What are some smaller cities/metros you'd live in?

[Boisebro]

Originally Posted by mhays

That would be Boise's CSA. Spokane's was 679,495 at last estimate.

No, the report I referenced was for MSA.

[hipster duck]

From my experience, Oregon has the best small cities in terms of urban lifestyle and New York State has the best small cities architecturally.

Now, if only there was a way to combine these two, because I also find that each state does poorly in the other state’s respective strength.

Like Eugene, OR is a great, vibrant city made up of throwaway buildings from the 70s, while Binghamton NY is an architectural jewel that’s deader than it should be.

[Dariusb]

Originally Posted by Boisebro

Two cities that intrigue me are Asheville and Kelowna, BC. Been to Asheville (albeit a long time ago) and loved it; never been to Kelowna but it seems nice and growing.

Madison, Spokane, and Boise all have metros above 500k, so we can keep them off the list. Madison is over 660,000, Spokane is 580,000, and I just saw a report last week that projects Boise will top 800,000 next year.

Wow. Didn't know Boise was that big.

[Dariusb]

Originally Posted by BG918

Fayetteville and Colorado Springs are both in MSA’s over 500k. Great places though, especially Fayetteville/Bentonville in the Ozarks.

Ok gotcha. Should've done my research. Thanks for the clarification.

[bossabreezes]

Monterey, Napa, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, the usual suspects. Beautiful places, high quality of life, ect.

Monterey might take the cake though, because Sea Otters.

[Atlas]

Boulder, Colorado is a nice city that I haven't seen mentioned much: 30 minutes from a big city downtown, nestled next to the mountains, college sports, great breweries, highly-educated population, walkable downtown, etc. I was living there before the pandemic and it was great.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Victoria, BC is gorgeous. I wish I'd had more than two hours to spend visiting the last time I was there.

[ThePhun1]

One place I forgot was Anchorage. The winters would suck but I'd love it still.

Not sure about Maui. I've heard good things but I'd assume it'd be isolated from some things we take for granted on the mainland.

[LA21st]

Originally Posted by ChrisLA

Bingo!

Santa Barbara is definitely my first choice. The main reason it’s close to LA, and there is good train service to get there. SB is such a beautiful city, with nice beaches right downtown and the scenery that will take your breath away.

2nd is Monterey/Carmel, feels much bigger than it really is. One of the most beautiful scenery on the central coast, good food too.

San Luis Obispo is cool too, nice downtown for its size, but I think I would get bored fast. Now if it was closer to LA, although train service is not bad just a bit longer to LA.

I would also add Ojai, beautiful community and very chill. Nice and walkable town with plenty of nice restaurants to dine at. It’s also close to LA, but somewhat isolated and you have to drive in heavy traffic to get to the city.

Yea, it's really beautiful. Vibrant downtown. LA is lucky to have a place like that next door.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

From my experience, Oregon has the best small cities in terms of urban lifestyle and New York State has the best small cities architecturally.

Now, if only there was a way to combine these two, because I also find that each state does poorly in the other state’s respective strength.

Like Eugene, OR is a great, vibrant city made up of throwaway buildings from the 70s, while Binghamton NY is an architectural jewel that’s deader than it should be.

You can get some of that in and around the Capital District (Albany area) but it ebbs and flows depending on season. Upstate NY shuts right down in the late fall until spring thaw.

Originally Posted by ThePhun1

One place I forgot was Anchorage. The winters would suck but I'd love it still.

Not sure about Maui. I've heard good things but I'd assume it'd be isolated from some things we take for granted on the mainland.

Anchorage is pretty isolated as well and as a city, I found it pretty bland but you're in proximity to some of the most unspoiled scenery anywhere in the US.

[sopas ej]

Cusco.


Or Kandy.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by JManc

Yeah, because they aren't getting any love from the rest of Texas. haha

Chicago and I are cool. I'd bring my bike and take all the photos.

[Shawn]

The smallest metro I've lived in is the Springfield MA MSA, although I lived in Amherst on the UMass campus (Southwest towers!) and not in Springfield. It was for just two years before transferring to my alma mater in Tokyo, but I loved it.

Amherst-Northampton has got to be one of the best college communities in the country.

[giallo]

Victoria, BC would work.




And Taitung, Taiwan

taitung county 33



taitung county 20

[giallo]

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

surely that place has a population higher than 500K.

You'd think so, but the metro area has just reached 400K in the last census report.

[craigs]

Originally Posted by Shawn

The smallest metro I've lived in is the Springfield MA MSA, although I lived in Amherst on the UMass campus (Southwest towers!) and not in Springfield. It was for just two years before transferring to my alma mater in Tokyo, but I loved it.

Amherst-Northampton has got to be one of the best college communities in the country.

You're not just kids--you're Pio-neers!

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[softee]

Halifax and Victoria both offer an impressively urban cityscape for their size (around 400,000 each). I could see myself being fairly satisfied with either of them as an urbanist.

I'd prefer to stay in Ontario, so I guess I'd have to settle for Kingston or maybe Windsor since Ottawa, Hamilton and London are too big as per the OP's 500K size cut-off, and the remaining smaller Ontario metros don't really appeal to me all that much as places to live for someone who needs a nice city look and feel with a lively or at least urban looking downtown.

[hauntedheadnc]

To those of you who said you'd consider Asheville, she asked me to tell you that as soon as the pandemic is over she expects you to race over here post haste, waving your money in the air like you did last summer. She says she misses you, sends her love, and said the rash just turned out to be poison ivy and went away with that cream you recommended from the CVS. Kisses to all.


Source.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

From my experience, Oregon has the best small cities in terms of urban lifestyle and New York State has the best small cities architecturally.

Now, if only there was a way to combine these two, because I also find that each state does poorly in the other state’s respective strength.

Like Eugene, OR is a great, vibrant city made up of throwaway buildings from the 70s, while Binghamton NY is an architectural jewel that’s deader than it should be.

The nicest buildings in Binghamton NY look kind of like landmark buildings in Winnipeg's Exchange Distinct.

It's interesting how the smaller cities seem to take on strengths you find in nearby larger cities. Eugene has a bunch of Portland-y businesses. Maybe Binghamton profited from NYC's vibrant ecosystem of builders and architects in the early 20th century.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by someone123

The nicest buildings in Binghamton NY look kind of like landmark buildings in Winnipeg's Exchange Distinct.

It's interesting how the smaller cities seem to take on strengths you find in nearby larger cities. Eugene has a bunch of Portland-y businesses. Maybe Binghamton profited from NYC's vibrant ecosystem of builders and architects in the early 20th century.

That was the case throughout the state. Many of the same prominent pre-war architects that designed buildings in NYC also designed them upstate. And nearby states; CT, MA, etc.