Best Place to Live in America?
Yes, I’m asking. “The grass is always greener …”
Not that western Massachusetts is bad. I like it a lot, in fact. It’s less expensive than Connecticut, where I lived for most of the last 30 years.
But everything is relative. I’ve been looking, lately, into areas of the country where I could probably live far less expensively than here, without giving up much. My requirements are pretty simple:
- Low housing costs.
- Good internet access
- Educated and liberal community
- Arts and literature friendly
“Low housing costs” is the big one, for lowering my cost of living. The less monthly outgo I have now, the less I have to concentrate on immediate cash flow and the more I can work on my own longer term writing projects.
So far, I’ve come up with Oil City, Pennsylvania, where they actually have an artist relocation program. Don’t laugh, read. I like western Pennsylvania, too. I could live there and save up for my winter home in Costa Rica. (Hah?!)
Maybe I’m just talking out loud and to myself — it wouldn’t be the first time. But I’d love some other opinions. Where’s the best cheap place in the U.S. for a writer and/or artist to live?
jss @ May 3, 2008
