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The 15 Best Places to Reinvent Your Life
By Grace Lichtenstein, Elaine Robbins, and Michael Dupuis, May-June 2003
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11. GAINESVILLE, FL
James Ross discovered Gainesville the way many do: as a student at the University of Florida. "It's a younger and more intellectually stimulating town than you'll find in most of Florida," he says. Ross, 53, lived in Boston for years, but when he was offered a job at the university's Museum of Natural History, he jumped at the chance to return.
Why? He adores the Florida sun and all there is to do in it. ("We have these wonderful, warm freshwater springs where you can swim, fish, canoe, dawdle.") Atlantic Coast beaches are just 60 miles away.
Factor in affordable housing (you might find a bungalow shaded by loblolly pines in the university area for $160,000) and some of the best health care in Florida (five stellar university hospitals), and you've got a winning combination. Ross pauses, then hesitates about sharing more of the city's secrets: "Did I mention the mosquitoes?"
12. IOWA CITY, IA
"No one ever came here for the weather," jokes one realtor. But thanks to the University of Iowa, three medical centers, and a small-business development center, the job climate is good.
The main attraction, though, is a widely held sense of the place as a safe haven. Plus some small-town friendliness; an urbane art, music, and literary scene; and a bustling downtown pedestrian mall. Residents can hear live salsa music on the mall, catch the Kronos Quartet at the university—and cheer themselves hoarse (Go Hawkeyes!) at a weekend Big-Ten football game.
Perched on the shores of the Iowa River, the city shows little of the state's agricultural roots. Single-family homes have replaced the cornfields—and they come at prices that look amazing compared to similar communities on either coast.
13. PORTSMOUTH, NH
Summer day-trippers descend on historic Market Square to enjoy the lobster restaurants, boutiques, art galleries, and used bookstores, but don't take Portsmouth for a cutesified tourist town. It's a working waterfront where busy tugboats and tankers dock along the Piscataqua River. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which dates back to 1800, is the oldest shipyard in the country and still a main economic engine of the region. High-tech companies have also found a home here.
Portsmouth has big-city amenities—good restaurants and a hopping cultural scene at such venues as the Seacoast Repertory Theatre and The Music Hall. But without big-city hassles: It was named one of the 10 safest places in America by Places Rated Almanac. Portsmouth also boasts no income tax or sales tax, small-town friendliness, easy parking, and a rugged coastal shoreline. And when you need to get out of town, Boston's Logan Airport and South Station are just 50 miles away.
14. SPOKANE, WA
Spokane is located along the banks of the Spokane River, where the Columbia River Valley rises to meet the forests of the northern Rockies. With close to 200,000 people (400,000 in the metro area), Spokane is the largest city between Seattle and Minneapolis. And with low utility costs, no income tax, and housing costs below national prices, it's a darn good buy.
Downtown is a mix of old brick (the city dates to the late 1800s) and modern structures. You can glimpse the city's history by dining at the Victorian-era Patsy Clark's Mansion (26 rooms and nine fireplaces!) or at the Steam Plant Grill, which in its former life provided heat to many downtown businesses. The crown jewel is Riverfront Park, which has summer concerts, an ice skating rink, and a beautifully restored carousel.
Riverfront is just the beginning of the recreational opportunities in the area. The Rockies offer fishing, hiking, boating, and skiing; and duffers take note: Golf Digest calls Spokane one of the best places in the country to play golf, thanks to fine summer weather and plenty of courses.
The tens of thousands of students attending college in Spokane keep the city feeling young and help support the plays, music, restaurants, and clubs. In addition to college-sponsored cultural programs, Spokane sports its own symphony, opera house, and a well-respected jazz orchestra.
15. ASHLAND, OR
California professionals and retired Berkeley professors have discovered Ashland, a liberal enclave tucked in the foothillls of the Siskiyou Mountains in conservative southwestern Oregon. Thousands of people descend on Ashland each year for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (held February through November). They find a cozy town (population 20,577) that offers four mild seasons (only 20 inches of rain annually, compared with 36 in Portland) and a dazzling array of theater beyond Shakespeare. Many fall for Ashland's charms and decide to relocate.
"This is a phenomenal town full of creative people," says Mark Thomas, a former Bay Area advertising executive who, with wife Melissa, moved here and opened Louie's Bar & Grill on the town plaza. Recreational opportunities are everywhere, from walking and biking in 93-acre Lithia Park, a downtown oasis, to skiing and camping in nearby mountains. People 65 and older can take any class free at Southern Oregon University. And for $100 a year, seniors can take courses through the volunteer-run South Oregon Learning in Retirement program.
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Median house price: $264,000
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Think twice: Portland, the nearest big city, is 300 miles away
Grace Lichtenstein is a former Denver bureau chief for The New York Times and the author of six books.
Elaine Robbins covers environmental issues and architecture for national magazines from her base in Austin, TX.
Michael Dupuis is a geographer who resides in the Pacific Northwest.
Now, check out our checklist of 20 ways to determine the city that's right for you.
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