San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo (SLO to locals) sits halfway between LA and San Francisco on the central coast, with Cal Poly students, gorgeous wine country (Edna Valley and Paso Robles nearby), and a Thursday night farmers market that takes over downtown. It's been called the happiest city in America (multiple studies, Oprah included), and the vibe really does back that up. Bubblegum Alley is exactly what it sounds like. Mellow and beautiful.

Tulsa

Tulsa was built by 1920s oil money and the downtown looks the part: Art Deco everywhere, like Gatsby moved to Oklahoma and never left. The Greenwood district, once known as Black Wall Street, now holds one of the most powerful civil rights museums in the country. The Tulsa Remote program pays new arrivals $10,000 to move here, and enough have taken the deal that there's a real scene now. The Gathering Place park alone is worth a flight.