ERE City (US)

[Ego]

Literally basically only San Diego / SoCal is like that in the US. So you did win in choosing that already.

Interesting how few places in the world meet our criteria. Strangely, for a few years in the early 00s we alternated between six months (spring/summer) in San Diego and six months (spring/summer) in Durban, South Africa. Both are on the map of livability with no ac or heat. Funny how we just naturally found our level.

[Western Red Cedar]

In regards to ERE city, I'd echo @ego that it wouldn't make sense for me to leave our deep network in the PNW to permanently relocate somewhere else in the states. DW and I have talked about living in another, great city for a year just for the experience. New Orleans and Chicago are two that are on the list.

I also want to point out that the current model of ERE hubs is quite refreshing. While I wouldn't want to relocate, I could certainly see visiting some ERE members in Guatemala, California, or Europe for a week or longer. It seemed like there was a little IRL contact a few years ago, but things have changed quite dramatically in the few years I've been active here. Much less concern about anonymity and more engagement.

I wonder whether people moved to Longmont because of MMM, MMM selling the area on the blog(did he?), or the fact that it's a software engineering hub anyway?

I've probably consumed far too much FIRE content in the past, but just wanted to point out that MMM seems to have been actively working on bringing like-minded people to Longmont for a long time.

Tim Ferriss interviewed him in 2017 and asked him something like, "if you had to spend 1 million dollars on something and it couldn't be stocks, what would it be?" He mentioned that he was actually working on that, and had plans to purchase a building downtown to foster more community interaction. He has a lot of interest in urban planning and was attracted to the intersection of community and redevelopment.

He's put a lot of energy into surrounding himself with interesting, like-minded people to the extent that he's put his own money on the table to move someone in next door:

https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2021/01 ... kr-review/

This is one of the more interesting interviews I've seen with MMM because it focuses very little on finance. I think they talk about his approach to the coworking project and the Longmont scene (it's been a year or two so I can't quite remember where) and he says he's been trying to recreate a vibe he had shortly after graduating high school where he had packs of friends that moved around the neighborhood and city freely, hanging out without making detailed plans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7Pkl5zJ98M&t=14s

In short, it seemed to me he's put a lot of time and effort into creating the Longmont scene.

[jacob]

Keep in mind that local temperatures will change over time as the world heats up. Not everywhere will experience the same change. Continental climates will rise the fastest. Coastal climates will rise the slowest. (SoCal and PNW are pretty stable. Everything else will feel like it currently does about one state south.) Several years ago, someone made a map and an app.

https://fitzlab.shinyapps.io/cityapp/

Pick a city and it'll show which other city that city will be like in 2080 in terms of temperature and precipitation.
(To see what it'll be like in 2050, you can just go halfway down the red line track.)

Also keep in mind both individual housing but also individual adaption plays a big role. Before HVAC people used to regulate their temperature by putting on or taking off clothes and getting used to the seasonal changes as they happened. Now people experience wild temperature changes on an hourly basis as they move in and out of HVAC areas.

Other than personal comfort, this mostly affects where you get your water and food from.

[theanimal]

Like some of the others, I'm not willing to move to an ERE city unless it becomes attractive enough to leave my friends and current lifestyle behind. That would take a lot. I have little expectation of anyone wanting to move by me full time, but I would very much welcome it if it occurred and would help someone interested in doing so.

I am however interested in visiting an ERE city or compound and would be interested in short term stays (1-3 months) at various locations. Ideally, by sometime in 2025, I will be in the position to reciprocate and offer the same setup for similar type of stays as offered currently by Quail Haven, Guatemala, etc.

[loutfard]

https://fitzlab.shinyapps.io/cityapp/

Do you have any similar map for Europe? Given Europe's dependence on the gulf stream, it will probably be less reliable, but still...

[mountainFrugal]

I would also be interested in shorter term stays in other ERE/forumite hosted areas. I stayed around Quail Haven 2x out/back on a road trip and then for ERE fest. This type of set-up is ideal for us, but only because we have a built out van. DW and I are already putting a lot of effort in building our local small town art and adventure community so there is a very slim chance we would leave permanently.

There is ample public land to tent camp or live out of your vehicle (for free) if folks wanted to try it out. Or you can take a train to a nearby town and I will pick you up, set you up with a bike, and point you towards the hills. @AxelHeyst visited last summer. Pitched his tent in the backyard and showered for a biketouring/warm showers style stay. Then he went and found his own "accommodation" next to a beautiful river. We know of two other couples in town that also accept warm showers biketouring folks. For longer stays, we know people with land that would be into a sort of caretaker arrangement.

If you want to come and do an art sabbatical then I can likely set something up with the shared studio space. Depending how long the stay was that could range from a few days-free or longer term (minimal overhead only fees based on square footage same as everyone else myself included). DW is going to be running writing groups out of there starting this fall if that is also of interest.

PM me for details.

[AxelHeyst]

Then he went and found his own "accommodation" next to a beautiful river.

I mean it was all right.

[jacob]

In regards to ERE city, I'd echo @ego that it wouldn't make sense for me to leave our deep network in the PNW to permanently relocate somewhere else in the states. DW and I have talked about living in another, great city for a year just for the experience. New Orleans and Chicago are two that are on the list.

Previously (10 years ago) the argument was an unwillingness to move away from family. I'm surprised that has not come up more.

I also want to point out that the current model of ERE hubs is quite refreshing. While I wouldn't want to relocate, I could certainly see visiting some ERE members in Guatemala, California, or Europe for a week or longer. It seemed like there was a little IRL contact a few years ago, but things have changed quite dramatically in the few years I've been active here. Much less concern about anonymity and more engagement.

Meetups (5-10 people) used to happen regularly, not just at EREHQ but also independently elsewhere organized by other people. The reason you didn't see any activity a few years ago might have had something to do with a certain pandemic During that time I still met people one on one in my backyard, but I wasn't interested in creating any superspreader events. Overall, I'd estimate I've met about 50 EREmites IRL over the years but except for about half a dozen, only once. Some have also stayed overnight at ERE Hostel (floor or futon) but only for a day or two. However, due to the travel-requirement with some driving 5+ hours or flying 2000 miles and most (even those from chicagoland) needing to take a day out of their calendar to get here, I never managed to create any kind of frequency of meeting beyond once a year. The "demand" isn't there relative to the "cost" of traveling when competing with other activities.

Coming out of the pandemic, having already "been there and done that" already, I don't really feel like doing that again(*). I'm mostly interested in actually doing something (like a joint project, like the Marching Series) with other EREmites and not just meeting them once.

(*) Especially not now that zoom meetings has emerged as a substitute for having to travel in person or spending a lot of effort trying to get people to actually show up in a certain place.

There is of course no reason for not doing both, because I think the ERE Hostel Chain and ERE City speaks to the different preferences between "nomads" and "homesteaders" respectively. In that regard, ERE City can contain an ERE Hostel. Or perhaps, like @AH speculated, ERE City might grow around one of the ERE Hostels.

This is one of the more interesting interviews I've seen with MMM because it focuses very little on finance. I think they talk about his approach to the coworking project and the Longmont scene (it's been a year or two so I can't quite remember where) and he says he's been trying to recreate a vibe he had shortly after graduating high school where he had packs of friends that moved around the neighborhood and city freely, hanging out without making detailed plans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7Pkl5zJ98M&t=14s

In short, it seemed to me he's put a lot of time and effort into creating the Longmont scene.

(I usually find that the most interesting interviews with pf-nerds is when we/they talk about other things than what they usually talk about.)

My college dorm experience was also awesome. Its format is maybe the one exception to me rejecting living with other people. It was a set of 10 quads of four studio apartments (IIRC 12m2 with own bathroom) with a shared kitchen for each quad. As such people would run into each other frequently but not have to collaborate on anything other than literally cleaning the kitchen counter (that was tough enough---it only takes one rotten apple to spoil the ... counter top, literally and figuratively.) This is also approximately the kind of (un)assisted retirement home my grandmother ended up in, except she had her own kitchen, which unfortunately had the effect of killing any kind of spontaneous socialization, same problem as a regular apartment complex. Conversely, the Swiss dorm I lived in had 18 people sharing the kitchen. Way too many people for me.

Unlike MMM, I've found that I have neither the talent nor the desire to be a "community organizer". Organizing community is highly undesirable work as far as I'm concerned. I just don't like to do it and I prefer not to and given anything more interesting, I'm not going to do it. This is why I'm so keen on the decentralized approach. I think it's risky to hang the formation and existence of a community on a kingpin but first and foremost I don't want to be that kingpin. I do appreciate and respect that others have this desire though. It's not a bad thing. I just found that it's not for me. It's also worth keeping in mind that the passion of hostel hub kingpins might burn out and if so... that hub is no more.

PS: FWIW, I happen to live 1 block from the city's community center. No reason to buy my own here.

[mountainFrugal]

I'm mostly interested in actually doing something (like a joint project, like the Marching Series) with other EREmites and not just meeting them once.

This is how I am thinking about my projects. Investing time and money into this project because it is something that I want to create to benefit myself and the local community. A lightweight business model is the best way to keep it running and me not continually having to dump money in and become a resentful kingpin. ha! With our art classes, plein air retreats, and space rentals the overhead for the rent, utilities and teacher salaries will be covered. The break even payback for the remodel is 2-2.5 years for minimal viable business. Sooner if we do better. I view this as an appropriate and experimental use of money even if I get no return. I have plenty.

If other [ERE] people think it is cool and want to come do a joint creative project then I can help with ideas of how they can participate with minimal investment (besides time). However, it is mostly on them to do the legwork and pass a minimum independence/competency test for figuring out transportation to/from the general area and a place to stay if camping is not preferred. (I can make suggestions for all of these of course). Technically one could hike the PCT between Quail Haven and Darmera Studios if that was also of interest. .

[grundomatic]

1) Are you interested in "ERE city" if it means moving there?
Maybe. There seem to be some non-negotiable boxes to be checked.
2) Are you interested in "ERE city" if it happens grow around where you already are?
Hell yes!

Preferred level of development:
3) Are you willing to move to a high-density urban area? (3+ story buildings)
Yes.
4) Are you willing to move to a low-density urban area? (closely spaced 1-2st)
Yes.
5) Are you willing to move to a suburban area? (widely spaced, lots of lawn)
Was going to say maybe, but I think what I am thinking of is better described by 4 above. So, no.
6) Are you willing to move to a "small town" (one mainstreet) area?
Probably, if within a couple hours of "cultural events"--concerts, shows, etc.
7) Are you willing to move to a rural area?
No.

Since politics is getting increasingly important in people's decision making process:
8) Are you willing to live in an area where the politics or political vibe differ from your own?
Yes, if it's "live and let live". Open or even veiled hate is a no-go.
9) Are you willing to live in a state where the politics differ from your own?
Yes.

Budget:
10) How much are you willing AND capable of paying for a conventional home (house or apartment)?
About $300k for purchase and investments to cover T&I is what we are running right now and probably where we want to keep it.
11) How much are you willing and capable of paying for an alternative home (tiny house, strawbale, container, cabin, boat,...)? If yes, what kind?
I don't think cost will be the limiting factor here.

Living situation:
12) Are you interested in living with others beyond yourself/SO/family?
No. Sharing walls or some common area like in an apartment or a casita/in-law unit would be ok.
13) Are you interested in co-owning with others beyond yourself/SO/family?
Probably not ideal, but I'd do it if the deal was right.
14) If yes to either, what financial arrangement do you prefer? (landlord, rentee, collective,...)
I'd be part of a collective or partnership if that's what it took to grab some great multiplex or something like that.

Job situation:
15) What kind of job do you need or want if any?
Casual, part-time employment like tutoring, dog-walking, babysitting, etc.
16) How hard are those to find in a given area?
This might exclude small towns.

Time horizons:
17) When are you ready to move to ERE City? (Now? In 5 years? 10 years?...)
1.5-2 years.
18) When are you likely to leave again? (Never? After 5 years? We'll see?...)
Wouldn't move there just to move away again, but my career attention span has been ~5 years, and it seems like I may have a similar location wanderlust, so yeah, maybe after 5 years there.

Amenities:
19) Which are the most important ones? (Walkable, bikeable, nature, internet, climate resilient, dating scene, music scene, sports activities, airport, hiking,...)
climate-cannot get too cold
culture-good concerts, plays, comedians, etc., within a couple hour drive
nature-easy access to nice outdoorsy stuff of some sort
walkable-current walkscore is 61, would not want it to be worse than this
internet and electricity-this was taken as a given in the discussion at my house, as probably was the area not being high-crime or looking run-down

Of course there is some flexibility in all of this, like if a nice area was found but was so walkable one or both cars could go--more could be spent. I also expect objections to locales (from both myself, my household, and others) that weren't even mentioned. When there are so many variables, one can optimize for say, the top five, not realizing that changes #27 to something untenable. The housing surprise thread comes to mind.

[jacob]

I made a new thread so as not to divert this thread with what might turn out to be too abstract: viewtopic.php?t=13092

[mathiverse]

With respect to the "family" problem, I'd consider moving to an ERE City if it existed, but it'd be one option among the other options which also include where my family lives. I don't live near them right now and I haven't since leaving college, so it's not a factor in why I won't move right now. It may become a factor in why I relocate somewhere other than ERE City in the future though. I have few roots in my current location because it was always somewhere I planned to move away from after a few years.

[Jin+Guice]

I'm interested in setting up an ERE hub wherever I live. I have a ca$h money and some ideas to dedicate to the project. I can also move my house to the HQ (bc it is a bus). If anyone/ several people were seriously interested in it, I would begin immediately. The location for now would have to be New Orleans for me to be involved. In the future that might change. I am serious about this offer but seriously doubt anyone is interested in taking me up on it.

In terms of hosting people, I would love to host but lack adequate accommodations for a stream of like minded strangers. If you have met me IRL or interact with me a lot on the forum, feel free to give me a shout and we can try to work out logistics. I live in the city of New Orleans and my house is reachable by public transportation from the airport (though it takes a long time bc the PT here sucks).

[macg]

ERE City questionnaire - macg

1) Are you interested in "ERE city" if it means moving there?
yes
2) Are you interested in "ERE city" if it happens grow around where you already are?
yes

Preferred level of development:
3) Are you willing to move to a high-density urban area? (3+ story buildings)
yes
4) Are you willing to move to a low-density urban area? (closely spaced 1-2st)
yes
5) Are you willing to move to a suburban area? (widely spaced, lots of lawn)
no
6) Are you willing to move to a "small town" (one mainstreet) area?
yes, either on or next to mainstreet.
7) Are you willing to move to a rural area?
no

Since politics is getting increasingly important in people's decision making process:
8) Are you willing to live in an area where the politics or political vibe differ from your own?
maybe
9) Are you willing to live in a state where the politics differ from your own?
maybe

Budget:
10) How much are you willing AND capable of paying for a conventional home (house or apartment)?
more than normal ERE-ers I am sure lol - currently pay high rent. Would want to rent, not own
11) How much are you willing and capable of paying for an alternative home (tiny house, strawbale, container, cabin, boat,...)? If yes, what kind?
as of now, would want to rent, not own


Living situation:
12) Are you interested in living with others beyond yourself/SO/family?
no
13) Are you interested in co-owning with others beyond yourself/SO/family?
no
14) If yes to either, what financial arrangement do you prefer? (landlord, rentee, collective,...)
N/A

Job situation:
15) What kind of job do you need or want if any?
I work remotely, so N/A
16) How hard are those to find in a given area?
easy

Time horizons:
17) When are you ready to move to ERE City? (Now? In 5 years? 10 years?...)
as I rent, would be a yearly option, as it is difficult to get out of leases ... so any July currently
18) When are you likely to leave again? (Never? After 5 years? We'll see?...)
We'll see

Amenities:
19) Which are the most important ones? (Walkable, bikeable, nature, internet, climate resilient, dating scene, music scene, sports activities, airport, hiking,...)
1. Climate - don't want cold
2. Walkable
3. Bikeable
4. high-speed internet
rest is negotiable

[jacob]

Many have expressed a desire for certain temperatures. It would be helpful to know these preferences with a bit more precision than "warm" or "not too cold". We all know that what is tshirt weather to someone from Minnesota is snowsuit weather to a Californian.

Keep in mind that specific demands really narrows down the list of options. To keep it simple, I've divided the continental US into the following zones.

If you already know areas you like, you can take a look at this map to see where they're also found. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... _US_50.png

I'll split it into 3 regional columns with north-south divisions:

1) West of the continental divide, we have mostly mediterranean climates ranging from hot dry summers (100F) to warm dry summers (80F). Snow is rare or light. In the summer, these places are often on literal fire. Water is often imported from elsewhere. Most of these places do not need heat and most are also fine w/o A/C.

2) East of the continental divide (Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico) we have mostly semi-arid conditions ranging from very cold in the north to rather warm in the south. Rain is rare being in the rain shadow of the mountains to the west.

East of that, we'll split the right-most column into 3 rows with east-west divisions.

3) In the northern-most row of North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, NY, and New England, you'll need a snow shovel and your refrigiwear all winter long. Summers are pleasant, but during winter time, you'll get easily buried under several feet of snow in some places.

4) The middle row of South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania get a mixture of both, that is, you'll experience the full range of seasons (and a full range of changing clothes). Summers are hot and humid, and winters are often freezing with a foot of snow. Lots of farming here. You can grow plants. But you also get the most unpleasant temperatures at either end having to constantly adjust as the seasons change.

5) The south east (everything below, basically Kansas in the NW corner and Florida in the SW corner) experiences humid conditions that range from warm in the north to hot in the south. Snow is light or rare. This was not a popular place to live before the invention of A/C. Bad weather includes hurricanes and tornadoes.

In terms of personal preferences I'd rank these in the order of 1, 3, 2, 4, 5. I don't think any of them are absolute deal-breakers for me (I already live in 4, but I do miss 1) although I do find "hot and humid" to be unpleasant to my constitution. Then again, I'm mostly an indoor-type person, so I can live with that.

It would be helpful to know people's rankings in terms of that list. In particular, whether the warm-loving people are still okay with warm if it also means humid?

[jacob]

Budget:
10) How much are you willing AND capable of paying for a conventional home (house or apartment)?
11) How much are you willing and capable of paying for an alternative home (tiny house, strawbale, container, cabin, boat,...)? If yes, what kind?

I realize this wasn't clear, but ranges can also be given in $/month. The reason for asking this is to know which locations are too expensive for people's preferences. In short, what's your shelter budget?

[7Wannabe5]

Okay, now that Jacob has allayed my confusion about the project, I can answer the survey. Huge caveat being that my primary limiting factor with a bullet with regard to any/all projects/plans currently is that I am still not quite recovered physiologically from my acute bout of Crohn's disease.


1) Are you interested in "ERE city" if it means moving there?

Yes, but the location would almost certainly determine the length of my commitment. ERE City would be akin to a secondary polyamorous partner for me, but would be willing to spend majority of my time in that location during NRE (new relationship energy) phase.

2) Are you interested in "ERE city" if it happens grow around where you already are?

Yes, but, unfortunately, I am not currently in good enough shape to champion such an initiative, although I would be happy to do so if/when I am feeling better. Semi-important note would be that "Where I am" for me would not be limited to my current exact address and would include a wide swath of the state of Michigan with which I am intimately familiar and consider to be my permaculture region, within a shape roughly mapped by pins stuck in cities of Adrian (small, very inexpensive city in rural farming county, politically mixed, couple small universities), Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti (lovely Level Green/Yellow cosmopolitan dual university realm city with great libraries, parks, public transportation, moderately expensive for Midwest), Hamtramck/Detroit (tiny rough low-income city full of recent immigrants within hot mix of big city urban renewal/blight, mix of moderately expensive for Midwest and very inexpensive), Flint (gateway of the Northern escape route from climate collapse! Not as bad as you might think-the river is actually very clean, super inexpensive!!, lots of typical city amenities weirdly also within easy hiking distance of rural hunting land) , and Alpena (hip little resort city right next to achingly beautiful Lake Huron, surrounded by acres and acres of National Forest, very inexpensive area, remote but has adjunct branches of university and university hospital, and an airport. Quite possible to live there without a car, if you do have a snowmobile/cross-country skis/etc.)

Preferred level of development:
3) Are you willing to move to a high-density urban area? (3+ story buildings)
Yes, but not preferred.
4) Are you willing to move to a low-density urban area? (closely spaced 1-2st)
Yes.
5) Are you willing to move to a suburban area? (widely spaced, lots of lawn)
Probably not. Retrosuburbia type project-scape being an exception.

6) Are you willing to move to a "small town" (one mainstreet) area?
Yes, but very much depends on surrounding area.

7) Are you willing to move to a rural area?
Yes, but only as strictly secondary locale if hours away from any sort of cultural area/hip city.

Since politics is getting increasingly important in people's decision making process:
8) Are you willing to live in an area where the politics or political vibe differ from your own?
BTDT. Heck, I even had a Republican in my polyamorous circle, BUT wouldn't again choose as primary locale or primary partner.

9) Are you willing to live in a state where the politics differ from your own?
Yes.

Budget:
10) How much are you willing AND capable of paying for a conventional home (house or apartment)?
I would prefer to rent initially. I currently spend $550/month for my 500 sq.ft garret apartment and that is more than I usually spend, so maybe $600/month would be my MAX. If somebody would like to rent me a room (with great bathroom access) in their conventional accommocations for $350/month that would be ideal.


11) How much are you willing and capable of paying for an alternative home (tiny house, strawbale, container, cabin, boat,...)? If yes, what kind?
As little cash as possible. As much sweat equity as possible. If I am feeling better and I complete my Smart Car Camper build, I would pay $150/month to park on somebody else's land/driveway with some kind of readily available bathroom/shit-pit access.

Living situation:
12) Are you interested in living with others beyond yourself/SO/family?
Yes, but I would require my own room or nook-like-a-room unless IlliniDave wants to share with me. I also need very good bathroom access or emergency chemical bucket toilet in my room.

13) Are you interested in co-owning with others beyond yourself/SO/family?
Sure, if anybody else was interested in something as cheap as I would likely be willing to chip in, and there was an easy out contract, and ability to sublet my share to other acceptable-to-group individual.
14) If yes to either, what financial arrangement do you prefer? (landlord, rentee, collective,...)
I'd prefer a co-op with trustee kind of deal on the co-own. I would prefer rentee on a houseshare unless ERE City ends up in my primary realm.

Job situation:
15) What kind of job do you need or want if any?
Part-time employment. Virtual only might be okay.
16) How hard are those to find in a given area?
Anywhere there are schools/libraries within biking distance and/or internet access.

Time horizons:
17) When are you ready to move to ERE City? (Now? In 5 years? 10 years?...)
If/when I am recovered physically. Otherwise, October of this year at the earliest. June of 2025 might be more realistic.
18) When are you likely to leave again? (Never? After 5 years? We'll see?...)
Depends on how well the location would serve as secondary residence/realm and some other factors. Maybe 3 months as initial commitment, and 3 years as second level commitment.
Amenities:
19) Which are the most important ones? (Walkable, bikeable, nature, internet, climate resilient, dating scene, music scene, sports activities, airport, hiking,...)

I'm pretty flexible, and I don't think anybody else on this forum would like the sort of environment which I hate the most, which would be a non-walkable, bikeable suburb within a boring corporate office park type environment. For instance, I was locked down during Covid in a far northern affluent consumer/careerist suburb of Detroit with my most conservative ESTJ engineer polyamorous partner, and it was pretty much intolerable. I couldn't walk anywhere, because there was no sidewalk, an eight-lane 55 mph highway with no cross-walks for miles in either direction, and even the grassy verge was sloped in a manner that would cause injury if you walked along it. That's how I ended up buying my Smart Car. I had to escape!

[berrytwo]

Looking forward to watching all that emerges from this thread. I hope to participate in some ERE community iterations as they unfold and potentially being an instigater of ERE/ ERE adjecent Wilamette Valley addition when I am more settled. I like the idea of being collaboraters in the same town/ street as well as tempory EREsidencies in places.

[Jin+Guice]

1) Are you interested in "ERE city" if it means moving there?

Maybe. Hurricane season coming up...

2) Are you interested in "ERE city" if it happens grow around where you already are?

Hell yes!

Preferred level of development:

3) Are you willing to move to a high-density urban area? (3+ story buildings)
Yes.

4) Are you willing to move to a low-density urban area? (closely spaced 1-2st)
Yes.

5) Are you willing to move to a suburban area? (widely spaced, lots of lawn)

Fuck No.

6) Are you willing to move to a "small town" (one mainstreet) area?

No.

7) Are you willing to move to a rural area?

Probably not.

Since politics is getting increasingly important in people's decision making process:

8) Are you willing to live in an area where the politics or political vibe differ from your own?

In theory yes, in practice not yet.

9) Are you willing to live in a state where the politics differ from your own?

Already do!

Budget:

10) How much are you willing AND capable of paying for a conventional home (house or apartment)?

I will be living in a bus.

11) How much are you willing and capable of paying for an alternative home (tiny house, strawbale, container, cabin, boat,...)? If yes, what kind?

Paid cash for that $hit!

Living situation:
12) Are you interested in living with others beyond yourself/SO/family?

I would live with a roommate if I'm forced back into normie housing. Need my own room.

13) Are you interested in co-owning with others beyond yourself/SO/family?

Probably not a house. Land, yes.

14) If yes to either, what financial arrangement do you prefer? (landlord, rentee, collective,...)

Collective

Job situation:

15) What kind of job do you need or want if any?
Pretty much any. Part-time.

16) How hard are those to find in a given area?
Probably easy?

Time horizons:

17) When are you ready to move to ERE City? (Now? In 5 years? 10 years?...)
Whenever the big storm hits.

18) When are you likely to leave again? (Never? After 5 years? We'll see?...)
Very dependent on the availability, frequency and quality of the orgies. I assume we are making our own rope?

Amenities:

19) Which are the most important ones? (Walkable, bikeable, nature, internet, climate resilient, dating scene, music scene, sports activities, airport, hiking,...)

Walkable and bikeable
Women
Music
Lasseiz-faire attitude
Access to nature (can be a few hours bike ride)

[AxelHeyst]

Grist, not an argument: Simon Sarris on culture/movements/scenes being created in small spaces and then assembled in larger ones.

Large places may be culturally successful not because they are large, but because they are capable of drawing out the exceptional from smaller places. What Rome, jazz, and Silicon Valley have in common is that they had the sensitivity to sample from the country. One has to wonder how repeatable that action is. It is supposed that Rome’s fertility was negative in ancient times, that it needed the countryside to refresh its population. Perhaps cities and the country can work well together in this regard, if they can find a way to enrich each-other.