Lived in Providence awhile ago. Last I visited people were just starting to move downtown. Other than Johnson and Wales it was pretty desolate at night / weekend. Good to see that changing.

Also, Providence has a Nordstrom.

Richmond Nordstrom has closed.

Anonymous wrote:Visual arts scene can mean many things:

Do you mean nice museums?
Edgy galleries?
Performance art?
Film festivals?

Richmond, VA
Live in the Fan or Museum District
VCU art school provides an ever changing art scene
Good museums
Theatre where most big musicals etc come through
Quirky old housing, lower cost of living
Very hot in summer

Providence
Live on the East Side
RISD, world class art school
Also Brown is there too
Similar theatre options to Richmond
Very similar old housing stick to Richmond, slightly older houses
Housing costs higher
Very cold winter, less brutal summer
Better medical care accessible in Boston

Cost wise Richmond is better
Climate is a matter of personal preference

In Providence, more people are living downtown, lots of new condos (and we are getting a trader Joe's, the people rejoice). West End is also an artsy option.

Richmond
Denver

Sorry, don't have time to read all the previous replies. Here are some options depending on what you prioritize. Some of these are more expensive than others (and obviously one can spend like a plutocrat in parts of Chicago, or even Minneapolis) but the point is there are also more affordable options to be had, in a way that just doesn't seem to be the case in much of DMV anymore.

walkable big cities with affordable COL and lots of culture:
- Chicago
- Philadelphia

walkable (in parts - and bikeable and public transport) mid-sized cities with affordable COL but a little less culture:
- Baltimore (not least for proximity to all DC offers including presumably your current friends)
- Pittsburgh
- Cleveland (incl E and W suburbs like Shaker Hts and Lakewood)
- Columbus (incl Bexley)
- Indianapolis
- Minneapolis
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Portland ME
- Tucson

smaller/college cities with lower COL and a surprisingly lively cultural scene:
- Greenville SC
- Asheville NC
- Burlington VT
- Newburgh/Beacon NY
- New Haven CT
- Lincoln NE

Anonymous wrote:Parts of Downtown Orlando for year-round walkability and local arts scenes. There are amazing annual and weekly local arts festivals in the area, but you'll need to bike or drive to get to some of them. Check out Delaney Park, Thornton Park, and the Milk District. Audubon Park has excellent schools and a small business district with a weekly art market. You'll need to bike or drive a short distance to get to many of the other art festivals though. But you'll find super cool MCM homes that families are buying and fixing up.

Orlando is so much cooler and vibrant than DC, and has a much better local arts scene. People focus more on fun than work. I think it's due to the lower COL. You can afford to be an artist or open a cool new restaurant when you can buy a home in a good school district for $350K.

LOL! Maybe in 2011. A 2 bed 1 bath teardown in Delaney Park is $440k. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1620-Eola-Dr-Orlando-FL-32806/46034375_zpid/?mmlb=g,10

Visual arts scene can mean many things:

Do you mean nice museums?
Edgy galleries?
Performance art?
Film festivals?

Richmond, VA
Live in the Fan or Museum District
VCU art school provides an ever changing art scene
Good museums
Theatre where most big musicals etc come through
Quirky old housing, lower cost of living
Very hot in summer

Providence
Live on the East Side
RISD, world class art school
Also Brown is there too
Similar theatre options to Richmond
Very similar old housing stick to Richmond, slightly older houses
Housing costs higher
Very cold winter, less brutal summer
Better medical care accessible in Boston

Cost wise Richmond is better
Climate is a matter of personal preference

Do you need a big city, or are college towns a potential fit? That opens up a whole another set of areas.

BTW: Chicago isn't that cheap, once you add in property taxes and stuff. we weren't that far off from DC cost comparing Cap Hill COL to Lincoln park COL...

Western MA is a great suggestion if small towns are a good fit (vs a city).
Richmond and Baltimore are also great suggestions. You are right - the real estate values probably won't = investment. But there is a very high quality of life in North Baltimore neighborhoods vis a vis cost of living.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Richmond - Museum District or the Fan. VCU is an art powerhouse and there are tons of galleries and emerging artists. Amazing antiques too

https://www.museumdistrict.org/
https://www.redfin.com/VA/Richmond/3330-W-Franklin-St-23221/home/55445658
https://rerva.com/the-fan-district/

Yes, museums, ive music, indoor & outdoor venues, the River, and great food. Like Sub Rosa Bakery one of the best in the country.

Richmond arguably has a better arts scene than DC. It’s also unbelievable how far your dollar goes in Richmond. 3,000 sq. ft. fully renovated 1800s row home in the beautiful fan for less than $1M. People are also nicer there.

Plus so many great restaurants!

Albany/Troy
Western ma (Northampton, Stockbridge, Lenox, amherst)
Detroit
St Petersburg FL
Oxford MI

And second Pittsburgh, Cincinnati