Where to live next?

It is official, Houston is not for us. I'm sure my friends are shocked at that revelation. But where to go? Well we have time to figure it out. We'll be here through the holidays, and we'll probably want to visit some potential relocation citys as well, so our goal is to not be here for next summer.

Our favorite places are too expensive, Seattle, the Bay Area, etc. We were certain we'd end up in Austin with some of our favorite friends, but the weather and the state of Texas in general has us giving that second thoughts.

We need a place where we can afford to invest in a house or similar property. Somewhere that is growing in popularity so we can make a profit on our property in five or ten years. We want a freak population, bars that serve good beer, the potential to get around at least parts of town without a car. Eddie wants a change of seasons, I want a few intelligent and creative friends. If the town has a Whole Foods Market I could transfer directly and that would make things easier, but that is by no means a requirement.

We like the sound of some places like Ann Arbor and Madison, but those winters even scare Eddie. Ithaca NY sounds very interesting but very small. Memphis seemed great during a breif visit, but all that stats make it sound like a decaying war zone of crime. Reno was a pleasent surprise when we visited our siblings there, and it's right next door to Black Rock and the Bay Area. Hmmm, what do you think?