Concord, California (San Francisco)
Standard Home Value: $570,890
Located in central California’s Contra Costa County, Concord is very popular for its abundance of world-class universities, cutting-edge cuisine, and trendy art and music scenes. With approximately 130,000 residents, Concord has a strong community that transformed the city into a welcoming place with a bustling downtown area, full of shops, restaurants and entertainment venues such as Todos Santos Plaza, Pixieland or Concord Pavilion.
In terms of recreational opportunities, you can go on weekend getaways in the Briones Regional Park and the Diablo Foothills Regional Park, meander along Contra Costa Canal Trail or admire the unusual trees and shrubs at Markham Nature Park and Arboretum.
Sterling Heights, Michigan (Detroit)
Standard Home Value: $236,391
One of the core suburbs of Detroit, located sitting along the Clinton River, the rapidly-developing city of Sterling Heights has an array of attractions and activities to enjoy. It is home to the annual Sterlingfest Art and Jazz Fest but also to a wide variety of local coffee shops, restaurants like the popular La Saj Lebanese Bistro, galleries and impressive parks such as Bloomer Park, famous for the bike races organized there.
Don’t miss out the 81,000-square-foot General Motors Heritage Center or the Jenuwine Cigar Lounge, a state-of-the-art cigar store where you can enjoy smoking some of the best cigars in the country. On the other hand, if you want to quit smoking, here are 7 Things That Happen to Your Body.
Rancho Cucamonga, California (Riverside)
Standard Home Value: $588,468
One of the wealthiest cities in San Bernardino County, the city of Rancho Cucamonga offers more than 20 parks and community facilities, as well as a wide variety of great restaurants like Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar and brewing companies such as Kings Brewing Company.
Cultural attractions include the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center, the Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Maloof Foundation Historic Residence and Garden. Outdoor opportunities include The Pacific Electric Inland Empire Trail an 18.4-mile commuter and recreation trail and the San Gabriel River Trail. In 2006, Rancho Cucamonga ranked 42nd “Best Place to Live” by Money Magazine.
