If you could pick up and move.....

[VTKilarney]

Not sure how close Sacramento is to that but I lived there for a few years and couldn't wait to get back to New England. That was before I took up skiing, however...

I'm not a huge city fan, so Sacramento may be tough, but Placerville and Camino look pretty ideal for me (at least on paper). Small populations and winter average high temps in the 50's. Both towns are on the doorstep to the Sierra Nevada.

 

[Smellytele]

I'm not a huge city fan, so Sacramento may be tough, but Placerville and Camino look pretty ideal for me (at least on paper). Small populations and winter average high temps in the 50's. Both towns are on the doorstep to the Sierra Nevada.

I would not want to live in Sacramento. It can be awful hot in the summer.

 

[SIKSKIER]

Pretty tough to beat an hour to beautifull lakes,the ocean,the mountains and the big city.NH has a lot to offer.

 

[dlague]

I lived in SoCal for 5 years. If it's just about the skiing, it's glorified east coast skiing at best, minus big powder days. The terrain is not terribly difficult either. Only plus would be that you're anywhere from 5-7 hours from mammoth which is the closest to real skiing in my book, or if you're into terrain parks there are a ton at big bear, which is essentially one giant terrain park.

Been there done that too! I lived in Riverside County for 7 years.

This is true - it is like New England skiing with one exception - within 45 minutes you can be golfing. Additionally, you can be hitting the beach in March at - lets pick Laguna and the next day be skiing Snow Summit. It is pretty cool! Then again that area is not all that it appears to be - traffic really sucks, Santa Ana Winds can be brutal on your car, lots and lots of graffiti. lots of homeless folks, housing expensive, taxes are high (income and sales), etc. Places like Hollywood are very dirty!

There are some pluses though - lots to do!

 

[dlague]

I have never been out west - I have always dreamed of living in CO and even interviewed for a job out there but I soon realized that housing is not cheap! Any premonitions towards something out west would solely be based on the skiing that I read about! Otherwise maybe Tahoe!

I like New England though! At this time I have access to many ski areas within relatively short driving distances and I am OK with that!

 

[skiNEwhere]

I have never been out west - I have always dreamed of living in CO and even interviewed for a job out there but I soon realized that housing is not cheap! Any premonitions towards something out west would solely be based on the skiing that I read about! Otherwise maybe Tahoe!

I like New England though! At this time I have access to many ski areas within relatively short driving distances and I am OK with that!

Depends on location. If you're trying to find someplace cheap in Summit county, you'll be SOL. But if you live in Clear Creek County, which is the next county over and where I lay my head at night, you can find reasonable house prices, and be 20 minutes from Loveland, 35 from a-basin, 40 from keystone, etc.

Don't want to go off on a tangent, but if you want any more info feel free to PM me

 

[deadheadskier]

Pretty tough to beat an hour to beautifull lakes,the ocean,the mountains and the big city.NH has a lot to offer.

This. No desire to leave NH.

As I was discussing with Edd one day, NH is not the best place to be for anything. But its a damn fine place to be for Everything.

 

[skiNEwhere]

I love NH. Where else can you buy liquor like candy without getting off the interstate?

 

[skiNEwhere]

Found the video that sums up why NH is awesome

 

[steamboat1]

http://www.gallup.com/poll/168770/half-illinois-connecticut-move-elsewhere.aspx

 

[VTKilarney]

I've spent quite a bit of time in states such as NM, CO, WY, ID, NV, and MT. Utah and Northern California are the two big holes in my travel resume. When I was younger, each time I would go out west I anticipated that I would decide to move there. And yet I never returned from a trip out west feeling that way.

Why? Well... let's be clear about one thing. There is so much about the Rockies that is AWESOME. I don't mean to understate that one bit. But... each and every time I went out west I would say to myself, "You better like living here, because there isn't anything else nearby." This may have been a slight exaggeration, but compared to New England it is a very valid observation. New England has an AMAZING amount of places within just a short drive.

Having said that, I did not see New Mexico until I was settled in New England. Sante Fe, New Mexico is the one place that I would have chosen over New England had I visited there when I was younger. The weather is perfect (true four seasons without a terribly cold winter), the natural surroundings are stunning, skiing is nearby, it's got loads of history, and the Native American culture is vibrant (just spend a day in Browning, MT and you will know what I mean). Albuquerque is a short drive away for a big city fix. The only thing Santa Fe lacks is ocean.

For me, Rockies versus New England is an easy choice. A much harder choice, however, is Europe versus New England. Europe has loads of similarities, but has bigger and better ski areas, fantastic public transportation, and unmatched history and art. From a city like Turin (which is admittedly industrial) it is a SHORT ride to skiing. The Italian Riviera is two hours or less away, and it is three hours or less to the Lake Region, Milan, Monaco, and loads of other great places.

Since I am a dual citizen, Europe is a very likely retirement choice. I'm also hoping that my children consider living in Europe when they are old enough. They can live and work anywhere in the EU with no restrictions, so they have a lot of opportunities. Oh, and did I mention that they can attend college anywhere int he EU at the local (resident) rate? More and more full-English college programs are cropping up each year, especially in the Netherlands and Scandanavia. Tuition is DIRT cheap - usually about $2,500 USD per year.

 

[Cannonball]

Sante Fe, New Mexico is the one place that I would have chosen over New England had I visited there when I was younger. The weather is perfect (true four seasons without a terribly cold winter), the natural surroundings are stunning, skiing is nearby, it's got loads of history, and the Native American culture is vibrant (just spend a day in Browning, MT and you will know what I mean). Albuquerque is a short drive away for a big city fix. The only thing Santa Fe lacks is ocean.

I've spent a fair amount of time in the Adobe theme park known as Santa Fe. I've been there at all times of year. The only variation I noticed was 'dry and hot' vs 'dry and warm'. If that fits your definition of seasons, and if the strip malls of Albuquerque serve as enough of a city for you then SF wouldn't be a terrible spot to spend more than a week.

 

[VTKilarney]

I've spent a fair amount of time in the Adobe theme park known as Santa Fe. I've been there at all times of year. The only variation I noticed was 'dry and hot' vs 'dry and warm'. If that fits your definition of seasons, and if the strip malls of Albuquerque serve as enough of a city for you then SF wouldn't be a terrible spot to spend more than a week.

Maybe my perception was off since I just happened to be there during a cold week with some snowfall. The only time I spent in ABQ was to drive to and from the airport. I guess I might have dodged a bullet! The bulk of my time was in less desirable parts of the state.

What about Ruidoso?

 

[Cannonball]

What about Ruidoso?

"You better like living here, because there isn't anything else nearby." x10

Not my cup of tea. My dad has long been obsessed with Alamagordo though. So to each their own.

 

[hammer]

I would not want to live in Sacramento. It can be awful hot in the summer.

Yup, good point...average highs in the low 90s which are somewhat tolerable with the lower humidity, but it's not uncommon to get in the 100s which is bad even if it's bone dry. Most interesting weather is in the winter and spring (valley fog excluded). Biggest detractor we saw was an overall lack of community feel, and the crime didn't help either...

 

[jimk]

I'm not a huge city fan, so Sacramento may be tough, but Placerville and Camino look pretty ideal for me (at least on paper). Small populations and winter average high temps in the 50's. Both towns are on the doorstep to the Sierra Nevada.

A few years back I looked into this. Checked weather averages, etc., asked other folks, and made a list for the best places in the US for the following combo: warmest winter temps and closest proximity to world class skiing. The California foothills between Sacramento and Tahoe came out on top. This was about the time of the recession and big US real estate crash. Sacramento region had a ton of foreclosures and 50-60% drop in home values. So much for paradise. Although I guess maybe there was a window of opportunity there we missed?;-)

I am nearing the point where I could pick up and move. But the wife is not fully onboard. Funny, after considering all the skier stuff like best mtns, most snow, closest airports, it might come down to non-skier stuff like most compatible culture, arts, and faith community??

 

[Smellytele]

Yup, good point...average highs in the low 90s which are somewhat tolerable with the lower humidity, but it's not uncommon to get in the 100s which is bad even if it's bone dry. Most interesting weather is in the winter and spring (valley fog excluded). Biggest detractor we saw was an overall lack of community feel, and the crime didn't help either...

Also I do not like they way it is brown in the winter

 

[abc]

Also I do not like they way it is brown in the winter

That goes with a lot of the "warm in the winter" western candidates!

If you want it to be warm enough to not have snow covered (white) in the winter, it'll be brown...

The only part that can still be green will be ON the coast, like Vancouver, Seattle etc. But some consider those not close enough to the mountain.

 

[VTKilarney]

The one complaint I have with the Northeast is how the clouds can linger. Out west, when a snowstorm is over, the sun comes out. We can go days here without seeing the sun.

 

[Savemeasammy]

Tahoe. Mild winters. Mild summers. Awesome skiing (unless it doesn't snow!)

I'm happy in New England, though. I could just do without the brutal cold!


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