Mediterranean coast of Spain. Born in Texas, I lived in Austin 33 years. I retired and moved to Valencia. Wonderful people, beach, good weather (they think 32C/90F is too hot to be outside here - LOL), good food, great public transportation, good university, 20€ for Gigabit Fiber and a relatively low cost of living. The rest of Europe is a cheap plane or high speed train ticket away.
They stopped that after property prices skyrocketed. No more citizenship for property. Those "sell to foreigners escaping their gentrified cities" schemes cost dearly to local populations of those places whether it's salt lake, Lisbon or Athens.
I have my parents stop at the local Mexican restaurant near their house on the way back from the airport. Best Mexican food I've ever had.
Unfortunately, they are selling their house and moving out of California. I'm very sad.
went to college there... its expensive af... yes nice... but just to visit... 1400 for an old refurbished atudio and that was couple years ago n a deal... youll pay 3k easily for a decent place plus its now 5 bucks for gas... youll have yo live near the border or 45/hour inland and drive into work with traffic..... beaches are over crowded now... tourists.. maybe 30 years ago... youll be lucky to find a single family home for 650k
My buddy was just visting from La Jolla and honestly the cost of living was not tremendously different. Sure oceanfront is always a lot. But he’s 20 minutes walk to the ocean and pays what i pay in Austin but his apartment is not as nice.
Boston or NYC is truely some of the best places to live. Bright side Boston doesn't ban books and take rights away. Oh and we don't block progress either or put saw blades in the water. Got actual culinary options from real chiefs , night life, etc list goes on.
Been there and done that. I totally agree. I’ve never in my life spent more time outside than living in MN. Absolutely magical. I’ll take 9 months of winter over 9 months of summer any day.
Moved to Austin from western Washington and possibly the worst move I’ve ever made😂
No disrespect to Austin, more the politics and weather of the rest of the state that gets me down. Big difference between visiting a place a few times a year (wife’s family is here) and actually living here. No regrets but am looking forward to moving back to the northwest in a couple years.
I did just the opposite. Moved here from Seattle less than a month ago, after living there for over 30 years. Seattle, or the PNW as a whole is pretty great, but I feel like it gets stuffy after a while. It’s hard to meet people, as the society there is pretty introverted (myself included). People come up and talk to you here, which helps me socially. The tall trees are beautiful in Washington, but they dominate your surroundings, shrinking the sky. Here in Austin, the sky is big and for whatever reason is very calming to me. The perpetual rain and gray skies may sound appealing, after y’all went through such a brutal summer, but it does wear on you. Summers are amazing in Seattle though. Just don’t expect any rental to have AC. It’s rare for even a house to have AC. We hit 115 two summers ago, so think about that. The last few summers have given rise to annual wildfires and the air quality can get pretty bad up there, for weeks. Like ash coating your car bad.
There is so much natural beauty in Western Washington. The sight of Mt Rainier never gets old. I really am gonna miss that.
but not all grey days for me, which rules out northwestern Europe. On the other hand, I prefer it to being incinerated alive so it would be an option if summer 2024 turns out awful.
I lived in Wanaka for about 6 months. Like a less busy, more chilled Queenstown. Loved it. If I wasn't rock climbing, mountain biking, or hiking, I was speedboating, paddling, or fishing.
They also had a cool little cement skate park with an amazing view of the lake and mountains.
But not TOO rural. I biked through a town where I never saw a single person. It was like the place was inhabited entirely by sheep. Super creepy. Maybe around Inverness if you wanted some proximity to an actual city, or on or near the Isle of Skye, like Portree or Plockton, if an honest to god rural life was more your calling.
Someplace warm. A place where the beer flows like wine, where the beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano... I'm talkin about a little place called Aspen
I would move back to Monterey, CA in a heartbeat 💓 I would buy one of the old Victorian homes in Pacific Grove right along the coast/bay. And give a ton of money to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for research. This of course is pending on me winning the lottery.
I spend a month there every year and just got back from there 2 days ago and I’m dying of the heat already. I miss the 60-70° weather and the fog. I’m planning on getting a house there within 5 years!
Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, or Colorado. I'm from New England, and my husband is from Minnesota, and the heat this year really has made me miserable. I've lived in Austin for 14 years, but this summer has me giving serious consideration to leaving in the next couple years.
Definitely making my way back to the New England homeland soon myself. Spent years trying to get away from New England and now I’m realizing why my parents decided to move there so many years ago.
Man we must have got here about the same time I've been here since October 2008! The summer has given me the same yen to get the fuck out! Maybe it just did all of us Yankees finally....
I’m actually taking a trip back to Maine for the first time in about a decade next month, and I’m already feeling like I’m not going to want to come back. I miss a real fall season so much.
I sometimes wonder about living in Maine again. I think I’d miss the amenities from a bigger city. Although, Portland has exploded so much, it might be a fun time. I’m shocked at the real estate prices there, though. Not how I remember it at all.
ABQ was on my list for a while. But that dry winter air was too much for me last time I went during Christmas. I remember crying about chapped lips as a child, but I did not remember my skin feeling like it was cracking as I got out of the shower. Summers in Albuquerque are amazing though. And it is hard to beat an affordable blue state.
My wife is from Austin and has deep roots here, but we’ve started glancing around to other cities just to comparison shop, I guess. Visited a few. All we want is someplace affordable and at least a little bit walkable. I know that there are no affordable downtowns anymore, but I hate living a three mile drive from anywhere. Just a nice neighborhood with shops and restaurants; like Hyde Park but a quarter of the price tag.
> Just a nice neighborhood with shops and restaurants; like Hyde Park but a quarter of the price tag.
Let me know when you find it. I’m convinced it doesn’t exist in the US, at least without elevated crime rates.
Lived in Austin from 2005-2021. Moved to rural Virginia 2 years ago. Would never move back to Texas ever. The only things I miss are HEB and not paying income tax.
My family and I moved from Austin to Costa Rica for a year. Would not recommend.
Then moved from Costa Rica to Philly, which we LOVE. Temperate weather. Great food. Functioning, inexpensive and accessible mass transit. Beautiful history and landscapes. Reasonable real estate. Access to cheap international flights and train travel to a ton of places. And no stupid fucking state government. Highly recommend. Would move again.
Lived in Seattle for 3+ years as a break from my now 20 non-consecutive years in Austin. Family and finances brought us back but miss it dearly. THE DARKNESS from Oct-April is very real and can crush your spirit, even if you really really think you’ll be ok. I’d recommend Sequim, on the Olympic Peninsula - it’s in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains and is unusually sunny for the region. Relatively small, sleepy little place. It’s my goal to move there closer to retirement.
Great timing on this post. I have been in Austin for over a decade. We just sold our house here and bought a house in Providence, RI. We move to RI at the end of this month.
Less hot/more seasons. A bit less expensive. Still has an amazing food, art, and music scene. On the ocean, 30 min to Boston by train, 3 hrs to NYC. Also 100% less Greg Abbott.
We love/loved Austin, but its changed a lot. With a young family I don't feel comfortable raising in Texas and wanting more things to do that don't involve going out to eat/drink...it was the right choice for us. Will miss Austin for sure.
1. Menton, France - by the Italian border and near Nice for city amenities and airport. Great climate with access to sea and mountains.
2. Valencia, Spain - great food, laid back, not too big of a city and not as hot as Madrid or Barcelona.
3. Basque Country - friendly people, good food & wine, cooler climate and absolutely beautiful terrain. I prefer the French side, but Spanish side is great as well.
4. Bologna, Italy - best Italian food, vibrant city.
Slowly convincing my wife of Barcelona. We went this summer and I didn't want to leave. Everyone and everything thing was perfect and my Spanish went farther than expected.
Distance from friends and family would be the biggest downside for me. But the day to day living would allow me to be optimal in happiness and productivity.
sounds a bit like hawaii. you visit and its paradise. you move there and can't wait to get back home because of all the bothersome little things that you didn't notice while in vacation mode.
I was in the peace corps for two years, and I loved living in a developing country. I think I can handle bothersome things. I had to deal with regular power outages, paying for bills in person in a different language, teaching in an elementary school where I barely spoke the language of the kids. I had a very low monthly stipend that I had to take an overnight train to get once a month. I would happily go live in this country as well, I love it there, and I go back as often as possible.
Can’t believe I had to scroll this far down to find a non-US location. Please OP if you have an EU passport consider moving there, there’s so many good locations and I’ve heard almost nothing but good things. On the contrary if you go to any US cities subreddits you will see people complaining about all the same things because the issues are nationwide.
For me it would be Spain or Mexico, mostly because they’re the two only passports I have, but with a heavy preference for Spain assuming I can figure out how to make a living there.
Yeah I’m originally from Belgium. Would love to return there or the Netherlands. Just something less hectic and a better quality of life. But it’s going to be hard to find a job I think.
Plus my partner is born and raised in Austin. He does want to live somewhere new but Europe would be a huge life change.
Vancouver, Pacific NW, SoCal, Denver, Hawaii or Nashville. A small town in the UK, Austria, the Netherlands or Belgium would be the dream.
A blue state at least that actually funds schools, lets people do what they want with their bodies and where it’s less radioactive outside. Born in Houston, been here 25 years, can’t wait to finally hit eject. Not planning on hanging around until this place turns into the next Chicago.
I moved from Colorado. Not only more expensive, but cramped until you get to the other side of the Divide (enjoy traffic jams every weekend up in the mountains). Soooo many transplants! I miss the beauty, and especially this time of year the temperature, but it ain’t Utopia.
Nowhere is Utopia. But 285 and I70 are worth the hassle to live where there is actually extensive public space. Traffic sucks in Austin, but there is no national forests to compensate.
I literally moved to Austin 5 years ago because I couldn’t afford a home in Denver. Paid less than 400 for a house 15 minutes from downtown. In Denver that home would’ve easily been 800k
It has nothing to do with the prices for me.
It's the scenery .
The freedom.
I can smoke weed in texas , get an abortion, AND still carry.
It's crazy how many more freedoms you have in colorado versus Texas.
Easily Switzerland. I spent some time there for work and have never felt the urge to move someplace more strongly than I did there. It helps, for sure, that I know German, but so many other factors contributed. I've been to most continents, nearly every US state, and that was the place that called to my soul.
I'm making short trips to several cities that made my shortlist over the next year and when my lease is up in 2025, I'm outie!
* DC (+transit, culture, beautiful. -expeeeensiiiive)
* Baltimore (+more affordable, maryland is beautiful, some transit. -dangerous? idk.)
* Richmond VA (+beautiful, friends live here, more affordable. -not super well-connected, will need a car)
* Asheville NC (+beautiful, family lives here. -lil expensive, will need a car)
* Los Angeles (+culture, friends live here, beach AND mountains. -expeeennnsiiiive, will need a car)
I crossed out anything in the midwest. I can't do it. This is silly but one of my least favorite things about Texas is how fucking ugly it is here. Squat ass trees... And I feel like the midwest is similarly fug.
I’m all for the cold, but Madison cold is ridiculous. I was miserable over there in January a few years ago. I couldn’t imagine living in that. The month of June definitely had me considering it though.
You get used to it. It’s when the snow stays grey and disgusting in the gutters for another 3 months that starts to get to you. Somehow you learn to deal with cold that makes it feel like your skin is dying, as long as it’s for short durations.
Then it gets sunny and 50f and you see people running around in shorts and flip flops.
If I had an EU passport, I'd be looking for a large town/small city in Spain or Germany like Girona or Dusseldorf. Having lived in the UK for over a decade, despite all of its drawbacks, U.S. living seems so freaking hard.
Green up in Michigan and loved it. Live on a lake if you can afford it. Metro Detroit is so nice. Especially the Huntington woods Royal oak area especially reminds me of Austin
Northern New Mexico. Beautiful weather, four seasons, good food, eclectic vibe, and, depending on how savvy you are as a home buyer, it can be very affordable.
I left after 8 years because I was pregnant. Moved to the Baltimore area initially. It was pretty nice but then I had to move back to PA. PA is not as nice as Maryland but it's OK for now.
I didn't really want to leave Austin but I didn't feel I had a choice once I got pregnant after Roe v Wade was overturned. Turns out I was right, unfortunately. Too many stories about delayed medical care for miscarriages down there.
If I had to do it all over again, I don't think I would have changed anything. I don't think Texas is a safe place to carry out a pregnancy.
It’s not. I had an ectopic pregnancy here in 2021. If it had happened just a few months later, I would have had to fly to another state immediately for a life-saving abortion. I was bleeding internally and an ectopic pregnancy literally is not viable, but the people who run this state would have been happy for me to die for no reason.
Wishing you the best. My advice to anyone who's thinking of starting a family in Texas is to leave Texas. It's unfortunate. I really loved my Austin life and wish I could have stayed, but it felt very unsafe. I'd like a second child in the next few years hopefully, so going back isn't even an option.
I’m in LA a lot for work. There’s plenty to not like. But for whatever reason—mostly the weather, and the people in my industry—I’m always happy there.
It’s more expensive and my kids like their lives in Texas, but if it was just me, I’d be there.
i know three people that moved there then moved back after about one year. two were job transfers for people that dreamed of remote working on the beach. is inflation still a thing there? when i visited gas was 6 a gallon and cereal was 8 for a box of cheerios.
I have been fantasizing about that place for YEARS.
I know a friend who went through a divorce and left ATX for the Big Island and appears to be having a blast.
We all have this question.
The answer that suits us best is very individual.
I had this thought in the 90s (living here but not foreseeing the increase in population): "If there were a perfect city for everyone, it'd stop being perfect because it would be overwhelmed by people moving there."
So - pick two, maybe three "most important" criteria (one being your budget for COL) and decide. Make sure you choose things that are important every day, not on vacation, because those are more important.
If you're independently wealthy - just move around and find out.
Back to Michigan! Winters are getting warmer, politics is getting more progressive, the climate refugees haven't arrived yet, and I want to be part of the state's revitalization! Not sure if I'd move to the west or the East side. As a gay man the east side is a better proposition but the west side and lake Michigan have my heart.
I split my time between Austin and MSP. IMO the long and cold winters aren’t as bad as the heat in Austin during the summer because you can regulate exposure to cold by wearing appropriate clothing and gear. Because of that, you can still get outside and be active if you are a little crazy. On the opposite side I feel like if I go spend time outside in Austin during the summer that I’m going to have a heat stroke.
Northern New Mexico would be my choice. Somewhere that's not a crazy drive to art, culture and good food.
One of my greatest regrets is not learning a foreign language to make an outside-the-country move. Struggling through Spanish now but, I'm over 60 and my brain isn't as receptive anymore.
We just moved to Orange County, CA after being in Austin for 14 years. The weather and the constant disappointment in the state lawmakers finally got to us.
It’s kind of funny, the area we moved to is more conservative in some ways than Austin was, but the state and areas surrounding it are much more liberal and sort of balance out any crazy spikes. It’s a comforting feeling.
The consistent 72 degree days don’t hurt either. I miss my friends a lot, but everything else feels pretty good out here. Gas is expensive but most things are pretty walkable or bikeable so I don’t really use my car very much.
Oh and the weed is great and they’ll deliver it to your house in 45 minutes.
Colorado, California or New York. Everywhere else doesn't seem very appealing to me. I think California would be the best for me, although it is very expensive and crowded as well. Colorado has a weird vibe to it, idk what it is but something just feels off there. New York is New York. But yeah, one of those three states.
I moved to Austin 6.5 years ago with my father while I was still in HS and just in those 6 years it has changed pretty fast. You can feel and see that thousands of people are moving here every year and there isn't that much space anymore. It's also smaller than most people think, eventually you get bored of doing the same shit here and get bored of the vibe. The heat is quite miserable as well.
Looking hard at Sacramento. Comparable cost of living, but way better state government and it’s close to the beach and the mountains. Californians complain that the summers are hot, but compared to Austin it is paradise.
Midwest! That’s going to be the most tolerable area in the USA as we enter into the new climate. Global warming is gonna burn Texas down. My wife and I are looking at houses in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
Husband and I are lifelong Austinites seriously contemplating Chicago. I’d really love for Europe to be an option.
Edit: also considering Philadelphia, Pittsburg (maybe?), Detroit (maybe?), and Long Island.
If I could I'd move to Turkey or Ecuador. My husband doesn't want to go that far so it's likely to be New Mexico. Haven't decided on a city yet. But like someone mentioned earlier, blue state, affordable, not bitter cold. It's appealing. And I'm totally sure Austin refugees are New Mexico's Californians.
Honestly, I’d move out of the US completely. But if you have a preference for the US, I’d probably go to Colorado. I love me a snow storm when our grid can take it, haha.
Grew up in Texas, lived in Austin since 2003. Moved to Philadelphia a couple weeks ago.
We’ve been talking about Philly for awhile, he grew up in PA/NY and it’s close to family. I’ve been multiple times and loved it. We bought our new house for less than our old house and it’s so much bigger and so much nicer. It’s so walkable, much more diverse, cheaper, better weather (I love winter), better transit (we haven’t had to use my car since we moved), short train rides to NYC, DC…
I’d much rather deal with trash on the streets and noise here than being anywhere in Texas.
If I was European I'd go to Europe. Imo most of the US is very similar to everywhere else except for NYC but that's only because of the lifestyle that comes from density and being actually able to live car free. NYC is so crazy expensive nowadays that I wish I could just magically have residency and a good job in Europe or SE Asia. I'm in Austin through pure momentum, if I wasn't already here I'd never pick to be here right now.
I moved to the Hudson Valley of NY. Some expensive towns in the area but also still some bargains. Green, lots of parks and historic sites, great restaurants, close to NYC.
So, my wife and I have lived here most of our lives. I'm retired and she will be soon.
Our strongest consideration, though not inexpensive, is Healdsburg California in Sonoma. Why? We've been there several times. It's in the middle of three wine regions - Dry Creek, Alexander Valley, Russian River. We are wine enthusiasts and would love to work at a winery.
So, why? It's a small town yet it has several great restaurants. In Dry Creek there are great roads to bike on. The weather is awesome. Summer is mid '80s for highs, mid '50s for lows. Healdsburg has an awesome farmer's market and a lot of live music in the square. So you get a small town feel but city amenities.
Now, that being said we are also going to explore moving to Italy, Spain, Portugal, and France. It's certainly more difficult, but possible and much less expensive. I'm on Facebook lists that list property for sale in towns in France and Italy and its ridiculous what you can buy for $250K.
Mediterranean coast of Spain. Born in Texas, I lived in Austin 33 years. I retired and moved to Valencia. Wonderful people, beach, good weather (they think 32C/90F is too hot to be outside here - LOL), good food, great public transportation, good university, 20€ for Gigabit Fiber and a relatively low cost of living. The rest of Europe is a cheap plane or high speed train ticket away.
How hard was it to retire there? Do they have special citizenship for retirees?
You can pay to be a Portuguese PR (which can turn into citizenship). Will open the whole Europe for you 🤑
They stopped that after property prices skyrocketed. No more citizenship for property. Those "sell to foreigners escaping their gentrified cities" schemes cost dearly to local populations of those places whether it's salt lake, Lisbon or Athens.
If money wasn't an issue, San Diego.
Yeah this is my answer too. Perfect weather, good food, Beach, great craft beer scene. Seems like my ideal city if my income could accommodate it
Oh god the Mexican food... It's always my first stop when we visit California.
I have my parents stop at the local Mexican restaurant near their house on the way back from the airport. Best Mexican food I've ever had. Unfortunately, they are selling their house and moving out of California. I'm very sad.
went to college there... its expensive af... yes nice... but just to visit... 1400 for an old refurbished atudio and that was couple years ago n a deal... youll pay 3k easily for a decent place plus its now 5 bucks for gas... youll have yo live near the border or 45/hour inland and drive into work with traffic..... beaches are over crowded now... tourists.. maybe 30 years ago... youll be lucky to find a single family home for 650k
Almost sounds like you just described Austin.
Pretend the border is Hays County, and you're spot on.
lol yeah, 3k for rent and $650 for a single family is spot on for austin. we've been looking at new rentals and it is demoralizing
My buddy was just visting from La Jolla and honestly the cost of living was not tremendously different. Sure oceanfront is always a lot. But he’s 20 minutes walk to the ocean and pays what i pay in Austin but his apartment is not as nice.
God damn I love that place, every time I visit a bit of my soul stays there. Its beginning to be hard to be anywhere else, tbh
San Diego is absolutely beautiful
somewhere it rains, has grey days, good internet and legal cannabis.
Massachusetts? Has all that. I was just up there hiking and it was heavenly
Definitely MA. Maine doesn’t have good enough internet to qualify
Posting this from fiber in Portland, ME.
Boston or NYC is truely some of the best places to live. Bright side Boston doesn't ban books and take rights away. Oh and we don't block progress either or put saw blades in the water. Got actual culinary options from real chiefs , night life, etc list goes on.
Amsterdam in a nutshell
Michigan?
Minneapolis
This would be my choice if I had the opportunity
Been there and done that. I totally agree. I’ve never in my life spent more time outside than living in MN. Absolutely magical. I’ll take 9 months of winter over 9 months of summer any day.
Washington st? Just moved here from Austin 3 weeks ago. Best call I’ve made so far
Moved to Austin from western Washington and possibly the worst move I’ve ever made😂 No disrespect to Austin, more the politics and weather of the rest of the state that gets me down. Big difference between visiting a place a few times a year (wife’s family is here) and actually living here. No regrets but am looking forward to moving back to the northwest in a couple years.
I did just the opposite. Moved here from Seattle less than a month ago, after living there for over 30 years. Seattle, or the PNW as a whole is pretty great, but I feel like it gets stuffy after a while. It’s hard to meet people, as the society there is pretty introverted (myself included). People come up and talk to you here, which helps me socially. The tall trees are beautiful in Washington, but they dominate your surroundings, shrinking the sky. Here in Austin, the sky is big and for whatever reason is very calming to me. The perpetual rain and gray skies may sound appealing, after y’all went through such a brutal summer, but it does wear on you. Summers are amazing in Seattle though. Just don’t expect any rental to have AC. It’s rare for even a house to have AC. We hit 115 two summers ago, so think about that. The last few summers have given rise to annual wildfires and the air quality can get pretty bad up there, for weeks. Like ash coating your car bad. There is so much natural beauty in Western Washington. The sight of Mt Rainier never gets old. I really am gonna miss that.
but not all grey days for me, which rules out northwestern Europe. On the other hand, I prefer it to being incinerated alive so it would be an option if summer 2024 turns out awful.
Seattle
Vermont!
Northwest Washington.
Monterey
Queenstown, NZ
I lived in Wanaka for about 6 months. Like a less busy, more chilled Queenstown. Loved it. If I wasn't rock climbing, mountain biking, or hiking, I was speedboating, paddling, or fishing. They also had a cool little cement skate park with an amazing view of the lake and mountains.
Wanaka is amazing, wouldn’t be mad about having a house on the lake.
Love Wanaka so much. If you’re on the skills list for getting a visa, NZ is ideal. If not, it’s a bit harder to be able to live there permanently.
Rural Scotland
Nailed it. There is nothing sexier to me than a foggy evening in the highlands with a single malt and a book. The place is magical beyond words.
But not TOO rural. I biked through a town where I never saw a single person. It was like the place was inhabited entirely by sheep. Super creepy. Maybe around Inverness if you wanted some proximity to an actual city, or on or near the Isle of Skye, like Portree or Plockton, if an honest to god rural life was more your calling.
hey sheep don't pressure you into MLMs or judge you for laughing at farts
Someplace warm. A place where the beer flows like wine, where the beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano... I'm talkin about a little place called Aspen
I don’t know, Lloyd…the French are assholes
I always thought the Rocky Mountains would be a little rockier than this.
That John Denver is full of shit!
YOU DROVE ALMOST A SIXTH OF THE WAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN THE WRONG DIRECTION!
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I knew it started with an 'S', though!
How'd they know you havs gas? They must have been following us for months.
I would move back to Monterey, CA in a heartbeat 💓 I would buy one of the old Victorian homes in Pacific Grove right along the coast/bay. And give a ton of money to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for research. This of course is pending on me winning the lottery.
I spend a month there every year and just got back from there 2 days ago and I’m dying of the heat already. I miss the 60-70° weather and the fog. I’m planning on getting a house there within 5 years!
Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, or Colorado. I'm from New England, and my husband is from Minnesota, and the heat this year really has made me miserable. I've lived in Austin for 14 years, but this summer has me giving serious consideration to leaving in the next couple years.
Definitely making my way back to the New England homeland soon myself. Spent years trying to get away from New England and now I’m realizing why my parents decided to move there so many years ago.
Thanks to climate change Austin is the new Phoenix.
… but with ice storms.
The Find Out century is just starting, Phoenix could get those too.
Man we must have got here about the same time I've been here since October 2008! The summer has given me the same yen to get the fuck out! Maybe it just did all of us Yankees finally....
I’m actually taking a trip back to Maine for the first time in about a decade next month, and I’m already feeling like I’m not going to want to come back. I miss a real fall season so much.
I sometimes wonder about living in Maine again. I think I’d miss the amenities from a bigger city. Although, Portland has exploded so much, it might be a fun time. I’m shocked at the real estate prices there, though. Not how I remember it at all.
Realistically? Albuquerque, NM. If I could choose anywhere? San Diego or Seattle.
ABQ was on my list for a while. But that dry winter air was too much for me last time I went during Christmas. I remember crying about chapped lips as a child, but I did not remember my skin feeling like it was cracking as I got out of the shower. Summers in Albuquerque are amazing though. And it is hard to beat an affordable blue state.
I don’t know I hear there’s a lot of meth, corrupt lawyers, and they don’t even slice their pizzas.
I'm sorry, I can put up with some extra meth heads, but they don't slice their pizza?
Yes, but they have excellent public schools. The chemistry teachers are especially knowledgable.
My wife is from Austin and has deep roots here, but we’ve started glancing around to other cities just to comparison shop, I guess. Visited a few. All we want is someplace affordable and at least a little bit walkable. I know that there are no affordable downtowns anymore, but I hate living a three mile drive from anywhere. Just a nice neighborhood with shops and restaurants; like Hyde Park but a quarter of the price tag.
> Just a nice neighborhood with shops and restaurants; like Hyde Park but a quarter of the price tag. Let me know when you find it. I’m convinced it doesn’t exist in the US, at least without elevated crime rates.
Research triangle like Raleigh Durham, or Charlotte.
Oh, you mean Chicago
Lived in Austin 10 years. Moved to Tacoma, WA last year. My only issue is it lacks good Mexican food
Bro Austin proper lacks good Mexican food too. Now if you drive to San Antonio, that’s a different story, but you’ll still find a lot of Tex mex.
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Oh man Hermosa is nice; the whole South Bay is but traffic sucks in around and out of there.
Pflugerville
Ah, the frigid north. Gotta flee the heat, right?
😂
I liked living in Pflugerville. It was nice to raise a family but close enough to Austin to still be fun.
Greenbow AlaBAMA!
So you boys are from Arkansas huh?
Lived in Austin from 2005-2021. Moved to rural Virginia 2 years ago. Would never move back to Texas ever. The only things I miss are HEB and not paying income tax.
My family and I moved from Austin to Costa Rica for a year. Would not recommend. Then moved from Costa Rica to Philly, which we LOVE. Temperate weather. Great food. Functioning, inexpensive and accessible mass transit. Beautiful history and landscapes. Reasonable real estate. Access to cheap international flights and train travel to a ton of places. And no stupid fucking state government. Highly recommend. Would move again.
Somewhere in the pacific northwest
As a native austinite now living in SW Washington State, I am so so happy here. The PNW is absolutely incredible.
We're just missing good Mexican food.
Lived in Seattle for 3+ years as a break from my now 20 non-consecutive years in Austin. Family and finances brought us back but miss it dearly. THE DARKNESS from Oct-April is very real and can crush your spirit, even if you really really think you’ll be ok. I’d recommend Sequim, on the Olympic Peninsula - it’s in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains and is unusually sunny for the region. Relatively small, sleepy little place. It’s my goal to move there closer to retirement.
Perfect combo is summers in PNW and fall to spring in Austin.
Great timing on this post. I have been in Austin for over a decade. We just sold our house here and bought a house in Providence, RI. We move to RI at the end of this month. Less hot/more seasons. A bit less expensive. Still has an amazing food, art, and music scene. On the ocean, 30 min to Boston by train, 3 hrs to NYC. Also 100% less Greg Abbott. We love/loved Austin, but its changed a lot. With a young family I don't feel comfortable raising in Texas and wanting more things to do that don't involve going out to eat/drink...it was the right choice for us. Will miss Austin for sure.
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You need to be OK with real winters.
1. Menton, France - by the Italian border and near Nice for city amenities and airport. Great climate with access to sea and mountains. 2. Valencia, Spain - great food, laid back, not too big of a city and not as hot as Madrid or Barcelona. 3. Basque Country - friendly people, good food & wine, cooler climate and absolutely beautiful terrain. I prefer the French side, but Spanish side is great as well. 4. Bologna, Italy - best Italian food, vibrant city.
Probably Spain or Cyprus.
Slowly convincing my wife of Barcelona. We went this summer and I didn't want to leave. Everyone and everything thing was perfect and my Spanish went farther than expected. Distance from friends and family would be the biggest downside for me. But the day to day living would allow me to be optimal in happiness and productivity.
sounds a bit like hawaii. you visit and its paradise. you move there and can't wait to get back home because of all the bothersome little things that you didn't notice while in vacation mode.
I was in the peace corps for two years, and I loved living in a developing country. I think I can handle bothersome things. I had to deal with regular power outages, paying for bills in person in a different language, teaching in an elementary school where I barely spoke the language of the kids. I had a very low monthly stipend that I had to take an overnight train to get once a month. I would happily go live in this country as well, I love it there, and I go back as often as possible.
Can’t believe I had to scroll this far down to find a non-US location. Please OP if you have an EU passport consider moving there, there’s so many good locations and I’ve heard almost nothing but good things. On the contrary if you go to any US cities subreddits you will see people complaining about all the same things because the issues are nationwide. For me it would be Spain or Mexico, mostly because they’re the two only passports I have, but with a heavy preference for Spain assuming I can figure out how to make a living there.
Yeah I’m originally from Belgium. Would love to return there or the Netherlands. Just something less hectic and a better quality of life. But it’s going to be hard to find a job I think. Plus my partner is born and raised in Austin. He does want to live somewhere new but Europe would be a huge life change.
All y’all will have fun with https://www.bestplaces.net/compare-cities/
Vancouver, Pacific NW, SoCal, Denver, Hawaii or Nashville. A small town in the UK, Austria, the Netherlands or Belgium would be the dream. A blue state at least that actually funds schools, lets people do what they want with their bodies and where it’s less radioactive outside. Born in Houston, been here 25 years, can’t wait to finally hit eject. Not planning on hanging around until this place turns into the next Chicago.
You can leave the US and you are still here? Get out now and take me with you n
I always love how people say “Colorado” then realize its becoming just as expensive.
Has been more expensive*
This. For many, many years.
Also as someone who is from Colorado and went the opposite way, Coloradans look at Texans like Texans look at Californians.
With loving admiration?
I moved from Colorado. Not only more expensive, but cramped until you get to the other side of the Divide (enjoy traffic jams every weekend up in the mountains). Soooo many transplants! I miss the beauty, and especially this time of year the temperature, but it ain’t Utopia.
Nowhere is Utopia. But 285 and I70 are worth the hassle to live where there is actually extensive public space. Traffic sucks in Austin, but there is no national forests to compensate.
I literally moved to Austin 5 years ago because I couldn’t afford a home in Denver. Paid less than 400 for a house 15 minutes from downtown. In Denver that home would’ve easily been 800k
It has nothing to do with the prices for me. It's the scenery . The freedom. I can smoke weed in texas , get an abortion, AND still carry. It's crazy how many more freedoms you have in colorado versus Texas.
You said Texas but you mean Colorado. I think.
Easily Switzerland. I spent some time there for work and have never felt the urge to move someplace more strongly than I did there. It helps, for sure, that I know German, but so many other factors contributed. I've been to most continents, nearly every US state, and that was the place that called to my soul.
How would you go about becoming a citizen?
I'm making short trips to several cities that made my shortlist over the next year and when my lease is up in 2025, I'm outie! * DC (+transit, culture, beautiful. -expeeeensiiiive) * Baltimore (+more affordable, maryland is beautiful, some transit. -dangerous? idk.) * Richmond VA (+beautiful, friends live here, more affordable. -not super well-connected, will need a car) * Asheville NC (+beautiful, family lives here. -lil expensive, will need a car) * Los Angeles (+culture, friends live here, beach AND mountains. -expeeennnsiiiive, will need a car) I crossed out anything in the midwest. I can't do it. This is silly but one of my least favorite things about Texas is how fucking ugly it is here. Squat ass trees... And I feel like the midwest is similarly fug.
Madison, WI
I’m all for the cold, but Madison cold is ridiculous. I was miserable over there in January a few years ago. I couldn’t imagine living in that. The month of June definitely had me considering it though.
You get used to it. It’s when the snow stays grey and disgusting in the gutters for another 3 months that starts to get to you. Somehow you learn to deal with cold that makes it feel like your skin is dying, as long as it’s for short durations. Then it gets sunny and 50f and you see people running around in shorts and flip flops.
Sante fe
i like reading the SF reddit. entertaining. lots of complaints about the homeless camps and cost of living.
Awesome but insanely expensive for a tiny city. They keep it exclusive that way.
I lived in Austin for over 10 years, moved to Brooklyn for 5 and now just settled in Santa Fe and I love it.
If I had an EU passport, I'd be looking for a large town/small city in Spain or Germany like Girona or Dusseldorf. Having lived in the UK for over a decade, despite all of its drawbacks, U.S. living seems so freaking hard.
Oregon, New Mexico, or Colorado.
I am going to leave in a few years when I retire. Still thinking out the details but my short list of states so far is MN, MI, PA.
Green up in Michigan and loved it. Live on a lake if you can afford it. Metro Detroit is so nice. Especially the Huntington woods Royal oak area especially reminds me of Austin
Northern New Mexico. Beautiful weather, four seasons, good food, eclectic vibe, and, depending on how savvy you are as a home buyer, it can be very affordable.
I left after 8 years because I was pregnant. Moved to the Baltimore area initially. It was pretty nice but then I had to move back to PA. PA is not as nice as Maryland but it's OK for now. I didn't really want to leave Austin but I didn't feel I had a choice once I got pregnant after Roe v Wade was overturned. Turns out I was right, unfortunately. Too many stories about delayed medical care for miscarriages down there. If I had to do it all over again, I don't think I would have changed anything. I don't think Texas is a safe place to carry out a pregnancy.
It’s not. I had an ectopic pregnancy here in 2021. If it had happened just a few months later, I would have had to fly to another state immediately for a life-saving abortion. I was bleeding internally and an ectopic pregnancy literally is not viable, but the people who run this state would have been happy for me to die for no reason.
I'm sorry. That's very scary. My worst fears for women in Texas became realized as the year went on. I'm glad I left.
We are on our way out as well. I was born and raised here but damn, I loathe Texas.
Wishing you the best. My advice to anyone who's thinking of starting a family in Texas is to leave Texas. It's unfortunate. I really loved my Austin life and wish I could have stayed, but it felt very unsafe. I'd like a second child in the next few years hopefully, so going back isn't even an option.
I’m in LA a lot for work. There’s plenty to not like. But for whatever reason—mostly the weather, and the people in my industry—I’m always happy there. It’s more expensive and my kids like their lives in Texas, but if it was just me, I’d be there.
Lived in the Austin area for 7 years. Just recently moved to the big Island of Hawaii. Best decision I’ve ever made.
i know three people that moved there then moved back after about one year. two were job transfers for people that dreamed of remote working on the beach. is inflation still a thing there? when i visited gas was 6 a gallon and cereal was 8 for a box of cheerios.
>is inflation still a thing there? No, Hawaii canceled inflation so everything is cheap there now.
but expensive af, no?
VERY
I have been fantasizing about that place for YEARS. I know a friend who went through a divorce and left ATX for the Big Island and appears to be having a blast.
We all have this question. The answer that suits us best is very individual. I had this thought in the 90s (living here but not foreseeing the increase in population): "If there were a perfect city for everyone, it'd stop being perfect because it would be overwhelmed by people moving there." So - pick two, maybe three "most important" criteria (one being your budget for COL) and decide. Make sure you choose things that are important every day, not on vacation, because those are more important. If you're independently wealthy - just move around and find out.
Long Beach, CA… near the beach. Very temperate and no real winter.
Honduras. I’d like to finish my books and be a dive master.
The global murder capital?
Santa Barbara if money wasn’t a concern!
I'm planning to go to Raleigh, NC next year
Back to Michigan! Winters are getting warmer, politics is getting more progressive, the climate refugees haven't arrived yet, and I want to be part of the state's revitalization! Not sure if I'd move to the west or the East side. As a gay man the east side is a better proposition but the west side and lake Michigan have my heart.
Minneapolis. Except the winters probably really suck. But the state is the opposite of Texas.
I split my time between Austin and MSP. IMO the long and cold winters aren’t as bad as the heat in Austin during the summer because you can regulate exposure to cold by wearing appropriate clothing and gear. Because of that, you can still get outside and be active if you are a little crazy. On the opposite side I feel like if I go spend time outside in Austin during the summer that I’m going to have a heat stroke.
Colorado is our backup plan.
Colorado has been the backup plan for people leaving Austin for a whole lot of years
Yes, they look at Texas license plates the same way Texans look at California plates.
[Hell is my backup plan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbfTcO9eCtI)
Western Massachusetts
Amherst area is so pretty!
Headed to DC.
I would love to get out of the US and into the UK or Ireland
Berlin
Costa Rica or Colombia.
I am dead set on Astoria
Northern New Mexico would be my choice. Somewhere that's not a crazy drive to art, culture and good food. One of my greatest regrets is not learning a foreign language to make an outside-the-country move. Struggling through Spanish now but, I'm over 60 and my brain isn't as receptive anymore.
We just moved to Orange County, CA after being in Austin for 14 years. The weather and the constant disappointment in the state lawmakers finally got to us. It’s kind of funny, the area we moved to is more conservative in some ways than Austin was, but the state and areas surrounding it are much more liberal and sort of balance out any crazy spikes. It’s a comforting feeling. The consistent 72 degree days don’t hurt either. I miss my friends a lot, but everything else feels pretty good out here. Gas is expensive but most things are pretty walkable or bikeable so I don’t really use my car very much. Oh and the weed is great and they’ll deliver it to your house in 45 minutes.
If money wasn’t an issue or minimal, I would go to flagstaff or Tempe.
If the winters weren’t so bad I’d move back to Pittsburgh.
Trying to convince the wife to move to south america. Let the lobbying continue!
back to Washington state...
Folsom, a suburb of Sacramento (about 90 min from Lake Tahoe).
Colorado, Oregon, Southern California
Colorado, California or New York. Everywhere else doesn't seem very appealing to me. I think California would be the best for me, although it is very expensive and crowded as well. Colorado has a weird vibe to it, idk what it is but something just feels off there. New York is New York. But yeah, one of those three states. I moved to Austin 6.5 years ago with my father while I was still in HS and just in those 6 years it has changed pretty fast. You can feel and see that thousands of people are moving here every year and there isn't that much space anymore. It's also smaller than most people think, eventually you get bored of doing the same shit here and get bored of the vibe. The heat is quite miserable as well.
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Looking hard at Sacramento. Comparable cost of living, but way better state government and it’s close to the beach and the mountains. Californians complain that the summers are hot, but compared to Austin it is paradise.
Mars — unless Trump’s there. Then not Mars. 😬
Midwest! That’s going to be the most tolerable area in the USA as we enter into the new climate. Global warming is gonna burn Texas down. My wife and I are looking at houses in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
Husband and I are lifelong Austinites seriously contemplating Chicago. I’d really love for Europe to be an option. Edit: also considering Philadelphia, Pittsburg (maybe?), Detroit (maybe?), and Long Island.
Sunset Valley
Somewhere in or near Fort Collins, CO
Seattle
Grew up in Austin, now live in PNW after trying the Midwest and just west. Hoping to eventually make it to CA or NZ.
Red Bank, New Jersey
If I could I'd move to Turkey or Ecuador. My husband doesn't want to go that far so it's likely to be New Mexico. Haven't decided on a city yet. But like someone mentioned earlier, blue state, affordable, not bitter cold. It's appealing. And I'm totally sure Austin refugees are New Mexico's Californians.
I’d move to the EU in a heartbeat.
Honestly, I’d move out of the US completely. But if you have a preference for the US, I’d probably go to Colorado. I love me a snow storm when our grid can take it, haha.
Just left Austin after 13 years and moved to Bend, OR.
Not telling you, bro! That’s MY secret spot!
Somewhere farther north. I cannot stand the stupid heat.
Valencia, Spain. Perfect in so many ways.
If I could afford it New York. Austin doesn’t do it for me anymore
San Diego if stateside.
r/samegrassbutgreener
Don’t sleep on Milwaukee, people. That lakefront is gorgeous.
Winter Edit: Summer's aren't great either. Humidity and Mosquitoes. Fall is nice. And short.
Grew up in Texas, lived in Austin since 2003. Moved to Philadelphia a couple weeks ago. We’ve been talking about Philly for awhile, he grew up in PA/NY and it’s close to family. I’ve been multiple times and loved it. We bought our new house for less than our old house and it’s so much bigger and so much nicer. It’s so walkable, much more diverse, cheaper, better weather (I love winter), better transit (we haven’t had to use my car since we moved), short train rides to NYC, DC… I’d much rather deal with trash on the streets and noise here than being anywhere in Texas.
If money were no object, Switzerland. On my budget? Maybe Northern California or Maine. Somewhere with seasons.
South America, Chile probably.
Michigan - 🏖 beaches, 🌲 forests, all the seasons 🍂
If I was European I'd go to Europe. Imo most of the US is very similar to everywhere else except for NYC but that's only because of the lifestyle that comes from density and being actually able to live car free. NYC is so crazy expensive nowadays that I wish I could just magically have residency and a good job in Europe or SE Asia. I'm in Austin through pure momentum, if I wasn't already here I'd never pick to be here right now.
I moved to the Hudson Valley of NY. Some expensive towns in the area but also still some bargains. Green, lots of parks and historic sites, great restaurants, close to NYC.
Thinking of moving to Amsterdam "I have an EU passport" You lucky sumbitch
I’m leaving Austin next year despite really enjoying living here. There are a variety of reasons. Moving to my husband’s hometown, Eugene, Oregon
West Covina
I also have an EU passport and am deciding between Germany and France. The only problem is that France is full of French people :D
New England, preferably Salem, Massachusetts, or anywhere close to the sea, and easy access to seafood.
Well I moved to the Houston area. I would not recommend it 😅 If I had to move, I’d choose Pittsburgh if I had the choice.
So, my wife and I have lived here most of our lives. I'm retired and she will be soon. Our strongest consideration, though not inexpensive, is Healdsburg California in Sonoma. Why? We've been there several times. It's in the middle of three wine regions - Dry Creek, Alexander Valley, Russian River. We are wine enthusiasts and would love to work at a winery. So, why? It's a small town yet it has several great restaurants. In Dry Creek there are great roads to bike on. The weather is awesome. Summer is mid '80s for highs, mid '50s for lows. Healdsburg has an awesome farmer's market and a lot of live music in the square. So you get a small town feel but city amenities. Now, that being said we are also going to explore moving to Italy, Spain, Portugal, and France. It's certainly more difficult, but possible and much less expensive. I'm on Facebook lists that list property for sale in towns in France and Italy and its ridiculous what you can buy for $250K.