kareng

We moved from the DC suburbs to the South to raise our kids some years ago. There are pluses and minuses to both, but one point I'd make is that different areas of the country have very different political and cultural climates. Some areas are extremely homogeneous. We did not weigh this heavily enough for us and have found ourselves very out of the mainstream where we are living. People are generally friendly, there is much nature and close enough city to stay busy and entertained, but it's tough to live in a place where you simply don't agree with what most people believe. It's been hard to meet like-minded people and we will not be settling here forever for that reason. Just something we wish we'd thought more about before we moved.

starrsville

kareng, my apologies in advance if I am misreading your posts...

there are a whole lot of these bumper stickers in my Southern city - and they make me smile

http://www.britebluedot.com/index.b.html

kareng

Starsville - You read me just right, and I like the bumper stickers! We've gotten active, joined groups, we fight the good fight, etc., and there's definitely been some good in that. (My kid are more active, aware and opinionated than I ever was at their ages!) But if I had to do it over again, I'd choose to live in a place where there is more diversity of thought and all results are not utterly predictable. We've been here awhile - guess I'm tired of fighting!

lyoliklove

Just move to West side of Los Angeles.

Chilepepper

Annapolis, MD (or just outside of it)
Minneapolis / St. Paul

Brookside

Good city life + Beautiful scenery + good job market = Seattle!

Surprised this hasn't come up already. Yes, it's a bit expensive, but the poster doesn't sound like she's ready to get married, buy a house and settle down - ??

dncdave

Jbass,

The smog is LA is largely history. When I was a kid we used to have smog alerts. There were three levels, and activity was restricted depending on the level. There were many days a year where there were such alerts.

The system remains in place, and the standards are the same, but the level of smog has not reached a level one in years. I am not denying there is some smog. I am not denying that more can be done. But it is much less to the point where many people don't notice it.

One year, I climbed up to the top of Griffith Park every morning, so I got a 360 degree view of the city every day for over a year, and I could see the difference.

Also, I was pretty clear that I was being subjective, since that is the tenor of the thread, "If you could live anywhere...." Those were my criteria. And I really like big cities. Seatle is very nice, but it isn't a big city. It is great for what it is, and I am not knocking it. (My cousin moved up there and loves it.) But, for the fear of beating a dead horse, it isn't a big city, and doesn't have the variety that a big city offers.

Again, this is purely subjective. If people don't like cities, LA is not for them. But if YOU ask me "if you could..." LA.

jenbertoni

vlcgoddess: Ive been thinking portland as well. We have a family friend who just moved there and they love it. I didntk now they had good public transportation, thats a very good selling point for me! Im actually a huge fan of rain, so that would be a plus for me. Im graduating from cal state fullerton actually. I considered chapman, but its so expensive! Thanks for your input!


brookside: Ive also thought about seattle! Im surprised its not mentioned much either. I dont mind the cost, orange county is pretty expensive itself so thats less of an issue.

Ive thought of LA. I have friends who live there and i enjoy spending time there, but im not a fan of the people and the area itself. I dont really like that scenery. Too desert for me, i like more of the greenery myself. And dncdave, even though im not a fan of LA, youre right...that was the question! I appreciate all answers just to see what it is people enjoy in their spot.

Thanks everyone!

PS: here are my results:

http://www.findyourspot.com/survey/R...82CCAB2F4E13D3

thoughts?!

kgh8m

If you're about to graduate college, I'd vote for a more metropolitan area than is available in NC. I think it's a great place to live, esp. for families, but probably not for a new college graduate from outside the state. (Just my two cents, and I'm from there.)

Consider living somewhere you might not be able to live in when you are older, with a mortgage and family. I really like the DC area, where I currently live, though it's a pretty expensive area to live in. Lots of political and cultural diversity. Tons of single people and recent grads. Lots of jobs. Lots of fun things to do. Great proximity to natural beauty.

tovarich

As a European having visited the States extensively there are some places I think are very nice to build a new life.
If you like the sea Santa BArbara comes to mind.We very much loved the Colorado plateau:Canyonlands-Bryce- Zion area.Moab but I doubt very much about work opportunities.When the weather is nice and you get the peak fall colours New England is fantastic:Jackson N.Hampshire. Close to big cities and nature we had last Sept in Asheville-Roanoke and Charlottesville.You're minutes away from the Blue ridge highway.You can make trips to the Smoky mountains-visit Atlanta or Washington DC.Good luck looking.Paul

mrsd2fan

To me anytime someone says that their location has four seasons means they have an unusually long winter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Central New York has long winters? Imagine that. I still miss it, though.

nanabee

Hawaii, Portland Oregon, San Diego.

vlcgoddess

Here's some info on Tri Met, Portland's public transportation system: www.trimet.org. There are three methods: bus, lightrail and street car. It is very effective and affordable, and you can get from the suburbs to downtown all the way out to the airport.
I love the rain, too, but then I am a native Oregonian!
I looked in to Cal State Fullerton, and also CSU Long Beach. I graduated from Loyola Marymount University. Congrats on graduating, and good luck with your move.