Where is the best place to live – Don’t be offended

I research the best place to live for two years. and here is the result.

I was living in Europe as an American and could live anywhere. I had resources and time. I wanted to make the right choice. I could move anywhere with my family.

First I list the places I would not live in one phrase.

• Europe is too dark much of the year and Southern Europe in perpetual economic crisis.

We had considered every state/city in the USA:

Do not be offended, if this is your state, it was  my subjective idea about what lifestyle I wanted to live.

Alaska – In theory breath taking but too cold and dark
Alabama – Not enough development
Arizona – I am not a desert person
Arkansas – Where is this state
California – Too far from Europe and high taxes
Colorado – Cold and strange tick associated illnesses also trendy areas bid up
Connecticut – Lived my whole life
Delaware – Crowded mid Atlantic
Florida – Land of the flowers – an idea place
Georgia – Nice state but why not go all the way to the beach
Hawaii – too remote from the metropolis of the East coast and Europe, get island fever
Idaho – Too far
Illinois – Flat and nothing special
Indiana – Same as above
Iowa – Somewhere out there
Kansas – Too flat
Kentucky – not near the coast
Louisiana – Crime issues
Maine – Lyme and cold ocean water
Maryland –  Over populated and too close to the monstrous DC
Massachusetts – Lyme lived there
Michigan – Depressed economics
Minnesota – Close to ideal except the cold
Mississippi – Would not want to live there
Missouri – Crime
Montana – Too remote
Nebraska – Flat like Kansas
Nevada – Too much decadence
New Hampshire – Low tax but Lyme disease is high
New Jersey – over taxed and crowded
New Mexico – Nice but I do not know it
New York – Over taxed and people escape
North Carolina – This was out second option
North Dakota – Booming economically but you might as well live in Canada
Ohio – Flat a lot of corn but nothing much to do
Oklahoma – Oil and dust
Oregon – Overpriced and rainy
Pennsylvania – A top consideration but Lyme
Rhode Island – Ticks and no economy
South Carolina – Might as well live in NC, but nice.
South Dakota – In the middle of nowhere
Tennessee – Would like in NC closer to the Ocean
Texas – Hot
Utah – Not my culture
Vermont – near perfect except Lyme ticks
Virginia – use to be nice but too crowded
Washington- Too rainy
West Virginia – nice but poor
Wisconsin – Midwestern cold, Maine is better
Wyoming – Record cold for the continental US, nice if you want to Homestead

The two highest contenders where:

New England (Lyme diseases is rampant) , North Carolina (unless you are in Charlotte, it still impressed me as an insiders Southern state, and I lived there for four years).

Florida mostly No

1. South Florida and Miami –  Most people moving out of there describe it as little hotter than  purgatory.
2. West Florida and Tampa – lived there, hot and humid like no other place. People get depressed from the lack of seasons.
3. Central Florida such as Orlando – Too much an entertainment atmosphere
4. Tallahassee area – Similar in culture to Alabama

North East Florida  mostly Yes – Change of seasons, by the Ocean and economically growing. The best.

1. Jacksonville – A city, why not live in Jersey?
2. Palm Coast -a developers idea for a city
3. Amelia Island – not as nice as Saint Augustine

I choose St. Augustine, Florida and here is why I choose this historic town in North East Florida as the optimal place to live.

Why St. Augustine, Florida is the best place to live in the world

1. Weather and never bored –  This was the main reason. The snob in me thought I would be bored outside New York, Boston or Europe. Not so. I am rarely bored in Florida and if you like the outdoors this is the place.
2. Day trips from and in Florida – Think of it this way. When I live in NYC it took me 90 minutes to get anywhere. 90 minutes in Florida, I am in Universal, Disney, Sea World, etc. in less than eight hours I am knee-deep in Snow in the Carolina mountains. Florida has wonderful cold water springs to cool off all year. Beaches are where I spend a good part of the winter.
3. Culture – There are endless cultural events in the St. Johns to Charleston. SC.
4. Four Seasons – Where I live we have four seasons with leaves changing and even some frost. Like snow a day trip Carolina will do it.

   

5. Schools – We have a daughter and it is no secrete that St. Augustine area has the best schools. Many northern people move to Florida just for the schools. Sound surprised, parents from the North say their kids excel in Florida where they were just mediocre students up North. Ask me if you want to know more. We send our daughter to a private school, it is a fraction of what it would be up north.
6. European feel – It is very diverse here, I call the area I live in the EU of the USA. Not only is Florida the closest country to the USA, it is swamped with Europeans. I have scores of European friends here which really makes my wife feel at home.
7. Victorian painted ladies – The old town is a special place if architectural beauty in a place is important.
8. Diversity – brings a cultural cornucopia from with European bakeries to Cuban cafe’s.
9. Artistic hub – for galleries and artisan workshops.
10. People are friendly –  Maybe it is the South but it is a good change from the North East. I could not believe how easy-going people are.
11. Food is organic – We and others garden all four seasons and many markets with locally grown food and organic farms in the county.

    

12. Close of several job centres  – Every company is moving from the high priced North East to Florida, which makes commuting possible for jobs in any field.
13. The Ocean – if you like the ocean, even just walking on the beach. I like the West coast as well as the Gulf of Mexico is calm.
14. Beaches – Widest natural soft sand beaches I have ever seen.
15. Fishing – Why buy frozen Tilapia from Walmart when you could have fresh fish, crabs and seafood.
16.  Dinning – Over 200 restaurants in just a few minutes drive.
17. Alternative ways to make a living – Many people in St. Johns county find other ways to make money from selling things at the market like homemade jewelry to massage. I call it the Florida way, an alternative hub for this who want to hear the beat of a different drummer.
18. Water sports –  surfing, wind surfing. This has a cool factor. Canoeing and boating even with a sunfish in the calm protected areas.
19. Anastasia Island  – feels like Hawaii without the remoteness.
20. Old town – History
21. For kids –  So, Science center, Aquarium etc.
22. Fountain of youth – Ponce de Leon did not find it, I know I was there.
23. Small town feel  – with the activities of a major city.

    

24. Trolleys – and horse and buggies under the Spanish moss.
25. Discounts  – and free events for residents.
26. Totally Safe – if public safely is your concern check the statistics crime is very low.
27.  Healing and Growth – Things grow well if you like gardening.
28. Medial care –  is ranked top of the state in many categories.
29. Hiking – with hardwood trees like you are in New England, almost.

    

30. No state tax – This alone attracts people to the State as a whole.
31.  No one moving back up North – I do not know too many people moving back up north or even back down south.

Why would you live anywhere else? Someone challenge me on this and I am all ear.

It is hard to beat the mild climate,  moderated by the sea with more to do than NYC if you include all Florida. It is a great place f to raise a family in a low tax safe environment. If you have questions about the St. Augustine area let me know.