BROOKLINEBIKER

Hi bibenaugust,
I have never been to Chapel Hill but have read great things about it. That may be an option. Thanks!

BROOKLINEBIKER

Hi Jim,
Yes, I am in Brookline, MA. I like Boston a lot. We have some good museums, pro sports teams, great hospitals, a very educated populace, and some beautiful countryside. but the cold and the expense are However, the expense and the cold are eating me alive. If I could find a smaller version of Boston with some palm trees and nearby ocean, I would be willing to move.

Jim from Boston

Hi BLB,

Thanks for the reply, and you nicely describe the amenities (and downsides) of Boston. I automatically think of "smaller" versions of Boston as college towns, like Ann Arbor, MI. So maybe a Southeastern college town, like Chapel Hill, maybe Gainsville, FL might fit the bill.

Personally, I enjoy all four seasons, and IMO Boston winters are ideal; challenging, but not impossible, as sometimes Minnesota, Alberta, etc. are. We bought a residence early in the 1980's in Kenmore Sqare before the real estate boom, so housing costs are pretty reasonable.

My sister-in-law loved Boston (Jamiaca Plain) and owned a house there, but moved to the Reserch Triangle around Chapel Hill for the weather, and loves it there. She is not car-free (or car-light, I think), but does enjoy recreational cycling.

acidfast7

I've spent the last 8 years living in Europe (Stockholm/Frankfurt/Copenhagen/London) and everyone loves Boston. Even my Swabian partner would love to live there.

Swabia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Grew up in Maine and miss the four seasons!

Jim from Boston

Shameless Self-Promotion:

acidfast7

The university system there is a big deal, along with the biotech/pharma industry.

Also, the cost of living is quite reasonable compared to Manhattan/Bay Area, where most other Europeans would like to live. (And, quite cheap compared to most urban European areas with similar qualities of life!)

bigbenaugust 

Be sure and look up either or all of the Carolina Tarwheels, the Carrboro Bicycle Coalition, and Bicycle Alliance Chapel Hill.

BROOKLINEBIKER

Hi acidfast,
All of what you are saying is true. Unfortunately, the cost of living - relative to my likely future income level - means I will never be able to save let alone retire. So, I need to leave Boston. (: That said, the temperature outside now is -4 degrees Farenheit, so I will not be wholly unhappy to leave LOL.

BROOKLINEBIKER

Hi Acidfast7,
Boston has a European or at least British flavor. That continues into our streetcar suburbs. The expense level is steep. You can't live in the city or inner suburbs with 2 children unless your family income is north of $250,000 USD. We live frugally in a lot of ways but can't save.

acidfast7

I agree it's expensive and I sympathise with your plight, but I think the statement that $250k is required is a little high. $250k isn't even required for London. The average property price in London is £514k ($775k) while the average salary is 15.1x lower (£34k/year)

House prices: London Property Watch

We were stunned what one could get for a relatively modest price for $400k (£260k) in Boston.

Null66

I'll second the Chapel Hill / Carrboro recommendation.

I ride there frequently. Drivers seem more aware/polite then other places I ride...

tarwheel 

I have lived in Atlanta, Athens, Valdosta and Savannah, GA, and I've been in Raleigh, NC, for the past 28 years. I've also ridden in numerous cities across the Southeast. None of them stand out at the best, but some are better than others. In general, college towns are more bicycle friendly and have lots of culture, restaurants, bars and other attractions. I loved living in Savannah, but it poses certain challenges for cycling -- very hot and humid weather in summer, high crime rate, difficult access to rural roads. Atlanta has some of the worst traffic I have encountered anywhere, which is always a challenge for cycling, but has a decent network of bike paths and MUTs. Raleigh and the Triangle also have a lot of traffic, but easy access to rural roads and an extensive network of paths and MUTs. Athens, GA, was probably my favorite place to live and ride, but it's been more than 30 years since I lived there, so I don't know if it's still a good place to ride.

BROOKLINEBIKER

Hi Tawheel,
Thanks for a detailed response. To clarify, how is bike commuting in Chapel Hill and bordering towns?

BROOKLINEBIKER

Hi Null,
Thanks for responding. Do Chapel Hill and Carrboro have a lot of bike lanes? Are there high quality bike shops in the area?

tarwheel 

There are lots of great roads to ride near Chapel Hill, particularly once you get out of town. Great local bike club, the Carolina Tarwheels -- www.tarwheels.org -- which has regular group rides throughout the year. The sponsor the best annual century/metric, Bikefest, every August from Hillsborough NC.

tcs

One might think Boston would have a reputation among cyclists for windiness, but it doesn't seem to.

Todzilla

And buses are free and have bike carriers on the front. I live 10miles north, for an awesome bucolic bike commute.

Todzilla

Tar wheel,

I live just outside Hillsborough, along that bike route, on the Eno River. Stop in for a beer.

noglider 

I know, people don't talk about it, but it sure is windy. A year and a half ago, my wife and I moved from a NYC suburb in NJ to Manhattan. I grew up here, and I remembered that it's windy here, but man, it's really windy here! We are two blocks from the Hudson River and about two miles from the New York Bay, so we get it worse than some people.

Null66

Yes!
Several to many, Some your standard fare to "on a mission from GOD" orientation / dedication.

With different focus, from your standard Performance (though better service than most performances), Not quite boutique weight weenie (Bicycle Chain) to green (Clean Machine) to alternative / social consciousness transport focus (Back Alley bikes, Peace for Grease (personally haven't used)).


Bicycle Chain and clean machine are same ownership, and cooperate... But very different in flavor so to speak.
There are more delarship..


Mostly what I like is that there is a critical mass (not the rally) of riders such that most drivers are not surprised by the presence of cyclist on any road...

There are a few dedicated greenways. Fairly useful, tend to end on roads that are bicycle friendly and go to places you'd like to go to...
See map on map.google.com...

tarwheel 

Lets go for a ride from hillsborough some weekend and then get a beer. I love riding sound there but usually only do it at Bikefest.

BROOKLINEBIKER

Hi Null,
Thanks for a really helpful answer. It sounds like I could be a happy bike commuter in Chapel Hill.

bigbenaugust 

Hey, I did bikefest last year... half in the rain, and I am hoping to do it this year, pending some vacation plans. Otherwise, I will do the Tour d'Orange, which I did in 2013. I am looking for a spring metric in the area also if you know of one...

Back to the bike shops question, Carrboro has a high-end shop (PAR Cycles, was it? The two shops merged recently.), one local chain shop (The Clean Machine) and one all-local place (Back Alley Bikes). The latter two are pretty active with the local advocacy groups. There is also a Performance in Chapel Hill, and a Bicycle Chain (same upper management as The Clean Machine).

Hillsborough is 11mi up Old 86 from my house (or about 15 if you go out to Dodson's Crossroads ).

Matt144

Yes, I went to school in Boston, and that is the worst part of winter there. Most people don't realize that Boston is the windiest major city in the US.

Matt144

I would suggest considering DC. As far as bike infrastructure and public transit, it may be the best in the southeast, if you consider DC part of the southeast. However, as far as affordability, it's not much better than Boston.