Agreed that SCOTS is a great band. We don't have kids (yet) but I can see that it would be great music for children. We're thinking about ways to be good parents without depositing our personalities and style on the other side of conception, so we'll stay tuned...

Lawrence, KS!

Seattle. Seattle is crawling with hipster parents. I'm related to some, in fact. There's just enough diversity to kid yourself into thinking you're living in a diverse environment, there's plenty of scenes, plenty of "art", and plenty of "culture" of the "alternative" flavor. And the people who live there claim to love it.

I personally dislike Seattle, hence the liberal use of ironic quote marks, but that should serve as an endorsement because I'm negative, pessimistic and left Seattle to get away from all the alternative hipster culture art scenes, of which there are plenty.

Absolutely consider Portland Oregon. I've lived in SF, NY and LA and Portland easily surpasses them as a place to both raise kids and have a culturally full life.

Fathoms of the imagination. Cool.

I lived in Portland, OR. That's a great town, but it gets downright depressing come end of summer. The rain and drizzle is awful. I lived in Pittsburgh, too. It's actually quite a bit like Portland (size, general blue collar heritage). For safety, however, it varies wildly from neighborhood to neighborhood. It also isn't as arty as West Coast cities.

Although Neal basically pans it in Alternadad, Philadelphia can be a great city. Just don't plop yourself down on the border of a rough area as he and Regina did. Areas around Penn are up and coming, as are Northern Liberties. Public schools aren't that great, though.

Ann Arbor, Michigan is a great town. And it's a stone's throw from the U.S.'s premier third world city.

Re: Philly
If you are an artist or self employeed beware the Philly wage tax! For those folks, it's something like 6.5% of your income in addition to state and federal taxes. If you live outside the city boundaries (say in Narberth) you avoid this tax. If you are employed it's about 4% and comes out of your check with your other taxes.

I'm raising my 2-year-old in Melbourne, Australia, and I couldn't imagine a better place to do it. It's got the population (nearly 4 million) to sustain a vibrant arts scene, with some of the best live music in the world. Plus you get abundant beaches (if that's your thing) and a mild climate in winter (can be blisteringly hot in summer).

I accept it may be something of a move for most of you Americans, but if it's any consolation, you can feel right at home with a right-wing govt. that supports the war in Iraq (Melbourne is also the most left-wing city in Australia).

Especially if you like SCOTS, then I think you need to think about Chapel Hill or it's even cooler neighbor, Carrboro.

Kids everywhere. Music every night.

Lots of moms with lower back tattoos at the framers market playground.

It's comforting.

i second colin's vote for carrboro, nc. this is a truly amazing, alternative kid-raisin' place. not wild about SCOTS m'self, but the other 600 local bands and nc bbq more than make up for that. (hi colin)

Lower back tattoos? Ouch. I've heard great things about Carrboro and Chapel Hill, but I hardly see how the prevalance of lower back tattoos is any sign of hipness. If you really want to find lower back tattoos, head to rural Texas or anywhere with lots of trashy meth addicts.

Personally, I vote for Portland, but only because it's the best city in the country, and not for any subjective reasons.

We live in Cambridge, Massachusetts and have an awesome time in our parenting style.

Utne, every few years, does a "Best Place to Live" survey -- why not consult that?

I agree with the general "college town" thought, though the mentality of the college town must be taken into account -- I'd not choose Provo, Utah, or Greenville, S.C.

I say look for places that you can find alternative newspapers, magazine publishers, liberal colleges, etc.

The big places -- Cambridge, Mass., Berkeley, Calif., Williamsburg, Brooklyn, N.Y. -- all are likely to be unaffordable if you're concerned about affordability. But there's tons of places that may well be affordable given a glance -- Portland, Ore., Arcata, Calif., Providence, R.I., Chapel Hill, N.C., Portland, Maine, Madison, Wisc., Austin, Texas, New Orleans, La., etc. -- yet still have that creative vibe you want.

St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN has everything your looking for. Lower cost of living than the Coasts, great music scene, especially now with 89.3 the Current (public rock radio), good park system, and continued public investment in the arts.

On the other hand, If you decide that money is no object, we took our 1.5 year old across the pond to London this summer and I have to say, I would move there in a heart beat if we had the chance.

Peace.

I second papa's comment: the Twin Cities rule (excepting, of course, the weather--though my 2 1/2 year old LOVES playing in snow). Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, there are few that compare and none that surpass.

Pittsburgh! Great parks, fantastic public library system, wonderful zoo, great culture (for a city that isn't NYC or London, that is) and museums, low cost of living . . . and three rivers!

you know, nashville is not that bad. sure, the ICE exhibit is obnoxious, but it's got an arts scene that's steadily growing, an expanding population, a music scene comparable to austin's, a reasonable cost of living, and plenty of natural beauty to enjoy. the east side of the city is especially undergoing a major revitalization process. i don't know that it's the best place to raise a hip kid now, but for those of you thinking of reproducing in a decade or so, i'd consider it.

I wouldn't preclude Brooklyn. Believe it or not, there are some great, affordable and safe neighborhoods, if you're willing to go slightly off the beaten track. Park Slope and Williamsburg are definitely too expensive, but Ditmas Park boasts beautiful Queen Anne style homes and a great community. There are some other neighborhoods taht are on the move too. And Brooklyn is just a great place to live overall.

Don't move to Austin. There's too many people here already.

Er...and it..uh..totally sucks.

I'll speak for San Diego; very kid friendly, some artsy/funky areas (north coastal Encinitas, where I live, is a full-on surf town, with some cool galleries, coffee shops, and one of the greatest record stores on the planet, Lou's), the best weather on the mainland, and amazingly laid back folk. The flip side: a median home price of $500+k, and one of the lowest salary/cost-of-living ratios in the U.S.

I would say Bartow, California.
They've got a new Wal-Mart and the McDonalds/truck stop is pretty hip on Saturday nights.

Is that different than BARSTOW, CA?

Columbus, OH. Better the Buckeyes than the Suns, Tar Heels, or whomever.

Actually, I say this to reinforce Neal's point that you can do this thing of "Alternaparenting" pretty much anywhere.

I wouldn't recommend the actual city of Cleveland, but some suburbs next door are great. Specifically, I did some growing up in Lakewood, and it might be exactly what some parents are looking for. Lots of arts, great music, decent schools, low-ish cost of living, and across the street (literally) from Cleveland's urban life. Wikipedia rightly says, "Lakewood has been recognized as being a counterculture and alternative haven for Northeast Ohio residents, as opposed to the outer-ring suburbs."

I moved to Portland, OR a year ago and have found it the most pretentious place I have ever lived. It's a bunch of nanny-state liberals who like telling everyone else how to live. I am already thinking about leaving.

And yes, the weather here sucks 80% of the time.

San Francisco!!!

With the exception of parts of New York, there is no substitute. Sorry, but that's the way it is...

Being hip and pushing a stroller is NOT alternative parenting. In fact, I don't own a stroller, because I don't need one, and I don't buy into the marketing that tells me I do, what you are describing is no more alternative than Britney Spears, shes got tats right? I wouldn't know.....