Ithaca New York and Bellingham Washington are very fun cities for this type of layout. there are a lot of them that fit this criteria though
You might want to look at states that don't have an income tax, to start. That can save some money, assuming saving money on taxes is one of your criteria.
If you Google for "best US cities" you'll find all kinds of lists with descriptions of various cities and why they're the best. Maybe start there.