Well other than the fact that you think it's full of Yankees (wrong side of the Mason/Dixon Line) it sounds exactly like what you'd want. Not too big, not too small. Nice mountain weather, but not fiercely cold. Little college-esque town, not terribly far from Atlanta, Charlotte, or Knoxville. Population under 80k, so not too many people. It's a fair ways from the beach, but you could drive it. Way the hell closer than Oklahoma. ugh. I've been TDY there. ugh.
If you insist on west coast, maybe Eugene, Oregon.As long as you don't mind hippies. You could go crazy smurfing cold, like Bar Harbor, Maine.