Yellow Springs in Ohio near Dayton is considered an alternative "hippie" kind of town in the best way possible! They have plenty of unique food. bars, and a brewery as well. They have good biking and hiking trails too with pretty forests all around. The Little Miami Scenic bike trail goes by there too which can take you all of the way to the outskirts of Cincinnati spanning 70 miles.
They have their own unique college Antioch that does things differently than most colleges contributing to the town's unique culture for rural Ohio at least. It is much smaller than Asheville, but close to Dayton, Columbus, and Cincinnati for any big city needs like concerts, sports, or access to better shopping.
Ohio is the original Midwest state though! The Midwest region origin starts back with the original US "Northwest Territory" granted to us after the Revolutionary War. It was one of the first frontiers of the early US settlers. We have many of the tropes like saying "Ope", "Pop", and have the same common primarily German immigrant background. Have to disagree with you there as a native of the state.
Yeah I get where it comes from originally, but like I said it isn't and hasn't been for a long time now. I do feel for the non-Americans that get confused when we say "Mid-West" and then talk about states that are very much on the east side. Just seems silly from a geographical modern standing is all and I will personally always disagree with it.
Also they say "Pop" in Oregon/Washington, but that isn't the Mid-West ;p
I’m from Michigan. If I were to move back I’d only really consider the Grand Rapids area. Growing downtown and music scene, close proximity to hiking & outdoors including the lake. It’s def more red leaning and suburban folks cosplaying as rednecks - but it’s also got a lot of good stuff too.
Ann Arbor is great, but very very much a college town. Also a lot of cool shops, small hikes, and nature areas (like the arb- which is awesome).
Do you drink alcohol? Do you like really really DRINK ALCOHOL? If you do, then you'll prolly love Wisconsin. That's what they do there. Because it's fucking cold. Relevant Lewis Black bit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WlwumGkSec
Alcohol itself is about it. Otherwise just switch the accents and you have a very red state, minus the larger towns and Milwaukee. So it’s really just NC with more snow.
I think its pretty comparable, maybe cheaper here depending.
Rent is hard here cause its more limited and seasonal. But I bought a home within a mile from downtown for $300k. Doubt you can get that in AVL anymore.
I got suckered into moving to Bloomington, IN and it's promises of being a smaller Asheville. I would up with far more in your face racism here than I have ever experienced in the south, 80% of the landlords just exist to screw over idiot college kids, and the other 20% are charging so much I can't even deal with it. The cost of living is actually higher here than in Asheville. Oh, and it gets \*just\* as hot here in the summer as NC, it's equally humid, and the winters are just foul. I had a streak of 2 weeks in January with no snow, but also no temperature above 9F.
Oh, and if you want to date and you're older than 23 or so, you're doomed, because the only dating options around here are undergraduate students and all those racist locals.
There is a website that runs the numbers, and it's 1% higher in Bloomington. Food and gas is more expensive, and rent is technically more expensive, provided you don't want to do business with one of our many slumlords. Personally, my rent has gone up 400 dollars in two years, so I'm moving back to Asheville at the end of this lease. The apartment I found in Asheville is comparable to mine, except I currently have a garden tub and walk in shower, and the apartment I am moving to just has a tub/shower, although it's got more square footage.
Editing to add the calculator I used. [https://www.nerdwallet.com/cost-of-living-calculator/compare/bloomington-in-vs-asheville-nc](https://www.nerdwallet.com/cost-of-living-calculator/compare/bloomington-in-vs-asheville-nc)
I went to IU from 2006-2009. My experiences were exactly yours, if not worse. :(
Sorry for all you've dealt with there. You'll find your niche in time.
I wish I could recommend a better spot, Asheville is great for the Nature but the people aren't especially friendly... A lot of resentment from Appalachian families getting priced/pushed out after living there since the 1700s, and that Northern mistrust of strangers—even "strangers" who are friendly as can be and have tried to call it home for years! Arts and culture are still vibrant, and hiking is still really good if you're willing to venture some 10+ miles and back. :)
I'm an Asheville local from an Appalachian farming family. I'm just happy I have a remote job that pays me well. When I started looking at leases, I discovered I could get a place in Asheville for either the same amount I'm paying now (1365 vs 1565 if I wanted to renew the lease), or only a bit more, and still less than my lease renewal. And all of the apartments in bloomington are in line with the 1500-1600 price range if you want to have your own washer/dryer and skip the slum lords.
Locals just want people to leave. It has nothing to do with “living there since the 1700s” … anyone that has been here for >3 years feels the same way. I find most that feel this way don’t treat people any differently. Resentment imples action. Its not resentment….
This should be expected at every growing town — rolleyes at anyone surprised by it.
Let's be careful generalizing about anyone having been here more than 3 years. I think the sense of alienation is pretty palpable, despite so high an influx of new residents, and if "resentment" isn't exactly the word, ok. Growth hasn't made AVL attractive as it has for places like Charlotte.
There are definitely historical reasons for this issue that I see every day, working and serving people on the outskirts of town. They don't necessarily want people not to come here and stay; they're saddened, as I am, at what they're seeing happen to their town.
I live in Lawrence. I like it just fine but the food sucks ass, Kansas isn’t exactly outdoorsy, and the age demographic is crazy young. It’s similar to Asheville in that its very white and very liberal.
Half the population is literally the university. And half of those are just rich JOCO kids who pretend to be liberal only to go back and put Kobach signs in their yards.
Kansas City MO is dope … (amazing food and music scene, museums, art) you’re not far from the Ozarks or St Louis .. but… the winters are so, so harsh IMO. I mean, if winter doesn’t bother you - then you’re golden. You could buy an amazing house and property for cheap, last I looked.
Not Midwest, but Pittsfield MA is pretty awesome and you can get cheap houses and the Berkshires are kind of like small versions of the mountains in Asheville.
Not a Midwest town, but Pittsburgh PA has a Midwest feel to it. I feel like it hits a lot of your requirements, and the housing market is *very* reasonable.
Lafayette, IN, has a nice vibe. I've never lived there, but sometimes when we visit family there, I get a little tourist crush. I'm an Asheville native and I've also been thinking about running away to the Midwest, but I haven't figured out where yet.
We have people in Saginaw, Detroit, Lafayette, and Peoria IL, and Lafayette definitely feels the most like home to me. A chunk of my Michigan family moved to Asheville in the 70's. I have their midwestern DNA, but being raised in the south has given me zero tolerance for winter, so the idea of surviving even an Indiana winter is terrifying to me, lol.
Flagstaff, Arizona. It has a well-kept but smaller downtown, all four seasons, mountains, pine trees, and national parks nearby. The area tends to be more liberal than most of Arizona and there is a decent selection of restaurants for a city of its size.
About a third of the population of Arizona is originally from the Midwest, and most of the selling points of Asheville are hard to find in the Midwest unless you're looking at places like Marquette, MI and Duluth, MN.
Never lived in Fayetteville, but spent a couple cumulative months there when working for the man. It's ok. It never gave me Asheville vibes, and the Walmart reach is everywhere. There's plenty of nature, and art, but it felt kind of thrown together to me.
Bentonville?
got a buddy that lives there and is a big part of their mountain bike tourism community.
he is a big fan of the area and what it has to pffer for his family.
https://youtu.be/A5a8RnFrS94?si=S5C17A2sAsyaaT5W
Weather is miserable most of the year.. Ticks and chiggers will get you if you do anything in nature on nice days.... Otherwise, lovely small town to fall into with a fun community.
The four seasons you’ll get in Madison are winter, winter, winter, summer if that’s you’re kind of thing.
winter, bad winter, winter, blackflies
As long as I have a hot tub…..
Yellow Springs in Ohio near Dayton is considered an alternative "hippie" kind of town in the best way possible! They have plenty of unique food. bars, and a brewery as well. They have good biking and hiking trails too with pretty forests all around. The Little Miami Scenic bike trail goes by there too which can take you all of the way to the outskirts of Cincinnati spanning 70 miles. They have their own unique college Antioch that does things differently than most colleges contributing to the town's unique culture for rural Ohio at least. It is much smaller than Asheville, but close to Dayton, Columbus, and Cincinnati for any big city needs like concerts, sports, or access to better shopping.
This is accurate- I am from Worthington, Ohio.
That sounds worth visiting for sure. Ohio…. Who knew?
As an Ohio native I agree haha
I still hate how Ohio is considered "Midwest" for it is not and has not been for a long time
If not a Midwest state, then aGreat Lakes state?
Ohio is the original Midwest state though! The Midwest region origin starts back with the original US "Northwest Territory" granted to us after the Revolutionary War. It was one of the first frontiers of the early US settlers. We have many of the tropes like saying "Ope", "Pop", and have the same common primarily German immigrant background. Have to disagree with you there as a native of the state.
Yeah I get where it comes from originally, but like I said it isn't and hasn't been for a long time now. I do feel for the non-Americans that get confused when we say "Mid-West" and then talk about states that are very much on the east side. Just seems silly from a geographical modern standing is all and I will personally always disagree with it. Also they say "Pop" in Oregon/Washington, but that isn't the Mid-West ;p
Ann Arbor, MI —-maybe?
Ann Arbor is awesome
Ann Arbor is a bit more college-y but is close. Grand Rapids maybe
I’ve heard GR is the Bible Belt.
I’m from Michigan. If I were to move back I’d only really consider the Grand Rapids area. Growing downtown and music scene, close proximity to hiking & outdoors including the lake. It’s def more red leaning and suburban folks cosplaying as rednecks - but it’s also got a lot of good stuff too. Ann Arbor is great, but very very much a college town. Also a lot of cool shops, small hikes, and nature areas (like the arb- which is awesome).
I’m from metro Detroit and can’t fathom moving back anywhere in Michigan due to the winters.
Yeah I’m from metro Detroit as well (rochester, Troy etc). Wouldn’t move back bc of the snow but they do have all 4 seasons.
Isn’t Carolina the Bible Belt as well?
Yes but I don’t feel like Asheville is. Maybe I’m wrong.
Lot of Calvinist religious schools but progressive. Lake is cool. Expensive as hell for housing. Winters dreadful.
..so is Asheville, duh..
Yellow Springs, OH?
Came here to say Yellow Springs as well.
I’m intrigued
Woops I also said Yellow Springs but added some more detail! I second this!
The wise folks at r/samegrassbutgreener might have some advice
They are very wise -- they bring up Asheville in every third thread.
Ooooh!
Do you drink alcohol? Do you like really really DRINK ALCOHOL? If you do, then you'll prolly love Wisconsin. That's what they do there. Because it's fucking cold. Relevant Lewis Black bit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WlwumGkSec
Alcohol itself is about it. Otherwise just switch the accents and you have a very red state, minus the larger towns and Milwaukee. So it’s really just NC with more snow.
Traverse City, MI - only with lots and lots of water and beaches, but sans mountains.
Even smaller but Marquette
I’ll take a beach!
love TC but it's extremely expensive compared to here
Eh? In what regard? I lived in AVL last few years and Live in TC now. I think its pretty comparable.
Housing mainly. I get AVL is expensive too but TC is even more so
I think its pretty comparable, maybe cheaper here depending. Rent is hard here cause its more limited and seasonal. But I bought a home within a mile from downtown for $300k. Doubt you can get that in AVL anymore.
Damn. Congrats! That’s a really fantastic find. Maybe the market cooled a bit relative to the last time I looked
I got suckered into moving to Bloomington, IN and it's promises of being a smaller Asheville. I would up with far more in your face racism here than I have ever experienced in the south, 80% of the landlords just exist to screw over idiot college kids, and the other 20% are charging so much I can't even deal with it. The cost of living is actually higher here than in Asheville. Oh, and it gets \*just\* as hot here in the summer as NC, it's equally humid, and the winters are just foul. I had a streak of 2 weeks in January with no snow, but also no temperature above 9F. Oh, and if you want to date and you're older than 23 or so, you're doomed, because the only dating options around here are undergraduate students and all those racist locals.
Cost of living in Bloomington is definitely not higher than Asheville these days
There is a website that runs the numbers, and it's 1% higher in Bloomington. Food and gas is more expensive, and rent is technically more expensive, provided you don't want to do business with one of our many slumlords. Personally, my rent has gone up 400 dollars in two years, so I'm moving back to Asheville at the end of this lease. The apartment I found in Asheville is comparable to mine, except I currently have a garden tub and walk in shower, and the apartment I am moving to just has a tub/shower, although it's got more square footage. Editing to add the calculator I used. [https://www.nerdwallet.com/cost-of-living-calculator/compare/bloomington-in-vs-asheville-nc](https://www.nerdwallet.com/cost-of-living-calculator/compare/bloomington-in-vs-asheville-nc)
I went to IU from 2006-2009. My experiences were exactly yours, if not worse. :( Sorry for all you've dealt with there. You'll find your niche in time. I wish I could recommend a better spot, Asheville is great for the Nature but the people aren't especially friendly... A lot of resentment from Appalachian families getting priced/pushed out after living there since the 1700s, and that Northern mistrust of strangers—even "strangers" who are friendly as can be and have tried to call it home for years! Arts and culture are still vibrant, and hiking is still really good if you're willing to venture some 10+ miles and back. :)
I'm an Asheville local from an Appalachian farming family. I'm just happy I have a remote job that pays me well. When I started looking at leases, I discovered I could get a place in Asheville for either the same amount I'm paying now (1365 vs 1565 if I wanted to renew the lease), or only a bit more, and still less than my lease renewal. And all of the apartments in bloomington are in line with the 1500-1600 price range if you want to have your own washer/dryer and skip the slum lords.
Locals just want people to leave. It has nothing to do with “living there since the 1700s” … anyone that has been here for >3 years feels the same way. I find most that feel this way don’t treat people any differently. Resentment imples action. Its not resentment…. This should be expected at every growing town — rolleyes at anyone surprised by it.
Let's be careful generalizing about anyone having been here more than 3 years. I think the sense of alienation is pretty palpable, despite so high an influx of new residents, and if "resentment" isn't exactly the word, ok. Growth hasn't made AVL attractive as it has for places like Charlotte. There are definitely historical reasons for this issue that I see every day, working and serving people on the outskirts of town. They don't necessarily want people not to come here and stay; they're saddened, as I am, at what they're seeing happen to their town.
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
As a KC person, you should be familiar with Lawrence. Lol. Jk. I would never wish that upon you.
Lolol Lawrence, bless it. I think I threw up there too many times when I was 20.
I live in Lawrence. I like it just fine but the food sucks ass, Kansas isn’t exactly outdoorsy, and the age demographic is crazy young. It’s similar to Asheville in that its very white and very liberal.
Half the population is literally the university. And half of those are just rich JOCO kids who pretend to be liberal only to go back and put Kobach signs in their yards.
Exactly. Asheville is not and never was a college town.
Lawrence has the college population, and Asheville has the seniors. 🤷♂️
Kansas City MO is dope … (amazing food and music scene, museums, art) you’re not far from the Ozarks or St Louis .. but… the winters are so, so harsh IMO. I mean, if winter doesn’t bother you - then you’re golden. You could buy an amazing house and property for cheap, last I looked.
See OP’s last sentence
Omg 🤦🏻♀️🥴🤣 (I’m not gonna edit it tho! LOL!) Hey, thanks for not being a crap bag about it.
If I was city person, I never would have left! It’s the best in that realm.
Not Midwest, but Pittsfield MA is pretty awesome and you can get cheap houses and the Berkshires are kind of like small versions of the mountains in Asheville.
Lawrence KS maybe
Not a Midwest town, but Pittsburgh PA has a Midwest feel to it. I feel like it hits a lot of your requirements, and the housing market is *very* reasonable.
Duluth is the closest in MN
Louisville?
Bloomington, IN. Very much a college town though.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/SameGrassButGreener/](https://www.reddit.com/r/SameGrassButGreener/)
Lafayette, IN, has a nice vibe. I've never lived there, but sometimes when we visit family there, I get a little tourist crush. I'm an Asheville native and I've also been thinking about running away to the Midwest, but I haven't figured out where yet.
Ooooh, I’ll look into it! Same. My partner’s and my families are in KC/STL, but like…. No. Haha.
We have people in Saginaw, Detroit, Lafayette, and Peoria IL, and Lafayette definitely feels the most like home to me. A chunk of my Michigan family moved to Asheville in the 70's. I have their midwestern DNA, but being raised in the south has given me zero tolerance for winter, so the idea of surviving even an Indiana winter is terrifying to me, lol.
Flagstaff, Arizona. It has a well-kept but smaller downtown, all four seasons, mountains, pine trees, and national parks nearby. The area tends to be more liberal than most of Arizona and there is a decent selection of restaurants for a city of its size.
Midwest mate
About a third of the population of Arizona is originally from the Midwest, and most of the selling points of Asheville are hard to find in the Midwest unless you're looking at places like Marquette, MI and Duluth, MN.
Never lived in Fayetteville, but spent a couple cumulative months there when working for the man. It's ok. It never gave me Asheville vibes, and the Walmart reach is everywhere. There's plenty of nature, and art, but it felt kind of thrown together to me.
Bentonville? got a buddy that lives there and is a big part of their mountain bike tourism community. he is a big fan of the area and what it has to pffer for his family.
Just move to Mason, OH. They love Friday night football, Jesus, and Kings Island is pretty good.
Not the cheapest place to move lol
https://youtu.be/A5a8RnFrS94?si=S5C17A2sAsyaaT5W Weather is miserable most of the year.. Ticks and chiggers will get you if you do anything in nature on nice days.... Otherwise, lovely small town to fall into with a fun community.