best city in america

[aaronc879]

Sorry, my mind must be going, hopefully not too late. As marquette pointed out, the city is Plymouth, MN. Yes ziggy, there is no one best city. I agree. Although if it wasn't so *&!! cold here in the winter I wouldn't be looking to move. As far as living in the suburbs, it depends on what you're looking for. Open spaces yet close enough to a metro. area and university. It could be worse.

I agree, the problem with the MN and WI area is the exteme cold in the winter. Otherwise they'd be at the top of nearly anyones list. I live 5 minutes from a lake (Lake Winnebago) that is very recreation-friendly and only a little over an hour from Lake Michigan. Low crime, low pollution, low traffic, and affordable prices. A nice home on the lake can be had starting at $250K. BUT, and that's a big but, winter lasts for 4+ months and is nearly intolerable. I don't know how they could put any snow-belt city at the top of the list. That makes it so unappealing to so many people that it should be disqualified immediately.

 

[aaronc879]

Since we're discussing temps. Which is worse. Freezing cold in MN in the winter or Steaming hot in FL or AZ in the summer? I say the heat is worse because you can always put on another layer of clothing to stay warm if it's cold but you can only take off so much and you're still hot.

Living in WI I am exposed to extreme heat as well as extreme cold. It does hit 90 with 60%+ humidity in the summer which some may say is worse than the 110 dry heat in AZ. Although the 90 with humidity is uncomfortable the -10 with -40+ windchill is down right painful for me. So I very, very much prefer the hot over the cold.

 

[unclemick]

I agree, the problem with the MN and WI area is the exteme cold in the winter. Otherwise they'd be at the top of nearly anyones list. I live 5 minutes from a lake (Lake Winnebago) that is very recreation-friendly and only a little over an hour from Lake Michigan. Low crime, low pollution, low traffic, and affordable prices. A nice home on the lake can be had starting at $250K. BUT, and that's a big but, winter lasts for 4+ months and is nearly intolerable. I don't know how they could put any snow-belt city at the top of the list. That makes it so unappealing to so many people that it should be disqualified immediately.

Pinochle cures winter - double deck if you can get enough people.

Of course my ancient ancestors were from upper Michigan and held strange views - down south was Detroit.

heh heh heh - The MN branch(by Sis's marriage) always claimed a trip to Vegas helped the winter blues.

 

[CuppaJoe]

Living in WI I am exposed to extreme heat as well as extreme cold. It does hit 90 with 60%+ humidity in the summer which some may say is worse than the 110 dry heat in AZ. Although the 90 with humidity is uncomfortable the -10 with -40+ windchill is down right painful for me. So I very, very much prefer the hot over the cold.

Don't forget the BUGS to rival anything found in the Lone Star State!

 

[aaronc879]

Don't forget the BUGS to rival anything found in the Lone Star State!

You mean these bugs?
LAKEFLIES ATTACK!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!! on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[aaronc879]

Pinochle cures winter - double deck if you can get enough people.

Of course my ancient ancestors were from upper Michigan and held strange views - down south was Detroit.

heh heh heh - The MN branch(by Sis's marriage) always claimed a trip to Vegas helped the winter blues.

I went to Vegas in Feb a couple years ago to get away from the cold and it was in the 30's with a cold wind. Not what I expected.

 

[CuppaJoe]

You mean these bugs?
LAKEFLIES ATTACK!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!! on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I remember those and the mosquitoes and the clouds of little ones you inhale.

 

[harley]

They've obviously never been to Plymouth.

and I question them choosing suburbs. If someone came over here for the best small city in America and wound up in Plymouth or Chaska, I think they'd want a refund.

I question them regarding suburbs too. And when I looked at the 100 best list they had Hunter Mill VA listed. Not even a suburb, it's just a neighborhood within a suburb. Very weird choices.

Harley

 

[aaronc879]

I question them regarding suburbs too. And when I looked at the 100 best list they had Hunter Mill VA listed. Not even a suburb, it's just a neighborhood within a suburb. Very weird choices.

Harley

Hunter Mill has a population of nearly 125,000 people. Hardly a "neighborhood". I chose to live in the city i'm in because I didn't want to move to the " big city" of 60,000 to the north. Whether you're talking about temperature or population everything is very relative. Opinions very greatly from person to person.

 

[harley]

Hunter Mill has a population of nearly 125,000 people. Hardly a "neighborhood". I chose to live in the city i'm in because I didn't want to move to the " big city" of 60,000 to the north. Whether you're talking about temperature or population everything is very relative. Opinions very greatly from person to person.

My mistake, sort of. They aren't talking about the real Hunter Mill area, they are talking about a district within Fairfax County VA. They also list Sully. These are both gerrymandered rich districts within the county. Nice places, but I still can't see how they would qualify as cities or towns. Both contain other cities (Vienna, Chantilly, Centreville, etc.) I just don't understand Money's criteria.

 

[HFWR]

I noted both Roundrock, TX and Naperville, IL on the list. Somewhat like my 'burb, they're well-to-do, but if you have to commute, gawd help you...

 

[haha]

One thing I have noticed since moving to the central city- there is way less traffic. Traffic and rush hour are for the most part suburban phenomena.

It's always a tradeoff, but as long as I can avoid areas of major personal crime I prefer big cities, especially ones with an old urban core laid down before cars were common.

Ha

 

[lynxville]

Born and raised in the Midwest, I can honestly say I hate winter. So to solve the hot summer and below zero winter dilema, I am buying a house in Florida for winter and keep my cabin in the Midwest for summer.

I'll pick my favorite city to live not some magazine.

 

[Tom52]

I live in Naperville, IL which is number 3 on the list. It has probably been in the top 5 most years in one poll or another. Please don't move here it is already too crowded and the traffic is terrible. Oh, yeah, property taxes and housing are very expensive by midwest standards. If it weren't for the j*b I would have left years ago. Also you pay a premium for you gasoline too. You pay a premium for every possible service because the trades know you got it and they are going to get it.

They have a good school system, they should since teachers probably make $100,000+ per year. You better make that much if you expect to live here. I warned you!

 

[REWahoo]

I tried that approach Tom and it doesn't work very well...

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

So here I am approaching ER, trying to decide where I would like to live after retiring, when lo and behold MONEY mag. decides I am already living in the best city. Now MONEY is not held in the highest esteem on this forum, but it was still quite a surprise they would pick a city up here on the frozen tundra.

MN54, you're wrong. MONEY has attained god-like status on this forum. Well, at least 4% SWR of MONYE has. Just kidding. I see that Fort Collins is listed as a great place to live. I'm not surprised. I really enjoyed my 5 years there as an outdoors nut. The cultural activities aren't too bad. CSU puts on a decent concert series, and there's live music in downtown bars every weekend, and the microbrewery scene is very much alive. The only down side is that the major airport is 75 minutes away door to door if you drive fast. If you take the shuttle, it could be 90 minutes to 2 hours away. Now that FC has been picked by both Money and Forbes magazine, Swamy sees more traffic jams ahead.

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

Since we're discussing temps. Which is worse. Freezing cold in MN in the winter or Steaming hot in FL or AZ in the summer? I say the heat is worse because you can always put on another layer of clothing to stay warm if it's cold but you can only take off so much and you're still hot.

Hmm....hot weather where women take off as much as they can. I wouldn't complain about that vs. northern winters where all the hot chicks are bundled up like penguins.

 

[unclemick]

I tried that approach Tom and it doesn't work very well...

How about: they are predicting a bad tornado season in Tonganoxie next year!

Wouldn't something like that slow em down?

I mean scorpions are - well, so little!

heh heh heh - one guy at the doughnut shop had a friend bitten by a Brown Recluse the other week. But they aren't evacuating Kansas City yet.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Hmm....hot weather where women take off as much as they can. I wouldn't complain about that vs. northern winters where all the hot chicks are bundled up like penguins.

Hmm but northern chicks know how to keep you warm at night

 

[W2R]

So here I am approaching ER, trying to decide where I would like to live after retiring, when lo and behold MONEY mag. decides I am already living in the best city. Now MONEY is not held in the highest esteem on this forum, but it was still quite a surprise they would pick a city up here on the frozen tundra.

It was interesting to me that their Top 100 did not include ANY communities in Louisiana or Arkansas. The only locations they selected in Missouri are suburbs clustered around St. Louis or Kansas City.

One of the most appealing towns I have ever seen was not included: Huntsville, Alabama. Also not included were Springfield, Missouri (our tentative ER location), and Hot Springs, Arkansas, both of which are delightful communities as well.

I enjoy articles like this, because they reinforce the observation that different people are looking for different attributes in their "Top 100". That is reassuring to us. We are hoping to quietly fit into the existing community as it is, rather than finding ourselves in someone else's idea of a "retirement mecca".

 

[ziggy29]

It was interesting to me that their Top 100 did not include ANY communities in Louisiana or Arkansas. The only locations they selected in Missouri are suburbs clustered around St. Louis or Kansas City.

Looking more closely at the list, it's decidedly NOT a list for retirees. It seems to be the "best suburbs for dual-income yuppie couples to raise kids."

Most of the cities listed are indeed suburbs, and fairly pricey ones to boot. Many retirees are looking for low cost of living, particularly housing prices and taxes, and not so much the quality of the schools which this list seems to put a heavy emphasis on.

 

[haha]

Most of the cities listed are indeed suburbs, and fairly pricey ones to boot. Many retirees are looking for low cost of living, particularly housing prices and taxes, and not so much the quality of the schools which this list seems to put a heavy emphasis on.

Unless you are moving to an age controlled retirement village, the quality of the schools is important even if you have no kids. The reason is that school quality strongly feeds into neighborhood quality, which strongly feeds into population demographics, which feeds into crime, which feeds into happiness in living there.

Also, good schools are a powerful anchor to support real estate prices when the market is soft.

Ha

 

[ziggy29]

Unless you are moving to an age controlled retirement village, the quality of the schools is important even if you have no kids. The reason is that school quality strongly feeds into neighborhood quality, which strongly feeds into population demographics, which feeds into crime, which feeds into happiness in living there.

Also, good schools are a powerful anchor to support real estate prices when the market is soft.

Fair enough, but in terms of what's most important to typical retirees, it's likely a bit lower on the list than this particular piece made it.

 

[mb]

Born and raised in the Midwest, I can honestly say I hate winter. So to solve the hot summer and below zero winter dilema, I am buying a house in Florida for winter and keep my cabin in the Midwest for summer.

I'll pick my favorite city to live not some magazine.

Or you could just buy one house in California. Opps, forgot, you can buy a house in FL and another in the midwest and perhaps another one in the middle so you don't have to do the drive in just one day for the price of one CA house.

MB

 

[mn54]

Hmm but northern chicks know how to keep you warm at night

I'll second that. Nothing like warming up by the fireplace when it's cold outside.