If you could live anywhere, where would you choose?

[HerRealName]

The old lady and I were talking about this a bit. Like many people, we've been working from home for months now and I've been hearing rumblings that Corporate America is starting to realize how much money they've been wasting on office space. It seems that an almost exclusive work from home workforce has been very successfully tested after initial tech issues were common.

If we both find out that we are able to work from home permanently, there's really nothing to keep us in the DFW 'burbs other than a great school system for our youngest. But where would we move?

My first preference is somewhere in the mountains - preferably Colorado or New Mexico. My wife's first choice is a beach setting - location not important. I guess the perfect compromise would be someplace on the west coast or Hawaii but cost of living would be a drawback there.

So, assuming you could choose to live anyplace but you expected to keep your same income level, where would you choose to live?

[JonInMiddleGA]

This has long been an easy one for me, though the income level rule kinda spoils it.

At my current income I dunno how much it matters, a lot of places are as good as another to me as a schmo.

But if I had proper funding, I'd take Vegas over all the rest of the cities of the world combined.

[spleen1015]

Long story short, my company has offices here in Indy and HQ moved from NJ to Orlando July 2019. The plan is to move to Orlando once my daughter is done playing softball in college.

My company is in the process of creating a work from home policy. My hope is, it will allow me to work from Sarasota. My wife is cool with moving to Florida.

If the decision was mine alone, like Jon, I would move to Vegas and never look back. I'd learn how to deal craps and quit my job.

[HerRealName]

Vegas was my wife's first thought but she doubted her self control.

[spleen1015]

Originally Posted by HerRealName

Vegas was my wife's first thought but she doubted her self control.

I love playing craps. I think becoming a dealer would satisfy the urge to play. There's a lot of folks that don't know how to play, so it would be fun to show folks how to play. It would be like playing myself.

[albionmoonlight]

New Orleans

[JPhillips]

Realistically, the mountains of N.C.

If I didn't worry about instability, I'd live outside of Dubrovnik.

[BYU 14]

As someone who goes to Vegas once or twice a year, living there full time would lose it's luster quickly. For me it's San Diego and it's not even even close (unless you count the unrealistic dream to live in Kauai )

[tarcone]

Salida, CO area. Beautiful area. Tons of things to do. My wife would prefer the beach and really likes St. Augustine, FL.

We will be retiring in the next 10 years and have been thinking about where to live. We will definitely move, we just have to figure out where.

[molson]

Probably a ranch in the Sawtooth Mountains easy driving distance to Boise.

A place that has one of those three-sided ranch gate signs that had a cool name, and you can't see what the hell's going on there from the road.

[Edward64]

At same income level I would pick FL.

[Lathum]

If I didn't have my family Vegas. I was going to move there and try to play poker professionally when I met my wife.

With my family right here in Jersey. Love the area. Extended family is here. all 4 seasons. It is a great place.

[lungs]

Norway

[Lathum]

I spent some time on Guam and loved it, but I don't think I could handle it full time

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by lungs

Norway

Lilyhammer?

[cuervo72]

We flew into Vegas last year when we went to Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. I am not a desert person; it was just too damned hot. And everything seemed really brown/beige.

Mountains of NC isn't bad. I'd probably opt more northwest though. Give me woods, give me rain. Western WA might be nice.

[Radii]

I've been work from home remote for about 15 years (starting back when my dad had cancer in around 2003'ish). I'm planning to move to the Portland area next summer under this exact pretense.

[ISiddiqui]

I'm living in the region where I'd like to live, in Atlanta. Currently I'm living in an "in-town suburb" (as they say), but I'd really like to live closer in (inside city limits would be nice) and, of course, a house would be preferable . It's an incredibly diverse city with a lot of stuff to do and lots of interesting cuisine (one that is missing is decent Thai food though).

And if I want to go to the beach, I can always visit my folks on the Jersey Shore (well when we are not in a pandemic).

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Radii

I've been work from home remote for about 15 years (starting back when my dad had cancer in around 2003'ish). I'm planning to move to the Portland area next summer under this exact pretense.

Portland sucks. Assuming you mean Oregon

[sabotai]

Somewhere like Finland, or maybe the northern part of Japan like Hokkaido.

I fucking hate summer.

[molson]

Probably more for the mental health thread, but following up from the original post, I worry about telecommuting becoming permanent. I hate it. I'm in two units at work, about 12 attorneys total between the two of them, and I'm the only one in the office out of the 12. It's just me, support staff, investigators, and a few lawyers in other divisions. (about 10% the usual workforce). I worked from home for a bit and, I'm not sure exactly what it is - but sitting at my home computer all day was a million times more depressing than sitting at my work computer all day (and being able to shoot the shit with the other people there). I'm an introvert, but, I've always kind of liked the office dynamic because work involves low-energy socialization that I like - there's always work to get back to, so I never have to be in any conversation longer than I want. Plus being downtown half the day is a nice change of pace from my neighborhood.

It's hard to see too much government going full-time working-at-home. (I hope) It'd be good for budget, but I think people generally want public workers going somewhere every day, at least in a state like mine.

[Mike Lowe]

People talk all of the time about housing prices here in San Diego, and California in general. What a lot of people seem to not realize is that while, yes, prices here are higher, you also make far more on your investment than anywhere in the country. Same with Hawaii. And I'm not talking just dollar amounts; I'm talking percentages.

With a lot of people now entering the remote-working sphere like yourself, these prices will continue to rise.

To me, moving somewhere where the weather is nice is never going to be a bad investment.Nothing can touch that--not your work, not COVID, etc.

[Ryche]

Quite happy in Colorado, already moved here as it was high on my list. Probably Scotland though or, in the US, the Oregon or Washington coast.

I do love San Diego too, this will be the first year I haven't visited in probably 10. But I need some winter.

[Hammer]

Tenerife for me. The Canary Islands have a great climate. Friendly and safe, I would highly recommend a visit to anyone. I have travelled a lot and have yet to see anywhere close.

[Vegas Vic]

Originally Posted by BYU 14

As someone who goes to Vegas once or twice a year, living there full time would lose it's luster quickly. For me it's San Diego and it's not even even close (unless you count the unrealistic dream to live in Kauai )

I've lived in Las Vegas for 31 years, so my perspective is markedly different from those who visit sporadically and spend most of their time on the Las Vegas Strip. Truth be told, you might actually visit the Strip more frequently than I do.

The Las Vegas metropolitan area is huge, encompassing 600 square miles and about 2.5 million residents. I live in Summerlin South, a master planned community on the western boundary of the valley. My wife and I are middle class folks, and this isn't the only area here that has a desirable quality of life. Green Valley also has many affordable middle class homes as well. Of course, if one wants to rent some sh*thole apartment in a crack infested neighborhood two blocks from the Strip, your quality of life will be commensurate with that location.

The city has changed drastically since I first moved here in 1989. It was a one horse show, featuring gambling and the UNLV Running Rebels basketball team coached by Jerry Tarkanian. The economy is much more diversified now, even within the gaming industry. Millennials and Generation Z'ers do not gamble much, so the industry has had to adapt accordingly. This will continue as Baby Boomers and Generation X'ers become a lower percentage of the tourists. Also, many businesses from California and other states have relocated here because of the tax structure.

The diversification of the economy from purely gaming and hospitality has also reaped rewards in other commercial facets. The $470 million dollar Smith Center for the Performing Arts is the crown jewel for the downtown renovation. We now have two professional sports franchises, The Vegas Golden Knights of the NHL, and the Las Vegas Raiders of the NFL, who will be moving into the state of the art $2 billion dollar Allegiant Stadium. This would have been unthinkable when I first moved here.

[AlexB]

West coast of Ireland or New Zealand for me

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Radii

I've been work from home remote for about 15 years (starting back when my dad had cancer in around 2003'ish). I'm planning to move to the Portland area next summer under this exact pretense.

I haven't traveled enough to really have a strong opinion. I have lilved all around the south, and I would prefer Nashville to just about anywhere else I lived (though I love the people of the small town in Alabama from where I get my alias the most). If the choice is anywhere, it would probably be the NW, somewhere like Oregon or Washington. I want seasons, but good lord I want cooler weather than this hell I have lived all my life. I would even think Canada as a possibility, though I am afraid the serious cold might get old.

[Mike Lowe]

Also, the wife and I plan to start splitting time overseas. Right now, we'd pick Paris. We could rent our house out here in SD, and that would cover living expenses.

Paris might be seen as cliche or somewhere a guy might not ever imagine, but we love the pace of life there, the culture, food, and not needing a car.

[CarterNMA]

Flagstaff, Arizona. Just two hours from family down in the Valley of the Sun but still get to experience snowy winters. And living in a cabin surrounded by pine trees? Mmm, mmm, good.

Last place I'd live? Fairbanks, Alaska. Fuck that place straight in the earhole.

[Kodos]

If money is no option, I would choose Maui. Best place I have ever been to.

Otherwise, I want somewhere out of the snow belt. I've lived in places like Chicago and Rochester, NY, where winter REALLY sucks. I want to never see another snowflake in the air. I also want somewhere that is cosmopolitan. When I was single, I wanted to move to Atlanta. Now, I would need to research Washington and Oregon and places out west before deciding. I could bear like a month of winter each year...

In truth, I'm hoping to move somewhere with my college friends after we retire. There has been some talk of doing that. It's hard to make new friends as an adult, and it'd be great to regroup with the best friends I've ever had.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by AlexB

West coast of Ireland or New Zealand for me

Never been to Ireland, but agree with these selections. South Island of New Zealand in particular, around Queenstown. Sapporo in Japan is another one - went there for a few days just to fill time in our travel schedule and it ended up being our favourite part of the country.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by Mike Lowe

Also, the wife and I plan to start splitting time overseas. Right now, we'd pick Paris. We could rent our house out here in SD, and that would cover living expenses.

Paris might be seen as cliche or somewhere a guy might not ever imagine, but we love the pace of life there, the culture, food, and not needing a car.

Paris is fantastic.

[bob]

Place I've been in the US: Fort Collins, Colorado
Place I've been in the World: Reykjavik, Iceland
Place I've never been: New Zealand

[Izulde]

Probably Spain when I start going through everything and looking at places I've been in. In the US, I'd find some small coastal town - probably the Pacific because of how many close friends are in California. Santa Cruz is probably my gut initial reaction.

Vegas is a great place to visit, but living here is a whole different kettle of fish. The traffic is terrible because everyone brings their shitty driving habits/unwritten rules of the road with them from wherever they live and there's no uniformity. People here are also extremely self-absorbed, if not out and out selfish. Far too many are also genuinely stupid and incompetent. There's a reason why we were named Dumbest City in the US a few years back. If you like having a community and connections with people, this isn't where you wanna be.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Vegas Vic

I've lived in Las Vegas for 31 years, so my perspective is markedly different from those who visit sporadically and spend most of their time on the Las Vegas Strip. Truth be told, you might actually visit the Strip more frequently than I do.

The Las Vegas metropolitan area is huge, encompassing 600 square miles and about 2.5 million residents. I live in Summerlin South, a master planned community on the western boundary of the valley. My wife and I are middle class folks, and this isn't the only area here that has a desirable quality of life. Green Valley also has many affordable middle class homes as well. Of course, if one wants to rent some sh*thole apartment in a crack infested neighborhood two blocks from the Strip, your quality of life will be commensurate with that location.

The city has changed drastically since I first moved here in 1989. It was a one horse show, featuring gambling and the UNLV Running Rebels basketball team coached by Jerry Tarkanian. The economy is much more diversified now, even within the gaming industry. Millennials and Generation Z'ers do not gamble much, so the industry has had to adapt accordingly. This will continue as Baby Boomers and Generation X'ers become a lower percentage of the tourists. Also, many businesses from California and other states have relocated here because of the tax structure.

The diversification of the economy from purely gaming and hospitality has also reaped rewards in other commercial facets. The $470 million dollar Smith Center for the Performing Arts is the crown jewel for the downtown renovation. We now have two professional sports franchises, The Vegas Golden Knights of the NHL, and the Las Vegas Raiders of the NFL, who will be moving into the state of the art $2 billion dollar Allegiant Stadium. This would have been unthinkable when I first moved here.

Correction: We have *3* professional sports franchises. WNBA's Aces.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

We flew into Vegas last year when we went to Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. I am not a desert person; it was just too damned hot. And everything seemed really brown/beige.

I mentioned this thread to my wife, and Vegas. Her response? "It's just so brown."

Originally Posted by CarterNMA

Flagstaff, Arizona. Just two hours from family down in the Valley of the Sun but still get to experience snowy winters. And living in a cabin surrounded by pine trees? Mmm, mmm, good.

Last place I'd live? Fairbanks, Alaska. Fuck that place straight in the earhole.

Forgot about Flagstaff. I'd be cool with that, and my wife (went to NAU) would love it. Thought it's changed a LOT since she was there.

[Ksyrup]

Likely somewhere in the CO/NM/AZ/UT zone but visiting for a week or two and living somewhere are two different things. If money/time was no object, I'd want to get a better feel for what day in, day out living looked like before I decided to make a move.

I really only know the places I've lived. Everywhere else would be a guess or putting a lot of stock in other peoples' experiences.

It's something I'm giving thought to in the next, say, 15 years because I'd at least like to consider a second home in the mountains and split time between KY (assuming the kids have stuck around) and some place out west.

[albionmoonlight]

FWIW, my answer if income is not a consideration is Hawaii.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Radii

I've been work from home remote for about 15 years (starting back when my dad had cancer in around 2003'ish). I'm planning to move to the Portland area next summer under this exact pretense.

Definitely a lot to like about Portland.

I'm Seattle born and bred and have little incentive to leave (aside from a looming fear of the next Cascadia earthquake or Seattle fault earthquake, both of which will devastate the region), although the cost of living is crazy. I'll probably be interested in moving somewhere a little more rural for retirement, close enough to Seattle to still take advantage of all the big city amenities (sports, arts, restaurants, etc) but a little cheaper and quieter.

But if I could figure out a way to make it work, I'd move to Kaua'i.

[ISiddiqui]

I like Hawai'i a lot to visit, but I'd definitely have to be wealthy to live there. And I get somewhat frustrated about limitations to shipping (like Amazon's Prime 2 day shipping becomes free regular shipping - and somethings they won't ship at all).

[cuervo72]

My dad lived in Pahoa for a while; he tired of it for whatever reason (too much weed culture? I dunno) and eventually moved to Thailand. (Where things are quite inexpensive.) He recently told me he has a couple of plots in "Fern Forest" which he will leave to my brother and me, but from what I can tell the plots are literally forest. So, I don't know how useful that will be.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

My dad lived in Pahoa for a while; he tired of it for whatever reason (too much weed culture? I dunno) and eventually moved to Thailand. (Where things are quite inexpensive.) He recently told me he has a couple of plots in "Fern Forest" which he will leave to my brother and me, but from what I can tell the plots are literally forest. So, I don't know how useful that will be.

Things will change in 15-20 years, but Mrs. A and I are looking seriously at Lisbon for retirement. The cost of living is low enough that even very conservative estimates of our retirement income should let us live there comfortably. And we will have easy access to the rest of the EU for travel. And a day to day life of going to the beach and having cheap wine and seafood ain't bad.

[BishopMVP]

I really like Charlotte, at least for this stage of my life. Perfect sized city, younger population, plenty to do here but not an overwhelmingly big city with terrible traffic like the northeastern ones. 90 minute drive to the mountains, 2 to the beaches, couple big lakes next door if that's too far. San Diego/Austin or SA/Denver/Nashville were the other ones I considered when I made the decision to leave Boston (at least for awhile.)

Depending on if/who I end up with as a wife & a career, part of me would love to end up in a place like Jackson Hole or Whitefish MT.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

Things will change in 15-20 years, but Mrs. A and I are looking seriously at Lisbon for retirement. The cost of living is low enough that even very conservative estimates of our retirement income should let us live there comfortably. And we will have easy access to the rest of the EU for travel. And a day to day life of going to the beach and having cheap wine and seafood ain't bad.

Went last February. Amazing city.

[Scarecrow]

Zephyr Cove, NV - more specific THIS PLACE!!!

On the beach of Lake Tahoe, and only 5 miles from Heavenly Ski Resort.

[sterlingice]

I'd create a giant dimensional portal and get the hell out of this timeline.

SI

[Gallifrey]

After having traveled almost everywhere in the USA and many places overseas my wife and I would choose one of many small towns in Denmark, Sweden or Norway. I personally love Heidelberg, Germany for anywhere in the world too.

[Young Drachma]

Still working on the Helsinki thing, but I've lived everywhere I intended to already. I mean, the real deal would be to have two places and split my time...but it doesn't make sense right now. Perhaps someday tho.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by Kodos

If money is no option, I would choose Maui. Best place I have ever been to.

Otherwise, I want somewhere out of the snow belt. I've lived in places like Chicago and Rochester, NY, where winter REALLY sucks. I want to never see another snowflake in the air. I also want somewhere that is cosmopolitan. When I was single, I wanted to move to Atlanta. Now, I would need to research Washington and Oregon and places out west before deciding. I could bear like a month of winter each year...

In truth, I'm hoping to move somewhere with my college friends after we retire. There has been some talk of doing that. It's hard to make new friends as an adult, and it'd be great to regroup with the best friends I've ever had.

Good friend of mine (who passed away in January) grew up in Buffalo, NY and lived just south of Columbia, SC when we met. I asked him once how he found the small town he lived in when he moved from Buffalo and over the years I heard him tell the story several times. I can promise its original to him (sounds like a great stand up comic line) but hes the first I heard it from.

Said after 24 years of Buffalo winters he loaded everything he could fit into his 1975 Chevy blazer said it was late spring time but he hooked up his snow plow anyway. Said his old blazer needed gas every 2 hours or so. Said he would always make it a point to point out his blazer to the cashier. Said somewhere around Greensboro, NC someone asked "what the heck is that thing on the front of your truck" said he drive 2 more hours to be safe and started looking for a house.

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

I really like Charlotte, at least for this stage of my life. Perfect sized city, younger population, plenty to do here but not an overwhelmingly big city with terrible traffic like the northeastern ones. 90 minute drive to the mountains, 2 to the beaches, couple big lakes next door if that's too far. San Diego/Austin or SA/Denver/Nashville were the other ones I considered when I made the decision to leave Boston (at least for awhile.)

Depending on if/who I end up with as a wife & a career, part of me would love to end up in a place like Jackson Hole or Whitefish MT.

My man, if you make it from Charlotte to any beach in 2 hours you are in a Helicopter.

Cody, Wyoming
Billings, MT
Moab, UT
Are my current wants...

[Chief Rum]

I am heavily considering working towards a full time RV life.