Scooter Friendly Places

Corsair · Post by **Corsair** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 4:41 am

So it's official... we've decided to escape Detroit and we could use your help finding a scooter friendly place to live. We're open to suggestions and could use your advice to help us make our great escape

Links, pics, personal stories, and other info are MUCH appreciated.

louie · Post by **louie** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 7:09 am

come to birmingham!

coopdway · Post by **coopdway** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 11:23 am

As long as you leave our river alone, the Twin Cities would be a very good place for you.

Keys · Post by **Keys** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 4:27 pm

...then again, you can ride year round in Arizona. A smaller town somewhat north of Phoenix won't be as hot in the summer, either...

--Keys

healingpath · Post by **healingpath** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 5:16 pm

And a lot of people like the nearly perfect weather - 4 seasons, pretty mild winters, certainly as compared to Detroit - and about 300+ days a year of sunshine in NM. Of course the altitude may be an adjustment for some people. And the high desert dryness.

We've been here for about 18 years now, and I have to say that since I started scootering last Spring, I've discovered some of the most beautiful country right in my back yard, so to speak, which I was never inclined to explore by car. Mountains, desert, hot springs, ponderosa forests, great hiking, biking and camping.

Good luck with your move.

Kevin K · Post by **Kevin K** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 5:18 pm

+1 on the Twin Cities.
You can get around anywhere on scooters, not to mention that the Grand Rounds are fantastic for scooting. There are always rides taking place, if you're into socializing and group riding.

The climate is similar to Detroit. Hope you like snow.
-K

Corsair · Post by **Corsair** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 7:06 pm

yeah we're definitely more interested in mild to NO winters ...lol We really want the opposite of Detroit (in just about every way). So far we've seen some really nice things about North Carolina, Georgia, and Northern California (Bay Area).

Thanks for the suggestions. Keep em coming

scullyfu · Post by **scullyfu** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 8:44 pm

Corsair wrote:Thanks for the suggestions. Keep em coming

seattle. some of the most beautiful scenery you'll find. water, mountains, assorted nightlife, okay public transportation. btw, seattle has a job spurt going right now, so lots of job opportunities.

if you decide to relocate here anytime soon, let me know and i'll shoot you directions on two job openings at my workplace.

for that matter, anyone in the seattle area looking for a job, contact me via pm and i'll be happy to give you the 411. its a union job, if that makes any difference to you.

pcbikedude · Post by **pcbikedude** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 10:45 pm

San Diego is one of the best places to live in the country.

In a days time you could visit the desert, mountains, valleys, and beaches. Nice active year-round scooter scene and plenty of places to ride to. Winters are very mild although a very windy wet storm just past through (very rare).

Cost of housing is above average. However, the job market is very stable because the presence of the military bases, defense contractors, and supporting industries.

Post by **jrsjr** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 11:13 pm

You might want to think about Richmond, Virginia. If you like living in town or in the "Fan" area, they're pretty scooter friendly and you won't find a friendlier scooter shop than Scoot Richmond (formerly SCOMO). The weather here varies, but for the past few years we haven't had much ice and snow. I wouldn't exactly call it "mild," I guess. On the other hand, after you czech out the cost of living on the west coast, you might want to come back and give us a look.

BuddyRaton · Post by **BuddyRaton** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 12:39 am

A bit remote...and a bit funky but Key West is Scooter Heaven!

BuddyRaton · Post by **BuddyRaton** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 12:40 am

I do have to admit though that when I went to the Hill on Wheels rally I fell in love with Chattanooga!

rajron · Post by **rajron** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 1:05 am

Viet Nam, Taiwan, or India are pretty much scooter friendly.

ryder1 · Post by **ryder1** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 1:55 am

great photos!

Post by **ericalm** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 2:30 am

I didn't think I'd like living in L.A. before moving here 7 years ago... I love it and not in a "I learned to love it" kind of way. Yes, most of the stereotypes are true, but the weather's great, there are a number of great communities within L.A. to fit any lifestyle or income level (well, mostly), lots of scooterists, and plenty of culture outside of Hollywood.

Plus, 2 Kidrobot stores and several other similar destinations.

gt1000 · Post by **gt1000** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 2:33 am

You'll want to avoid Denver. The gazillion or so people who have moved here from California, Michigan, the east coast and everywhere else all hate it here.

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 6:00 am

gt1000 wrote:You'll want to avoid Denver. The gazillion or so ... all hate it here.

Same with Phoenix. Even though it's about as opposite as you could get from Detroit, everyone hates it here.

Syd

Rippinyarn · Post by **Rippinyarn** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 2:00 pm

How about Royal Oak (10.5 miles north of Detroit)? It sure would be an easy move...

On second thought, perhaps Ferndale and Berkley are more scooter friendly (parking on sidewalks, mostly).

All I know is that we moved here from Orlando eight years ago (where my wife and I grew up), and aside from our single state recession, we LOVE it here. Great people, and this are is permeated with automotive and social history. Not to mention awesome urban, suburban and country riding for about 3.5 seasons. We are committed to Michigan!

Keys · Post by **Keys** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 3:27 pm

If you'd like to see what riding in Arizona (at least the area where I live) is like, check out my blog; www.skutergruven.blogspot.com

--Keys

Corsair · Post by **Corsair** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 4:37 pm

You all are GREAT! Thank you so much for helping us. I'm going to share your suggestions with lojical1. I do know that right now where every we move we're going to have to start off renting (working on our savings and rebuilding credit etc) so if you know some good rentals let us know. Also if you're recommending your city/state can you post some pics of your area or places that make your area great? Also how close is a good scooter shop to your area? (if there's not one close by but the area is incredible we'll deal with it ...lol)

scullyfu, a special thanks to you for sharing the job opportunity with us. That's really great of you.

Jackiemancini · Post by **Jackiemancini** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 5:15 pm

I second Richmond, VA, I love this little city, it's the artistic kid city sister of the south: small, spunky, and loves scooters and art.

Plus my two bedroom house with a giant backyard in the middle of the city sets me back $800.

scullyfu · Post by **scullyfu** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 5:40 pm

seattle is a great scootering town. i've noticed that car drivers are pretty curteous to me, they don't tailgate and usually give me the go-ahead at stop signs. however, cab drivers are the worst. i try to stay a good distance and am always ready for them to pull some stupid stunt. i'm rarely disappointed.

we have a great buddy dealer in downtown: ducati seattle. the guys there are terrific! i've had many dealings with them and all were positive. just had my 2500 mile check yesterday.

housing is not inexpensive here. a one-bedroom will run you around $800 or more, depending on what area of town you're in.

as for the weather you're looking for, i'm not sure you'll find it here. although the winters are mild, we do get a fair amount of rain. but the summers...oh, the summers are to die for. it stays light until around 10pm. i moved up from southern california in '94 cuz i got sick and tired of the same kind of weather conditions year round, so i love it here. don't worry, your blood will thicken up after a year or two.

as for riding, i still am. the only time i haven't is last week when we had those heavy, heavy rains and winds. also, when it snows and the ice starts, it'll be the bus for me.

neighborhoods are important here. they help to define the diverse demographic areas of what makes up 'seattle'. for instance, my neighborhood was settled by scandanavian fishermen and was separate from seattle proper up to around 65 years ago when the ballard bridge was constructed. up til then you had to take a ferry across the channel to get to downtown.

so, in my neighborhood, we have scandanavian seafests, as well as an annual founders parade. we have the locks where boats come in from the open waters to get to the inland lakes (and vice versa); the locks area also include the salmon ladders. its great fun to watch the salmon returning from their time in alaska back to their original lake spawning areas by jumping up the ladders.

as for pictures, just close your eyes and imagine beautiful calendar-type scenery of mountains, ferrys, forests, and water (inland and ocean).

lojical1 · Post by **lojical1** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 7:01 pm

oh scullyfu, you are turning into the pied piper luring us with your beautiful song of Seattle.

(I know you wouldn't lead us to drown in the river tho.)

How is the public trans of your fair city?

louie · Post by **louie** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 7:15 pm

let me plug birmingham. it's a small city in a small valley surrounded by hills (we call them mountains around here). the weather allows for riding all year mostly; this week we've got highs in the mid 70's next week maybe 50's.
the economy is good compared to other states.
we are still working to undo the bad behavior of the 60's race problems, no one in the us has got it right yet but we have come a long way and each generation gets a little closer.
the public schools aren't so good in the city so most people with children either live outside of bham proper (homewood and hoover for example are very affordable), go to private school, or get involved with their local school. the university, UAB, is a mekka for research.
there are many scooters in and around town and the motorcylcelists and scooterists are accepting of oneanother. a friend is opening a scooter shop in downtown, due to open the first of the year and will be selling genuine and more.
public transportation leaves a lot to be desired but has gotten better and we are working on it. i work with a portion of the population many of which will never earn a driver's liscence so i deal with the transit system daily. we get around. plus birmingham is small and quite managable in that sense. per capita birmingham has some of the finest dining in the country.
take a google look at the communities of southside, avondale and crestwood all within the city limits and already successfully revitalized into multicultural lifestyle. several other communities; norwood, woodlawn eastlake, and downtown itself are heading in this diriction also.
quite worthwhile a look-see.

Post by **jrsjr** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 8:32 pm

Jackiemancini wrote:I second Richmond, VA, I love this little city, it's the artistic kid city sister of the south: small, spunky, and loves scooters and art.

Plus my two bedroom house with a giant backyard in the middle of the city sets me back $800.

That's the kind of thing I was getting at when I referred to the high cost of living on the west coast vs the cost of living in Richmond. An equivalent place in/near San Francisco or San Diego would be, what? Four times that much? And, again, Richmond's scooter scene is in its ascendency which means it's generally pretty small and friendly yet.

Just me 'umble $0.02 worth.

scullyfu · Post by **scullyfu** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 9:08 pm

lojical1 wrote:oh scullyfu, you are turning into the pied piper luring us with your beautiful song of Seattle. (I know you wouldn't lead us to drown in the river tho.)

How is the public trans of your fair city?

i used to utilize the buses exclusively, until i got sophie.

public transportation is not all that bad if you're going from point a to point b. its when you throw in transfers that it can become lengthy. like the old saying, timing is every thing. if you miss your bus or a connection, you can expect a 15 to 20 minute wait. fortunately, most areas have multiple bus options, so your wait may be lessened.

on the positive side, the metro tunnel was just opened after a two-year closure for rejuvenating and to fit it for the light rail which is to start up soon. and perhaps best of all, it is wonderfully dry.

and of course, without having to deal with street traffic (and pedestrians), the buses are able to stick to schedules much easier.

buses become a nightmare when there's a weeknight evening ballgame (either mariners or seahawks), but its not insurmountable, especially if you can be patient.

the cost of using the bus is reasonable, imo. the area is divided into zones. one zone is $1.25 or $1.50, depending on peak hour usage. weekends are always off-peak. you can take the bus from the far reaches of zone 1 down to the airport for a mere $2, each way. transfers are given for approx. 2 1/2 hours and you can use them for any direction. buses are always free in the downtown area.

light rail will be starting soon, so that's another alternative to get to/from the airport and other locations as well.

outlying communities have good bus service into/out of the city as well. and their buses are way more comfy than the metro buses.

there's a new tram system that will be starting from downtown to south lake union where paul allen is building a new entertainment, housing and business area.

of course, there's the wonderful monorail that runs from seattle center (home of the seattle storm, space needle and a number of live performance theaters, outside festivals galore, indoor concerts, and free outside movies during the summer) to downtown and back. trolleys run along the alaskan highway on the waterfront.

there are a number of scooter clubs, btw.

and while the cost of living here isn't as inexpensive as many places, there are definitely trade offs: top tier concerts, lots of nightlife, live theater (lots of shows 'open' here before going to nyc), thriving job market, decent wages, lots of latte and tea houses, a lively local entertainment scene (music, comedy, theater), eateries galore for all types of pallets, our new outside sculpture park that overlooks the sound, politically active citizens, neighborhoods with character, etc.

sorry to be so long-winded. can you tell that i love my city?

scullyfu · Post by **scullyfu** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 9:49 pm

how could i forget? we have lots of microbreweries.

lojical1 · Post by **lojical1** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 10:08 pm

No need to apologize scullyfu, thats exactly the kind of in-depth info we are searching for! We love concerts, music and travel. If we dont move there expect to find us visiting often!

scullyfu · Post by **scullyfu** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 10:12 pm

lojical1 wrote:No need to apologize scullyfu, thats exactly the kind of in-depth info we are searching for! We love concerts, music and travel. If we dont move there expect to find us visiting often!

let me know when you come to town, i'm sure we could find something to do.

louie · Post by **louie** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 12:06 am

oh scullyfu where do i sign up?

i saw a piece on your transit system on i think the news hour. i thought what a good opportunity for a city, though some of the interviewies thought otherwise. After seeing that and reading your glowing review it seems that growth is possible without over congesting the area. (if i'm remembering right

). my sister,an avid sight seer, lived in olympia for a couple of years and loved it.

allas, birmingham has a new mayor, who was my second choice, who wants to build a multibillion dollar dome stadium for pro teams that do not and have not been able to exist. he is quite charismatic and historically gets things done and for that i am hopeful.
as you said, there is usually a price to pay for the luxury of living in a city that offers so much...

but it looks like seattle has a possitive edge.

peabody99 · Post by **peabody99** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 12:24 am

scullyfu wrote:how could i forget? we have lots of microbreweries.

^thats a deal maker . I love the Pacific NW. I can pimp my city (cleveland-affordable, gritty, amenity laden...ok you gotta be tough) but I have to admit, I could do Seattle in a heartbeat. The cost of living is a little high though right

? I have only been to Seattle once and it did not rain a drop, but I guess that is a consideration. How often does it rain hard enough not to ride? Truth be told, much more than sprinkling is not pleasant on 2 wheels. What is Bellingham like?

BlueMark · Post by **BlueMark** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 2:15 am

Ann Arbor?

Keys · Post by **Keys** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 2:19 am

BlueMark wrote:Ann Arbor?

...I think I dated her in high school...

--Keys

scullyfu · Post by **scullyfu** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 2:58 am

peabody99 wrote:^thats a deal maker . I love the Pacific NW. I can pimp my city (cleveland-affordable, gritty, amenity laden...ok you gotta be tough) but I have to admit, I could do Seattle in a heartbeat. The cost of living is a little high though right ? I have only been to Seattle once and it did not rain a drop, but I guess that is a consideration. How often does it rain hard enough not to ride? Truth be told, much more than sprinkling is not pleasant on 2 wheels. What is Bellingham like?

i've had sophie since late april and except for shop time, i've been able to ride every day, except for last monday and tuesday when we had hard, hard day long rain and wind. we had over five inches in two days. yikes! that's insane, even for this area.

we will be getting ice soon and some more snow if the weather keeps being this damned cold. i won't ride on either of those occasions.

i lived in b'ham for six years, so i'm quite familiar with the weather up there. unlike seattle, b'ham gets a jet flow from vancouver, b.c., which translates into lots of c-c-c-c-cold. if you see the weather for seattle, you can usually subtract a good five degrees. and lots more snow than seattle. mount baker is about an hour east of b'ham. this little blurb should give you an idea of why so much snow.
......
Mt. Baker Ski Area is the current world record holder for the most snowfall in a year. The record was set here in the 1998-99 season and a total of 1,140 inches of snow was measured from July 1st 1998 to June 30th 1999. Yeah, that is a lot of snow! While that was one heck of a winter for them, they still average over 600 inches which isn't exactly something to scoff at either. World-class snow coupled with an excellent location make this day-area resort a favorite among locals. And visitors too, Mt. Baker is only an hour south of Vancouver and two-and-a-half hours north of Seattle. When you put it all together, and add in the fact that Mt. Baker continues to make upgrades to the area, it's no wonder this place continues to flourish in an era when many smaller ski areas and no-destination resorts are disappearing or just scrapping by.
............

yeah, lots of snow. but for scenery b'ham is fantastic. sitting out in the water are the san juan islands, with lots of camping, b&b's, kayaking, scuba diving (but only for the extreme divers cuz the water is so frakking cold). vancouver is only about an hour or so north, seattle is about an hour and a half south. mount baker to the east looms large and of course, lots of trees everywhere.

unlike seattle, b'ham is job hell. unless you have some profession, like doctor, nurse, lawyer, jobs are fairly scarce. and because there is no infrastructure for computer companies, there are no high tech jobs. however, if you don't mind working retail for wal-mart wages, then go!

oh yes, they are also *very* cliquey about who they hire. they don't necessarily like 'outsiders'. it seriously took me two years to get a stinking full-time job that paid anything. and i think the only reason i got it was because the guy who hired me was from cali, too. i had to work so many crappy ass jobs on a part-time basis, it wasn't funny. lumber mill, cannery, stupid office jobs. ack!

housing is only somewhat less expensive, food costs are the same, gas is about the same. classified as 'rural' because of farm land, b'ham is basically a college town, so lots of part-time jobs. and lots of retirees.

when the canadian dollar took a dive a number of years ago, all the canadians left their second homes in b'ham and went back over the border. however, they still come down for the shopping. if you see a canadian license plate, look out. they are the worst drivers. not trying to offend any of our canadian friends, but they truly are bad.

as for entertainment, there's not much. but they love them some soccer! every saturday and sunday, smith road fields are all abuzz from 8am to 7pm with youth soccer going on something like 20 fields.

nightlife is basically non-existant. a few bars and that's it. the mall has some theaters and there was one other stand-alone across town. there's an ice rink which morphs into indoor soccer. <snort> used to have a bowling alley, of sorts.

still interested in b'ham? oh, and of course, anyone who lives there is referred to as bellinghamsters. there used to be a sign painted on the side of a building there that always made me laugh. it said, 'bellingham, city of subdued excitement!'

Post by **ericalm** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 6:50 am

jrsjr wrote:
Jackiemancini wrote:I second Richmond, VA, I love this little city, it's the artistic kid city sister of the south: small, spunky, and loves scooters and art.

Plus my two bedroom house with a giant backyard in the middle of the city sets me back $800.
That's the kind of thing I was getting at when I referred to the high cost of living on the west coast vs the cost of living in Richmond. An equivalent place in/near San Francisco or San Diego would be, what? Four times that much? And, again, Richmond's scooter scene is in its ascendency which means it's generally pretty small and friendly yet.

Just me 'umble $0.02 worth.

Uh, yeah, a two bedroom house with a big backyard in a decent neighborhood in central L.A. would probably be at least $2K. Of course, cheaper rents are available, depending on where you want to live. It's a big area.

If you're going to be relying on mass transit for secondary transportation, well... We do have it and you can get anywhere via mass transit, but the system is pretty lacking for a city this size. The subway/trains can get you around the central areas of town, but you'd probably still need to hop a bus at some point.

I'm fortunate enough to live 2 miles from the area Buddy dealer and a mile from a metro subway stop, so no complaints from me there.

I just want more cool scooterists to move to the area.

dru_ · Post by **dru_** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 3:02 pm

There are a several great locales in the southeast, and depending upon your jobs and lifestyles, each offers different perks. I'll only mention the ones that I find to be particularly scooter friendly.

Chattanooga, TN is a neat city, but it has air quality issues, as it's got a fair bit of industrial on the west side of the valley, and it's land locked in a valley, but if you can afford to live up on the ridges, there are some gorgeous vistas.

Atlanta, GA is a big city, with crappy traffic and urban sprawl that makes it such that in Detroit, Ann Arbor would be suburb. It is one of the most tolerant cities in the US of alternative lifestyles. I live out the burbs, and love the area but it is best described as a crappy place to vacation, a great place to live. It is however, expensive in terms of housing.

Birmingham, AL is a not so big city, but has some big aspirations. Birmingham is a city in transition from a small city with quite a bit of industrial to a very business oriented city while retaining it's small southern town charm. In many ways, Birmingham is poised to be the next great big / little city in the southeast, with reasonably priced housing, good job opportunities and nice weather. not to mention a 2-4 hour beach commute

.

To me, any of the three are good options, though I find that Birmingham is a bit far 'east' to be in the central timezone, so it gets dark a little early in the winter. About 5:00 IIRC (Louie, wanna chime in here?). Oh, and if you move to anywhere in Alabama, you will need to become an SEC football fan in self defense. Atlanta is bit of a job mecca right now, but that has good and bad. For me, I love being 4-6 hours from the beach, but just 40 minutes from mountains, as well as having the convenience of an airport with direct flights to just about anywhere (Birmingham is a close second there).

Chattanooga is the smallest of the three by far, and all of the things that comes with. In addition, the job market is pretty flat there, so that could play into the choice as well.

In addition, there are a handful of outlying towns that could be interesting, as they are close enough to the bigger cities o be practical, but still a more relaxed setting. OF those, Athens, GA is interesting, and to a lesser degree Macon, GA.

Richmond, VA is a nice city, but it's not quite 'south' enough to be rid of frequent snowfall, Charlotte is probably better.

Apparently Jacksonville FL is fairly scooter friendly, but I've not spent any time here to judge it fairly.

Just some thoughts

dru_ · Post by **dru_** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 3:05 pm

I should also add, that in terms of music, all three, Brimingham, Chatt and Atlanta have active scenes, though Atlanta, due to it's size gets all of the major shows too.

lojical1 · Post by **lojical1** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 3:46 pm

scullyfu wrote: let me know when you come to town, i'm sure we could find something to do.

Most definitely!

lojical1 · Post by **lojical1** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 3:51 pm

BlueMark wrote:Ann Arbor?

I actually went to school in A^2 and although it is a great town, it seems time to leave Michigan in general. We are still young without the burden of children (save for our cat) so we feel that we have enough wiggle room to see what else is out there. If we could find the equivalent of Ann Arbor in a warmer climate, that would definitely be a cherry!

gt1000 · Post by **gt1000** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 4:11 pm

If we could find the equivalent of Ann Arbor in a warmer climate, that would definitely be a cherry!

Boulder, CO; Austin, TX; Santa Fe, NM; Tucson, AZ; Santa Barbara, CA; Athens, GA; Knoxville, TN; Charleston, SC; to name a few. College towns are all over but, to me, Boulder, Austin, Madison and Missoula "feel" closest to Ann Arbor.

None of them has Zingerman's though...

lojical1 · Post by **lojical1** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 4:23 pm

gt1000 wrote:
If we could find the equivalent of Ann Arbor in a warmer climate, that would definitely be a cherry!
Boulder, CO; Austin, TX; Santa Fe, NM; Tucson, AZ; Santa Barbara, CA; Athens, GA; Knoxville, TN; Charleston, SC; to name a few. College towns are all over but, to me, Boulder, Austin, Madison and Missoula "feel" closest to Ann Arbor.

None of them has Zingerman's though...

what, may i ask, is a missoula? sounds delicious!

golfingirl · Post by **golfingirl** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 4:38 pm

Well, if I had to move to a scooter friendly town, I'd be looking at Seattle or Portland. I love the Pacific North West. Vancouver would actually be no. 1 for me.

Alas, I live in Atlanta. Crazy drivers and horrid traffic. But, if you live intown, like me, you don't really need a car. A scooter is all you neede. Plus, the Flexcar program has taken off here. No snow makes it a very scooterable place. The economy here is great and the cost of living is very appealing.

I'm sitting on my patio now and it's 77F... gotta love December!

Good luck on your quest for greener pastures.

gt1000 · Post by **gt1000** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:56 pm

what, may i ask, is a missoula? sounds delicious!

No, now you're thinking of Zingerman's. Missoula and Bozeman are both college towns with lots to offer. If anything though, the winters will be tougher than Michigan. But, when the weather clears, the roads are amazing and the traffic is light.

I'll tell you this: compared to some of the places described in this thread, I'd gladly take Bozeman and it's few months of hard winter rather than be bored out of my mind with zero climate change. That's just me though. Probably an overreaction to my daughter's 2 years in South Florida.

Fun to visit. Live there? That's a big "no".

Corsair · Post by **Corsair** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:15 pm

what have been some nice places you guys have visited (in the US) that you wish you would have brought your scooter? If you moved some place else tomorrow where would it be? Why?

gt1000 · Post by **gt1000** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 2:47 am

Corsair wrote:what have been some nice places you guys have visited (in the US) that you wish you would have brought your scooter? If you moved some place else tomorrow where would it be? Why?

Different kettle of fish altogether. On the first question, Rt. 12 in southern Utah, the PCH from Big Sur north to Carmel and the Kancamangus Highway in New Hampshire are roads I've traveled where I wish I had a bike of any kind. I've heard wonderful things about the tail of the dragon but have never been there.

As far as where I'd move if I could? I like cities and enjoy urban living. I like to be able to walk to restaurants, theaters and museums so living in LoDo is hard to beat. In no particular order, other cities that really appeal to me include Vancouver, New Orleans, San Francisco, Portland (ME), Quebec, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Calgary and, drumroll, Spokane. I like the Pacific Northwest but not the weather. Spokane's different and, for a small city, has lots to offer (except jobs). I also prefer a place with an NHL team and a baseball team so Denver is tough to beat. Spokane has minor league baseball and junior hockey where I can have the same level of fun for about one tenth the cost.

It all depends on your priorities, eh?

rajron · Post by **rajron** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 3:02 am

I think Hawaii is a good place to visit with a scooter – the islands are small and surface streets can take you everywhere. Transporting the scoots to the islands will be a problem though.
Right now I’m planning several trips in year 2008 to the nearest “American Le Mans” series races to my home, I want to trailer our scoots to the cities, attend the races and discover the city and areas around the races with our scooters. Right now I see us going to Houston TX, Tooele UT (near Salt Lake City) and Long Beach CA. Well that’s what I want to do, scheduling and money may put a dampener on some of the plan but its still fun to plan. Both Houston and Long Beach will be easy to get around with a scooter, Salt Lake City area may be a problem though.

Post by **ericalm** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:13 am

gt1000 wrote:It all depends on your priorities, eh?

That's kind of the nut of the whole thing. Really, there are dozens of great, scooter-friendly cities out there. But that's just one (albeit important) aspect of picking a city to live in or even visit.

I've always found LA to be very scooterable. But my commute is about to change—probably more than double—and carpooling on the few rainy days will be out of the question. I'm going to see how the first few weeks of scooting go, but for the first time in a couple years, I'm wondering if I may need a car.

louie · Post by **louie** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 3:42 pm

dru_ wrote:
Birmingham, AL is a not so big city, but has some big aspirations. Birmingham is a city in transition from a small city with quite a bit of industrial to a very business oriented city while retaining it's small southern town charm. In many ways, Birmingham is poised to be the next great big / little city in the southeast, with reasonably priced housing, good job opportunities and nice weather. not to mention a 2-4 hour beach commute .

To me, any of the three are good options, though I find that Birmingham is a bit far 'east' to be in the central timezone, so it gets dark a little early in the winter. About 5:00 IIRC (Louie, wanna chime in here?). Oh, and if you move to anywhere in Alabama, you will need to become an SEC football fan in self defense. Atlanta is bit of a job mecca right now, but that has good and bad. For me, I love being 4-6 hours from the beach, but just 40 minutes from mountains, as well as having the convenience of an airport with direct flights to just about anywhere (Birmingham is a close second there).

Just some thoughts

in my previous post i meant bham, alabama. when i moved back after 9 years in LA, CA i couldn't get over the green all around. LA has too much concrete for me. i couldn't even tell you about what's going on in sec football or who won the alabama vs. auburn game. but dru you right just writing that confession i wanted to make the type small so not to get caught in my ignorance.
80 degrees today. you got to love these mild global warming days

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rent is quite reasonable. we bought a duplex up the street in bad condition and fixed it ourselves and logicl1 we need ya'll (yes you'll need to work on pronouns) in it. off street parking, back and front porch, front and back yard, and views of downtown that's just blocks away and the coolest music venue in town, the bottletree one street over.

peabody99 · Post by **peabody99** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 9:19 pm

Corsair wrote:what have been some nice places you guys have visited (in the US) that you wish you would have brought your scooter? If you moved some place else tomorrow where would it be? Why?

Acadia National Park in Maine (http://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm) it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen- we were practically driven to distraction on a recent trip thinking about how nice it would be to have the scooters. I would say Hawaii as well, but we were able to rent them when there. Finally if I moved somewhere else tomorrow (other than Europe), it would be someplace like Portland, Oregon. Urban, lots of natural beauty everywhere, green, scooter friendly, and lots of microbreweries. Ahhh you can only dream.

Post by **polianarchy** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 12:46 am

Corsair, you devil, you! Good luck with your move. I'm still counting down the 18 months till I can leave Philly with my career intact. O, and FWIW, I think Austin, TX is a fun place to live.

And yes, Keys, I'm looking at AZ pretty hard!

Modern Buddy

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