r/SameGrassButGreener

I work remotely so the US is my oyster (with a $2000-ish monthly rent lol) I have a chronically ill son who is only 6. We live in Florida now which is meh. My top choices are Houston, Atlanta or Minneapolis. All of these have an office of my job in case I need to go back to work in person and are somewhat within my budget. Anyone has advice? I’m aware the weather is best in Atlanta out of Houston and Minneapolis and I’m okay with that.

What cities would you recommend for having great public education systems but not crazy high cost of living (medium or medium/high)?

If possible could you give the names of the suburbs, counties or school districts you recommend vs “Philadelphia” for example. That’s our primary goal in moving. Mostly considering east coast cities but open to suggestions.

Secondary request, places where there’s also good access to nature and can spend a good portion of the year outdoors. And good events and stuff to do for families (festivals, parks, community events, libraries, etc) .

Third level request (ideally but not as important as other two). Stuff nearby for day trips and a good airport close by.

Thanks!

I currently live in the Sacramento area, I like it here, but need a change of pace and kind of want to separate from the life I'm currently living, the idea of starting over in new things with social things etc makes me excited. I do have family, but it is not a priority to me to be close to them, so being far from them doesn't matter to me really.

I have been to 13 states (California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas), and the ones I loved the most so far were Tennessee and Montana. I love Montana's scenery and outdoor culture, but I absolutely could not handle the winters long-term. I'm much more of a hot/warm-weather person. And it seemed like the people there all kept to themselves and I need a social scene.

I especially loved Nashville, I really liked the humidity and warm weather but I also loved the culture and pace of life. And I liked that there was a lot of entertainment, music, restaurants, nightlife, etc. to do. I think I generally have a bit of Southern/Midwestern personality myself in the sense that I'm pretty down-to-earth, laid-back, social, and always down for adventure.

I am liberal Democrat in terms of politics but generally have a sort of live and let live sort of vibe, I don't care if everyone around me agrees with me on politics as long as there's respect around us and I am not treated poorly due to my political views. I'd actually live moving somewhere that keeps that Southern feel/culture rather than move somewhere that feels super disconnected from it.

I'm pretty open though, what cities/areas do you think would fit my personality and what I'm looking for?

Other regions that y'all think would be a better fit I'd love to hear as well, as I am always down for something different.

My partner and I are trying to figure out where to move on the East Coast (from Ohio, been in LA the past few years). To be within driving distance of family we're looking between NYC and Virginia. I'd love to live in DC or NYC but I'm worried about the cost of living (ideal would be to find a 3 bedroom for around $3K a month). I'm looking at Baltimore and Philly due to their lower cost, but wanted to see if there's any other midsized/smaller cities in that region that we should consider?

I know we probably won't get all of these, but things I'm looking for include:

• walkable
• good vegan food
• charming buildings, access to parks and public green spaces
• cool museums, zoos, theaters, etc
• not a terrible winter, can still get outside
• any helpful state or city programs that outsiders might not know about/consider (i.e. help with childcare costs, first time home buyers...)
• good place for starting a family

Would love to hear if there's any places you think would be a good fit!

As we explore a move from the DFW area, I have thought of this a lot lately…in the strange time that is 2026, where are the majority of kind people residing? What metro areas give you a feeling of high trust and kindness in just every day exchanges? Our child is three and the vibe of maybe “modern wholesome” comes to mind when I think of the environment I prefer for him. What have your experiences been?

What are your opinions on the Midwest regarding this? I feel like that is still the region with the most reasonable people overall.

A thread regarding our move…
https://www.reddit.com/r/relocating/s/fF2AcAcyC9

i'm 24 and have only moved twice, both times within a 30 mi radius of where i grew up. i do want to move outside of my home state eventually, but reflecting on my second move, it has resulted in my mental state absolutely plummeting (for a variety of reasons). just curious what others experiences have been

Hello,

We are a late 30s couple elementary school aged kids. We currently live in Charlotte, NC but don’t love it. The joke here is that it’s like Applebees - it’s pretty generic and does everything ok but nothing amazing. We agree with this perspective - it’s ok but we don’t love it.

We originally moved to CLT for work. However, now both work fully remote and can live anywhere in the US. We are a little hesitant to move since we are relatively settled: the kids are in school here, we have a few friends, we have doctors, etc. but I feel like we are missing out on an opportunity to live somewhere amazing. But since moving is such a pain, we don’t wanna get it wrong. Some considerations:

- education for our kids is important.

- we have a level 1 AuDHD child so special ed services is important

- we like the beach and cooler weather

- We are originally from Florida and it still feels like home when we visit. We still have friends and family all over the state. Our parents are there and entering their 70s

- we have family outside of Philly

- would prefer a medium to smaller sized city but maybe within 1-2 hrs of a larger city

- cold is ok but not too cold

- prefer to be near the ocean

- budget is $2 million for a house

My heart tells me Florida since it’s most familiar and comfortable, but I know the schooling situation isn’t that great there. My wife and did ok being educated in FL but I know it’s not great. Or are there any good schools or districts in Florida?

Either states Reddit loves vs real life or Reddit hates vs real life.

My personal view is that 1 jobs 2 family 3 weather 4 COL 5 amenities are the criteria for most people and that the Southern states are more popular than Reddit gives credit to.

I think Reddit ranks amenities higher than real world does.

To start, I'm not looking to move anytime soon. I'm just a person who has lived in one area my entire life and would consider someday living somewhere else.

For background: I live in Hampton Roads, VA. While again, I've been here my entire life and am kinda sick of it, it's not awful: mild Winters overall, beach less than an hour away, mountains about 3 hours away, decent schools (as always, depending on the specific area), and you can still find a decent house for less than $600k (which may sound exorbitant to some, but hold my non-existent beer...), moderate politically.

As most seem to, I was wondering if there is a coastal area somewhere in the US that isn't insanely expensive or in the deep South (NO to their Summers and politics). So I started researching and...whoa. I looked at the West Coast and between the cost and the fires? Nah. Looked at the Northeast and, "reasonable" seems to be less than a mil for a single family home. One example was a thread referring to Beverly, MA as, "reasonable" price-wise but when I looked up house prices? Good lord...also nah.

Is this true? Are there no decent (by my definition above-I know this is subjective) coastal areas where small homes aren't approaching a mil that isn't in a deep red state? Again, more curious than anything.

To add: by coastal I mean less than an hour to a beach and by reasonable I mean that you can find a decent-sized (maybe 1500 SQ. ft. min.) home for less than 500 or 600k.

Howdy,

I’m looking for a small/medium sized city or town, that has awesome nature access, year round opportunity for outdoor recreation, really lovely community, decent airport and you can live in a house with a yard for like $2600/mo or less.

Nature access- to me that means a lot of hiking opportunities within a 30 min drive, places to swim in a body of water, even more nature to explore further out on a weekend. Current issue with where I live is everything gets crazy crowded and essentially inaccessible on weekends. So looking to avoid that.

Cool community- granola types. People who value time in the outdoors, but also don’t smell like BO and have a 401k. Ya know? Also would love a decent dating market of men in their 30s with jobs who like to do stuff outside. Also would love to get involved with local environmental groups and non profits.

Year round outdoor recreation - ideally there is not a season where you just can’t do anything outside. I’m currently in Florida and you can’t do anything outside in the summer really.

I like some city stuff- music, arts scene, yoga studios, places to gather, but it’s not the most important to me anymore. Access to a decent airport would still be important though.

Also looking to avoid any super high cost of living places. Would like to be able to live in a house with a yard for $2600 or less.
Looking to stay in the US, very slight preference for east coast but I love the west coast nature.
What do yall recommend??
I’ve lived in St Pete, Fl, San Diego, nyc, Maui and nj. I’m looking for a spot to land for the long term now. Also if you wanna gate keep your super cute town, dm me it plsss

If you actually go outside and talk to people, nothing people say here is out of the ordinary, whether it’s loving your favorite state or hating it. In fact, 99% of what people say here is extremely cliche. If you meet 5 people from anywhere, you’ll hear everything people say about it here.

For those who get triggered when people don’t like your state or city, go outside.

There is nowhere the majority of America likes. The most populous states have a little more than 10% of the country’s people. Most Americans are not going to like what you do and that’s fine.

You don’t need to make up a fantasy about internet strangers just because it hurts your feelings that they don’t like where you live.

Seriously, it’s really sad that people in their 20’s and older have such an adverse reaction to people on the internet liking different weather.

People write paragraphs describing imaginary people to explain how people can have opinions they don’t like. Don’t like humidity? You obviously have no social life and wear a fedora.

I have lived in a city I despise for about 15 years. I moved here to be with my husband, although I would have never chosen this location if it weren’t for him. He is not originally from here either and we don’t have family here or really, any reason to stay here besides his job which can relocate to 2 other areas of the country. Each of these places is not “ideal,” but one has all of his family but COL is more due to taxes and he is a high earner. I stay home. I agree that it is not great, but I’m at my breaking point, and I don’t care what sacrifices have to be made.

We have 3 children who are getting older and I’m afraid I’ll be stuck here if we wait much longer to make a change. The schools are not what I want for my kids, so that is pushing me even more to want a change. I have been vocal about my desire to move for almost the entire 15 years. I don’t like the culture, people, weather, climate or the way it’s rapidly developing and how expensive and overcrowded it has become. It is an affluent area so he doesn’t understand how I could dislike it, as he says “everyone wants to be here.” The kids in the schools are very snobby and so are the adults, I don’t fit in. We bought our houses before the boom and could make a great profit on selling them.

Although we are financially well off now, I grew up blue collar and I have the desire to live more simply and be happy to just “be.” The older I get the more depressed I am becoming living here. I feel I might have a mental breakdown: This is a matter of lifestyle differences, not just where we are. It’s extremely transient, so while I’ve made friends over 15 years, almost everyone has left. It’s so hard to build community which I desperately need. I’ve even gone so far as to say if I die suddenly, do not bury me here and make me stay here for all of eternity. It sounds dramatic, but I mean it with every fiber of my being. He uses the excuse that I won’t be happy anywhere, which just isn’t true. I think I’ve sacrificed enough of my life.

What to do? Is anyone else in this situation or has been?

For those of you who relocated to a new city/state and are coming up on the end of your lease, what are you planning to do?

Would love to hear where you moved from/to, how long you’ve been there, and what ultimately influenced your decision.

Not gay friendly in the sense that there’s a popular gay district and gay neighborhoods. (Though it can)

Not gay friendly in the sense that there’s huge pride parades. (Though it’s fine)

Gay friendly in the sense that being gay is just a normal way to be, it doesn’t stand out, you won’t be asked about your sexuality but instead you just exist as a normal part of the variation.

Which city in the US can I move to where as a gay person I won’t be segregated off socially and instead gay people just exist in community with everyone else.

For example I currently live in Chicago and while it’s not overtly hostile towards gays I definitely feel socially stratified, considered “different” and people will constantly reference boystown when they find out im gay.

I want to live somewhere I can just be without feeling othered.

Why is there such a disparity in what this sub recommends and where people actually move to?

I'm (26m) facing a dilemma on whether or not I should remain in Philadelphia or go back home to Asheville, NC. Either one sounds like a potential lose / lose. I've already left Philadelphia once because I was having a hard time acclimating, moved back home after nine months (where I felt at peace) and moved back because of a girl I started seeing. I'm no longer seeing her.

It is now my seventh month here this second time around. I found a decent job doing documentary work which is now over as of a month ago, established myself in many different communities, have friends and heaps of things to do at all times and have a very cheap place to live with a good roommate. Despite all of the good things I've got going for me, I still want to live in a small town rural area, working in the woods and building homes.

It didn't occur to me how much anxiety I had become accustomed to, living in the city, until I left for the month of July to go work in Vermont with an old friend of mine who was building a home for his buddy in rural Vermont. I felt completely at ease once I became immersed in that environment once again—working all day in the woods, getting off of work to go fishing and swimming, driving my truck around, shooting guns, campfires, etc.

Now I'm back in Philadelphia, applying to different jobs, afraid to commit to anything because deep in my gut, I want to go back to my old life. I would feel almost like a failure to up and leave this place once again, especially now that I've got good social and job prospects. I'm deeply afraid to regret my decision once it's been made. I wish I could live both places at once. I've been ruminating on this decision for a week now. Acute anxiety, almost—my face has been twitching and heart running like never before. I can't enjoy hanging out with friends or other activities because this dilemma has consumed me. I wish there were some sort of middle ground, or live in both places at once. I'm afraid that either decision is the wrong one. Because Philadelphia really is the most beautiful and diverse city I've ever had the privilege of living in.

I kept seeing a lot of people online say that Philadelphia and Baltimore are sister cities. That there are a lot of similarities between the two.

I am 35 (M) and feeling so lost and confused. My grandmother who I was very close with passed in March after an incredible 100 years of life.

After this happened, I made a quick decision to inform my landlord that I wouldn’t be renewing my lease in my former city (about 1.5 hours away). I signed a lease and moved into a new apartment in my home town about 6 weeks ago. I can’t help but think that the impulse decision was motivated by a need to be closer to family ( I feel wat too old to be running back to family).

It’s been about 6 weeks now and I feel miserable. The first few weeks I was able to occupy myself but now that I am settled in, it feels so isolating. I work from home and haven’t developed any sort of routine yet. The city I left had so much more opportunity for socialization and contact with others.

What complicates this more is that I am in the process of completing a masters to be a registered therapist and honestly hoped to find a job in my home town when o was finished. I’m debating moving back to the city I moved away from but the feeling of wanting to someday move back here has me feeling stuck.

Not sure how to proceed, I’m spending my days ruminating and have fallen into a depressive state. Not at all how I thought this would go.

Why would anyone want to live in such an absolute inferno. No wonder Arizona has over 600 volcanos.

Barren, dusty, devoid of life.

I’m a 32M who moved back in with my parents about a year ago to save money and finish school. It’s honestly been a good decision financially, but it’s definitely come with some sacrifices.
I lived in Toronto for about 9 years and own a condo downtown. My school is also in Toronto, so even though I moved home, a big part of my life is still tied to the city.
My tenants recently moved out, and now my condo is sitting vacant while I try to decide what I want to do. I only have one more semester of school left, so part of me thinks I should just stay home another year, keep saving money, finish school, and then figure out my next move.
But another part of me really misses having a life in the city.
After being away for a year, I feel pretty disconnected from Toronto. A lot of my friendships and connections have faded, and I miss having people around, being able to spontaneously go out, meet new people, walk somewhere for dinner or drinks, go to events, etc. I’d really like to rebuild a social life and feel connected to the city again.
At the same time, some days I genuinely don’t miss Toronto at all. I love being at my parents’ house, having more space, saving money, and having a quieter life. Other days I really miss downtown and wonder if moving back would give me the push I need to get out there and start living a little more again.
So I’m curious — for those of you who genuinely enjoy living in Toronto, what do you love about it? What keeps you here?