Anyone have a favorite town in the West?

I think I want to move back west. I'm originally from southern California and while I love what it used to be, I don't think I want what it has become - too crowded, too polluted. But I just feel better out west - desert west, mostly, not necessarily the heavy-snow Rockies but I'd consider it.

Any suggestions? I'd like to do some research - and I'd like to stay away from overpriced areas (like Santa Fe or Sedona, even though I dearly love Sedona - are there any areas around Sedona that aren't overrun with people who have more money than sense?).

Anyway - I just have been so out-of-sorts lately. I've had a really hard time these last few years, a lot of disappointment, and some real treachery from people I trusted who completely f*cked up projects I had lined up -- thwarting a lot of my work efforts. I just want to get back to someplace where I feel good, and see if I can make a fresh start somehow.

So, tell me about magical places in the western US, if you know of any. Thanks!

I've been in huge cities (NYC, LA) and tiny towns (where I am now is 3000) so somewhere in between, preferably. I can adjust pretty well, though I do know that Phoenix is an absolute no-go (though I can't imagine many who'd say Phoenix was their favorite city, anyway!).

Tucson is kinda cool. Albuquerque.

I think Trinidad, Colorado is really cool.

15 years or so -- I think I fell in love with the desert from all the times we drove from SoCal to Flagstaff and headed down to Sedona to hike. Flagstaff is probably too snowy and cold for me; my sister and her family left for Boise about 10 years ago b/c Flag (Az in particular) wasn't treating its teachers very well ...

Hm. Will have to check out Trinidad. Haven't been to Albuquerque, though I'd like to see it soon.

Depends on employment, climate that you are looking for, that sort of thing - housing, etc

just not months and months of hip-deep snow. I did that for a few years and am not much of a skier, so I'd rather not have to go back to the cold, slush and ice for months on end. A month or so, though, or colder temps for 3-4 months, would be fine.

Employment, if I can get back on my feet, would be variable - self employed. I'm trained as a lawyer and practiced in the big cities for 6+ years and just don't want to go back to that - all my recent efforts have been to establish myself in something outside of law. And I'd almost rather bite my arm off than take another bar exam (I'm admitted in several states).

I want a small house of my own, so decent housing prices. Though with the home sales market going soft, I think there might be a big selection of affordable housing in the next few years...

Not sure about the rest in Silver, but Bisbee is the county seat and a cool, funky, old mining town/slash art scene. Plenty of oportunities for your training in environmental (San Pedro River, sky islands, population growth), social justice (border issues), local politics and law enforcement, teaching (not great still in AZ for that, but there are various branches of Cochise Community College or possibly art as long as we are talking Bisbee.

but my favorite town is Denver. Born and raised here. Never found a western city I liked quite as much. Though Seattle, Portland and, if you want to got Canada, Vancouver are very cool places.

have distinct neighborhoods that feel more like towns within a city?

Or at least it did when I lived there.

I miss it and would go back in half a second given the opportunity. imo, it's a great place to live. I can't believe it's changed all that much in ten or so years.

and feel busy and annoying. But mostly, there are disticnt neighborhoods all over the place here.

the area around---not necessarily IN---Taos, NM...spent great times there for five summers. :) Never did run into Julia Roberts, though. :shrug:

Also, in your state, I'm partial to Lake Tahoe and environs...not overly crowded in early Nov when I was there, but I suspect there are busy busy times, as with most resort towns. But in the region there is a lot of splendor, and maybe enough space for ya.

:hi:

Bend has become trendy. though, so the property values might be a little steep...some of the surrounding towns are still affordable...it's right on the edge of the central oregon desert, but only a sort distance from the Cascades

have family there, too - one reason I've stayed away but many issues have been resolved and I think I'd like it there. Don't think my husband is too hot on the idea, though. But we'll see. He might just have to learn to live with it - I've been in Virginia and NC for him for 7+ years, so maybe we'll try my "half" of the country next...

restored ghost town...but I think the ghosts are imported.

please stop on your way out there and say hello to Sonia. She is a beautiful cat! Roosevelt and Panda would be happy too!!

:cry:

I'm sorry things have not been going well.

in her skirt/tutu, is terrific. She looks very happy and loved, as do Roosevelt and Panda.

A former business partner just was awful - strung us along for 15 months (though there were obviously signs of progress or else I wouldn't have wasted my time) and then did something just awful. I was reeling for quite a while - and then on top of it all he went around badmouthing us, tried to attack me via the two states where I'm a member of the bar, etc. Took a lot of effort to undo what he did, and a lot of time that could have been spent on other stuff. And I really never expected someone could be so vindictive.

Oh well. Just trying to move forward. Haven't felt at "home" in a long time, and used to think that place wasn't so important - and really, if you're healthy, have a good spouse/partner, etc., place doesn't matter so much. But if an area really calls to you (as it does me), I think it's worth giving that area a try.

:hi: and thanks...

That is just brutal. I'm glad you are trying to move forward. I'm glad you have the "legalese" background to protect yourself and hope that you can find peace in a new home if it is needed.

:upset:

But it depends on what you're looking for. If you love the mountains and don't require a lot of "entertainment" but are more nature-inspired/oriented, you might consider the mountains of SW NM, around Ruidoso, or even Cloudcroft, although both are SO small and isolated that they can choke at times, especially if you have a need for the type of interaction and busy-ness you can get from larger towns.

If you like the desert and "old" culture, but require more interaction and more of a city environment, instead of Santa Fe, maybe Albuquerque would be a good city to look into. Much, much bigger than the previous two towns I've mentioned, with lots more job opportunities and entertainment, but very "New Mexico" nonetheless. I really don't know how else to describe Albuquerque, except that, as with most of New Mexico, it's not like anyplace else.

Oops... too far west. :hide:

;-)

you've given me a lot to research and think about. I appreciate it.

there are some lovely old gold mining towns. i like nevada city myself, but there's lots more.

what I'd like to do is find someone I trust to care for my kitties for a month or so and just fly out, rent a car, and drive.

I'll check it out, thanks.

We have a woman who we adopted Roo from, who is missing having little ones.

It has a depressed logging-based economy, is my understanding.

I haven't been there since I was about 4 years old, so maybe it's really great and scenic, and I just didn't know... but it used to be known in Portland as the mullet capital of the west. We called mullets "coos cuts".

:loveya:

I was awake almost all night, thinking about going back west. I'm taken with the idea right now...

Quiet town. Lots of space. No noisy neighbors. No neighbors at all...

it's the kind of landscape I like, though, and plenty of firewood to keep warm!

I'm going to Brodie." The newspaper editor opined that what she really said was :

"Good, by god-I'm going to Brodie".

Pretty rough and tumble place.

Lots of pretty woods, mountains nearby. Air is clear, crisp, and the town is interesting.

http://www.cityofprescott.net/

Liberal or conservative? Gringo or Hispanic? :shrug:

50,000 or so would be nice, but I can deal with smaller or bigger, I just want to stay away from millions, if possible.

liberal would be nice, but I can cope with conservatives (I live in Christian fundieville right now). Don't care who's there.

Bisbee. Tucson. Any number of other towns in Southeast Arizona. Some of the outskirts of Reno. Oregon.

Gunnison, Colorado