Tough call I must say. What has me stumped is the hot/humid atmosphere that you mention detesting! I really think Fairhope, Alabama sounds just up your alley except for the summer "thang"! I love Fairhope, trendy, Southern, everything ARTS out the ear!!!
One thing about Mississippi.....it is Humid. but guess I've gotten used to it since I have lived here all my life.
Fairhope, Cathy? There's that cost of living aspect again. Fairhope is a great place to visit, but it's not cheap to live there.
Given all your criteria, Kevin, particularly the climate-comfort need, you cannot consider anywhere in the south that isn't mountainous. Even here in Kentucky, which is as far north as you can get and still be in the south, most summers are muggy. We rarely get above 90F, but that doesn't matter if you can't breath for the humidity.
In terms of subtle-gay, I would say any town with a university pretty much provides that. And it exists in many towns without the university presence. Yes, even in the solid gold buckle of the bible belt. But without a school at hand it would be pretty hard for a casual observer to find that sub-culture.
The fact is, today's south is just like the north, if the north was courteous. We wear shoes, and have indoor plumbing, and everything. And most southerners have a live-and-let-live attitude---something easily observed by anyone except a NY Times reporter.
I'm sure there are places where fundementalists come knocking on your door. But I couldn't name one, offhand. In 20 years living in the south only two kinds of prostletizers have ever called on us: Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. And they call no matter where you live, and with the same attitudes: The Mormons are polite and well dressed, the Witnesses pushy and not so well dressed.
So, basically, you're talking about any smallish city in the Appalachians whose existence is based on more than tourism. Or even some larger cities: Knoxville and Chattanooga come to mind as examples of quitely hip, urbane locations.
Given all your criteria, Kevin, particularly the climate-comfort need, you cannot consider anywhere in the south that isn't mountainous. Even here in Kentucky, which is as far north as you can get and still be in the south, most summers are muggy. We rarely get above 90F, but that doesn't matter if you can't breath for the humidity.
In terms of subtle-gay, I would say any town with a university pretty much provides that. And it exists in many towns without the university presence. Yes, even in the solid gold buckle of the bible belt. But without a school at hand it would be pretty hard for a casual observer to find that sub-culture.
The fact is, today's south is just like the north, if the north was courteous. We wear shoes, and have indoor plumbing, and everything. And most southerners have a live-and-let-live attitude---something easily observed by anyone except a NY Times reporter.
I'm sure there are places where fundementalists come knocking on your door. But I couldn't name one, offhand. In 20 years living in the south only two kinds of prostletizers have ever called on us: Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. And they call no matter where you live, and with the same attitudes: The Mormons are polite and well dressed, the Witnesses pushy and not so well dressed.
So, basically, you're talking about any smallish city in the Appalachians whose existence is based on more than tourism. Or even some larger cities: Knoxville and Chattanooga come to mind as examples of quitely hip, urbane locations.
Kevin,
Brook is right, I had to go suddenly last night but wasn't finished. The Fairhope area has all you mention just not the mountainous region you so love. Where I do not agree with Brook is the cost of living being high there. It is average to everywhere in the area, my Dad still lives there and he is on a fixed income, and doing fine, I have a feeling you'd love Fairhope (maybe just for a vacation). As far as Alabama take it further North say Fort Payne, AL (except maybe a college)and you have it all, perhaps even as far south as Birmingham, AL as the college is not located too awful far from there.
The "live and let live" philosophy of the south is very common, and actually right where I live is all that you mentioned (colleges 3 of them), mountainous, gay community I'd say not particularly and yet there are as many gay folks as well as any other folks here in town, it's just we are all working and living together and it's like no big deal here. To echo Brook the Jeh. Wit. and Mormons are about all who go door to door these days, and it is rare to even see them anymore, except the Mormon dudes riding their bikes!
The things that I do not like about this part of GA (my town) is there is so much of the aging homes and neighborhoods becoming nothing more that rural slum areas. It's really getting to feel awful when you live on a beautiful street but 1 block over are decaying homes and 2 blocks over is the "ghetto", I do not see any upward trend to reverse this, the lackadasial attitude makes me want to move, it feels too nasty here. I want a clean neat town, where folks restore and renovate and really care about their town. I hate seeing so much of the area in decay. Artsy? We have our arts and a georgeous library, and huge theatre for plays and we have Opera and our own baseball team and fiels and alot of the old downtown area has the restaurant secne you mentioned liking!
It's a big world out there and America is equally as big, I am searching still and may just settle here, but I feel there is somewhere better, and it won't be too far from here!
Let's keep each other informed as we figure this one out!
Brook is right, I had to go suddenly last night but wasn't finished. The Fairhope area has all you mention just not the mountainous region you so love. Where I do not agree with Brook is the cost of living being high there. It is average to everywhere in the area, my Dad still lives there and he is on a fixed income, and doing fine, I have a feeling you'd love Fairhope (maybe just for a vacation). As far as Alabama take it further North say Fort Payne, AL (except maybe a college)and you have it all, perhaps even as far south as Birmingham, AL as the college is not located too awful far from there.
The "live and let live" philosophy of the south is very common, and actually right where I live is all that you mentioned (colleges 3 of them), mountainous, gay community I'd say not particularly and yet there are as many gay folks as well as any other folks here in town, it's just we are all working and living together and it's like no big deal here. To echo Brook the Jeh. Wit. and Mormons are about all who go door to door these days, and it is rare to even see them anymore, except the Mormon dudes riding their bikes!
The things that I do not like about this part of GA (my town) is there is so much of the aging homes and neighborhoods becoming nothing more that rural slum areas. It's really getting to feel awful when you live on a beautiful street but 1 block over are decaying homes and 2 blocks over is the "ghetto", I do not see any upward trend to reverse this, the lackadasial attitude makes me want to move, it feels too nasty here. I want a clean neat town, where folks restore and renovate and really care about their town. I hate seeing so much of the area in decay. Artsy? We have our arts and a georgeous library, and huge theatre for plays and we have Opera and our own baseball team and fiels and alot of the old downtown area has the restaurant secne you mentioned liking!
It's a big world out there and America is equally as big, I am searching still and may just settle here, but I feel there is somewhere better, and it won't be too far from here!
Let's keep each other informed as we figure this one out!