Which City Should I Move To?

[RevMatt]

Here's the scoop. I have been on disability for the past four years. Living in NJ on a fixed income is a pain in the ass. The rental costs are astronomical. Economically, I've been stretched out to the max. I need to get someplace reasonable.

Well, my oldest graduated high school yesterday. I spoke w/ my ex and we both agreed it is time for me to get someplace cheaper. Here is my shortlist.

1) Lexington, KY -- plus side of the ledger -- very reasonable rents, I have a girlfriend who lives in the area, the bluegrass region is very beautiful.
Minus side of the ledger -- a much smaller population of musician/artist/theater types than other cities with a state university, at least what I could see walking in the neighborhoods surrounding UK, my girlfriend may not want to bring the relationship to the level where I'm around most of the time instead of visiting every month, the winters are just as cold as they are in New Jersey.

2) Austin, Texas -- Plus side of the ledger -- reasonable, great music/arts scene, university, Minus side of the ledger -- I've never been to Austin, don't know anybody in Austin, Texas is hot as hell in the summer and it is a two to three day drive if I have to make it to NJ or NC for a family emergency

3) North Carolina -- Plus side of the ledger -- several cities with universities and a great music/arts scene, parents live in North Carolina, warmer winters, only a single day drive if I have to get to NJ for an emergency
Minus Side of the ledger -- rents are less than NJ but higher than other places I've looked at.

4) Nashville, TN -- Plus side of the ledger -- Vanderbilt University, great music and arts scene, around a three hour drive to my gf's which means she doesn't have to have me around all of the time but we can see each other more often
Minus side of the ledger -- I don't know a single person, longer drive to NJ or NC in the case of a family emergency

5) Athens, GA -- Plus side of the ledger -- reasonable rents, great music and arts scene, university, I already know some people, warmer winters, I could have people stay at my place for DBT homecoming and other shows
Minus side of the ledger -- Nine hour drive from my parents and fifteen from my kids, very hot summers

Any other suggestions?

[psychobillycadillac]

I'm from Georgia so I'm biased but I'd put a big vote in for Athens, the art/music community is by far the best of the three east coast options you listed. The summers here while more humid aren't any hotter than what you'll find in New Jersey, with the exception of a few weeks in late august/ early september where the needle will tip triple digits. Trust me it's worth dealing with when you can count the ammount of snow days in hours and not weeks. Mix in that Athens is absolutely beautiful in both Spring and Fall and you've got a winner in my book. Plus you'll never have to book another hotel room for Homecoming ever again.

[ramonz]

I'm not sure you could go too wrong with any of those options.

[Cole Younger]

I too am a Georgian and am very biased but I say Athens. No place like it anywhere.

[Gang Green]

Rev, I know Central PA around Harrisburg is not as sexy your previous choices. Hell, I'm dying to get to Athens GA or Austin TX. But, the area is on the less expensive side and might be good if you're disability, you have a little bit of the Arts between Harrisburg and York. You have the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra conducted my Stuart Malina (his brother is a fairly well known actor from the show West Wing). And there is a thriving arts community in York, PA along with the York Strand Capital which gets good shows.

Since I've lived here, I've seen Hot Tuna, Steve Earle twice, Deer Tick 4 times, Jason Isbell 4 times, Joe Fletcher 3 times, Hayes Carll twice the Drive-by Truckers once among several others (actually I saw Bob Dylan at Messiah College). You're an hour and half from Baltimore, 2 hours from Philly and Washington, and about 3 hours from Monmouth NJ. You know the area a little as you went to Susquehanna for a bit. If you want to go to a Trucker show you can ride with us and the Central Pa DBT posse. If you want to check the area out, you can come stay with us, and I'll show you around.

[RevMatt]

I've considered western and central PA before. I had a girlfriend in PA for a while. The problem is cold winters and rainy springs. With my health problems that weather keeps me stuck indoors.

[Flea]

Asheville, NC. Trust me on this one.

[bovine knievel]

Chico, CA

[Smitty]

Nashville, Asheville or Athens. If I can move to any city that I've been to, it would be Baton Rouge.

[Cole Younger]

Nashville, Asheville or Athens. If I can move to any city that I've been to, it would be Baton Rouge.

Oh Lord. Been to a football game there. Only place I've ever been that was hotter and stickier than south GA in September.

[Tequila Cowboy]

I know all your areas pretty well. Lexington is ok but not special in comparison. Nashville is a great city with a resurgent indie music scene but when you compare it with the next three I'd say no. Ashville, NC is paradise and the only reason we don't live therebis there arent many jobs but that's not your issue so it's a strong contender. Austin, TX is a musician's haven and pretty damn good if you're a foodie. You can't go wrong there but it's far from everything. Athens, well you know what it has going for it. We'll end up there eventually. I think you need to choose between Asheville and Athens.

[beantownbubba]

One other suggestion: I've never looked at new orleans w/ your financial criteria in mind but i have to guess it's still underpriced everywhere but the Quarter and maybe the Garden District. Obviously a great city for music and food; other cultural options are underrated as well. Good people. I assume Ann Arbor is eliminated by weather and probably by real estate prices, but as far as university towns go, it's a great one.

You haven't mentioned whether access to medical care is an issue. If so I'd spend a lot of time looking at your various options as far as health plans and available healthcare (including ease of access and presence of necessary specialties) are concerned before pulling the trigger.

Haven't been to Austin but have heard nothing but great things about it. Haven't been to Nashville and haven't heard such great things about it. Several desirable places in NC. I'd throw research triangle into the mix though i guess prices are a lot higher than they were when i last visited. Athens is Athens (that's meant as a very positive statement). My outsider's perspective is that Lexington comes down to the g/f: If it makes sense to be close to her then sure; otherwise you can do better (location-wise, not as a comment on the g/f).

[RevMatt]

You haven't mentioned whether access to medical care is an issue. If so I'd spend a lot of time looking at your various options as far as health plans and available healthcare (including ease of access and presence of necessary specialties) are concerned before pulling the trigger.

Haven't been to Austin but have heard nothing but great things about it. Haven't been to Nashville and haven't heard such great things about it. Several desirable places in NC. I'd throw research triangle into the mix though i guess prices are a lot higher than they were when i last visited. Athens is Athens (that's meant as a very positive statement). My outsider's perspective is that Lexington comes down to the g/f: If it makes sense to be close to her then sure; otherwise you can do better (location-wise, not as a comment on the g/f).

The Myeloma Department at Emory is world reknown, so in that department Athens would be better than Asheville. UK hospital in Lexington is also good. The case for Asheville is a shorter drive to both NJ and the Carolina coast in the event of a family emergency. Asheville is also a shorter drive to the gf so it would be a good choice if we wanted to see each other every weekend instead of every day. When it comes to bf's she could probably do better.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Ok, you need to go visit Asheville stat. Oh if you're a meat eater it has one of the best butcher shops I've ever seen btw.

[Clams]

Kinda surprised Philly isn't on your list.

[ScottyC]

I have spent considerable time in each place that you listed and can give a few useless points but need to know something first. How big of a city do you want to live in? Austin TX is 5X bigger than Athens and Lexington and therefore 5X the headaches and 5X the great things about big cities.

I have to disagree on Asheville NC. To me Asheville is great for a weekend, actually it is amazingly awesome for a long weeked, but the idea of living there drives me nuts. I grew up about 40 minutes from there and it is a great arts city for the size and is absolutely beautiful, but how comfortable do you feel in the lot of a Phish concert? Additionally what TC said, there are no jobs unless you are in real estate or travel, which continues the spiral of the town feeling like an transitional place for people whose parents paid for school and now they don't know where to go.

The only positive about Lexington compared to the others is that your lady friend is there, that place is terribly lacking comparatively.

You know what you are getting with Athens, it is awesome but is smaller.

I love Nashville and Austin. The similarities between these places goes beyond the music thing. Obviously that is a huge part of each city, but they also are cities on the move up, the people there are pretty well educated and they are big enough to have each small subset of the population where you can find the group that you feel comfortable. Nashville is an easy drive to a number of places, while Austin is an easy drive to San Antonio, Houston and Dallas and that is IT.

I live in NC, so I like it but there are problems here too. I live in RDU and to me it is very spread out and for as many people that are here it still seems like a touwn and not a city.

Good luck and congrats on the graduating son!! Wherever you live is what you make if it.

Cheers

[dogstar]

Hell I don't know anything about US cities. Birmingham in the UK' quite nice

Made me think of this

[brstigerfan]

Wow, those are five great places and I don't think you can go wrong.
I'll agree with everyone else who has said Asheville should be your choice.

[Slipkid42]

I've been to Asheville, Nashville, Lexington & Athens. Passed through Austin in the 70's. Lexington has Keeneland which would be a plus for me. Nashville & Austin are both nice. It would be between Asheville & Athens for me. Asheville can get pretty cold in the winter, but that might be more like the climate you are used to. Athens seems pretty ideal to me. Athens it is.

bubba, not that this pertains to the Rev's situation; but If I lived in New Orleans, I wouldn't live long. Go-cups & never closing bars would be my undoing.

[Tequila Cowboy]

bubba, not that this pertains to the Rev's situation; but If I lived in New Orleans, I wouldn't live long. Go-cups & never closing bars would be my undoing.

I'd be ok with the liquor but the food would do me in if we lived in NOLA. I'd weigh 600 lbs.

On a side note Rev if you don't mind the north Madison WI is one of my favorite cities as well. Great music scene, great food, good people but, of course, it is in Wisconsin.

[Duke Silver]

bubba, not that this pertains to the Rev's situation; but If I lived in New Orleans, I wouldn't live long. Go-cups & never closing bars would be my undoing.

I'd be ok with the liquor but the food would do me in if we lived in NOLA. I'd weigh 600 lbs.

On a side note Rev if you don't mind the north Madison WI is one of my favorite cities as well. Great music scene, great food, good people and, of course, it is in Wisconsin.

fixed that for you

[Iowan]

On the Madison tip, Minneapolis would be a pretty good suggestion. Except for the winters.

[Cole Younger]

Good run down Scotty. You nailed it with Ashville. Nice place. Nice folks. But I would not want to live there for the reasons that you mentioned. It definitely feels like people there are on their way somewhere else.

Rev keep us posted and let us know where decide on.

[Lone Wolf1]

Asheville is a nice place to visit for a few days but i would never live there. great music scene or not. go with Athens. my 2 goddamn cents

[Clams]

Phila, PA.

[Flea]

Ok, you need to go visit Asheville stat. Oh if you're a meat eater it has one of the best butcher shops I've ever seen btw.

And 12 Bones bbq is off-the-hook good.

[Zip City]

Sounds like you need to prioritize what's most important to you. Doesn't sound like good weather AND proximity to NJ is going to happen

[RevMatt]

Sounds like you need to prioritize what's most important to you. Doesn't sound like good weather AND proximity to NJ is going to happen

It doesn't have to be too close to NJ. Just a single days drive.

[Van]

Phila,Pa area, cost of living is a lot less than NYC area. Also, lots of great music come thru the Philly area. Still close to NYC.

[oilpiers]

Of what you listed I think Nashville would be your wisest choice. Good size, big but not too big. You are literally a days drive, albeit sometimes a long days drive, to almost half of the continental US. The honky tonks downtown are pretty cool, live music all day up and down the block. NFL.