tires for bicycles are amazing, and not terribly expensive (unlike fat-tire bikes, which are absurdly expensive).  Given the choice for commuting, i'd go studded on my standard commuter bike. The trickiest part of winter cycling is balancing outwear so you don't freeze or sweat. Handling snow/ice is pretty easy.

For me the tricky part of winter cycling was when it warmed up a little and I could dodge ice puddles on the way to work, but then snowed while I was there so I no longer knew where the ice was. That and reynauds made it difficult to lock my bike when i got to my destination.  So much simpler to keep hands warm and stay upright while walking. 

[mm1970]

I'm surprised others on this thread living in nice-weather areas seem to be able to continue their appreciation for it year after year.  Doesn't the hedonic treadmill apply for weather for all of you, too?

But you see, I watch the news!  And vacation.

In fact, I've been to the Northeast a couple of times (visiting family) - the flooding, the mosquitoes, and the humidity in the summer -yee haw, no thanks.
Ice and snowstorms in the winter.

Plus, I can follow it from afar, and appreciate my own weather every day.

[Metalcat]

Cold weather is no biggie - add the right clothes.  But hot, humid weather is a whole other thing.  Once you're naked and have shorn all your body hair off the options for cooling become more limited.  : P

Depends? If the streets are too icy to walk or bike and it's too cold to stand outside waiting for the bus, you are pretty much stuck at home for two months if you don't drive. I don't actually mind the heat.

In my experience, places that have that kind of weather often enough for it to be a concern usually know how to manage it and keep the sidewalks passable.  Won't help much with bikes unless you get one of those fat tire ones though.

Again, proper gear manages this just fine. Studded boots and studded bike tires make even the iciest surfaces manageable. The fat bikes are for trail biking in the deep snow. For icy and snowy city streets, studded tires are best, although some people swear by slick racing tires.

DH runs and bikes all winter, and we have some incredibly harsh, inhospitable weather.

[GuitarStv]

For icy and snowy city streets, studded tires are best, although some people swear by slick racing tires.

Totally depends on where you're riding.

Studded tires are great for ice.  Skinny tires with a slight tread pattern work great to punch through snow and slush though, and roll a hell of a lot faster than studs on clear roads.  Here in Toronto we tend to salt very early and the temperatures usually warm up enough that things melt down to tarmac most of the winter long.

Keeping your bike components functioning through the deluge of salt all winter is a whole other issue though.

[Metalcat]

For icy and snowy city streets, studded tires are best, although some people swear by slick racing tires.

Totally depends on where you're riding.

Studded tires are great for ice.  Skinny tires with a slight tread pattern work great to punch through snow and slush though, and roll a hell of a lot faster than studs on clear roads.  Here in Toronto we tend to salt very early and the temperatures usually warm up enough that things melt down to tarmac most of the winter long.

Keeping your bike components functioning through the deluge of salt all winter is a whole other issue though.

That makes sense. DH is in Ottawa where there's a lot of ice even though we salt like crazy, it's often too cold for it to work.

He buys cheap used bikes that he doesn't mind sacrificing to the winter-riding gods. Although he extends their lives as much as possible through thorough cleaning.

[stoaX]

If I could live anywhere, I wouldn't choose the US, but if I have to choose within the US, probably somewhere in Alaska.

Fascinating.   Could you share why you chose Alaska?  And any specific place there? 

[Metalcat]

If I could live anywhere, I wouldn't choose the US, but if I have to choose within the US, probably somewhere in Alaska.

Fascinating.   Could you share why you chose Alaska?  And any specific place there?

I'm not American, so I wouldn't choose anywhere in Alaska specifically, but I do plan on living in the Canadian remote north at some point. It's a geographically stunning area, and culturally very interesting.

I have a house in a similar kind of remote, geographically and culturally distinct region, so it's a kind of lifestyle I already know I thrive in.

I like small communities with extreme winters, they tend to create a more cohesive and cooperative community culture because everyone is collectively doing battle with a force bigger than themselves. Having a big, nasty, common foe makes for a well-bonded social fabric.

[JupiterGreen]

This is a fun tool  -  https://www.movemap.io/explore/us

It basically puts me where I am (northeastern-ish US) or the PNW.

Thanks for sharing this, it puts me in a similar place. I pretty much already knew that, but I like how the calculator breaks it down to specific counties.   

[jrhampt]

Cold weather is no biggie - add the right clothes.  But hot, humid weather is a whole other thing.  Once you're naked and have shorn all your body hair off the options for cooling become more limited.  : P

Depends? If the streets are too icy to walk or bike and it's too cold to stand outside waiting for the bus, you are pretty much stuck at home for two months if you don't drive. I don't actually mind the heat.

In my experience, places that have that kind of weather often enough for it to be a concern usually know how to manage it and keep the sidewalks passable.  Won't help much with bikes unless you get one of those fat tire ones though.

Again, proper gear manages this just fine. Studded boots and studded bike tires make even the iciest surfaces manageable. The fat bikes are for trail biking in the deep snow. For icy and snowy city streets, studded tires are best, although some people swear by slick racing tires.

DH runs and bikes all winter, and we have some incredibly harsh, inhospitable weather.

Same.  I have a variety of traction devices for icy/snowy conditions.

[jrhampt]

Based on the tool JLee shared, I am also in the right place.  I could also live in a small portion of Oregon, but otherwise I belong in the northeast.

[joe189man]

This is a fun tool  -  https://www.movemap.io/explore/us

It basically puts me where I am (northeastern-ish US) or the PNW.

No Joke,

After narrowing things down i live in one of the 3 recommended counties, i guess we found our happy place

[gatortator]

This is a fun tool  -  https://www.movemap.io/explore/us

It basically puts me where I am (northeastern-ish US) or the PNW.

That was fun.  I can't check "no wildfires" or SB falls off the list.

Me too… my current county makes the list until I click no wildfires.  Still, this is a cool link, thanks JLee!

[jeninco]

This is a fun tool  -  https://www.movemap.io/explore/us

It basically puts me where I am (northeastern-ish US) or the PNW.

That was fun.  I can't check "no wildfires" or SB falls off the list.

Me too… my current county makes the list until I click no wildfires.  Still, this is a cool link, thanks JLee!

Me three! politics, sun, mountains, a reasonably educated populace and decent schools really seems to narrow it down!

[Villanelle]

As with so many others here, that tool (thanks for sharing, @JLee!) told me what I already suspected.  The coasts and a few scattered other areas were recommended.  If I started getting picky about natural (or semi-natural) disasters, then there was nothing, but that's largely because I think most of them are about equally awful so I wouldn't rule out just one.

[Cranky]

For icy and snowy city streets, studded tires are best, although some people swear by slick racing tires.

Totally depends on where you're riding.

Studded tires are great for ice.  Skinny tires with a slight tread pattern work great to punch through snow and slush though, and roll a hell of a lot faster than studs on clear roads.  Here in Toronto we tend to salt very early and the temperatures usually warm up enough that things melt down to tarmac most of the winter long.

Keeping your bike components functioning through the deluge of salt all winter is a whole other issue though.

That makes sense. DH is in Ottawa where there's a lot of ice even though we salt like crazy, it's often too cold for it to work.

He buys cheap used bikes that he doesn't mind sacrificing to the winter-riding gods. Although he extends their lives as much as possible through thorough cleaning.

So, in my fair city, the main streets are plowed and salted, but for water quality reasons residential streets are plowed but not salted, and after a few days they are a sheet of ice.

I value my bones, and I will not walk on that ice no matter what my footwear is. When I was 40 I would have done it (and I've trudged over a lot of ice and snow) but not now. It makes for a long winter.

[getsorted]

So, in my fair city, the main streets are plowed and salted, but for water quality reasons residential streets are plowed but not salted, and after a few days they are a sheet of ice.

I value my bones, and I will not walk on that ice no matter what my footwear is. When I was 40 I would have done it (and I've trudged over a lot of ice and snow) but not now. It makes for a long winter.

My city is the same. In some ways it's worse when you aren't far enough north to have snows that stay frozen.

Have you ever tried YakTrax? I rely on them for navigating ice sheets. But I am "only" 40 and can still risk it.

[GuitarStv]

So, in my fair city, the main streets are plowed and salted, but for water quality reasons residential streets are plowed but not salted, and after a few days they are a sheet of ice.

I value my bones, and I will not walk on that ice no matter what my footwear is. When I was 40 I would have done it (and I've trudged over a lot of ice and snow) but not now. It makes for a long winter.

My city is the same. In some ways it's worse when you aren't far enough north to have snows that stay frozen.

Have you ever tried YakTrax? I rely on them for navigating ice sheets. But I am "only" 40 and can still risk it.

It's actually less slippery to bike with studded winter bike tires than it is to walk.  Just don't put your feet down and you'll be OK.  :P

[Villanelle]

For icy and snowy city streets, studded tires are best, although some people swear by slick racing tires.

Totally depends on where you're riding.

Studded tires are great for ice.  Skinny tires with a slight tread pattern work great to punch through snow and slush though, and roll a hell of a lot faster than studs on clear roads.  Here in Toronto we tend to salt very early and the temperatures usually warm up enough that things melt down to tarmac most of the winter long.

Keeping your bike components functioning through the deluge of salt all winter is a whole other issue though.

That makes sense. DH is in Ottawa where there's a lot of ice even though we salt like crazy, it's often too cold for it to work.

He buys cheap used bikes that he doesn't mind sacrificing to the winter-riding gods. Although he extends their lives as much as possible through thorough cleaning.

So, in my fair city, the main streets are plowed and salted, but for water quality reasons residential streets are plowed but not salted, and after a few days they are a sheet of ice.

I value my bones, and I will not walk on that ice no matter what my footwear is. When I was 40 I would have done it (and I've trudged over a lot of ice and snow) but not now. It makes for a long winter.

This past winter was my first time owning dogs, and thus my first time having reason to venture out into the cold, snow, and wet.  I found it quite scary at night when we'd had a thaw (or light cold rain) during the day.  Some sidewalks were shoveled and salted, others just shoveled, and still others ignored entirely.  It felt quite treacherous.  Walking in the streets felt slightly less dangerous from a slip-and-fall perspective, but only slightly.  The blacktop hold the heat better.  I don't think the streets here are salted. 

This is partly why I just don't go out much in winter.

[GuitarStv]

For icy and snowy city streets, studded tires are best, although some people swear by slick racing tires.

Totally depends on where you're riding.

Studded tires are great for ice.  Skinny tires with a slight tread pattern work great to punch through snow and slush though, and roll a hell of a lot faster than studs on clear roads.  Here in Toronto we tend to salt very early and the temperatures usually warm up enough that things melt down to tarmac most of the winter long.

Keeping your bike components functioning through the deluge of salt all winter is a whole other issue though.

That makes sense. DH is in Ottawa where there's a lot of ice even though we salt like crazy, it's often too cold for it to work.

He buys cheap used bikes that he doesn't mind sacrificing to the winter-riding gods. Although he extends their lives as much as possible through thorough cleaning.

So, in my fair city, the main streets are plowed and salted, but for water quality reasons residential streets are plowed but not salted, and after a few days they are a sheet of ice.

I value my bones, and I will not walk on that ice no matter what my footwear is. When I was 40 I would have done it (and I've trudged over a lot of ice and snow) but not now. It makes for a long winter.

This past winter was my first time owning dogs, and thus my first time having reason to venture out into the cold, snow, and wet.  I found it quite scary at night when we'd had a thaw (or light cold rain) during the day.  Some sidewalks were shoveled and salted, others just shoveled, and still others ignored entirely.  It felt quite treacherous.  Walking in the streets felt slightly less dangerous from a slip-and-fall perspective, but only slightly.  The blacktop hold the heat better.  I don't think the streets here are salted. 

This is partly why I just don't go out much in winter.

That's so sad!  Winter is a lovely time to be outside.  As Sadie mentioned, there are a variety of different sorts of cleats available that you can try for getting better grip in winter:

[Sibley]

This is a fun tool  -  https://www.movemap.io/explore/us

It basically puts me where I am (northeastern-ish US) or the PNW.

I got halfway through the tool, just doing weather-related criteria, and I had eliminated 100% of the places on the map.

This is consistent with my lived experience, since I've spent the vast majority of my life living in San Diego and SF/Oakland and am often unhappy with the weather because it has failed to be perfect on a given day.

Perhaps if I could live anywhere in the US I should live in the place where the weather is the absolute shittiest (for me, that would be somewhere humid and very hot in summer and very cold in winter, with lots of mosquitoes whenever possible) to reset my internal thermometer. 

There are many many days where I sit in awe of the lovely weather I'm enjoying, but there are also more than a handful of days that I'm resentful of the cold in winter (or summer!) or either the undesirably overcast day or the undesirable heat in summer.  It's easy to say I should be able to just appreciate where I live with a change in attitude without having to actually move and live somewhere terrible, but my attempts to appreciate here more seems to have coincided with an increase in resentment at the "bad" days instead. 

I'm surprised others on this thread living in nice-weather areas seem to be able to continue their appreciation for it year after year.  Doesn't the hedonic treadmill apply for weather for all of you, too?

When I put criteria into that calculator that are the opposite of what I want, it's giving me lots of KS, MO and southern IA/IL, so I guess I have my marching orders.

Turns out, that when I live in a place with "perfect" weather, I end up depressed and unhappy. I may not like winter, but I do need it.

[iluvzbeach]

Like others have reported, the tool JLee provided nailed it for me. I live in Oregon and the tool returned two recommended counties for me, both in Oregon and one is the county in which I live. Crazy!

For what it’s worth, we moved here specifically after researching different places to live and this area checked most of our boxes. Glad to see that it still holds true.

[Watchmaker]

Within the next two years, I will be buying a place in Fairplay, CO, which is about 30 minutes south of Breckenridge.

I just passed through Fairplay last week. I've gone through the area regularly my entire life, but hadn't been in four years. I really noticed that the town was looking nicer this time (more interesting shops, buildings getting fixed up).

[sui generis]

This is a fun tool  -  https://www.movemap.io/explore/us

It basically puts me where I am (northeastern-ish US) or the PNW.

I got halfway through the tool, just doing weather-related criteria, and I had eliminated 100% of the places on the map.

This is consistent with my lived experience, since I've spent the vast majority of my life living in San Diego and SF/Oakland and am often unhappy with the weather because it has failed to be perfect on a given day.

Perhaps if I could live anywhere in the US I should live in the place where the weather is the absolute shittiest (for me, that would be somewhere humid and very hot in summer and very cold in winter, with lots of mosquitoes whenever possible) to reset my internal thermometer. 

There are many many days where I sit in awe of the lovely weather I'm enjoying, but there are also more than a handful of days that I'm resentful of the cold in winter (or summer!) or either the undesirably overcast day or the undesirable heat in summer.  It's easy to say I should be able to just appreciate where I live with a change in attitude without having to actually move and live somewhere terrible, but my attempts to appreciate here more seems to have coincided with an increase in resentment at the "bad" days instead. 

I'm surprised others on this thread living in nice-weather areas seem to be able to continue their appreciation for it year after year.  Doesn't the hedonic treadmill apply for weather for all of you, too?

When I put criteria into that calculator that are the opposite of what I want, it's giving me lots of KS, MO and southern IA/IL, so I guess I have my marching orders.

Turns out, that when I live in a place with "perfect" weather, I end up depressed and unhappy. I may not like winter, but I do need it.

And so, are you now in the "perfect for you" place?  And if so, do you maintain the same level of appreciation for it year after year?

It's funny - people are of course different, and there's no one right place for everyone (thank goodness!).  At the same time, preferences are obviously not spread out evenly among all geographies.  When I lived in San Diego, particularly in my post-college years, I made tons of other post-college friends that had move to SD from TX, VA, AL, ID - just about anywhere you could name, because they wanted to live in the "perfect" weather.  But then I'd lose all those friends when they decided to move back home, definitely often partly because they were nostalgic and/or missed family, but also a lot of "I miss having four seasons".  Whatever four seasons was for them (which obviously vary widely between, e.g., AL and ID).  It was kind of sad to make lots of good friends only to have them leave after 3-4 years, but I am grateful that not everyone really wants to live in the places that are considered perfect.  Still too many, but could be worse!

[Watchmaker]

Currently live in the Madison, WI area and love it.  Granted the winters can suck for a couple months, the area just has so much going for it.  Very bikeable city, and not too big, not too small.  Has an absurd number of high quality restaurants given its size and a massive farmer's market each Saturday.  The politics are wacky as its the state capital with a major research university in the city limits.  The area is seeing a booming tech sector recently as well.

Otherwise, the driftless area of SW Wisconsin/SE Minnesota is gorgeous and at the moment, have my sights set on towns within that region for a potential future move.  I also loved San Diego during my time there; though it is expensive.  In a perfect world, I'd have my winter/San Diego house and upper midwest house.

I was just looking at real estate in New Glarus and Mineral Point last weekend. I love SW WI.

I'm outing myself more than I have in the past here, but I live in Mineral Point.

[wenchsenior]

Currently live in the Madison, WI area and love it.  Granted the winters can suck for a couple months, the area just has so much going for it.  Very bikeable city, and not too big, not too small.  Has an absurd number of high quality restaurants given its size and a massive farmer's market each Saturday.  The politics are wacky as its the state capital with a major research university in the city limits.  The area is seeing a booming tech sector recently as well.

Otherwise, the driftless area of SW Wisconsin/SE Minnesota is gorgeous and at the moment, have my sights set on towns within that region for a potential future move.  I also loved San Diego during my time there; though it is expensive.  In a perfect world, I'd have my winter/San Diego house and upper midwest house.

I was just looking at real estate in New Glarus and Mineral Point last weekend. I love SW WI.

I'm outing myself more than I have in the past here, but I live in Mineral Point.

So, honestly,  how annoying are the tourists? :she asks having been a tourist multiple times there:  And also, do you go to Madison for medical care or is there something closer?

[wenchsenior]

Btw, anyone who is real estate hunting in SE MN/SW WI and wants a small town with that kind of old fashioned 'feel' should check out Buffalo MN. I haven't spent substantial time there in about 15 years, but it was sooooo charming back then.

[Villanelle]

For icy and snowy city streets, studded tires are best, although some people swear by slick racing tires.

Totally depends on where you're riding.

Studded tires are great for ice.  Skinny tires with a slight tread pattern work great to punch through snow and slush though, and roll a hell of a lot faster than studs on clear roads.  Here in Toronto we tend to salt very early and the temperatures usually warm up enough that things melt down to tarmac most of the winter long.

Keeping your bike components functioning through the deluge of salt all winter is a whole other issue though.

That makes sense. DH is in Ottawa where there's a lot of ice even though we salt like crazy, it's often too cold for it to work.

He buys cheap used bikes that he doesn't mind sacrificing to the winter-riding gods. Although he extends their lives as much as possible through thorough cleaning.

So, in my fair city, the main streets are plowed and salted, but for water quality reasons residential streets are plowed but not salted, and after a few days they are a sheet of ice.

I value my bones, and I will not walk on that ice no matter what my footwear is. When I was 40 I would have done it (and I've trudged over a lot of ice and snow) but not now. It makes for a long winter.

This past winter was my first time owning dogs, and thus my first time having reason to venture out into the cold, snow, and wet.  I found it quite scary at night when we'd had a thaw (or light cold rain) during the day.  Some sidewalks were shoveled and salted, others just shoveled, and still others ignored entirely.  It felt quite treacherous.  Walking in the streets felt slightly less dangerous from a slip-and-fall perspective, but only slightly.  The blacktop hold the heat better.  I don't think the streets here are salted. 

This is partly why I just don't go out much in winter.

That's so sad!  Winter is a lovely time to be outside.  As Sadie mentioned, there are a variety of different sorts of cleats available that you can try for getting better grip in winter:

Thanks.  We don't get severe winters here so the the unsafe days are limited, but maybe that also makes them more unsafe since we are somewhat ill-equipped to deal with them.  I was shocked when 2 inches of snow was enough to close some workplaces and schools.   But I think I need to invest in something like this since this winter I'll still want to walk the dogs every night we can.  (We adopted them in March, when winter was mostly over.)  Do you recommend or have experience with this specific product? Or a similar one? 

Last winter on the icy days I wore the winter boots that served me well when I lived in Germany, but while they are quite warm, they traction seems no better (or perhaps even less good) than regular sneakers. 

[GuitarStv]

For icy and snowy city streets, studded tires are best, although some people swear by slick racing tires.

Totally depends on where you're riding.

Studded tires are great for ice.  Skinny tires with a slight tread pattern work great to punch through snow and slush though, and roll a hell of a lot faster than studs on clear roads.  Here in Toronto we tend to salt very early and the temperatures usually warm up enough that things melt down to tarmac most of the winter long.

Keeping your bike components functioning through the deluge of salt all winter is a whole other issue though.

That makes sense. DH is in Ottawa where there's a lot of ice even though we salt like crazy, it's often too cold for it to work.

He buys cheap used bikes that he doesn't mind sacrificing to the winter-riding gods. Although he extends their lives as much as possible through thorough cleaning.

So, in my fair city, the main streets are plowed and salted, but for water quality reasons residential streets are plowed but not salted, and after a few days they are a sheet of ice.

I value my bones, and I will not walk on that ice no matter what my footwear is. When I was 40 I would have done it (and I've trudged over a lot of ice and snow) but not now. It makes for a long winter.

This past winter was my first time owning dogs, and thus my first time having reason to venture out into the cold, snow, and wet.  I found it quite scary at night when we'd had a thaw (or light cold rain) during the day.  Some sidewalks were shoveled and salted, others just shoveled, and still others ignored entirely.  It felt quite treacherous.  Walking in the streets felt slightly less dangerous from a slip-and-fall perspective, but only slightly.  The blacktop hold the heat better.  I don't think the streets here are salted. 

This is partly why I just don't go out much in winter.

That's so sad!  Winter is a lovely time to be outside.  As Sadie mentioned, there are a variety of different sorts of cleats available that you can try for getting better grip in winter:

Thanks.  We don't get severe winters here so the the unsafe days are limited, but maybe that also makes them more unsafe since we are somewhat ill-equipped to deal with them.  I was shocked when 2 inches of snow was enough to close some workplaces and schools.   But I think I need to invest in something like this since this winter I'll still want to walk the dogs every night we can.  (We adopted them in March, when winter was mostly over.)  Do you recommend or have experience with this specific product? Or a similar one? 

Last winter on the icy days I wore the winter boots that served me well when I lived in Germany, but while they are quite warm, they traction seems no better (or perhaps even less good) than regular sneakers.

Those specific ones I just grabbed for the photo - they look a lot like the Microspikes ones that a friend of mine who works as a courier uses on icy days.  I've also got some friends who run in the winter using Yaktrax on snow . . . not sure if they're as good on ice.

[Metalcat]

For icy and snowy city streets, studded tires are best, although some people swear by slick racing tires.

Totally depends on where you're riding.

Studded tires are great for ice.  Skinny tires with a slight tread pattern work great to punch through snow and slush though, and roll a hell of a lot faster than studs on clear roads.  Here in Toronto we tend to salt very early and the temperatures usually warm up enough that things melt down to tarmac most of the winter long.

Keeping your bike components functioning through the deluge of salt all winter is a whole other issue though.

That makes sense. DH is in Ottawa where there's a lot of ice even though we salt like crazy, it's often too cold for it to work.

He buys cheap used bikes that he doesn't mind sacrificing to the winter-riding gods. Although he extends their lives as much as possible through thorough cleaning.

So, in my fair city, the main streets are plowed and salted, but for water quality reasons residential streets are plowed but not salted, and after a few days they are a sheet of ice.

I value my bones, and I will not walk on that ice no matter what my footwear is. When I was 40 I would have done it (and I've trudged over a lot of ice and snow) but not now. It makes for a long winter.

Interesting. I can comfortably walk on sheer ice with studded footwear. DH runs on ice with Yak Traks.

And I have a genetic condition that makes it extremely easy for me to get injured, so I'm EXTREMELY cautious about falls, but I have no fear of falling on ice as long as I have proper studs. I prefer the boots that have them built in. They're the most secure.

It's my fear of falling that made me discover the most effective footwear for ice.

ETA, the ones GuitarStv posted are extreme. Yak Tracks are very popular, and even then, they're overkill for a lot of situations. Little studs are usually plenty to handle studs.

Just so a quick search online and you will see tons of options.

[sui generis]

For icy and snowy city streets, studded tires are best, although some people swear by slick racing tires.

Totally depends on where you're riding.

Studded tires are great for ice.  Skinny tires with a slight tread pattern work great to punch through snow and slush though, and roll a hell of a lot faster than studs on clear roads.  Here in Toronto we tend to salt very early and the temperatures usually warm up enough that things melt down to tarmac most of the winter long.

Keeping your bike components functioning through the deluge of salt all winter is a whole other issue though.

That makes sense. DH is in Ottawa where there's a lot of ice even though we salt like crazy, it's often too cold for it to work.

He buys cheap used bikes that he doesn't mind sacrificing to the winter-riding gods. Although he extends their lives as much as possible through thorough cleaning.

So, in my fair city, the main streets are plowed and salted, but for water quality reasons residential streets are plowed but not salted, and after a few days they are a sheet of ice.

I value my bones, and I will not walk on that ice no matter what my footwear is. When I was 40 I would have done it (and I've trudged over a lot of ice and snow) but not now. It makes for a long winter.

This past winter was my first time owning dogs, and thus my first time having reason to venture out into the cold, snow, and wet.  I found it quite scary at night when we'd had a thaw (or light cold rain) during the day.  Some sidewalks were shoveled and salted, others just shoveled, and still others ignored entirely.  It felt quite treacherous.  Walking in the streets felt slightly less dangerous from a slip-and-fall perspective, but only slightly.  The blacktop hold the heat better.  I don't think the streets here are salted. 

This is partly why I just don't go out much in winter.

That's so sad!  Winter is a lovely time to be outside.  As Sadie mentioned, there are a variety of different sorts of cleats available that you can try for getting better grip in winter:

Thanks.  We don't get severe winters here so the the unsafe days are limited, but maybe that also makes them more unsafe since we are somewhat ill-equipped to deal with them.  I was shocked when 2 inches of snow was enough to close some workplaces and schools.   But I think I need to invest in something like this since this winter I'll still want to walk the dogs every night we can.  (We adopted them in March, when winter was mostly over.)  Do you recommend or have experience with this specific product? Or a similar one? 

Last winter on the icy days I wore the winter boots that served me well when I lived in Germany, but while they are quite warm, they traction seems no better (or perhaps even less good) than regular sneakers.

I wore exactly those while backpacking on a glacier for a couple of days and can confirm I did not fall at all.  I switched off with my husband, who is not as clumsy as I am, because I did fall wearing these kind: https://www.amazon.com/STABILicers-Traction-Cleat-Tread-Black/dp/B000GUCDDG/ref=asc_df_B000GUCDDG/.  Not sure if those might still be sufficient for your purposes - they felt ok when flat, but I didn't feel very stable or confident on an incline.

[Kris]

I walk every day year round, and live in Minnesota. I bought these toward the end of the season last year, and they worked super well. Better than the Yaktrax and Icetrax I have used in the past, for sure.

https://www.amazon.com/ICETRAX-Winter-Grips-Shoes-Boots/dp/B07ZJPXRG8

[lifeisshort123]

There are some towns in NH that vote at midnight on the night of the New Hampshire primaries.  That would be a very cool place to live I think.

[Villanelle]

I walk every day year round, and live in Minnesota. I bought these toward the end of the season last year, and they worked super well. Better than the Yaktrax and Icetrax I have used in the past, for sure.

https://www.amazon.com/ICETRAX-Winter-Grips-Shoes-Boots/dp/B07ZJPXRG8

Thanks!  I love a specific recommendation as there are so many options!

[Kris]

I walk every day year round, and live in Minnesota. I bought these toward the end of the season last year, and they worked super well. Better than the Yaktrax and Icetrax I have used in the past, for sure.

https://www.amazon.com/ICETRAX-Winter-Grips-Shoes-Boots/dp/B07ZJPXRG8

Thanks!  I love a specific recommendation as there are so many options!

You’re welcome! That’s why I commented. I’ve gone through a few types, and have also struggled to find good ones among all the options.

[SuperNintendo Chalmers]

It sounds funny to say, but no amount of money or freedom from any obligations would convince me to live anywhere else other than where I am now (CO, between Denver and Boulder).  Some reasons why I love it:

1. Lots o sun
2. See # 1 above
3. Beautiful, quiet trails within walking, running, or biking distance
4. Great community - for me the right mix of respecting differences and privacy while being genuinely friendly and rallying together/providing support to others in times of need
5. Four seasons, with winter being entirely manageable because we get nice fluffy snow that melts quickly
6. Easy access to major city (Denver) and small city (Boulder) whenever desired
7. Blue, but not hyper partisan or progressive
8. Low humidity means no mosquitos or mold, both of which I had to deal with in past places I've lived

No place is perfect though, and we definitely have drawbacks:

1. Biggest is lack of water (scenery can be brownish, no big bodies of water for swimming, and may portend arid post-apocalyptic warzone in near future)
2. We may officially be HCOL now
3. Sometimes a little humidity is nice, esp. in the winter, when if you're not careful your hands will crack wide open from dryness

Now if the question is where would I want to have a money-is-no-object place as a second home, then that would be somewhere in the LA/OC/Carlsbad area.  Love SoCal too. 




 

[Watchmaker]

So, honestly,  how annoying are the tourists? :she asks having been a tourist multiple times there:  And also, do you go to Madison for medical care or is there something closer?

I honestly don't mind the tourists at all. We don't get so many that it's disruptive, and they help us have more good local businesses.

For healthcare, we have two really good small clinics in town and a solid regional hospital seven miles away in Dodgeville. People do go in to the Madison hospitals for more complicated/specialized stuff.

[Laserjet3051]

Incline Village, NV.

All the benefits of Lake Tahoe living without the scourge of CA's politics/taxation.

[JupiterGreen]

I walk every day year round, and live in Minnesota. I bought these toward the end of the season last year, and they worked super well. Better than the Yaktrax and Icetrax I have used in the past, for sure.

https://www.amazon.com/ICETRAX-Winter-Grips-Shoes-Boots/dp/B07ZJPXRG8

Thanks!  I love a specific recommendation as there are so many options!

Me too, thank you for the recommendation! I don't need them now, but I have favorited them since we plan on moving to a colder climate.

[MMMarbleheader]

I live in what is called the upper valley which is a swath of
Towns by the CT River in Vermont and Nh. Hanover NH (Dartmouth college) is the hub of the area. We love it here and will probably never move after FIRE. It’s a cool mix of Rural with interesting things to do in the larger towns. Plus it’s optimal day trip location as you can get to the ocean and Boston in 2 hours. The economy is surprisingly strong because Dartmouth alumna LOVE Dartmouth and move back with their companies and patents just to be near Dartmouth? It helps as a fallback for part time work and also a possibility the kids will have employment opportunities should they choose to stay as adults.

Other places we like but are more isolated:

Peacham, VT
Craftsbury, VT
Blue hill, ME
Brooklin, ME
Brooksville, ME
Camden, ME
Rockport,ME

If we had all the $$$$ and didn’t have to worry about anything

Little Compton, RI
Wellfleet, MA
Truro, MA
Ipswich, MA