• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
contains seven museums, over 30 restaurants, 13 galleries and multiple annual art events. Last year, they held the first annual Dlectricity, an electronic light and art festival. Since Detroit is a city making a comeback, now is the time to get some cheap housing, especially if you’re interested in putting in some elbow grease. Detroit has some beautiful, historical houses for under $20,000. If you’re hesitant about exploring the gritty streets of Detroit, check out Grand Rapids on the West side of the state. Grand Rapids holds the biggest art contest in the world every fall, called ArtPrize. People come from all over the world to enter the democratically run contest and view the artwork displayed all over the city. Grand Rapids is a charming college town, Grand Valley State University is just outside the city, with 2–3 bedroom houses outside downtown between $20-$30,000!
Colorado’s medical laws allow a patient to grow up to six plants. Denver is a known creative/hippie mecca, but it’s not so cheap to live there. We suggest checking out the neighboring community of Aurora. Aurora is 20 minutes away from Downtown Denver, but they also have an emerging art community of their own. Every year they have their Aurora
sativamagazine.com
Arts festival providing a venue for local artist to sell their wares. Small houses or condos around there start around $40,000. You don’t normally think of Vegas when you’re looking for fellow artists, but flavorwire.com listed Vegas as one of the “best cities for young artists.” Indeed, Vegas has a growing arts district just North of the strip. In Nevada, patients or caregivers may grow up to seven marijuana plants, of which no more than three may be mature. There are many small houses in the area starting at $30,000. Finally, the beautiful city of Spokane, Washington has a three-day art festival every summer featuring over 100 artists. The landscape in and around the city itself is enough to inspire, but they also have 12 galleries and several museums. Patients can grow a 60-day supply of marijuana; in 2008 the state established that this means up to 15 plants. Spokane has 2 bedroom houses from $30–$40,000. There are many, many affordable places to grow and nurture your creative abilities at the same time if you know where to look. Investing in communities that are up and coming can have a huge pay off. S
JULY 2013 85