Socorro, NM is totally under-rated. I spent 3 days there and loved it! We hiked Box Canyon and Water Canyon while there. I've never been able to see so far in every direction. It was the bluest sky I've ever seen. Were you there for the hail storm a few years back?

I actually live in Boulder, CO right now and it's a great place to be active. If you like the snow it's even better. I have to tell you though I'm a little fed up with the moodiness of the Colorado weather though. Like today for instance. It was uppers 70s today, everyone is out running, biking, rock climbing, all that.. Tomorrow....snow and in the 40s as a high. I'm actually thinking San Diego or Austin because of the mild winters since I'm a little sick of the cold here. Boulder is great though because everyone seems to be active consious. There are parks EVERYWHERE. The thing I noticed most when I first moved here was that everyone here is an athlete. The moms pushing their kids in the joggers are even throwing down 6min/mile while pushing the kids and I'm just struggling to keep up. IT seems normal to see an elite athlete running the same routes as you in the early morning or at a competitive event around here. Everyone in this town seems to have that elite athlete mentality. If they aren't an elite athlete here, I think 90% of them are trying their best to be one or were one at one time. It's definately a humbling place. I thought I was a decient runner, at least I was where I came from, then I moved here and I'm your run of the mill everyday athlete. Everyone here has an event they are training for.

The down side I see though is that seems to be happening recently in Boulder is that they are starting to get that elitist attitude. It's a pride thing to say you are from Boulder and there are certain standards that need to be upheld in order to say such a thing. I think because all the outdoor companies are starting to come here now too. Climbing magazine, Spyder, it seems to be the triathlon hub of the country right now, which I don't think is a bad thing but normal everyday people who know someone who knows someone in those companies has their nose up in the air about it with a "I'm better than you because of that," kind of attitude.

I also have a couple jobs, I work in Boulder and in Denver and its funny the totally different mentality of Denver. Everyone from Denver seems to hate people from Boulder and everyone from Boulder seems to hate people from Denver. I'm caught right in the middle. I'm not really a big city fan and I know Denver is quite small compared to other "big" cities but it still has that big city feel. The questions I get from people I work with in Denver is, "why do you run so much?" or "isn't running that much bad for your knees?" Questions from Boulder include, "when are you going to step up your running?" or "want to do a track workout?" Very different attitudes. Like I said though, if you like the cold in the winter, the moodiness of the weather in the spring and fall, and hot summers....awesome place. If you look at visitor guides about Boulder I think it says that we have 360 days of sunlight a year. What they neglect to tell you is that it could be snowing or raining in the morning and then sunlight in the afternoon and 70 degrees. I think I'm the only one here that finds that odd though. Hope that helps. Good luck on the search.

I've got to throw Santa Fe, NM into the mix. I lived there from September through March a few years back and loved it. It's a helathy, active town with easy access to hikes, mountain biking, cycling, rock climbing, running trails and skiing. Plus it is not overgrown (yet) but even this small town has a great deal of good food and culture.

Everyone always forgets about Philly, livin' in the shawdow of New York...Seriously Phildelphia Rocks...Kelly Drive in the Art Museum area are amazing, theres rowing, rock climing, cycling (60 mile trail)... They even close West River Drive down on the weekends so free to run rampant with your bike, roller blades or whatever else...There are tons of different people, sculptures, rowing, kayaking, races...(Triathlons, Philly Marathon, Philly Distance Run, Dad Vail Regatta, Triple Crown Cycling Series)..Not to mention all the cool stuff just outside of the city....

Good restaurant scene, lot's of culture.....

It does sound like Philly is a fun place to live.

http://www.active.com/outdoors/Articles/Live___Play_in_Philadelphia.htm