Best Places to Live

[Spider]

Veg, here's something interesting. Money magazine has come out with the best places to live:
http://money.cnn.com/best/bplive/cities_table/

The Dallas area seems to be one of the top spots. Plano is #1 in the category of west region population >100,000; Carrollton is #12 and Richardson is #13. In the west region population <100,000, Flower Mound is #2, Allen is #12, and Coppell is #16.

Unfortunately, western NC, dispite some great M/C roads doesn't make the list at all.:snore

[Cliffy777]

Isn't it odd the folks at Money don't factor in quality MC roads.

[knary]

They have an odd definition for "desirable" with places like Fremont, CA and Marlboro, NJ and Naperville, IL on the list. They're not bad places to live, but they're part of the dense suburbs of big cities.

[widebmw]

You can pick your own perameters by checking-
http://www.bestplaces.net/
They don't have "best motorcycle roads"

[The_Veg]

Yeah our local news has been making much of the Plano thing but I don't get it. It's about as boring a suburban wasteland as I've experienced, and supposedly one of the reasons for the choice was its high rate of population growth. Since when has that been good for a place? I guess it speaks of people's desire to want to feel included in popular things.
I lived in Plano for two and a half years and I'll never go back!

Tuscaloosa Alabama is pretty nice despite a few shortcomings. But having grown up there I'm a little biased.

[crvalley]

This is compliments of MSN.com. I'm not sure how great the riding is at or near these places, but I'm sure there is something worth living for at the following:

1) Olympia, Washington
2) Williamstown, Massachusetts
3) Prescott, Arizona
4) Charleston, South Carolina
5) Ashland, Oregon
6) Billings, Montana
7) Ithaca, New York
8) Sioux Falls, South Dakota
9) Kerrville-Fredericksburg-Marble Falls-Mason, Texas
10) Oxford, Mississippi

Granted, I have another 20 years before I lessen my work and ride full time, but these are some areas to consider...The article that this list came from stressed quality of life standards like home affordability, culture, the arts, and so forth. No mention was made of motorcycling...

[Spider]

Originally posted by The Veg
Tuscaloosa Alabama is pretty nice despite a few shortcomings. But having grown up there I'm a little biased.

I lived in Tuscaloosa for several years, and yes, it is a great place. Many good m/c roads in all directions.

:)

[manicmechanic]

I think that waking up above the ground is pretty good. After that you just have to deal with it.

[The_Veg]

That #9 group of TexSux towns is west of Austin and north of San Antonio, so that's some prime Hill Country riding! My club (Lone Star BMW Riders, #252) does a three-day ride to Fredericksburg every spring (although I haven't been there yet).

Spider, tell me off-forum about your Tuscaloosa experiences. I moved away before I started riding but I know some roads around there that are begging for my bike and since I still have friends and a parent there...

[donkey doctor]

Hello; I realize that the target audience for all this is americans, but, there are other places on this big blue ball that might belong on that list. My choice would be in the bavarian alps, or maybe the french mediterainean (sp), or how about the canadian rockys. I have been to every state and I don't want to live in the states.

[lorazepam]

Hey Donkey,
There is a group that publishes the best places in the states to live, I believe that is what they are discussing on this thread. It is in no way saying that the best places in the world to live are all in the US. Having lived in Europe and traveled extensively in Asia, I personally do prefer North America as my home.

[Brickhead]

What, NYC doesn't even make it into the top 100? Guess I'd better move to Sprawlville because Money magazine says so...;)

NYC has more great motorcycle roads within a half-hour's drive than many might think, but admittedly is not what I'd call a great motorcycle area, unless heavy traffic is your bag...Every time i end up on the Blue Ridge Parkway or some such, I start scheming how I can relocate myself a little closer to great riding. A house with a garage would do nicely also...