What are the most affordable, interesting cities in the U.S.?

I haven’t personally been but I keep hearing about Charleston, SC. My dad’s looking to move there from NY and I just met someone this weekend who lives in SF who is moving there within the next few months.
Portland is on my list and I’ve heard great things about Austin, TX too.

Your list has most of my favorite places, are the smaller ones just missing that “big city” feel?

Someone asked a similar question recently and I suggested Seattle or Vancouver in the Pacific Northwest. They aren’t New York City big, but still fair sized with lots to do and a good mix of people.

Other than that, have you checked out Denver and the surrounding areas? It’s kind of a regional hub like the others you mention and is pretty good size. I’ve never spent a lot of time there so can’t speak for it beyond that.

@funkdaddy

Vancouver WA or Vancouver BC?

@m34w09

What didn’t you like about Portland, OR?

Denver and Seattle are both fabulous cities, but I haven’t lived in either place for a long time so I don’t know about cost of living. Have you considered the ‘burbs with easy access to the city? Both Seattle and Denver are very accessible from their ‘burbs, and both are wonderful. Seattle has a lot of diversity, and Denver, beneath its rough cowboy exterior is extremely cultured.

@crisw – Vancouver, BC

Vancouver, WA seems like it would just be North Portland if not for the river ;)

Remember that crossing an international border has its own issues, unless one or both of you is Canadian or has dual citizenship. That said, Vancouver BC is a gorgeous and interesting city.

Phoenix or Las Vegas

You can choose the city in Florida, where the climate is the south weather, but also there is near the sea with warm spring ,cool summer, and particularly beautiful view.

@YARNLADY

Out of curiosity, what do you find interesting in Las Vegas? Personally, when it comes to residency (rather than vacation) I find it uninhabitable- miles and miles of boring suburbs, crushing unemployment, plummeting house values, almost no culture, no decent bookstores, terrible bicycling infrastructure and furnace-hot heat for much of the year. My mother-in-law lives there, and I dread visiting her- I don’t gamble, and there is just not much at all in LV to do.

@funkdaddy

Don’t ever say that to someone from Vancouver! They already have enough of a complex about getting mixed up with that place up in Canada :>)

@crisw Las Vegas has some very interesting museums, nice shopping outlets, a wonderful rock shop, and the low housing prices help make it more desirable. As a former costumer, I used to love shopping in their fabric shops for exotic fabrics.

Here’s a list of dozens and dozens of interesting places.

Aside the usual tourist tour I would say: Sarasota and Denver… we were in both on our trips through the US…

Philadelphia sits between both Wash. DC and Manhattan and is so much more affordable than either. It’s a major city but still somehow has a community type feel to it.

There are so many interesting food places, both restaurants and ethnic markets in the same way as NY but much more reasonably priced.

Great mix of various cultures with tons of interesting street fairs and block parties in warmer months.

Lots of varied cultural offerings artistically, musically, etc. The Franklin Institute, Art Museum, Please Touch Museum, great Zoo etc.

The thing that drew me to it initially was how easily accessible the city was from the suburbs. You can literally go from being surrounded by concrete to stepping in cow patties in a 20–25 min. drive. (in NY that’s about 1½ to 2 hours in most cases).

It’s an interesting and affordable place. I lived there for over 20 yrs. and still miss it.