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‘Stashtown, USA

bikenightA big part of the recipe for a good life is to love the place you live. Although you can compensate for almost any living conditions with a strong Stoic attitude and some training, it sure is nice to be surrounded by an environment that truly agrees with your constitution. After all, all five of your senses are fueled by nothing more than the physical environment right around you, and every atom in your body is replaced every few years by atoms that happen to be nearby.

After fifteen years of living next to the Rocky Mountains, I am definitely still in love with my own patch of the world. Colorado in general, and old-town Longmont in specific, agree very well with me. The fine balance between warmth and cold, freedom and social order, affordability and fanciness, and even perfection and ugly flaws, seems just about right to keep life vigorous and interesting. After all, the happiest life is not attained by soaking yourself in the deepest possible tub of comfort. Instead, you win the game by extracting the most personal growth from yourself. This means doing hard stuff. Experiencing voluntary discomfort. Getting off your ass once in a while. Colorado seems to have been geologically formed with exactly this ethos in mind.

Finding a Great Place to Live (and Retire)

marmot

A marmot chills on South Arapahoe Peak during one of my hikes

The goal of this article not to share just one example of a location that provides a good life, but learn about more great ones from you. I’ll describe the typical factors that make it possible for me by describing my own town. But this is only one place. There are thousands of other great towns and cities around the world that offer amazing advantages. The idea is to draw some of them out here. You may be inspired to check out one of these destinations, or to find new life in your own home city. Sometimes a move across town can be just as life-changing as a move to a new continent.

Why I live in Colorado

foothills

View from Rabbit Mountain at the edge of Longmont

Back in 1999, I toured some of the country by attending job interviews in Massachusetts, Georgia, North Carolina, California and here in Colorado, and found the lifestyle of my potential coworkers to be the most enviable here. People keep active duty mountain bikes with dried red mud on their treads leaned casually inside their engineering cubicles, and CEOs wear sandals. This is a place where Life comes first, and Work is allowed to coexist as long as it does not show up wielding its characteristic Clipboard of Bullshit. Obviously there will be exceptions, but it is amazing how strong the regional cultural differences are even within the borders of a single country.

Why Longmont?

I stumbled across this place while living 13 miles down the road in its much more glamorous neighbor, Boulder. My coworkers and I used to take group motorcycle rides out here to visit the legendary Mexican restaurants, but I also noticed the big trees lining the creeks, beautiful public parks, and the historic downtown. With house prices at least 50% lower than Boulder, I noticed I could afford to have my pick of neighborhoods and live within walking distance of downtown. But unfortunately, this would mean voluntarily signing myself up for a car clown commute to the job in Boulder, so I dismissed the idea.

Until retirement in 2005, when suddenly we could live anywhere with no commute at all. So Longmont it was.

The City at a Glance

The shady sidewalks of Old-Town

The shady sidewalks of Old-Town

Longmont is a compact, historic city that fits within a roughly 5×5 mile footprint. Its population of 92,000 means it is big enough to have all your retail and restaurant needs covered, great Internet access and mobile phone service, and an urban feel in places. But small enough that you can fit the whole thing in your head – knowing all the streets and neighborhoods, and mayor and the owner of your favorite brew pub (who are coincidentally the same guy). Most importantly, it is small enough that you can bike from anywhere to anywhere in the city within minutes. My own rule is that Intra-Longmont car trips are only permissible if you are carrying more than 100 pounds of stuff – otherwise, use the bike and a bike trailer. But you’re still only 20 minutes from Boulder, 50 from downtown Denver and the same distance from Denver Airport, one of the largest and most well-connected in the world. The continent’s largest mountain chain begins about 10 miles to the West, which means you can be in a canyon within the confines of a lunchtime bike ride.

Employment

This is the bike path running through the high tech employment zone.

This is the bike path running through the high tech employment zone.

Here we benefit from our location next to the venture-capital-happy money fountain of Boulder. Small and large tech companies have offices nearby including Microsoft, Google, Cisco, Amgen, Seagate, and trendier ones I don’t keep track of due to the fact that I haven’t worked in tech in almost nine years. The area is also a minor hub for solar and wind power companies, and creative industries as well. But more interesting than the physical office situation is the number of people who live here but work remotely for companies in New York, Boston, LA, and Silicon Valley. It’s not a bedroom community since you don’t have to commute out of it to work. More of a Patio community.

Climate

autumn_thompson_park

Autumn in Thompson Park, across the street from our elementary school

In a word: Invigorating. Right now it is spring, which means a stream of warm sunny days (60-80F) with very occasional rain and clouds. Summer is a series of very dry hot sunny days (80-95F), with even less rain. Fall is back to the warm sunny days with occasional rain and surprising dumps of snow towards the end of it. Winter is mild sunny days (44F) with cold nights (15F) and occasional vigorous snowstorms and colder days. Annual precipitation is only about 15″, about the same as Los Angeles and a rather extreme difference from NYC’s 45″. On average, there are only a few days each year where weather makes it impractical to ride your bike, which is the most important measurement for me. But it’s not a great climate if you are a palm tree or a year-round outdoor vegetable garden.

Housing

The New Urban development known as Prospect, where I built some houses.

The New Urban development known as Prospect, where I built some houses.

Single family houses in this city start in the upper $100s. In the low $300s, you can find a quaint 2-3 bedroom house in the downtown region or a solid 3/3 modern house in a close-in suburb. The low $400s gets you one of the very nice houses* in the better neighborhoods and you can pretty much have your pick of the town if you show up with $500k or more. Full houses rent for $1500-$2500 per month, and apartments are less.

Taxes

Property taxes are fairly cheap at about 0.8% of a property’s appraised value per year, so you’ll be paying $1600-$3000 rather than $5,000-$15,000 as they do on the East Coast. The region has an 8% sales tax, 4.6% state income tax, and no local income taxes. Colorado is very friendly to small business, with easy online LLC registration that costs me about $10 per year to maintain. And, not that you care, but gasoline is consistently some of the nation’s cheapest, and electricity is even cheaper at under 10 cents per kWh. Gigabit Internet is $50 per month.

Culture

This guy (the elementary school art teacher) is one of my favorite people ever.

This guy (the elementary school art teacher) is one of my favorite people ever.

Saving the best for last, this town has a real culture of caring for other people. It is expected that if you pass a stranger on any street, you will both exchange at least a greeting. You generally become friends with the people who work at your favorite stores, and your own neighborhood can be the source of your social circle. My own area has a rotating “porch club” which is an open invitation to gather at a designated front porch bearing food and drink, spouses and kids, and just shoot the breeze as the sun goes down on a summer night. We also have a good bike culture beginning: parents bike their kids to school, and the weekly Bike Night event draws over 200 people in the peak of summer. (I’ll be there on May 14th, by the way).

Flaws

Keep in mind when reading all of this that I am an incurable optimist. There are plenty of things in Longmont that still suck. People drive their cars way too much, and far too few of them ride bikes. Some neighborhoods are run down, and plenty of the commercial buildings in the fringe areas are vacant too. It’s not a cultural hub and there are decidedly fewer beautiful people in restaurants than you will see in Boulder. Because of the family demographic, it would be a boring place to be a 20-something single looking for night life. And in the dead of winter when this place is brown or snowy, I have been known to long for San Diego or Hawaii.

Your Turn!

Do you live in a city that provides a nice base for the Good Life? Affordable living, good jobs and culture, and an outdoorsy and health-oriented vibe? Share it in the comments below and we can all learn from each other. Try to address the general areas above and link to a demographics page like these two for Longmont.

Looking to move HERE?

I’ll admit it right now: I’d actually like to help create a Badass Utopia right here in my own town. Several people I know have already moved here after reading about it on the blog, and I’d be happy to facilitate the trend, because Mustachians are good people. We will share fermented ciders on our respective porches and lend each other power tools and project advice. Get in touch via the contact form if you are one of these people and I can help you learn about the area, find a good place to live, etc.

* Speaking of nicer houses…

Revised: Here I had mentioned two houses that happened to be coming to market at the time of writing. One was my own house and another was the place next door, newly renovated by a builder acquaintance. They are of course both sold now.

Like many cities, house prices in this area have risen (some would say “recovered”) quickly in these last two years, but it is still one of the better deals on a price-to-awesomeness ratio, when compared to other areas with strong tech employment.

  • Jef Miles August 26, 2014, 7:01 am

    Hey Dan,

    Yes we’re looking at a Monday night 8th September @ George St (The Royal George) around 5:30pm..

    Carter can give you more details but would love to have you along :)

    Reply
    • Daniel August 26, 2014, 7:09 am

      Gotcha – will email you both now :) cheers!

      Reply
  • Nick September 11, 2014, 9:17 am

    My girlfriend and I are in our mid 20s and live in Ohio and we are looking for a change of scenery. As a software engineer that also loves the outdoors, Colorado has always looked appealing to me. You’ve mentioned the tech scene for Colorado in a few posts, and I’d love to get your insight into packing up and moving across the that great state. This move might be happening within the next year and as she is in wildlife, the idea of moving to such a beautiful and diverse area is incredibly exciting.

    Reply
  • simon November 9, 2014, 12:23 pm

    Bromyard, England. Peaceful, walk-able town. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bromyard
    Trying to spread the MMM word in England!

    Reply
  • Steve Adcock December 10, 2014, 5:25 pm

    I lived and went to school in Colorado Springs, CO during the years of 2001 to 2004. I loved it there, and if it wasn’t for that job that literally fell into my lap out in VA, I would probably still be there.

    Now I live in Tucson, AZ. The cost of living here is fairly low and gas prices are consistently some of the lowest in the nation. I love the weather and Tucson has plenty of options for work (though I now work from home for a company headquartered out in California).

    You absolutely need to love where you live or you’ll go crazy – that was me out in Virginia. I hate the east coast and still do. I could never move back, and won’t, even for a huge salary. It’s just not worth it.

    Out west is where I will remain.

    Reply
  • PhilH January 24, 2015, 5:17 pm

    I”m a few months late to respond to this thread, but I wanted to tell you all about my retirement place in Nampa, Idaho. We have a population of around 80,000. It’s the second largest city in Idaho. We are a few mile outside of Boise which is the biggest city. Nampa is very nice. Decent climate, friendly people, affordable housing and lots to do. It’s bike friendly town with bike/walk paths around town to make biking a pleasant journey. From our house, we have most of the shopping we do within about 2 miles. The main downtown area is maybe 4 miles. There are lots of farms and ranches on the edge of town. The farm roads are not as bike friendly with narrow roads and irrigation canals on both sides. Love this place. We retired at age 53 from law enforcement in CA and would never leave here.

    Reply
  • DK June 19, 2015, 1:46 am

    I moved to Perth, Western Australia from Fort Collins CO. Both places are great…although elements of Perth are anti-mustachian. Urban sprawl, SUV crowded freeways, massive McMansions. However, I have just moved to an older neighborhood that is 6 km from my office and 2 km from my kids school. All essential shopping is within 1km. The 10 year car we own will not get driven very much at all from this house.

    However it is expensive. We are paying $3k/month to rent a very nicely renovated 1950s 3 br / 2 ba house with a pool.
    Salaries are quite high – we are still able to save. Still only about 20% though…trying to find ways to get that % higher.

    Fort Collins is fantastic…still own a house there, might move back one day. Loving the Perth lifestyle though.

    Reply
  • zephyr July 6, 2015, 9:26 pm

    Here are some towns on our hit list to check out before retirement, which we are hoping comes sooner rather than later!
    Cannon Beach, OR/Mt. Vernon, WA/Bellingham, WA/Leavenworth, WA/Portland, OR/Bend, OR/Asheville, NC/Portland, ME (and nearby smaller coastal communities)/Arcata, CA, Hood River, OR area/ and Ellicottville, NY.
    We have all the amenities we want here in Renton, WA outside of Seattle – however we have more than the amount of traffic we want on any given day…. ugh! I sit in it daily. I look forward to the search process with my husband. We need a somewhat progressive community, bike life, A HEALTHFOOD store/organic farmers markets etc, accessibility to trails for hiking/running and affordable housing. Thanks for all the tips everyone!

    Reply
  • Seaworthy July 9, 2015, 2:53 pm

    Norfolk Island, South Pacific!

    http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/aussieskiwis-where-to-fire-raise-a-family-consider-norfolk-island/

    Climate – Mild. Warm and sunny days and cool nights all year round…right now it is sunny and warm, about 20 degrees, and it’s mid-winter! Never gets above 25 degrees C in summer or below 12 degrees C in winter. 1300mm (50″) well distributed annual rainfall.

    Natural beauty – crystal clear blue water, white sandy beaches, bright green undulating countryside, rich volcanic soil, loads of bird life. Google “Emily Bay” to give you an idea of what you’re in for…

    Things to do – Given that this is a small island with a population of about 1800, you’re not going to find the diversity of entertainment you might find in a larger town or city. That said, for many there is much to keep one entertained. It depends what you like. I guess the main outdoor activities that come to mind would be

    – Beach going – Emily bay is a superb waveless lagoon
    – Fishing (shore and boat) & spear fishing
    – Snorkelling & diving
    – Sea kayaking
    – Surfing (excellent, and very few people competing with you for a wave!)
    – Wind surfing
    – Bike riding
    – Bushwalking various trails through national parks and along the
    dramatic coastline
    – Golf – there is a very nice golf course on the island

    There is also an array of community groups/clubs e.g. theatrical society, various sporting groups, etc.

    Family – You will always hear people say it is “such a wonderful place to raise kids” and it’s true. There is a decent public school here that covers kindergarten through to grade 12. Norfolk’s regarded as a very safe place with minimal crime. Kids walk to school and roam freely. Long lazy family days playing at the beach. Walks in the woods. Family picnics (there must be hundreds of truly gorgeous spots for a picnic!). There’s something about raising a family in a place like this…

    Community – there is a strong sense of friendliness and community here that I’ve noticed is difficult to find in Australia. Everyone gives a little wave as they pass each other in their cars/bikes. You can’t walk past another islander in the street without exchanging at least a hello. Everyone seems to have time to stop for a chat frequently throughout the day – in the street, at the grocery store, in the middle of the road (you will often turn a corner to find cars heading in opposite directions paused in the middle of the road just having a chat through their windows!). The atmosphere is certainly what I would call laid-back.

    Employment – Not so great! Tourism (the main industry) has been struggling in recent years on the back of a high Aussie dollar (non-AUD destinations more attractive), uncertainty about the future governance of the island (whether Australia will become more involved), and I suppose poor publicity efforts (how many of you have never heard of Norfolk??). There is always a handful of hospitality positions and outdoor labouring jobs available. Of course if you are financially independent this should be of little concern for you!

    Housing – house prices have crashed here in the past couple of years. Previously they were very similar to prices found in mainland Australia, now a family house and land can be purchased for
    $150,000-$300,000 and vacant land can be purchased for as little as AUD $50,000-$100,000. This might be a quarter acre up to a few acres. You can rent a cottage for $80-$150 per week or a house for around $150-$250 a week. Hotels are $100+ per night.

    Internet – Compared to ADSL2+ connections and unlimited downloads on the mainland, the internet here is somewhat slower and more expensive. It comes via satellite and then is distributed locally as ADSL. You can browse the web comfortably but if you are a keen online-gamer or watch large quantities of streaming videos you might not be happy with it. Examples of the plans offered at the moment range from AUD$30/month for 3 GB data right up to AUD$230/month for 56 gig. Speeds and prices are pegged to improve significantly in the coming years however, as newer technology currently in development is deployed.

    Cost of living – depends on your lifestyle. You can live on less than what you would need on the mainland if you live a simple island life: eat local produce, enjoy mostly free outdoor activities, ride / walk a bit, and so on. There are presently no land rates/taxes to pay, annual fees for most things are substantially less than the mainland (car rego and insurance about $350/year for example), and a favourable climate with good soils enable you to grow some/most of your own food easily. If you want to mindlessly drive around all the time (petrol is $2.50/litre), eat entirely imported processed food (double what you’d pay on the mainland), use heaps of electricity ($0.65/kWh), build a massive brick mansion, fly back to the mainland every time a friend has a birthday ($500 return), then yes…it can be pretty expensive to live here.

    The island is quite self sufficient and has most of what you would expect in a typical mainland town – a hospital, a supermarket, restaurants and takeaways, a number of cafes, weekly farmers market, a couple of hardware/department stores that sell most things one might need.

    Wikipedia covers some of the basics on the place https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norfolk_Island

    Neil Oliver just a few months ago produced a rather thorough documentary on Norfolk. See if you can view the full episode somewhere https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYNz-cKiIZQ

    Reply
  • ann September 19, 2015, 6:38 pm

    i used to think brisbane australia. now i think cairns australia. becoming unemployed and divorced contrary to my grand plans means i now work part time in a much more meaningful job, take the day off to go to the beach, swim/walk/cycle for fun and exercise, sit with my friends at coffee shops (I don’t buy anything LOL who would pay $4 for a teabag and hot water?) …. should be doing my retirement budget right now but what the hell.

    Reply
  • Lando Hitman October 15, 2015, 5:18 pm

    I’d love to live in Longmont but I’m not retired just yet. Still growing my ‘stash.

    I’m still a Car Clown and I suck. My hair isn’t on fire, and I’m sure I wouldn’t be on the receiving end of many face-punches…

    But when I’m able to don a full-on, raging rock-hard mustache, I’ll get there as soon as possible.

    I’ll crack open a brew with MMM and thank him for all he’s done for myself and my brother.

    …then I’ll ask him to show me how to ride a bike, cuz I never learned how.

    Reply
  • Jenn April 30, 2016, 10:27 pm

    I’m so excited to find your blog as well as several others regarding FI and living well below our means. My family and I recently made the decision to list our house in Thornton, CO and relocate to Longmont, and I was surprised to learn you’ve been deeply planted there for quite some time. I choose Longmont for all of the reasons you’ve listed as well, especially the sense of community and all around desire to live deliberately. We are looking to significantly downsize and I’m excited to simply our lives! Thanks for giving your time and advise to all those who need it. I’m glad you enjoy and love Colorado as much as I do, it’s always been home for me!
    Jenn

    Reply
  • Eric October 6, 2016, 12:47 pm

    I would love to live in Longmont, or any of the other communities mentioned in the comments. I currently live in the suburbs of Vancouver, BC, which, IMO, is one of the most unlivable cities in the world, mostly due to housing prices. One day I’ll move, but for now a good job and nearby family will keep me here.

    Something I really can’t figure out is why anyone would move to Vancouver. With average detached houses in Vancouver proper being about 1.5M (and about 1.1M in the suburbs, with a 45min commute to most jobs), and rental availability approaching zero, moving here pretty much guarantees decades of poverty as you pay off a ridiculously large mortgage. Many people my age (upper 20’s or early 30’s) still live with their parents due to this.

    Some places I have in mind for when I move would be any of the mid-size cities in BC’s interior. Many of them are large enough (80,000+ people) that there’s a good selection of jobs and amenities, but housing prices are fairly normal and the communities are much friendlier than Vancouver.

    Reply
  • Glyn October 6, 2016, 6:48 pm

    Eric

    Another Van,BC resident here. Agree with comments on house prices, however “complainypants” about cost of living is wasted….try one of those sunnier, friendlier and cheaper interior towns you speak off and let us know if grass is indeed greener.

    Reply
  • Narrative October 5, 2017, 2:33 pm

    I know that this article is 3+ years old, but thought I would share my take on Longmont as a newcomer in 2017. We recently relocated to SW Longmont from the Midwest because my husband took a job in Boulder.

    ———————————————————–
    The Good
    ———————————————————–

    There is much good here – beautiful tree lined streets, great bike paths, proximity to awesome hikes, and good public transportation. The parks are plentiful and amazingly well-kept. And those mountains. Wow. I am struck by their beauty every time they come into view. Nothing beats a family bike ride with the snow-capped peaks as a backdrop. Well, maybe a ride *in* the mountains, but our skill level isn’t there yet.

    ———————————————————–
    The Bad (or rather, My Personal Criticisms)
    ———————————————————–

    As a family of 4 searching for a single family home to purchase I inwardly groan at the paragraph in this article about housing and homes starting in the high $100s. At this point in 2017 that number has nearly doubled, and is easily in the low-mid $300s. A house in one of the better school districts is even more.

    It is proving tougher than I anticipated to find an affordable house with good bones here, let alone one with good southern exposure for passive solar gain, quality windows that are not from 1975, or decent mechanicals. At this point we are homeschooling, so we spend a lot of time at home. We’d also love to find a kid-friendly neighborhood where the kids can play outside with friends safely. That’s a bit harder to quantify in a house search though, especially when supply is so low, and seems a little more “luck” based.

    I am beginning to feel like we are searching for a unicorn house and get the striking feeling that people here are accepting of some serious flaws at a price twice what things “feel” worth to us. I struggle to feel like there is value in buying a home for almost $400K that needs to be remodeled for even basic efficiency and for visual appeal that isn’t 1990’s or earlier style. I am also no fan of HOAs, which seem fairly common here. I don’t like paying for a house so someone else can tell me what to do with it. But that’s just me. :)

    I am also a bit surprised that new construction (at least in our price range and slightly above) seems oblivious to the benefit of passive solar/southern exposure and natural lighting from the beautiful Colorado sunshine. All I can gather is that the people buying these homes aren’t ever home during the daylight hours – spending all their time at work to pay for houses they are hardly in. In an area of the country that seems so focused on “green” initiatives, I am flabbergasted that more people aren’t voting with their dollars to make sensible home design more of a priority at every price level. It defies (my) logic.

    I was also surprised that Main Street Longmont isn’t more accessible by bike from the major bike paths. It is doable, but with all the efforts that appear to center around the greenways and bike lanes, a nice wide sidepath from the greenway up Main to the “downtown” area and the library seems like a no-brainer.

    No Aldi. I miss my Aldi. Best “mustachian” grocery store ever. Even buying sales and generics at King Soopers I am always $15-$20 above what we spent for similar things at Aldi.

    That’s enough complainy-pants from me though. We do actually love it here so far. :)

    ———————————————————–
    The Awesomeness
    ———————————————————–

    We found an apartment where we are yards away from the bus (so a free commute to Boulder with CU’s free RTD pass).

    We are near great bike paths that travel almost directly to the grocery store, Sam’s Club, and lots of other cool places.

    In our area the side paths are wide and separate from the streets in most places which was important for us (read, *my nerves*) because our almost middle-school aged kids just learned to ride bikes this summer (mom fail) and are still adjusting to city riding. Maybe it’s a Mom thing, but those cars flying by my kids a foot or two away makes me nervous and I prefer to bike with them away from main roads.

    People are friendly here and there are people outdoors no matter the weather, which is wonderful.

    There is recycling and even composting pickup here which is a great step in the right direction.

    There are dog poo bags and trash stations everywhere in public spaces and people seem to be fairly vigilant about cleaning up after themselves and their animals, so the green spaces are very clean.

    For those that are willing to spend dollars on it there are great places to get tasty food and quite a few options on the brewery front.

    The weather here has been (thus far) pretty amazing. We were still swimming in the outdoor pool in mid-September and temps that would have felt chilly in the Midwest don’t seem as cold here for some reason, especially when the sun comes out.

    Oh, and affordable fiber internet is certainly a nice cherry on top.

    ———————————————————–
    My Take On Longmont So Far
    ———————————————————–

    My initial observation is that in 2017 there is still a lot to be exalted in the “price-to-awesomeness” ratio here, especially compared to much of the Northern Front Range. Longmont checks a lot of boxes for us, but I would argue that housing costs might make some of the other locations mentioned in the comments more “mustachian” if you have the choice.

    MMM, have you made any headway on that utopia yet 3+ years later?

    If someone could come up with some small-ish passive solar homes in the mid-$300K (or lower) range in bikeable distance to amenities we’d be in. No need for fancy or large. Utilitarian suits us fine. Bonus points for active solar, and for a community center in said utopia with some space for gardening, berry bushes and fruit trees, co-working space, shared brew/canning equipment, gatherings, etc. MMMHQ2 maybe?

    One can dream, right? :)

    Reply
  • Johana March 9, 2018, 9:43 am

    I grew up in Edina Minnesota which is a small (47,000 people) suburb of the twin cities. After reading this post about Longmont I realized that these are almost identical communities. Edina is known for its great public schools and kids and adults are very involved in athletics. Biking is also very popular! The mountain biking club is very popular and they are a very large number of teachers that bike to school every day. There is a strong community centered around swimming, golfing and tennis at the country club and even in the winter you see all the neighbors outside walking their dogs or walking to a coffee shop. The best thing in my opinion about living in Minnesota is the great variety of weather. I love having all 4 seasons and all the fun outdoor activities that come with each of them. It is a wonderful place to grow up but I feel like not many people know about it even within Minnesota.

    Feel free to email me if you are considering moving there or have questions!
    kp3d@icloud.com

    Reply
    • Shannon April 3, 2018, 8:07 pm

      Hi Johana,
      I grew up in Hastings, MN and spent the past 1.5 years living in Richfield, next door to Edina. Though Edina is quite nice, has excellent schools, etc…it also has a reputation for being very rich, white, and hoity-toity.

      The cost of housing in Edina is very high even compared to next door Minneapolis. The amount of clown car commuters in the area is insane. Every time I biked in Edina, I was honked at (while using bike lanes). Most folks seem to drive higher end SUVs…right down the street to their high end mall (Galleria).
      While it is a very nice city, has close proximity to Minneapolis and the lakes…it is by no means mustachian.

      Reply
  • Dominic August 21, 2019, 7:52 pm

    I love Tucson AZ. It’s often overlooked in favor of Phoenix, but Tucson is much more relaxed and low key. Tucson is very bike and pedestrian friendly with every major street having a bike lane. One of my favorite activities is riding The Loop trail, which circumscribes the city. Tucson has a unique, laid back culture that is a mix of Chicano, rockabilly, and hipster. There is a strong locavore scene with a focus on drought tolerant foods such as squash, tepary beans, and mesquite, and prickly pear. The climate is hot, but not quite as hot as Phoenix, with an escape to cool Mount Lemmon, complete with skiing, a 30 minute drive (or 2-3 hour bike ride) away. Saguaro national park is also just outside of town. Housing is very cheap, I lived in a studio apartment for 350 dollars per month in college, then got married and moved to a 2 bedroom house for 700 dollars per month. There are spectacular and intense thunderstorms in the summer and gentle rain with an occasional light snowfall in the winter. Unfortunately I am currently living in Baltimore for now after several unfortunate and fortunate situations (I was suddenly laid off which was the kick in the ass I needed to become a mustacian), but will return in a year and a half.

    Flagstaff is a close second, but is a smaller city than Tucson. Even more hipster and much cooler and higher in elevation. Flagstaff is also somewhat more expensive because its development is limited, being surrounded by the Coconino national forest.

    Basically Arizona is awesome and is my forever home.

    Reply

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