Help me find a new city

[austinN4]

Austin has gotten too big and to Kalifornia for me. It is time to leave.

I am looking for suggestions of cities to investigate and will post this same thread in the NW subforum also. Work is not a consideration - I have my own business and can do it from anywhere.

I am looking for a city in the range of between 50,000 to 100,000 population - big enough to have a wide variety of services but not too big. Austin is now the sixteenth largest city in the US and has the traffic to go with it. Yikes!

I am also looking for higher elevations - say 5,000 to 8,000 feet, or thereabout.

A school town would be a plus to add a little culture.

Gun-friendly goes without saying. As long as I am being picky, a city with a majority of women over men would also be nice as I am single.

I am near retirement and this no doubt will be my last move ever until they plant me.

I look forward to whatever suggestions you might have. Thanks in advance!

Edited to clarify: I am looking for suggestions of cities that meet my critera.

[g5m]

You might look at Flagstaff, Arizona or Prescott, Arizona.

[Iraqgunz]

I think you should consider Arizona. Just be advised that if you buy a home in Flagstaff they can be spendy. If you come down south to the Phoenix area there are alot of nice places.

Peoria, Glendale or even Goodyear are nice enough and our traffic down here really isn't bad considering the size of Phoenix.

Starting in late September until around mid May the weather is excellent around here.

[austinN4]

Thanks, guys. Yes, Arizona is high on my list, specifically Flag and Prescott.

Working with a map and Wiki, the cities that more or less seem to meet my criteria are:

Arizona Flagstaff
Arizona Prescott

Colorado Boulder (probably too expensive and too political)
Colorado Grand Junction
Colorado Longmont
Colorado Loveland
Colorado Pueblo

Idaho Idaho Falls
Idaho Pocatello

Montana Billings
Montana Great Falls
Montana Missoula

Nevada Carson City

New Mexico Santa Fe (probably too expensive)

Oregon Bend

S Dakota Rapid City

Wyoming Casper
Wyoming Chyenne

Additional comments are very wlecome. Most important to me is a high quality of life; although, I realize that is very subjective.

When I get the list refined and narrowed I am going to start making visits to the short list cities.

[randolph]

if you dont like Austin, you will hate Boulder

longmont and loveland to me are still Denver, I am a big fan of the denver area. Parker is good, Personally, if I could Id go to Evergreen Co.

[Buckaroo]

S Dakota Rapid City

Is your answer IMHO.

Lived there for about 6 years and loved the area. SD is very gun friendly, has lots of hunting and fishing.

RC has a nice airport with good connections to Denver, Salt Lake and Minneapolis.

Elevation is around 3000' and you will have four seasons.

Check it out!

Buckaroo

[austinN4]

S Dakota Rapid City Is your answer IMHO.

Thanks! Yes, RC will be on my short list for sure, as will Flag and Prescott. I have spent some time in the Black Hills and love it there. Custer State Park is one of my favorites.

[THCDDM4]

Austin has gotten too big and to Kalifornia for me. It is time to leave.

I am looking for suggestions of cities to investigate and will post this same thread in the NW subforum also. Work is not a consideration - I have my own business and can do it from anywhere.

I am looking for a city in the range of between 50,000 to 100,000 population - big enough to have a wide variety of services but not too big. Austin is now the sixteenth largest city in the US and has the traffic to go with it. Yikes!

I am also looking for higher elevations - say 5,000 to 8,000 feet, or thereabout.

A school town would be a plus to add a little culture.

Gun-friendly goes without saying. As long as I am being picky, a city with a majority of women over men would also be nice as I am single.

I am near retirement and this no doubt will be my last move ever until they plant me.

I look forward to whatever suggestions you might have. Thanks in advance!

Edited to clarify: I am looking for suggestions of cities that meet my critera.

Fort Collins Colorado almost exactly fits your needs. Some of the best mom & pop restaraunts in the nation; as well as plenty of local breweries/pubs. Pawnee national grasslands/roosevelt national park are about a 30 minute drive (Excellent camping and recreation), with the poudre river about 20 minutes drive (one of the coolest & best outdoor venues: Mishawaka ampitheater; if you like music). Denver is about a 45 minute drive, the wyoming border is about a 30 minute drive. CSU is there; as well as a few community colleges also. Lots of ladies (mostly college aged though I bet the older woman are around as well), and not all princess' either. Very gun friendly (I open carried there for four years and not 1 bad situation arose; other than the usual anti-gun fools spouting at the mouth). PLenty of places to go shooting. Fort Collins is one of he top towns in the nation to retire in as well; they have one of the largest retirement communities in the nation.

If leaning towards the North West; look to Bend Oregon. Great town.

If I had to choose form your list I would say Billings, Montana, Longmont, Colorado, or Bend Oregon.

Good luck with your search & move!

[TehLlama]

I'd take Santa Fe off your list - it's Kalifornia lite, and annoying beyond belief.
I'd consider Los Alamos, Los Lunas, Las Cruces, or Socorro, Rio Rancho/Greater Albuquerque first.

Flagstaff, Prescott, Casa Grande, and extreme suburban Phoenix; Ft. Collins, Pueblo, Colorado Springs.


I'm from Albuquerque, and more or less in the same boat for preferences. Los Alamos is the most attractive, at 7700ft, and hemmed in by parks and federal land.

[Fried Chicken Blowout]

We moved to Colorado from California and couldn't be happier. We're in Mead, Co which a tiny town of about 2000 people that is between two of your choice cities of Longmont and Loveland. I would suggest that you not move to either Longmont or Loveland, but stay in Weld County for improved tax situations and for the gun friendly DA and Sheriff of Weld County. That's why we chose Mead. It's in Weld County but close to both Loveland and Longmont for easy access to everything we what, all while not giving too much away in taxes to the douche bags in Boulder County.

PM me if you want more info about the area.

Jason