Liberal Nirvana Cities

[Taverner]

In response to that 20 meanest cities, I thought I'd throw in my Liberal Nirvana thread.

Basically, identify a few cities that are great for liberals, and why.

Despite SF, LA and Berkeley being mean cities (they are) they are still great cities for liberals. Some of those liberals, however, could take some compassion classes. Just because you are a liberal, doesn't mean you should be exempt from compassion!

So my 3:

Berkeley - Very liberal city, pot is practically legal, more breweries than you can shake a stick at, and pedestrians have 100% right of way.

Arcata - Liberal to the point of fascism. Again, pot is almost legal, there is a redwood forest in the middle of town, downtown meat dishes are harder to find than veggie ones, and there is not a single fast food franchise in the city.

Austin - I would have to say the fact that this city is a liberal bastion surrounded by fundie nut-jobs makes their zeal stronger. Dems are ANGRY here and I love it! Also, it has sixth street. Is there a sixth street in Branson, dammit?

[GOPisEvil]

1. That list pissed me off. It was based on ONE ISSUE!!!

How about an overall slice of life list? :grr:

That said...Santa Cruz. I'd live there in half a heartbeat.

[Taverner]

4. It was a one issue list

The meanest city list, however I will add that SF is a mean city. We're snobs and it gets old after a while.


Santa Cruz is nice tho - and not as mean as SF. Redwoods and beaches - what's not to like?

[no name no slogan]

2. Minneapolis/St Paul

Friendly, still fairly affordable, lots of good jobs, and quite ethnicly diverse, too. We have a very large SE Asian and Somali population, affordable, accessible healthcare, and a very active Democratic/liberal base.

If not for the barely passable public transport system and the few weeks of subzero weather in January, it would be paradise.

Really. ;)

[Taverner]

5. Any city Garrison Keillor calls home HAS to be good

[Wapsie B]

3. They do sound like slices of heaven.

[Taverner]

6. I'd live in Arcata in a heartbeat

If it weren't for that whole "you need a job to pay rent" factor

[meganmonkey]

21. I lived there for 3 months and the lack of jobs meant I had to go

What amazed me was that the college kids would pay the same for a bag of nugs that someone in the midwest would - how stupid were they? Hello? Emerald Triangle anyone? :P

Anyway, they sustained me for a bit but I needed to move on.

[Texasgal]

7. I cannot, for the life of me

understand why Austin was on there. :wtf:

I do love California though, I have been several places there and have met the NICEST people!

[Taverner]

11. me neither

I've been to Austin and everyone is superfriendly.

[Heidi]

8. Switzerland: a whole nation of social Nirvana:

Nobody cares who you're doin'. There's a liberal stipend program for emerging artists. And there's mandatory health insurance, payments based on your income. :thumbsup:

[Taverner]

12. But of course there is one small problem,

You have to be Swiss to enjoy all those things :)

[Heidi]

23. Wrong.

I'm a US citizen.

[MrScorpio]

9. Sure Austin is a liberal bastion

But I sure ran into a lot of native born assholes in that town

Great music stores and concerts, horrible radio stations

And the attitude that their shit didn't stink.

"Welcome to Texas... Now Leave" bumperstickers

"You must not be from around here."

After two years, I left and never looked back

[Taverner]

13. Very true

Just ask VelmaD about her feelings on those "Fuck Y'all, I'm from Texas" T-shirts....

[GOPisEvil]

14. I'm with you to a degree.

There are a lot of hipster assholes and just regular ol' assholes in this town.

[Texasgal]

15. Really?

Austin has been on the largest growing cities list for years now... people have to be coming for a REASON!

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience here. If you ever make your way down here again.... come and stay with me and I will show you where all the friendly folk are! :)

[Wapsie B]

16. I found a kind of that same mentality in Iowa City.

There was a lot of academic snobbery there. If you didn't have at least one Master's degree or work on some kind of Phd you didn't fit in. Townies vs. Gownies and all that.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

17. Everyone I've ever met from Austin

(and I've met a few) has been such an ass about how f'ing wonderful everything in Austin is compared to everywhere else, I've always wondered why they didn't just stay there in the first place and wished that they had.

[GOPisEvil]

18. Life is really good here for the most part, especially if you like music.

But there are other really nice places in this country.

[Taverner]

19. I suspect that's a Texan thing

No offense to Texan DU'ers but when some Texans leave their home state, it seems all they can talk about is how great Texas is.

And true, we Californians live in a place with free oranges, porn stars and pot and yet when asked about home we say, in a dour tone "S'ok..."

[flamingyouth]

10. Seattle & Portland.

[anarch]

20. bwahahaha! "Liberal to the point of fascism."

A sort of "compassionate fascism", maybe?

[Dora]

22. Austin's Sixth Street is dying.

It's primarily shot bars. The live music scene on Sixth is struggling. Bar owners/managers won't pay bands to play, demanding they play for the door, or even pay to play. The adult crowd doesn't come out to see bands, and the younger crowds aren't interested in live music - they just want to get drunk, fast, for cheap. But the music survives the best way it can. The scene moves around - there are clubs on Red River that have live music every night, and South Lamar has Saxon Pub and the Broken Spoke.


Austin is great, don't get me wrong, I live here and love it. But in so many ways it reminds of Tempe, AZ (where I grew up), and I fear it's following the same path to the bland, "Hey this place has all the same stores and restaurants I'm used to seeing at home" appeal.

SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC!! TIP A MUSICIAN TODAY!! GO SEE A LOCAL BAND PLAY THIS WEEK!!