If you don't mind bitter snow now and then, Erie is a great place. Lots of ourdoors stuff to do (skiing, we've got a fantastic beach, forests and parks all over), decent culture for a city our size (art museum, playhouse, theater, and a great live music scene), academics (four universities and a half dozen within an hour drive). Great people, low cost of living, and those days you want to get away we've got three large cities and tons and tons of small treasures to go explore.