Hi everyone. I could use your help in thinking of a new place to live. Here's the context:
I grew up in the Bay Area, went to college in Orange County, lived in LA for five years before relocating to Austin, Texas. I met someone special who I really like, and we're considering leaving Texas for a new city that fits our needs. My partner has lived nearly her whole life in Texas and is ready for a switch. Austin is great, but it doesn't check the box of proximity to nature, and it feels like it's just another big city, plus it's clearly a blue bubble in a conservative state.
Our criteria are basically:
Somewhere that receives a majority of sunshine (ideally 250+ days a year)
Proximity to green nature (think forest, mountains, lakes, rivers, streams, etc.)
Somewhat decent social scene, ideally skews younger (around our age +/- a few years), with a minimum population of 50k and a maximum of 500k
Preferably progressive, but if it's moderate, totally cool.
This may be a pipe dream, but somewhere that feels special and not just another city, perhaps that means striking nature, standout attractions, diverse food scene, etc.
Not a desert - going back to point #2, removing cities like Phoenix, Las Vegas, Tucson. We want to be close to greenery, ideally for hiking, camping, kayaking, etc.
So far, Claude has told us to look at Bend, Chattanooga, Boulder, and Greenville. We both work remotely in tech and have high incomes, so the cost of living is not a major concern. Any thoughts would be helpful, thank you!