Asheville NC. My wife and I moved here in early March just before the shutdown. Beautiful. I pinch myself everyday that I get to live And work (from home) here.
All of my family lives in Brevard and I mountain bike a ton, so I would move there in a heartbeat (I live in Raleigh right now). In fact, I'm already remote (and have been for 4 years), so why haven't I done it?!
What's the tech scene like there? Are there interesting nerds building things? Hackathons? (of course, before COVID). We spent 2.5 months in the area during COVID, so we didn't get a great feel for how nerdy the town is.
I'm here too, living with family. Not sure if it will be a permanent move or not. I couldn't get over how amazing it felt just sitting outside last night. The air quality out here is kinda amazing sometimes. Even my cynical husband has admitted he is afraid he might not want to leave.
I still consider Asheville home although I've been in Austin for 15 years now. I would move back in a heartbeat (provided I could convince my wife). Luckily, family is still there, so I get to visit regularly.
What's the social and cultural scene like in NC? Would a single guy in his twenties enjoy it?
Depends on what you enjoy. If you're into beer, the brewery scene here is pretty great - Asheville, Charlotte, and the Triangle all have great options. Live music scene depends on the city and the type of music you like. Lots of hikers and outdoorsy people and amenities for that sorta thing. But the cities here all feel pretty small and spread out when compared to northern or west coast big cities. But it's easy to hop in a car and drive to the beach or mountains or to touristy towns for a change of pace. Flights aren't very expensive, but you often have to transfer in Atlanta.