I’m in Los Angeles rigth now, but my next stop is Salt Lake City. I want to spend some serious time in the mountains, but still see some of my favorite bands.

My husband and I along with our two small kids recently made a big move from Michigan to Missouri. It was a ‘starting over’ move and totally overwhelming, but just meant to be! We love it here in the sticks about an hour from St. Louis!
Before we had our sweet kids we struggled with infertility and in the midst of that my husband was considering pursuing a job in the U.K. It would have been a commitment of 1-3 years. I was 25 and totally freaked at the thought of leaving everything we knew and my close group of friends in a really emotional time. So we stayed where we were and didn’t get pregnant for about 3 more years…and in the meantime 4 of my close friends had babies. It was incredibly difficult and if I could go back in time I’d tell myself to try something new. I think that would have been a great opportunity for my husband and an exciting time for us to travel (something we NEVER do…)!
BTW I took the Time quiz I got Oklahoma! Clearly I’m in the right region now LOL!

I might be biased being born and raised in good ol’ North Carolina. But the things you listed as what you were looking for a city are all some of the things I love about where we live. Not to mention close to both mountains and beach, good lakes for boating, swimming, etc. I could go on and on but it’s time for me to take my daughter to school ????

Hi Julia,
As a native New Yorker, we moved away from the NY crazy and spent nearly 28 years in Winston Salem, NC. After raising our kids there through college, we decided to come back to NY to be closer to family and my kids (who decided there wasn’t any other place to be after college). What I can tell you about North Carolina is that it has so much to offer, from the beautiful beaches of the coast, the majestic Blue Ridge mountains to the west, vibrant cities, restaurants, entertainment and people from every corner of the world, and it was the best place to raise my family. Winston Salem was small and quiet when we moved there in 1990…coming from a job in Manhattan, it was a bit of a culture shock. But there was something about the weather (seasonal, but nothing drastically warm or cold) and the people that made us stay. Winston is home to NC School of the Arts and Wake Forest University which brings young, smart, talented kids. Luckily, with a lot of community involvement, historic attractions (Old Salem, Reynolda House Museum, Graylyn Estate), we watched the downtown area grow and become a fantastic place to see and be seen. The WS Symphony, Opera, Ballet, Wake Forest Innovation Center, countless art galleries, breweries, restaurants, etc. have made this city a place where young people are coming to live and work. Old factory buildings have been turned into modern lofts for living and for retail space. Older homes and buildings are being scooped up and renovated for affordable living. Life has been brought back to this city and it makes me sad that I left! For nearly 28 years I had called New York my home while living in Winston. Now that I’m back in New York, I realize that Winston really was my home and I never gave it enough credit for that. I realize home is where your heart is, and we should embrace home, wherever that may be. If you truly consider North Carolina, Raleigh and Charlotte are great cities, but make a point to go see Winston Salem. You won’t be sorry, especially in springtime or fall, when her true colors really shine. Let me know if you do. I’d be happy to fly down from New York and give you a tour. You’d like my friends!

Raleigh was just named third best place to live in the world!!! Maybe Zillow didn’t find anything now, but I wouldn’t stop looking!!

We live in Chapel Hill, NC and love it! I grew up in the Boston area but have lived in NC (including Raleigh) for 18 years when I came down for grad school! If you ever come this way and want to check things out, let me know. We would love to show you around!

Minnesota is home to me, 4 seasons, but we do everything big! Hot summers, cold winters, dramatic falls and springs. We have cabin country in our back yard. Our cabin is in Wisconsin. We have ton of access to local and fresh food, great night life. Traffic in the city can get over whelming but we are north of the cities. So it doesn’t effect us as much. But where you are reminds me of my home state. We dream of relocating. But we are spoiled. I want winter, I want fall, and a hot summer, and a cool spring breeze. I feel like this will always be home. Good Luck on the next Chapter, where ever it leads you!

I will admit that I am biased because I was born here, grew up here and have lived here for 25 years. But I find it difficult to see myself ever leaving North Carolina. I love to travel and fall in love with other states/cities, but nothing ever compares to here. You’re within a few hour drive of the mountains or the beach. The schools are excellent. Housing is still relatively affordable. There are lots of employment opportunities. The major universities are some of the best in the country. You get four seasons! Yes, the politics aren’t the best at the moment, but I definitely see the state changing, albeit slowly. Definitely worth a serious consideration/visit. I live in Cary, kind of sandwiched between Raleigh and Durham, I would look into it. Chapel Hill is also amazing. I recently moved from the Southern Village neighborhood and miss it so much. The neighborhood had its own co-op market, movie theatre, restaurants, pharmacy, doctors offices, schools, and parks.

We had almost the same list. We live in Tulsa, OK and absolutely love it. We live on an acre of land in the middle of midtown Tulsa. Near the best restaurants, the gathering place and downtown. We have 30+ trees on our property which feels like a park and I renovated our 1949 house inside and out. There’s even a small stable in our backyard. The fixer uppers are affordable. A lot of midcentury home and character homes. We paid 225k put 125k into our home and now it’s worth 450k after 6 years. It takes about 15-25 min to get further across town During rush hour. The music and downtown is booming. They are calling Tulsa the next Austin or Nashville. Lots of organic and year round farmers markets. Lots of farm to table places to eat too. Schools are affordable if you choose private and public schools in Tulsa are chartered, magnet so you can pick and choose. Ranked some of the best in the country. The cost of living here is amazing. We make six figures and will have our home paid for in less than 10 years. Lots of shared office space all over town. Tulsa loves local business owners and promotes them. The weather here is the best. Our winters are mild and short. We may get one good snow 2-5” but that’s it. The spring and fall thunderstorms and tornadoes tend to skip or go around Tulsa. They are normally bad in OKC but die down before getting here. It was 70 yesterday and 54 today. You get nice breaks from the hot and from the cold. We love Tulsa and couldn’t promote her more. She’s a melting pot of artists, foodies, hipsters, musicians, farmers, renovation gurus, Art Deco buildings, history and families of all colors and cultural backgrounds.

Happy hunting Chris and Julia :)

You should consider Northern Idaho! Coeur d’ Alene/Hayden or Sandpoint more specifically! It’s beautiful up here and we have everything on your list! The seasons are amazing, especially the summers! So much fun stuff to do outdoors, and it’s very affordable living!

Charlotte, NC (currently live), meets all of your criteria :) also Charleston, SC.
Moved from Stockholm, Sweden to LA to NYC to Charlotte, NC.

We’re in the country just a little north of Columbus Ohio and what you described fits mostly here, minus the good food, we’d have to drive into downtown Columbus for that. We love the country views and pleasantness of Ohio but every winter we dream of the mountains. I’d take more snow, preferably all winter, and we love skiing. The emptiness of Montana with its proximity to the national parks has my heart.

I live in Durham NC and I LOVE it! There is a lot happening in Durham, lots of growth and excitement. Many are calling it the next Austin. There is a lot of diversity, a lot of really great restaurants (the food scene is booming!). The weather is great most of the time – we get a little snow, we get a little rain. Living in this area is convenient for trips to the beach or to the mountains. We have the Eno River which is fun to walk along. We have Duke University, UNC, and NCSU all right here. It’s fun!

As a gal who will be moving back to NC for the 3rd time this Spring, I can tell you it is an amazing place to live. Neither my husband or I are from NC, and work has moved us away 2x, we keep feeling drawn back to the state because of all it offers recreationally and true home feel it provides. Wether it is the RDU area, Charlotte, Asheville or Greensboro/Winston Salem, you will find amazing food, community events, and great weather year round. I highly recommend the state!

Look at Portland, Maine! Great small city with an amazing restaurant scene, reasonably priced housing, and good public and private schools. We have great access to all of the outdoor experiences Maine has to offer; hiking, skiing, biking, boating, etc. It’s safe and friendly, and we have both a Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s! Good airport and less than 2 hours from Boston. Maine has great colleges, art museums, and galleries. Portland also has a great ballet company and a symphony. Check us out!

We love Kansas City! We moved here from Eastern Oregon 4+ years ago and can’t imagine moving back. We have big city amenities, but it has a small town feel. We can get to the other side of the city in 45 minutes. There are lots of friendly people, a great food scene, lots of trees (big draw for me after growing up in high desert), miles and miles of paved trails and great architecture! We have a wonderful art museum. I think you’d like Leawood, KS which is a suburb of Kansas City.

We’ve lived in Raleigh since 1995 —moved from South Florida so our daughter could grow up in a more sane place, plus my fam is in South Carolina — and we love it. Great arts/culture/sports/knowledge economy scene plus nice people. If you find yourselves wanting to know more, please get in touch. It’s a lovely, humane place to be. That said, there’s a lot to love in blooming where you are planted right this minute.

When I read your wishlist for a city to live in, I immediately thought that it sounds exactly like where you are now….Why not take a few weeks and treat your hometown like you are a tourist ? Sometimes we take our homes (towns) for granted and grow bored with them. Treat it like you are a visitor for a few weeks, and you may just find that you are already “home”…..

My family and I have lived in Raleigh for the past 14 years, and we LOVE it!! If you have any questions or would like to pick my brain for down the road, would love to chat more! ????

My husband, son and I moved to Denver from Philadelphia about 5 years ago. It’s been wonderful, but I really miss our families and closest friends. My mom passed away from cancer two years ago, and I’m sad that she didn’t get more time with her grandson. Moving can be wonderful and exciting, but there are downsides.

I’m glad you’re staying put. I think it’s always wise to just “be” for a bit after something major happens. Our initial instinct is just get up and go, as if that’ll make everything alright. Like if you change your scenery, you’ll change what happened or how you feel. You have a beautiful home with a great support system, so soak that up. Let it heal you. Let it change you in whatever way you’re supposed to change and when the time is right (if it ever is) you’ll know it’s not because of this traumatic event, it’s because that’s where you’re meant to be. You’ve got this! I just know it:)

For the record, I’m from Raleigh, NC so I can promise you it’s amazing as you imagine!!! :) Hope you don’t have bad allergies though because pollen season is something fierce and it’s almost upon us!!

I was going to suggest Asheville, North Carolina. The Raleigh/Durham area is nice too! It’s giving me a little food for thought. I love Metro Atlanta but sometimes I long for a smaller town and slower pace of life. Less traffic would be ideal!

Ahhhh!!! I was one to suggest North Carolina!!! I hope you find happiness and peace with your future dreams ????????

So fun to dream. We live in North Dakota. I know, I know, the state EVERYONE wants to move to ;) I actually love it since it’s an easy drive or layover in Minneapolis-St.Paul. Not much traffic, incredibly affordable, a crazy amount of local artists, and the beer and food scene is really growing and super close to the lakes. All that makes up for the awfully long winter. I would love to live closer to the mountains or the ocean but we love being close to family with little kids. Maybe when they’re older!

The TIME personality quiz says I belong in FL but I totally want to get out of here to more of a mountain scene! Totally LOLed since I already live here ????

NC, definitely, but look in the mountains! Asheville has all the things you are looking for and is beautiful.

Do you follow @cheapoldhouses on instagram? Their posts always get me contemplating moves to the most random places.

I think Minnesota is probably the best state to live in right now.

“Now Minnesota has the largest Somali [mostly Muslim] community in the United States, with Census numbers putting the population around 40,000.

“It’s the biggest Somali community in North America, possibly in the world outside of East Africa,” Arthur Nazaryan, a freelance photojournalist told CNN. “It’s like the cultural hub of the Somali diaspora, you could say.”

I think cultural diversity should be the number one choice in deciding where to live. I love wearing a burka now and have never looked back!

As I was reading, I kept thinking NC. I’d recommend looking at the Charlotte area, as well as Asheville and Chapel Hill. We’re in The Greensboro area and love it…three hours to the beach, three hours to the mountains.

I responded to your quiz with mid NC, I live in Greensboro and travel throughout the state all the time. Blah for looking for a house in Raleigh! Traffic!!!!! And so cramped feeling, or sad poor flooded and empty further east. The more west you go the better! Visit the capital and beach, don’t live there.

Buuut we spent a week in northern Idaho last summer—I don’t fault your choice for staying, it was beautiful!!

But seriously, IMO don’t move to NC east of Chapel Hill.

Currently anywhere warm as this is the worst winter I’ve seen in MN… to feel the sun + warmth on my face… *sigh*

The West Suburbs of Chicago fit all your requirements!! Every single one of ’em. Specifically Glen Ellyn is a great choice and still has a lot of houses with outstanding architecture on hilly wooded land, that need to be updated. All steps away from the absolute best food and just a quick jog to Chicago or Ohare. Several neighboring towns just made the top few cities in america to live and/or raise a family.

Asheville, NC. It is my dream place to live. Right on the Blue Ridge Parkway, amazing food, very organic, amazing downtown with a very creative spirit, etc. You should definitely look into it as an option!

I could never leave Idaho. there’s no where I could possibly love as much. I’m so glad to hear you’re staying. Also I think my cousin is a cabin neighbor of yours. The Mengs? Anyway, what a fun exercise to dream. And I agree about ‘pretending’ to make decisions. I do that with real decisions I’m struggling with in my life all the time. Somehow trying the options on helps make the right one seem more clear.

I said it on your IG quiz and after seeing your list, you would probably love Northern California! Specifically the Roseville area, but even more specifically the Granite Bay/Loomis/Penryn area. We can check off pretty much every thing on your list! We wouldn’t have the most interesting architecture there, mostly ranch style homes, but Sacramento (only 30 minutes away) has some beautiful architecture. Our biggest downfall is prices of homes. But it’s a beautiful and fun area to live! Two hours from beach/San Francisco and two hours from Tahoe/mountains/snow. Beautifully green in the winter and spring, with lots of trees (the Oak trees here can be amazing), Schools here are generally pretty great. Oh and it’s California, so we have amazing produce and lots of restaurants that accommodate special diets. The LDS population here is wonderful and your kids would go to school with a group of LDS kids, but not tons—pretty diverse! I moved here 6 years ago and I’m constantly trying to get friends and family to move out here ha ha. I hope to never leave!

I totally thought this post was going to end with we put an offer on a house in X! I’m glad you’re staying put (at least for now). This has got to be such a complex and challenging time, and handling it publicly can’t be easy…but you’re doing great! Still love to follow along on your journey!

We live about 30 miles from the Idaho border. This is my 23 house I have lived in. My dad built the missles growing up so we moved A LOT! This is my 6 house with my husband. We moved every 2 years. Until now! I looooove it here. I wouldn’t live anywhere else. It’s a lot like where you live. NO traffic. Healthy options. 30 minutes to a big city. The nicest people I’ve ever met. We have a little bit of land. A corn field across the street from us. I really do love it here. We have a beautiful view of the wasarch mountains out my back door. I could do without a little less cold, but I feel it’s worth it for all the good we have here. It’s home for me. I’ve lived in MT, CA, SD 2x, ND, UT 3x ????

Come on to North Cak, Marcums! I’ve been in NC since 1995 (Fayetteville for five years, then Greenville since 2000) and I LOVE where I live. There are SO MANY great places to settle- check out Durham, the Clayton/Garner/Fuquay/Apex suburbs. Wake Forest and Winston-Salem are fantastic. Southern Pines/Aberdeen is charming. Charlotte is AMAZING and metropolitan. We live in ENC and love our small city, but would leave in a second for an opportunity in Wilmington (we are Kure Beach people). There is nowhere in NC that is not convenient to hub airports (both RDU and CLT are huge international airports). We have the beaches and the mountains, mild winters, balmy summers.

Seriously, keep digging into that research! Let me know if I can help you find anything- as I said, I’ve been here a loooong time and am networked via college friends and my moms group. If there’s a place you like, I am sure I have somebody you could ask more questions of.

Charlotte, NC has stolen my heart. And if ANYTHING, we are worth a visit – if not a full on move!!

Love this! I would stay right where I’m at too. Shortly after getting married, my husband and I moved across the country for 3 years, then moved to South Carolina for a year before coming “home”. Which is exactly how it felt after living away for 4 years.
I love your list! Looks exactly like mine except for me, the main thing is the people- our community. There’s SO MANY beautiful places you could live that are all unique. But once you find yourself a community where you just “fit” it’s really hard to leave those relationships… no matter the down sides of the location. (For us it’s the hot summers!)

I couldn’t agree more, Home is Home. I get the luxury of traveling with my husband for some of his business trips. We have so much fun exploring and trying new restaurants and enjoying new scenery. We always ask “could we live here?”. But home is always home. I love that traveling gives me the gift of seeing other parts of the country. But I love it even more for the gift to be grateful for where we are. ❤️????

Your description is my home, Frederick, MD. It’s gorgeous, close to several cities and airports, lots of countryside still just a short drive north, some awesome school districts (some bad too) and amazing local produce and goods. I’m a flower farmer and there are 8 more within 30 minutes if me. I would say the only downside is cost of living. We have that gov’t bubble keeping wages and land prices high. But just north, prices do drop. And we have four seasons but mostly warm!

My husband and I moved from Virginia to Providence, Rhode Island! We were drawn to charming New England and just loved the landscapes (ocean and mountains!), history, weather, architecture, and culture. We wanted city amenities without major traffic, so we weren’t interested in Boston or NYC, although we wanted to be nearby. We visited Providence, New Haven (CT), and Portland (ME), and all were beautiful! Ultimately we settled on Providence- it’s such a charming, intriguing, foodie, artsy, quirky city with a small town feel! It’s centrally located to everything New England has to offer, is near the beach, gets all four beautiful seasons! We’re right near the dreamiest coastal New England seaside towns and only a couple of hours from the snowiest mountains. We’ve loved every bit of our move to this fun little city!

I really do love where I live, in eastern PA. I’m in a smallish town, in a scenic county with everything from farms, to lakes, to adorable quaint towns, to a river. It’s less than an hour to Philly, and less than 3 to NYC. The beach is also less than 3 hours away (my favorite part), and the Pocono mountains about an hour away. We have four pretty even seasons, although it does get crazy humid in the summer.
A couple of years ago, my husband and I went on a trip to San Diego, and while we could never love so far from our family, if we were ever tempted to move, it’d be there. Perfectly warm weather every day of the year, sunny beaches, relaxed, laid back attitudes and atmosphere, and lots of delicious Mexican food. Plus the best zoo on the planet.

Hello. My husband and I are California born and bred. We moved to NC 5 years ago on a prompting and haven’t regretted it once. It has been the best move for our family and it seems to check all the boxes for you too! We live in Cary…reach out if you want some inside info,

We live in Durham NC! It’s a great place for sure, but I would check out the beaches of NC if I was moving. We do have 4 seasons but summer is super hot and long and this winter has been the wettest in a long time. My parents also experienced a house fire after my sisters and I were in college so I want to wish you the best as you move forward. Can’t wait to see what you decide to do.

I was born and raised in Western North Carolina and I can’t imagine myself living anywhere else. The small town I grew up in is called Hendersonville. It’s the most perfectly quaint historic district nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains with amazing schools, food, shopping and charm. I now live and teach in Charlotte, NC—right at two hours from Hendersonville. And two hours from Raleigh. Three hours from Atlanta. And though I struggled at first with the big city vibes, I have found it to also be the most charming of places.

North Carolina, though I’m partial, is beyond amazing and offers so much diversity as you travel throughout any part of the state!

I live on a farm (that my husband inherited) in a small town in the mountains of NC. I can certainly understand the draw to here. Charlotte would be my pick for a city in NC over Raleigh but you really can’t go wrong. It’s fun to consider the options though.

I always scope out the local real estate whenever we travel, and when we went to Colorado last year (Denver area) we were expecting to be tempted to move there, but after looking at how crowded it is and how expensive real estate is, we weren’t tempted at all. We currently have 6 acres and a 100+ year old farmhouse with a barn, so we would have to find a place we could have the same level of accommodation for the same relative price. I will say when we road-tripped through New England this past summer, New Hampshire was very tempting…