Im looking for a small very progressive town (not city)

to move to in the next few years. anyone at DU have any advice.
ive heard vermont is a nice place to live....:)

Do you prefer a coast, do you want to be near a major city, is weather a factor, do you have any occupational requirements, etc....

lets see...i would prefer a coast (either one), would rather not be near a major city and only mild weather (no extremes,)

It's right on the coast in Humboldt County, among the giant redwoods, VERY progressive and groovy, far from a major city, college town.

ive spent time in oregon. love the whole pacific northwest.
never made it into california though. (regrettably)

From Wikipedia:

Recent history

In August 1989, the voters of Arcata passed the Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Act, prohibiting activities benefiting nuclear weapons contractors within city jurisdictional limits.

In 2003 the city passed a law making it illegal to voluntarily cooperate with enforcement of the USA PATRIOT Act, making it the first to take such a step. <7>

On January 4, 2006, the Arcata city council adopted the New Year's Resolution, demanding the impeachment or the resignation of President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney for violations of Constitutional and International law, making it the first city to pass such a resolution. This is the second time the City Council has passed a resolution calling for the impeachment of President Bush.

Arcata is also known for its progressive involvement in environmental politics and environmental activism. As an example, in 1981, Arcata constructed the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary. The Arcata Marsh has multiple uses including recreation, wildlife habitat, education, and wastewater treatment. In 1996 Arcata elected the first-ever Green Party city council majority. This majority was lost two years later, restored in 2004 and lost again in 2006.

sounds like a great place.
wonder if other small towns in that area are the same

Most of the other towns up there are depressed lumber towns.

That was going to be my suggestion, too. :hi:

GREAT area.

Arcata is a VERY small town, you won't see the sun for 11 months out of the year, and it's like GDP in that people will look at you like you're Hitler if you buy conventional produce in the grocery store or have a problem with trustafarians shitting in the parks.

But some people really like it there. :shrug:

ill keep it in mind

and snowing like a bastard right now. Take a look at Kennybunkport, Maine.

That's where Bush Sr. has his summer place, and the town has always struck me as very preppy and conservative. Brunswick, Maine, might be more progressive, and it's near the ocean, but they do get a ton of snow!
:hi:

Located in SW NH not far from the Vt border. Close enough to Boston to go there for fun and "culture". The town went for Kerry overwhelmingly and the Selectmen passed a resolution to inpeach the chimp.

:hi:

We're all college towns here. :D

About 2-3 hours to the beach and about 3.5 hours to the mountains.

We have all sorts of cultural amenities that you wouldn't believe: symphony, all kinds of drama troupes and improv companies, The American Dance Festival (modern dance), all kinds of street fairs in the spring and summer. Farmers markets, flea markets, museums and other stuff. Restaurants for every appetite, And lots of progressive politics to keep you going.

thanks:)

Incredibly extreme drought right now, too. But this area fits your parameters.

All of our -hamptons are one word. Southampton, Northampton, Easthampton, and Westhampton. :hi:

But yeah, that was gonna be my suggestion too. Love 'hamp!

:loveya:

I've lived in both.

It was pretty conservative (compared to Eugene) when
we lived in Oregon. Both are lovely towns though. z

However, the town is a different matter, and it's more compact and manageable than Eugene.

ive been giving it alot of thought

~70,000 people, so it's not quite a big city. A very liberal and progressive area in a beautiful setting in the western NC mountains. I used to live there, and I miss it terribly.

:cry:

A beautiful little town south of Lexington, home of Centre College one of the best Liberal Arts Colleges in the country. Has been listed as an All-American City and I think has a French sister city. Beautiful old homes, great Main Street, terrific arts center called Norton Center for the Arts, great hospital and gorgeous countryside. Although I live in Lexington, my friends and I spend a lot of time in Danville going to plays and concerts. If you want a small, progressive and lovely town, can't beat it.

Small town in the Ozarks. Very eclectic, progressive population.

Great site. Was there for a daytrip coupla years ago. Very nice.

:)

Son is getting married there next October on the weekend that coincides with their fall gay/transgendered celebration. Have some relatives that will have their eyes opened.

you should be aware that it is a very small town (population less than 5000) whose primary (almost exclusive) industry is tourism. That tourism is seasonal. And a lot of it is comprised of faith based tourists who come to see the outdoor Passion Play.

Yeah, there is some artsy crafty stuff and some antiquey stuff. But it does not compare to what is available in some other tourist areas - much less a metropolitan area.

Yeah, the town is gay friendly. Supposedly. Many of the shops close on weekends that host gay couples. There has been some nastiness there regarding the issue. Before this there was quite a bit of nastiness that surrounded efforts to host new age and pagan tourists. The Christian community there has a long history of trying to keep the place "Christian."


Edit to add: I have extended family that live nearby and have had an opportunity to observe events there for 40 some years now......

:shrug:

town I live in. There is NOTHING progressive about it.

It's a smaller (about 50,000) version of San Francisco. Right on the coast of Monterey Bay with redwood forests just a few miles north, lots of live music and great places to eat. At the outdoor Pacific Garden Mall you'll find buskers, kids playing Hacky Sack, impromptu music etc. etc. etc.

A few years ago, when the feds came to bust the medical marijuana clubs, the city council told them to go fuck themselves.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/14597.php

http://www.cannabismd.org/reports/valcorral1.php

http://www.santacruzvsashcroft.com/

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2002/09/06/MN212302.DTL



I'm moving there about four seconds after my house sells.

I'm planning to retire to Grinnell, home of Grinnell College, a very lefty school.

My heart will always belong to Iowa, it feels right when I'm there even though it's been 35 years since I lived there. Bet the cost of living is dirt cheap too. :) what a sweet fantasy

and NY.

Sorry, can't help you much beyond that.

they tend to be the more liberal areas of a state -- places like Boulder, CO and Ashland, OR.

population of around 8,000 people.



Tikki

Los Osos is nice in the same way, but likewise pricey. I'd live there in a heartbeat if I could afford it.

Wonderful little town in a beautiful setting.

http://www.homeralaska.org/

just my $.02

I was there for quite a while -- it's terrific.

If you want a bigger place, Asheville, NC.

According to the polling firm i used to work for,
a "large city" is 100K+
a "small city" is 50-100K
a "large town" is 15-50K
a "small town" is 1K-15K
anything smaller is a "rural area"

Here, it's all cities (cidades), as long as there's a city hall. In legalese, municipalities (municípios).

wouldn't that be cool?

But it's a small city, really.

Grass Valley/Nevada City. Very progressive. Even the rednecks are fairly hip. Wonderful arts community. The best community radio station in the country www.kvmr.org. Beautiful rivers. Close to Tahoe (the drive is along the Yuba River). In the pines, no pollution, anti-development. Nevada City even has a NO CHAIN STORE policy. Only a couple of snow days a year. Street fairs in the summer. Rootstock. The surrounding area and towns are very unique too. North San Juan is a hippie haven.

Not nearly as expensive as Sacramento and environs or the Bay Area...

sitting in a Starbucks (dislike it but it's convenient and I have few other options) looking up at cookie-cutter condos thinking how...draining...life-sucking...narrowing...some areas of Orange County are.

Cafe Mekka. Funky as hell. Free trade organic coffee. Yumsters.

then I highly recommend Arlington, MA or Lexington if you can afford it and like a little more rural setting.

VT is a pretty good bet too though.

Anything in specific you're looking for?

I was going to post that myself. Not only is it beautiful, it's also an energy vortex. A group of friends and I go there several times a year (we live in L.A.). When I'm there, I totally feel uplifted.