LetsRun - Help me figure out where I should move

seattle homeless tent city

Bdjsjdhjs wrote:

Hello LetsRun,

I currently live outside of Philly. I don’t like it. I’m looking to move somewhere else. My main criteria are:

Good places to run

Strong running community/people to train with

I’m not a delusional sub-Elite thinking that moving somewhere else is the answer. I’m just looking to move somewhere that I would enjoy more. I’ve always loved the outdoors and am drawn to the mountains for sure.

No wife/girlfriend.

Work in insurance but could easily see myself changing careers.

The top of my list right now are Flagstaff and Asheville, NC. Not sure if there are many job opportunities out there though.

If you're worried about finding work, maybe look at DC, or somewhere in New Jersey. DC has trails in rock creek park and the c&o, plus you can get to some state parks in maryland.

Flagstaff and Asheville would be great and a lot better than either of those options for trail running though.

Longmont Colorado! Or some where like that to have Boulder and Denver at your fingertips.

You have prairie and endless flats or endless mountains. Arizona I would visit but never live.

Reno/Carson Valley might be worth checking out. Lots of trails near town and pretty good job prospects.

Bdjsjdhjs wrote:

Hello LetsRun,

I currently live outside of Philly. I don’t like it. I’m looking to move somewhere else. My main criteria are:

Good places to run

Strong running community/people to train with

I’m not a delusional sub-Elite thinking that moving somewhere else is the answer. I’m just looking to move somewhere that I would enjoy more. I’ve always loved the outdoors and am drawn to the mountains for sure.

No wife/girlfriend.

Work in insurance but could easily see myself changing careers.

The top of my list right now are Flagstaff and Asheville, NC. Not sure if there are many job opportunities out there though.

Asheville is decently expensive, so of the two I would choose Flagstaff. High altitude helps with the training too if you'd like to see some improvement. Many options too in Colorado as others have mentioned.

If you want mountains: Boulder Colorado.

Good trails, running community, and races: Oregon (Eugene or Portland)

Bdjsjdhjs wrote:

Hello LetsRun,

I currently live outside of Philly. I don’t like it. I’m looking to move somewhere else. My main criteria are:

Good places to run

Strong running community/people to train with

I’m not a delusional sub-Elite thinking that moving somewhere else is the answer. I’m just looking to move somewhere that I would enjoy more. I’ve always loved the outdoors and am drawn to the mountains for sure.

No wife/girlfriend.

Work in insurance but could easily see myself changing careers.

The top of my list right now are Flagstaff and Asheville, NC. Not sure if there are many job opportunities out there though.

So what type of work/job are you willing to do ? When you’re 45yo will you regret your time and energy spent on running because you didn’t like Philadelphia..?

There's plenty of great running in Philadelphia. Philly has a larger % of it's land area dedicated to parks than any other city in the US. The trails in Wissahickon are beautiful and challenging, and Belmont Plateau is a good stop. There's over a dozen running clubs in Philly. You should check out the single track in Wissahickon before you go.

California cause west is the best, Arizona, or Colorado.

California is expensive and crowded! Reno is close to Tahoe, near the mountains, and way more affordable. If you go for a visit/job interview, check out Reno Running Company. Lots of good trails too. https://www.trailrunproject.com/directory/8009103/reno-and-sparks

Bdjsjdhjs wrote:

Hello LetsRun,

I currently live outside of Philly. I don’t like it. I’m looking to move somewhere else. My main criteria are:

Good places to run

Strong running community/people to train with

I’m not a delusional sub-Elite thinking that moving somewhere else is the answer. I’m just looking to move somewhere that I would enjoy more. I’ve always loved the outdoors and am drawn to the mountains for sure.

No wife/girlfriend.

Work in insurance but could easily see myself changing careers.

The top of my list right now are Flagstaff and Asheville, NC. Not sure if there are many job opportunities out there though.

I can relate. My suggestion: Bel Air, CA. My life got so much better after I moved out there.

A little bit about me:

I'm also from Philly. West Philadelphia, to be exact. Born and Raised. I spent most of my days on the playground just relaxing and maxing all cool. I played a lot of b-ball outside of my school. Long story short, a couple of guys who were up to no good started making trouble in my neighborhood. I ended up getting in one little fight and my mom got very scared and told me to move in with my Auntie and Uncle in Bel Air.

This move ended up changing my life for the better.

-Will

Oh, ps - beware of the taxi cabs in Bel Air. They reek.

Depending on what you do within the insurance industry, Arizona is a viable option; however, you may have to consider Phoenix over Flag. There are several major insurance companies (Prudential, Guardian, Unum, etc.) that have a significant regional presence there with their business offices. The people working in those offices range from entry-level claims reps up to regional level managers in charge of territories covering pretty much the entire western US. If your skills can be transferred to the financial industry, Charles Schwab and Vanguard also have a significant presence here.

Living in the north valley (e.g Anthem, Cave Creek) may not be Flagstaff, but it does take the edge off the summer heat. It's also an easy drive up to Sedona, Flag, Camp Verde, etc if you wanted to spend weekends up there. LA is a quick flight or 4-5 hour drive. Denver is also a quick flight or a whole-day drive.

It's worth noting that anywhere in AZ will probably have noticeable political/culture differences from a northeast metro area, if that is a factor for you.

Orem, Utah. There is a long trail that goes though the Provo Canyon (Provo River Trail), it has marks every 110 yards (1/16 of a mile) and gets plowed during the winter. Altitude varies between 4800 and 5200 feet. If you like dirt trails, there are plenty of those as well. If you get a camper, or do not mind sleeping in a tent, you can drive off about an hour and be at 8000 feet, then come back to do workouts at 4500 feet at the BYU or one of the local high school tracks - they are open to the public.

As far as job opportunities, we have Qualtrics, Vivint, Adobe, Domo, Novell among the bigger companies, and an infinite multitude of little ambitious startups, some of which are not so little anymore.

Colorado meets your outdoors criteria, and I know of a few P/C insurance carriers with field offices there (e.g. PHLY has offices in Westminster and Highlands Ranch).

As to making a career change - it's definitely going to be a process. I left insurance a couple of years ago and I definitely had to take a step back in terms of salary/responsibilities to get out, though I was able to get back above where I had been after a year or so and a strategic job change.

Thank you all. Much appreciated. Some more context:

Former D1 - 3:48/14:05

For the insurance company that I work for I am an underwriter.

I am going to ask my manager in our 3rd quarter review about the possibilities of working from home.

I should also specify that I’m not in Philly but 30 minutes outside in the suburbs. I’m used to just saying Philly when I talk to customers that have no idea where in PA I live and work.

I’m fortunate that my work/life balance is good so that I can train before/after/during work at lunch. If I look back at 45 I honestly would not care about work. I would probably be telling my younger self I should have moved sooner.

I spent a year after graduation in the triangle area in NC and really enjoyed it but moved back up north for work. Originally from the northeast. Went to college up here.

Turkey

The OP of this thread wrote:

For the insurance company that I work for I am an underwriter.

Which line of business?

I wish LetsRun had an equivalent to Reddit Gold for comments like this.

If you're originally from the northeast, why not check out Vermont/NH/Maine. They are beautiful, cheaper to live in than Philly, and they aren't a bunch of conservative, gun-toting nuts like people who live in Arizona.

If not, go with Colorado. Legal cannabis, mountains, and legal cannabis.