I just took this quiz, and it’s kind of fun…you answer the survey and they give you a list of “ideal” communities. There are lots of these on the web, but this is one of the best I’ve seen because it asks a lot of detailed questions about your lifestyle and preferences and allows you to grade your answers (from “agree strongly” to “disagree strongly”). What’s really fun is to take it several times, changing the parameters (such as from “major metropolitan city” to “small town” or the housing cost parameters). Unfortunately, it doesn’t ask two very important questions (in my book): “Are there any good vegetarian restaurants?” and “What’s the Celtic music scene like?” But what the heck…nothing’s perfect!
Cool. My top pick was Seward, Alaska. Might have to go there. Lander wasn’t in the running but Sheridan, Wyoming, where I lived before moving here, was second so I guess I’m doing OK.
I think if I were going to relocate somewhere ideal, I’d look for:
(1) Somewhere the roads don’t freeze over in the wintertime, and strand everybody. Somewhere the trees don’t freeze and knock the power lines out. Somewhere the pipes don’t freeze and cut off the water supply. Somewhere it isn’t burning hot on a January morning, and a blizzard two hours later.
(2) Somewhere that you don’t get blown away in the springtime.
(3) Somewhere that it isn’t 116°F and 89% humidity in the summertime.
My top spots were mainly in the Southwest…primarily, I think, because of the housing cost parameters I plugged in, which ruled out most of California. I got Phoenix, Scottsdale, Las Vegas and Albuquerque (can you tell I hate the cold and wet?).
I live in California. I have vowed to NEVER live East of Ol’ Missip.
All but one of the recommended locations was East of that dang river. Only one was out west. At least THAT was a place we have considered moving to in the past!
I had to do a bit of fiddling to get Santa Cruz to pop up…basically, I had to tell it that I wanted a beach and was willing to pay $350,000+ for a house (oy!). Even then, for some reason, Santa Barbara popped up first…maybe I neglected to tell it that I prefer my beaches without off-shore oil wells!
Hmmm…I wonder if I REALLY tweaked it, if I could get Felton (the tiny mountain town near us) to pop up…
Wow, I apparently really need to be in Texas (it gave me 5 cities there, plus two in Oklahoma and two in Arizona) or Florida (also five cities). It didn’t give me anything even remotely near where I live. But I like it here!!
I just took the quiz and it gave me choices that seem pretty awful to me.
So I’m going to Monterey anyhow. I went to grad school there and fell in love with the place…but could never afford to live there now. :roll:
Mine were mostly in Alaska, with a few Montana, Wyoming, and Washington locations thrown in. Interesting. I’ve never been to Alaska. Any Chiffers up there? I might need a place to stay……
But what the heck…nothing’s perfect!
but Sheridan, Wyoming, where I lived before moving here, was second so I guess I’m doing OK. 
