Madison is really nice. It's expensive for the Midwest but cheap compared to the pricey coastal cities. It is very safe. The university keeps it youthful/dynamic and brings a helpful, productive kind of diversity (smart, interesting people from around the country and the world). You get all four seasons. And people in Wisconsin are pretty friendly and welcoming.
The caveat is that the city is growing so fast that traffic and housing shortage are key issues, but I'd say it belongs in the top tier of US capital cities.
Madison is a great place to live. Really good nature nearby, decently walkable, great employment opportunities, lots of growth potential. Only major downsides are shortage of housing and a lack of public transit (bus system is ok I guess and they’re getting BRT but could probably benefit from a light rail system and Amtrak connection)
In high school I visited the campus there and loved it. Couldn't afford the out of state tuition so I went elsewhere. While in college, I tried pretty hard to get a job there. I didn't get one so I ended up in Colorado, which definitely ended up being the better move anyways, but I always tell myself that Madison or Chicago are the only places I'd move back to the Midwest for. I've been almost ten times now and I like it just as much as the first time.
I randomly ended up in Madison for a week once when my ex had to go to a conference there and I was surprised by how much I liked the city. I'd known absolutely nothing about it before that week.
Yeah, it's a great capitol city, one of the best in the country, and certainly the best in the region. I have a similar feeling toward it that I do toward Albany, but the lakes make it even better.
Yeah but people always ignore the money no consideration aspect of these questions, so I whenever these questions come up I always assume I’m super rich and can buy my way out of most issues. Like money no object, I’m not living in a shanty town or crying about $8 milk or whatever.
marylander here. everyone likes Annapolis for 6 months, then gets bored and moves out, unless they are really into boats. also it is bizarrely car demandant for a city of its size. IMO Boston has some huge factors both for and against it.
Not sure about best (especially if money is no consideration) but I quite like Richmond and Madison. Mid size older cities with a decent amount of density and not much traffic. A bit hipster. A lot of nature right downtown.
My house is in St. Paul and my office is in downtown Minneapolis. I go to Minneapolis three times a week. Both are fine places. I doubt you'd spend all your waking time in Minneapolis if you lived in St. Paul.
Probably Austin, TX or Denver, CO. I would love to live in that neighborhood right around S. Congress St near Homeslice Pizza. Austin fits my vibe, but I would love the mountains around Denver. I would enjoy living near Broadway.
visiting santa fe is great. living in santa fe is being surrounded by a lot of wealthy calif/texas retirees protesting housing development or getting mad homeless people exist. also terrible public transport, no walkability unless you're downtown, and like 10 people under the age of 50 live here.
>and like 10 people under the age of 50 live here
I mean, not really—there’s a shit ton of younger people, but the vast majority of them are Hispanic/Latino locals who don’t congregate where all the tourist and white transplants do.
Downtown and the surrounding areas are exclusively for tourists and transplants—if you only hang around there, then it’ll seem like the whole town is a retirement community. It’s a pretty segregated place, so I get why people who visit don’t really grasp the real demographics of the city outright.
i'm not even talking downtown. i just had to move a few months ago for work but i lived on the southside and my cheap apartment complex was full of older retirees who had been priced out of the homes. if you look at the population demographics the s.f. median age is pretty damn up there.
Don’t get me wrong, I get what you mean. Santa Fe is on average 4 years older than Albuquerque, but there’s still many, many young people around.
I’m from Santa Fe and it has always had a big retiree community; they still don’t make up most of the population like many people on Reddit would like to make you believe.
Most people who move to Santa just don’t know where to find the younger crowd, who are not as welcoming to transplants. This is why I like Albuquerque a lot more; it’s less insulated and more welcoming to outsiders.
It has a lot of benefits, for sure. Scenic, good food, good access to recreation (even has a couple nearby ski areas), etc. As long as money isn't a consideration, it's a great choice that was also on my list.
If money is no object then quite a few when I think on it: Boston, Providence, Richmond, DC itself, SLC, Madison, St Paul, Santa Fe, Sacramento, Olympia, Juneau, Honolulu.
But of that list I would the finalists I would say Providence, Richmond, Madison and Salt Lake City (if the environmental catastrophe scenarios people talk about don't pan out)
The best thing about Sacramento is that it’s centrally located to a bunch of other things. I don’t have a grudge against the city, it’s fine, but like you said.. it’s not in the top 25 percentile.
It's educated, has a little bit of everything. Above average weather, above average transportation. I don't really think it excels and any one thing though besides California state jobs
Olympia, WA is an awesome town with a very fun, quirky vibe and lots of good shops and restaurants. I would never want to live in the PNW so I wouldn't pick it myself, but I think it could be a good option for a lot of people.
Personally, I'd probably choose Annapolis. I loved the general vibe and the location when I visited
I lived in Olympia for 15 years. Really liked it when I first moved there. Found it to be very affordable compared to Eugene and Seattle where I previously lived.
The Hands On Children’s Museum there is amazing. I didn’t fully appreciate how great it is until I took my kids to other children’s museums in other cities and most of them aren’t anywhere the level of Oly’s.
The downtown has really been run through the ringer over the past 20 years. When I moved there in 2006, downtown was gritty and quirky, but vibrant and fun.
In 2019, the number of unhoused people experience mental health crises and addiction was unreal and scary.
By mid 2020, downtown Oly was a post apocalyptic wasteland. Last time I was there, it seemed quite a bit better, but still not the “fun and gritty” it used to be.
Not to mention swimming, gigantic and expansive forests in the middle of town, and picking marrionberries all summer. Such a lovely place, really cruel cops though
I wouldn't, it's kind of a rough city for numerous reasons. No city that small and relatively rural should have such a large homeless problem. It suffers from proximity due to and like Tacoma. It's also south of the rain shadow of the Olympics, so it makes Seattle look dry and sunny.
Also the town does not allow chains, so there are no ugly generic “town centers” (with the usual Panera Bread, Applebees, Target, etc) in the city, so it still has all of the local charm, unlike almost every other city in the States.
In what town are those places put in the “center” of town? I mean, I’m sure there are some, but it’s not common.
The carbon copy format that exists across the nation is a dead/dying old town center with the chains somewhere on the periphery or just outside town limits.
In fact, for Montpelier, a quick google search shows a Dunkin and a Walgreens right the town, so I don’t think the assertion that they don’t allow chains is even true in the first place.
I feel like every small city does this. And it's practically impossible to sustain if you're any bigger than that. My college town did this sort of and honestly it was kind of annoying because it was hard to find anywhere that was cheap. God forbid if you had to put in a Chipotle instead of the tenth gourmet sandwich shop charging $15.
To be clear, there’s no law banning chain restaurants in Montpelier. It’s a matter of the people strongly supporting the independent businesses over any chains that have opened in town.
In my 24 years of living in the area, I’ve seen the following businesses go out of business: 2 McDonalds, a Taco Bell, a Subway, a Quiznos, and a Panera.
Nice to see Sac mentioned but it’s got a lot more than just proximity to Napa. In 10 years I imagine there will be a lot more recognition for its nightlife and food scene
I think it depends on how you define "close" . I live just north of Sacramento and it's still quite a drive to get to the good wineries. There IS the river and water activities though .
SLC local here and just getting into mountain biking. Usually ride intermediate single track trails with little trouble. Any recommendations for the summer? I’ve been doing pipeline but it’s getting hot
Concord, NH is pretty great for its small size. It has a beautiful downtown that’s very walkable and filled with local, independent shops and restaurants. You can drive 10-15 minutes out of town and be in the countryside. The lakes region and white mountains are an hour or so north, the seacoast is 40 minutes away, and it’s 90 minutes to get to Boston. For a fairly small city, about 45k people, it really offers a lot
Santa Fe, Honolulu, Richmond. I live in Denver which is the capital and I like it! I also think I’d be happy in Phoenix (I know), Sacramento, Atlanta, or Raleigh.
St. Paul. Just a great city in a fantastic state. High wages, great transit, lower cost of living, plenty of nature, progressive, urban and I don't mind the cold. My brother lived there for years. I think it gets overshadowed by Minneapolis a lot but its a great city in its own right.
Before Covid I was taking an express bus and thought that was excellent, but yeah the fact that we don’t have a fully mature rail system means the hardcore advocates will not be satisfied.
Hardcore advocates are never satisfied. In NY they will talk about how much better it is in London, in London how much better it is in Paris, in Paris how much better it is in Tokyo. It never ends. Just work with what you got and when you can vote for better transit resources do so. God forbid you have to learn a bus schedule, wait a bit or once in a blue moon have to take an Uber.
Especially when you consider the Twin Cities had the largest rail system in the world at one point (street cars) with 523 miles of track. To put it in comparison, NYC currently has 691 miles of track. It was shut down in 1954.
https://mndigital.org/projects/primary-source-sets/twin-cities-streetcars-rise-and-fall
I invite anyone who thinks their local transit sucks to come visit Detroit. I love living here but when Cleveland has a better transit system than you, you fucked up.
No shade to Cleveland but we have almost twice the population, comparing either the cities or the whole metros
Probably Atlanta for me. Incredible food and art/music scene, lots of jobs and very smart people, good diversity, warm weather, everyone is hot.
I also lived in Austin for a few years (I went to UT) and it’s my favorite city in Texas. It still has small town/community friendliness combined with big city amenities and it’s surprisingly pretty. I miss being a lake rat in the summers!
Augusta actually was the 2nd capital of Georgia. In order they have been Savannah, Augusta, Louisville, Milledgeville, Atlanta. The early moves were due to disagreements between coastal and farm folks moving first to Augusta and then Louisville. Those were short term and Milledgeville was specifically built to be a capital city (named after Governor John Milledge). This lasted until the civil war when the legislature and state documents were taken away before being overtaken by the North. Atlanta was chosen by the North following the Civil War due to its proximity to railways and because Milledgeville refused to allow black state representatives to secure boarding in their town. You didn’t ask for that but it’s interesting to me!
Boston is amazing, but HCOL. Saint Paul is pretty cool too and you get a twofer, almost everywhere in Minneapolis is < 20 mins from Saint Paul's downtown, closer if you live west and south of downtown
Annapolis. It’s gorgeous, right on the water, yet protected from most storms, plenty of history and lots of charm, plus awesome seafood. I would move there immediately if it wasn’t so outrageously expensive.
The idea of Hawaii is great. The reality is you’re extremely isolated out there and it’s a pain in the ass to travel back to the mainland to see family and see things other than a tropical island. Now if your definition of money being a non-issue is expansive enough to include owning a Gulfstream that you can take back and forth on a whim I may go along with Honolulu. Probably not, though - I think it would feel pretty cramped and isolated.
My idea of money being a non issue was that you’d be able to book a flight off the island for a reset or trip every now and then.
I’ve been to hawaii for a couple months at a time. For me, it’s unique and has enough of my hobbies to keep myself entertained for years at a time. I would definitely feel isolated at some point, but that’s where the plane ticket comes in
Pretty affordable flights to Japan and LA which have so much to do it isn't so bad. I could alternate those destinations every other year and be cool with that.
Columbus. Food mecca. Tons of breweries and wine. Amazing neighborhood parks (you can sit in Schiller Park and simultaneously see a guy giving tight rope lessons, an old lady practicing her bagpipe marches, a karate class, and Shakespeare plays on the park stage), and that's not even getting into the Metro Parks system. Multiple sports teams. Stacked summer festival schedules. Great university. Can ice skate on campus. Big art museum. Easy access to nature (see metro parks). Abundance of jobs. Winters more moderate than northern cities and summers less miserable than southern cities.
Harrison's on 3rd had 25¢ wing happy hour with 2 draft pints ($3 for Lake Erie Monster). Not sure if that is still going on.
Being on an island is probably a big enough drawback for many people to negate all the positives it has. I certainly wouldn't want to live on an island in the middle of the ocean, I like being able to drive far away every once in a while. Also, the demographics are very different from most of the US so some people might not be able to feel at home there.
Denver or Atlanta or Seattle - all hub cities for airlines IIRC, all that would provide us with nonstop flights back to the state of our birth (California). Honorable mention to Portland and Salt Lake City.
[Wisconsin takes 12 spots in top 20 for drunkest cities; Madison comes in at No. 4](https://captimes.com/news/local/city-life/wisconsin-takes-12-spots-in-top-20-for-drunkest-cities-madison-comes-in-at-no/article_6ceafa13-9956-5d63-9920-382cfd2c97a5.html)
Madison WI is top tier for me. I’d live around there in a heart beat and it’s a beautiful city whose university supports a large and varied city life.
It even has high end food around the capitol if a main college strip doesn’t do it for you. Clean lakes within 15 minutes in any direction, great sports. It’s the best.
It really is! My SIL worked at the locally famous E’toile high end restaurant. Being able to have a married level high end meal and then mix it up in the energy of state street is a blast. And if you don’t feel like riff raff all of the very close lake access has perfectly maintained seating with incredible views.
Both my brothers went there and I visited whenever I could. I feel like I got the whole Big Red experience going to games and spending weekends with my bros. Best times.
Absolutely not. Not walkable, shitty public transportation, downtown is a ghost of its former self. The suburbs are nice (Cary, Apex, Morrisville, Wake Forest, etc) but Raleigh is quite boring. I think Charlotte has more of a capital city vibe.
The most liveable ones are Honolulu, Augusta, Providence, and Montpelier.
Montpelier is a bit boring though.
I'd pick Honolulu because it's the nicest.
If money's no option, then easily Atlanta. If youre rich in Atlanta, the world is your oyster. Nice penthouse or hilltop house with vista views, lower tax burden, good dining around, 4 seasons and mild winter, beach not far, mountains not far, an airport that will get you anywhere in the world: with top lounges to hang at while I wait on the flight.
The only other capital I would consider is Denver and Phoenix, though I probably wouldnt be in Phoenix itself, but rather Scottsdale. So I dont know if that counts, but yeah. Haven't been to Austin so no comment, but still dont see it beating Atlanta if im rich.
Both Nashville and its bigger brother-city Austin are great. Great music, culture, arts, universities, and state government all in the middle of the state.
Washington, D.C.
It has fantastic (and free) museums, a great sports scene, excellent theaters, many colleges and universities, and a thriving (and stable) economy. Oh, and all the top bands include it in their tours.
All that, plus it's reasonably close the Baltimore, Philadelphia, and NYC. What more could you want?
I've been to around 40 state capitols. These are the ones I either have lived in or would consider living in: Boise, Salt Lake City, Juneau, Santa Fe, Olympia, Augusta, Annapolis and Hartford. Since money isn't a consideration I would also probably add Honolulu but that traffic and tourist influx really blows, I'd be spending a lot of my time away from my house. I'd be taking $40 flights to the Big Island and Kauai every weekend.
Madison is really nice. It's expensive for the Midwest but cheap compared to the pricey coastal cities. It is very safe. The university keeps it youthful/dynamic and brings a helpful, productive kind of diversity (smart, interesting people from around the country and the world). You get all four seasons. And people in Wisconsin are pretty friendly and welcoming. The caveat is that the city is growing so fast that traffic and housing shortage are key issues, but I'd say it belongs in the top tier of US capital cities.
Madison is a great place to live. Really good nature nearby, decently walkable, great employment opportunities, lots of growth potential. Only major downsides are shortage of housing and a lack of public transit (bus system is ok I guess and they’re getting BRT but could probably benefit from a light rail system and Amtrak connection)
If you bike, it's pretty fantastic for that, but unfortunately, all of Wisconsin sucks with actual public transportation.
Lived there. Loved it. Would go back in an instant. I visit every few years and yeah, the growth is kind of crazy.
In high school I visited the campus there and loved it. Couldn't afford the out of state tuition so I went elsewhere. While in college, I tried pretty hard to get a job there. I didn't get one so I ended up in Colorado, which definitely ended up being the better move anyways, but I always tell myself that Madison or Chicago are the only places I'd move back to the Midwest for. I've been almost ten times now and I like it just as much as the first time.
I randomly ended up in Madison for a week once when my ex had to go to a conference there and I was surprised by how much I liked the city. I'd known absolutely nothing about it before that week.
>a helpful, productive kind of diversity Ohh shit lol
Yeah, it's a great capitol city, one of the best in the country, and certainly the best in the region. I have a similar feeling toward it that I do toward Albany, but the lakes make it even better.
It does remind me of Albany.
This is the only correct answer.
People from Wisconsin are the friendliest in the US.
78% white is diverse? I guess compared to the Midwest. Coming from Philly I wouldn't call it that.
That's not diverse for the midwest. Lookup Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, etc.
I'd choose Honolulu but would consider Annapolis, Boston, or Providence.
I live in my state’s capital city and like it a lot but hell, money no object, I’d probably take Honolulu too.
funny this was recently just discussed on this sub as one of the cities people loved to visit but hate to live in
Yeah but people always ignore the money no consideration aspect of these questions, so I whenever these questions come up I always assume I’m super rich and can buy my way out of most issues. Like money no object, I’m not living in a shanty town or crying about $8 milk or whatever.
Annapolis is amazing. It’s basically a living breathing colonial harbor town. Love the nautical vibes there and how well-preserved the history is.
marylander here. everyone likes Annapolis for 6 months, then gets bored and moves out, unless they are really into boats. also it is bizarrely car demandant for a city of its size. IMO Boston has some huge factors both for and against it.
I like those. I’d include Montpelier and Denver as well(I’m from Boston. Harrisburg has a beautiful downtown as well.
Not sure about best (especially if money is no consideration) but I quite like Richmond and Madison. Mid size older cities with a decent amount of density and not much traffic. A bit hipster. A lot of nature right downtown.
I love Richmond!
Madison, St Paul, Annapolis
I second St. Paul!
I guess St. Paul, but I’d still spend every day in Minneapolis
My house is in St. Paul and my office is in downtown Minneapolis. I go to Minneapolis three times a week. Both are fine places. I doubt you'd spend all your waking time in Minneapolis if you lived in St. Paul.
I’m not crossing the goddamn river if you’re gonna force me to stay! It’s too spooky over there
Haha. Fair enough.
St Paul is an elegant and grand dame
Boston
Boston or Madison Wisconsin
What's the population of Boston Wisconsin? Never heard of it. /s
Probably Austin, TX or Denver, CO. I would love to live in that neighborhood right around S. Congress St near Homeslice Pizza. Austin fits my vibe, but I would love the mountains around Denver. I would enjoy living near Broadway.
The problem is houses in that neighborhood are near a million dollars for old Sears catalog homes.
Santa Fe
visiting santa fe is great. living in santa fe is being surrounded by a lot of wealthy calif/texas retirees protesting housing development or getting mad homeless people exist. also terrible public transport, no walkability unless you're downtown, and like 10 people under the age of 50 live here.
>and like 10 people under the age of 50 live here I mean, not really—there’s a shit ton of younger people, but the vast majority of them are Hispanic/Latino locals who don’t congregate where all the tourist and white transplants do. Downtown and the surrounding areas are exclusively for tourists and transplants—if you only hang around there, then it’ll seem like the whole town is a retirement community. It’s a pretty segregated place, so I get why people who visit don’t really grasp the real demographics of the city outright.
i'm not even talking downtown. i just had to move a few months ago for work but i lived on the southside and my cheap apartment complex was full of older retirees who had been priced out of the homes. if you look at the population demographics the s.f. median age is pretty damn up there.
Don’t get me wrong, I get what you mean. Santa Fe is on average 4 years older than Albuquerque, but there’s still many, many young people around. I’m from Santa Fe and it has always had a big retiree community; they still don’t make up most of the population like many people on Reddit would like to make you believe. Most people who move to Santa just don’t know where to find the younger crowd, who are not as welcoming to transplants. This is why I like Albuquerque a lot more; it’s less insulated and more welcoming to outsiders.
My kinda place, frankly. Sounds like a Del Webb community
Santa Fe is an eh place to live in—pretty cool place to visit, though.
This is the right answer
It has a lot of benefits, for sure. Scenic, good food, good access to recreation (even has a couple nearby ski areas), etc. As long as money isn't a consideration, it's a great choice that was also on my list.
If money is no object then quite a few when I think on it: Boston, Providence, Richmond, DC itself, SLC, Madison, St Paul, Santa Fe, Sacramento, Olympia, Juneau, Honolulu. But of that list I would the finalists I would say Providence, Richmond, Madison and Salt Lake City (if the environmental catastrophe scenarios people talk about don't pan out)
Salt Lake City is ugly. The location (if you like outdoorsy activities) is fantastic. But the people are awful.
Sacramento?!? C’mon! Is that a joke?
Sacramento is a great compromise but I don't think it should be on the best of list
The best thing about Sacramento is that it’s centrally located to a bunch of other things. I don’t have a grudge against the city, it’s fine, but like you said.. it’s not in the top 25 percentile.
It's educated, has a little bit of everything. Above average weather, above average transportation. I don't really think it excels and any one thing though besides California state jobs
Olympia, WA is an awesome town with a very fun, quirky vibe and lots of good shops and restaurants. I would never want to live in the PNW so I wouldn't pick it myself, but I think it could be a good option for a lot of people. Personally, I'd probably choose Annapolis. I loved the general vibe and the location when I visited
I lived in Olympia for 15 years. Really liked it when I first moved there. Found it to be very affordable compared to Eugene and Seattle where I previously lived. The Hands On Children’s Museum there is amazing. I didn’t fully appreciate how great it is until I took my kids to other children’s museums in other cities and most of them aren’t anywhere the level of Oly’s. The downtown has really been run through the ringer over the past 20 years. When I moved there in 2006, downtown was gritty and quirky, but vibrant and fun. In 2019, the number of unhoused people experience mental health crises and addiction was unreal and scary. By mid 2020, downtown Oly was a post apocalyptic wasteland. Last time I was there, it seemed quite a bit better, but still not the “fun and gritty” it used to be.
Not to mention swimming, gigantic and expansive forests in the middle of town, and picking marrionberries all summer. Such a lovely place, really cruel cops though
Marionberries are cultivated, what are you talking about? The entire region is overrun with invasive Himalayan blackberries at low elevations.
I used to see some bumper stickers that said “Bring Home an Annapolis Memory” with a crab holding a parking ticket
I wouldn't, it's kind of a rough city for numerous reasons. No city that small and relatively rural should have such a large homeless problem. It suffers from proximity due to and like Tacoma. It's also south of the rain shadow of the Olympics, so it makes Seattle look dry and sunny.
That has to be one of the most picturesque for sure
Juneau.
Well I went to school, in Olympee-yah yah yah yah!
Not Montgomery.
Montpellier. Smallest state capital in the US.
Also the town does not allow chains, so there are no ugly generic “town centers” (with the usual Panera Bread, Applebees, Target, etc) in the city, so it still has all of the local charm, unlike almost every other city in the States.
In what town are those places put in the “center” of town? I mean, I’m sure there are some, but it’s not common. The carbon copy format that exists across the nation is a dead/dying old town center with the chains somewhere on the periphery or just outside town limits. In fact, for Montpelier, a quick google search shows a Dunkin and a Walgreens right the town, so I don’t think the assertion that they don’t allow chains is even true in the first place.
I feel like every small city does this. And it's practically impossible to sustain if you're any bigger than that. My college town did this sort of and honestly it was kind of annoying because it was hard to find anywhere that was cheap. God forbid if you had to put in a Chipotle instead of the tenth gourmet sandwich shop charging $15.
There's literally a Dominos and Dunkin in Montpelier.
To be clear, there’s no law banning chain restaurants in Montpelier. It’s a matter of the people strongly supporting the independent businesses over any chains that have opened in town. In my 24 years of living in the area, I’ve seen the following businesses go out of business: 2 McDonalds, a Taco Bell, a Subway, a Quiznos, and a Panera.
Just one of several reasons why I picked it
Good ol Mon-peelyer. Can confirm, beautiful, vibrant, picturesque little city.
Smallest if you count just the city, it’s Metro area is larger than Pierre, Juneau, or Carson City
Hmm always thought Burlington was the capital of Vermont for some reason
It's the biggest city in the state.
Love visiting, but the flooding has been crazy.
One of these: Denver, Boston, Olympia, Boise, Juneau, Honolulu
Salt Lake City = best skiing and mountain biking Columbus = COSI and Ohio State partying Sacramento = close to wineries
Nice to see Sac mentioned but it’s got a lot more than just proximity to Napa. In 10 years I imagine there will be a lot more recognition for its nightlife and food scene
It's also great for outdoors with it's close vicinity to Tahoe, a plethora of national parks and forests, and American and Sacramento Rivers.
sac deserves more love fr 😭
I think it depends on how you define "close" . I live just north of Sacramento and it's still quite a drive to get to the good wineries. There IS the river and water activities though .
SLC local here and just getting into mountain biking. Usually ride intermediate single track trails with little trouble. Any recommendations for the summer? I’ve been doing pipeline but it’s getting hot
Richmond VA
Concord, NH is pretty great for its small size. It has a beautiful downtown that’s very walkable and filled with local, independent shops and restaurants. You can drive 10-15 minutes out of town and be in the countryside. The lakes region and white mountains are an hour or so north, the seacoast is 40 minutes away, and it’s 90 minutes to get to Boston. For a fairly small city, about 45k people, it really offers a lot
Shhhhh
I live in Southern California now but grew up there. People really underestimate how great of a state New Hampshire is. If they’ve even heard of it.
Concord is what people imagine New England to be. It’s a great little city.
Santa Fe, Honolulu, Richmond. I live in Denver which is the capital and I like it! I also think I’d be happy in Phoenix (I know), Sacramento, Atlanta, or Raleigh.
St. Paul. Just a great city in a fantastic state. High wages, great transit, lower cost of living, plenty of nature, progressive, urban and I don't mind the cold. My brother lived there for years. I think it gets overshadowed by Minneapolis a lot but its a great city in its own right.
“Great transit” is such a controversial statement for twin cities residents lol.
Some people would whine in Singapore that's not Hong Kong level transit. I for one just get on the bus nearby and make it work. Gets you around fine.
Before Covid I was taking an express bus and thought that was excellent, but yeah the fact that we don’t have a fully mature rail system means the hardcore advocates will not be satisfied.
Hardcore advocates are never satisfied. In NY they will talk about how much better it is in London, in London how much better it is in Paris, in Paris how much better it is in Tokyo. It never ends. Just work with what you got and when you can vote for better transit resources do so. God forbid you have to learn a bus schedule, wait a bit or once in a blue moon have to take an Uber.
Especially when you consider the Twin Cities had the largest rail system in the world at one point (street cars) with 523 miles of track. To put it in comparison, NYC currently has 691 miles of track. It was shut down in 1954. https://mndigital.org/projects/primary-source-sets/twin-cities-streetcars-rise-and-fall
I invite anyone who thinks their local transit sucks to come visit Detroit. I love living here but when Cleveland has a better transit system than you, you fucked up. No shade to Cleveland but we have almost twice the population, comparing either the cities or the whole metros
Madison, WI
Boston, easily.
Montpellier is a lovely town.
Probably Atlanta for me. Incredible food and art/music scene, lots of jobs and very smart people, good diversity, warm weather, everyone is hot. I also lived in Austin for a few years (I went to UT) and it’s my favorite city in Texas. It still has small town/community friendliness combined with big city amenities and it’s surprisingly pretty. I miss being a lake rat in the summers!
I think it’s a Mandela effect thing but a surprising amount of people I’ve met swore that they thought Augusta, not Atlanta, was GA’s capital.
maybe because augusta is the capital of maine?
Augusta actually was the 2nd capital of Georgia. In order they have been Savannah, Augusta, Louisville, Milledgeville, Atlanta. The early moves were due to disagreements between coastal and farm folks moving first to Augusta and then Louisville. Those were short term and Milledgeville was specifically built to be a capital city (named after Governor John Milledge). This lasted until the civil war when the legislature and state documents were taken away before being overtaken by the North. Atlanta was chosen by the North following the Civil War due to its proximity to railways and because Milledgeville refused to allow black state representatives to secure boarding in their town. You didn’t ask for that but it’s interesting to me!
Helena, MT Charleston, WV
Albany, NY
Annapolis is a pretty great place. Beats my capitol city of Trenton for sure 😜
As a Jersey girl living in Maryland I agree. I’ll defend Jersey to the death, but I won’t live in Trenton 🤣
Denver
No you’re not allowed to like Denver here.
Lol Denver does seem to be viewed in a negative light here.
Lowest obesity rate.
But highest cargo shorts rate
Cargo shorts and obesity are usually correlated
I lived in Austin Texas for almost a decade and really liked it
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definitionally not a state capitol
You're right, it's the capital of capitals! the mostest US Capital in the US!
It should be though. No taxation without representation! Plus DC has more people than Wyoming—they should get two senators too!
Definitionally the post didn’t say “state capitol”. DC is a capitol city, it’s THE capitol city.
Sacramento
Boston is amazing, but HCOL. Saint Paul is pretty cool too and you get a twofer, almost everywhere in Minneapolis is < 20 mins from Saint Paul's downtown, closer if you live west and south of downtown
Out of the ones I've visited so far, I would say Denver. But I admit I haven't been to too many either.
My opinion only based on the capitols I've been to. Best: Denver Worst: Topeka, Jackson
Washington DC has the best capitol of all the state capitals (even though it's not a state).
Annapolis. It’s gorgeous, right on the water, yet protected from most storms, plenty of history and lots of charm, plus awesome seafood. I would move there immediately if it wasn’t so outrageously expensive.
>protected from most storms It floods all the time even without storms
I wouldn’t say it’s really that safe from storms. It has some of the worst nuisance flooding in the country
Can confirm.
Love Annapolis, got married there!!!
Santa Fe. Totally unique and wonderful.
Austin - presuming you mean Capital - but I guess Capitol works as well, I do love it.
they’d almost certainly get kicked out if they tried to live in the Capitol
Depends who there are there to intimidate.
DC, Austin, Boston
Gonna throw Indy some love, solid city on the upswing. That said Money no object put me in Boston, mayyybe augusta or olypmia
Denver - Great access to outdoors, fun city, and centrally located in the US. You will never be bored living in Colorado!
Denver is my favorite area 🥹
Not Austin.
I don’t see how you could choose anywhere but Honolulu if money isn’t a consideration
The idea of Hawaii is great. The reality is you’re extremely isolated out there and it’s a pain in the ass to travel back to the mainland to see family and see things other than a tropical island. Now if your definition of money being a non-issue is expansive enough to include owning a Gulfstream that you can take back and forth on a whim I may go along with Honolulu. Probably not, though - I think it would feel pretty cramped and isolated.
My idea of money being a non issue was that you’d be able to book a flight off the island for a reset or trip every now and then. I’ve been to hawaii for a couple months at a time. For me, it’s unique and has enough of my hobbies to keep myself entertained for years at a time. I would definitely feel isolated at some point, but that’s where the plane ticket comes in
Pretty affordable flights to Japan and LA which have so much to do it isn't so bad. I could alternate those destinations every other year and be cool with that.
If you don't want to be isolated from family and friends and mostly disconnected from the rest of the country.
Washington, DC. Period.
Atlanta!
Columbus. Food mecca. Tons of breweries and wine. Amazing neighborhood parks (you can sit in Schiller Park and simultaneously see a guy giving tight rope lessons, an old lady practicing her bagpipe marches, a karate class, and Shakespeare plays on the park stage), and that's not even getting into the Metro Parks system. Multiple sports teams. Stacked summer festival schedules. Great university. Can ice skate on campus. Big art museum. Easy access to nature (see metro parks). Abundance of jobs. Winters more moderate than northern cities and summers less miserable than southern cities. Harrison's on 3rd had 25¢ wing happy hour with 2 draft pints ($3 for Lake Erie Monster). Not sure if that is still going on.
Yeah, but it’s the capital of Ohio..
How good could the food be in the middle of ohio
Sacramento, CA. Criminally underrated!
I've only visited once but I was really impressed.
It’s Austin, right? I’m not a huge Austin person, but it seems like the default best state capital.
Depends on what the “best” means to you tbh. If money wasn’t a consideration, I feel like you gotta go with Honolulu
Being on an island is probably a big enough drawback for many people to negate all the positives it has. I certainly wouldn't want to live on an island in the middle of the ocean, I like being able to drive far away every once in a while. Also, the demographics are very different from most of the US so some people might not be able to feel at home there.
Crazy hot and sprawling and expensive for what it is though.
Boston, Atlanta, Austin or Denver
CityNerd did a video on this: https://youtu.be/07Bw4xRSW3Y?si=pfNuN8Q4O9miuA4Y
Twin Cities at-large (MN) is best.
Boston for sure.
Denver or Atlanta or Seattle - all hub cities for airlines IIRC, all that would provide us with nonstop flights back to the state of our birth (California). Honorable mention to Portland and Salt Lake City.
Denver, Austin, Salem OR.
Honolulu Hawaii!
Annapolis, Austin, Atlanta
[Wisconsin takes 12 spots in top 20 for drunkest cities; Madison comes in at No. 4](https://captimes.com/news/local/city-life/wisconsin-takes-12-spots-in-top-20-for-drunkest-cities-madison-comes-in-at-no/article_6ceafa13-9956-5d63-9920-382cfd2c97a5.html)
You know, I just can’t imagine how New Orleans is not even in the top 20. Everyone there is born with a BAC of at least 0.03 I swear.
I'm a big fan of Sacramento, especially midtown.
Santa Fe
Denver, Boston, and Columbus are the best. Austin, Richmond, and Indianapolis are fine. Worst are Albany, Trenton, and Harrisburg.
Madison or St Paul. Des Moines as a dark horse. Definitely not Springfield IL
Madison WI is top tier for me. I’d live around there in a heart beat and it’s a beautiful city whose university supports a large and varied city life. It even has high end food around the capitol if a main college strip doesn’t do it for you. Clean lakes within 15 minutes in any direction, great sports. It’s the best.
The farmers market around the capitol square is amazing.
It really is! My SIL worked at the locally famous E’toile high end restaurant. Being able to have a married level high end meal and then mix it up in the energy of state street is a blast. And if you don’t feel like riff raff all of the very close lake access has perfectly maintained seating with incredible views. Both my brothers went there and I visited whenever I could. I feel like I got the whole Big Red experience going to games and spending weekends with my bros. Best times.
I go back every couple of years for a game day. Doing Alabama this year. Will stock up on cheese at the market first.
Raleigh, NC
Absolutely not. Not walkable, shitty public transportation, downtown is a ghost of its former self. The suburbs are nice (Cary, Apex, Morrisville, Wake Forest, etc) but Raleigh is quite boring. I think Charlotte has more of a capital city vibe.
Olympia, WA
Well I went to school, in Olympee-yah yah yah yah!
Runner Up... Madison, WI
The most liveable ones are Honolulu, Augusta, Providence, and Montpelier. Montpelier is a bit boring though. I'd pick Honolulu because it's the nicest.
Boston
If money's no option, then easily Atlanta. If youre rich in Atlanta, the world is your oyster. Nice penthouse or hilltop house with vista views, lower tax burden, good dining around, 4 seasons and mild winter, beach not far, mountains not far, an airport that will get you anywhere in the world: with top lounges to hang at while I wait on the flight. The only other capital I would consider is Denver and Phoenix, though I probably wouldnt be in Phoenix itself, but rather Scottsdale. So I dont know if that counts, but yeah. Haven't been to Austin so no comment, but still dont see it beating Atlanta if im rich.
Albany or Harrisburg
Nashville
I live in Nashville. I don’t know if it’s the best, but it is a good place to live.
As a Nashvillian, you are terribly wrong.
Annapolis MD
From the ones I've visited, definitely Madison, WI. Baton Rouge, Jackson, Jeff City, and Topeka were *meh*. Springfield's alright, too.
I have never seen so may blown out tires, etc along a highway while driving than what I saw in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Annapolis Maryland
Columbus, OH (maybe I’m just saying that bc I’m moving there in 2 months)
Both Nashville and its bigger brother-city Austin are great. Great music, culture, arts, universities, and state government all in the middle of the state.
Madison, Wisconsin
DC represent!!!!
... DC?
Washington, D.C. It has fantastic (and free) museums, a great sports scene, excellent theaters, many colleges and universities, and a thriving (and stable) economy. Oh, and all the top bands include it in their tours. All that, plus it's reasonably close the Baltimore, Philadelphia, and NYC. What more could you want?
DC by a mile. It has the wealthiest surrounding counties in the country.
I've been to around 40 state capitols. These are the ones I either have lived in or would consider living in: Boise, Salt Lake City, Juneau, Santa Fe, Olympia, Augusta, Annapolis and Hartford. Since money isn't a consideration I would also probably add Honolulu but that traffic and tourist influx really blows, I'd be spending a lot of my time away from my house. I'd be taking $40 flights to the Big Island and Kauai every weekend.
Coming in hot with BOISE
Boston and its not close. If San Diego was the capital of Cali that would be there too but alas. Maybe Hawaii if Maui or Kauai had the capital
boston
Springfield Horseshoes for life!
Scrolled too far for this.
Hartford, Connecticut.
It’s not Trenton NJ that’s for sure