Where in North America do you think is the ideal location for a car guy? Things to consider: Year 'round driving (no more 7 month winters) Low frequency/risk of natural disasters (hurricanes, tornados, floods, fires, hail storms, tsunamis, earthquakes) Low crime rate Nice scenery Active car hobby scene Good motorsports facilities (drag and track) Low cost of living Relaxed regulatory environment (emissions restrictions etc) With a population of one million, Calgary scores high on most of these but the long winters suck. I stay here because of my company/industry but plan to retire in the next few years and will be looking to relocate to a climate more conducive to my hobbies. Anyone want to make a case for their favorite locale?
I would imagine the towns outside of Los Angeles or perhaps Monterey county (also CA). No snow and we complain about cold weather when its 55 degrees. Here at home at this moment it is sunny and 53 degrees, always warmer in SoCal. Okay, okay, yes the earthquakes, yes LA will drift up to where SF is in the far far distant future.
I'm half hour from LA and it's rained twice since summer. I only have to wash my car once every week or so and it doesn't get under 50 until sometime in Feb. I'm north so I don't really worry about traffic or anything since I live 3 miles from work. So Cal is the place to be, if you can afford it.
So Cal or Vegas. Year round racing, large car scene, and close to the desert and salt flats for some real fun runs. With all the wild fires and such, along with earthquakes, I would say Vegas, if I had to pick one of those.
What are the emissions testing and restrictions like in SoCal? I thought they were pretty strict with power adders, custom tunes etc?
Bowling Green, Kentucky would be my bet. I was down there for a truck show in April, theres a good car scene down there , and the weather was really nice. Beautiful homes around the area.
Florida for me. Year round good driving weather with no snow or ice to ever worry about. Also, there are no state inspections and no emission tests either Lots of race tracks, car clubs and weekly cruises. Then there are the beaches and lots of other attractions to take a drive to.
IMHO, I would have to say that Phoenix, AZ would be the ideal place to live. Not only is the weather always warm, but you also don't have to worry about Hurricanes or Earthquakes either.
i'm going out on a limb and saying jersey. theres 3 tracks no more then an hour away from me. we've got emission testing, but theres always way to overlook that missing cat. its snowed once this whole year and it didn't stick to the roads. hope i don't curse myself and walk out tomorrow and see 5 ft of snow. hah. never have seen a hurricane, tornado, etc here. there have been tornados, but nothing near where i live.and they aren't common, like in tornado alley. crime rate, where i live is pretty low, go a mile or so down the road, it gets pretty grim. active car hobby scene - i've got a guy down the street whos got a third gen nova, early third gen. and another whos owned the anniversary trans am forget the specific year but its the last style, hes got a mystichrome cobra right now think an 04, then around the block we've got a s2000 and a trd tundra, on the other street theres a first gen camaro. on the corner of that street is my brother, who owns a 94 stang with a built 306 supercharged, we're guessing its going to be around 500 or so horses. and he also owns a 1975 porsche 911. then a block over, theres a guy whos been into foxbodys as long as i've been alive, hes always had at least 1. and when the parking lot was open across the street he would have 3-4 at a time. down that street theres a guy with another 03 cobra, and before that he had a hooked up 95 gt. around the block from him my friends dad bought a built chevy II. theres imports and all around here, but i don't pay attention to them too much, american muscles where its at for me. and then the occasional german car sneaks its way in. hah. low cost of living would be the negative though, jerseys one of the most expensive places to live. my best friend lived in texas when he was younger, and he wants to go back but he cannot afford a house by himself being 19, so we were talking of going down the 4 of his [his girl and his son, me and him] supposedly its pretty cheap out there compared to here, and texas has alot of car guys. i could never live in canada, i went to niagara falls as a family vacation, and my dad and i were just shocked, at cars being from like 2000 and older, rusted out. i love older muscle cars, and with those kinda conditions, i highly doubt i'd be able to find one clean.
I live in DC and work in San Diego. I will tell you its not DC. San Diego is pretty good, aside from the earthquakes, emission requirements and low cost of living requirements. The weather is phenomenal (it rains like 10 days per year and its rarely below 50 degrees), its a beautiful area, and winding mountain roads are a short drive away. Other than that, I'd say North Carolina is a pretty good bet. My parents moved to the Raleigh area a little over a year ago. It is cheap as dirt, the weather is pretty good - although it does get somewhat cold for a few months, it RARELY snows. Raleigh is far enough inland to not have to worry about hurricanes, at least not at any dangerous strength. There is very little crime in the suburbs - not sure about in the "city" itself. Motorsports are definitely big in the area. Some malls have entire stores deticated to NASCAR. But, here's the best part: NO FRONT LICENSE PLATE!!!
I think I would have to agree with DarkfireGT and say Vegas. Either that or Ft. Collins Colorado. They have less average snow fall then we do in Iowa. The average temp's in the winter are Higher. The average temps in summer are in the mid 80's . You can always go canyon carving. There is a drag strip near denver (can't remember the name) and Denver is only about 45 minutes away.
To tell you the truth the Quad Cities area is pretty cool too. Its not "cutting edge" or anything. But I can't complain about anything but midwest weather... Take today for example. Supposed to be 40* almost all day then be like 2* tonight with the possiblity of a crap load of snow.
I'd have agree that Calif. or Florida are great places for a car or motorcycle guys and gals. I lived in Northern Calif for 12 years and love every minute. I'd still be there but my company transfered me to Pa., which sucks for the most part. Now that I'm retired I want to move to Florida but my wife says no.
Exactly. I can't STAND the weather here. Otherwise, it's not too bad. Not too big, but not too small. Things are cheap. And we're really starting to expand. But the weather. But yeah, 54* right now, and tomorrow's high is going to be 18*. F that.
I love NOR CAL.... 2 hours from everything, sand, snow, big city.... 2 tracks. HUGE car scene... and the cops are mostly retired military or prior service ...(Bonus for us military guys)
my vote, Austin, Texas. excellent weather year round. far enough from the coast that hurricanes are not an issue. cost of living is reasonable and emission laws are tolerable.
