Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I voted for Pennsylvania. Yes the mountains are beautiful and I'm sure that Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are fascinating cities, but the place otherwise just seems kind of "blech." Like it's stuck in declining rust belt 1980s or something.
Of course, North Carolina is now more populated than New Jersey, it is the 10th largest state. I suppose NC is okay. Here is my list, in order from least to most preferred:
1. Pennsylvania
2. Florida: very little geographic diversity, too "new" feeling (not a great deal of preserved history) but also too "trashy" looking (think Kissimmee or Orlando.)
3. North Carolina: the state is beautiful and there are a lot of nice medium-sized cities, but the culture and living in those cities (i.e. Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro) just don't interest me. Plus, some of the people I've met from there aren't as friendly as they purport themselves to be (and I'm talking about natives, not NYC or Midwest transplants.)
4. Illinois: not my cup of tea. The only exceptions are Chicago, which I love, and maybe Evanston and Schaumburg.
5. Ohio: the state is rather bland and boring (even the SE Ohio hills are depressing,) but at least many of its people are nice. Cincinnati, Columbus, and maybe Cleveland are the only places I'd live there. (I do think Cincinnati is one of America's grossly underrated cities, just a true gem.)
6. Michigan: yes, Detroit is yucky. However, its citizenry seems really friendly and down-to-earth, the public schools are generally good outside of Wayne Co. (Oakland Co. has some of the best in America,) U. of Mich. is an outstanding public institution, and there is a variety of landscapes, cultures, and lifestyles.
7. New York: the California of the east coast, in a way. Open-minded people, many are gregarious and friendly in my experiences; some of the nicest and most interesting people I've met have been from around Syracuse and Rochester. They have a bit more of an "attitude" edge that can put off Southerners, but they're still hard-working and down-to-earth. NYC is an incredible city and NYS has tremendous variety in landscapes and preserved lands (think Adirondacks.).
8. Georgia: Atlanta is a very nice place to visit and I'm sure live, assuming you're in the safest areas (most of ATL metro is not a crime-ridden dump.) Decatur, Marietta, Smyrna, and Athens all look like really neat communities. There are mountains in the north, historic beach cities in the south, and the people are friendly enough.
9. California: even with the high taxes and strict environmental regulations, there is a lot of home state pride among Californians. Most of the ones I've that that have relocated to Kentucky (where I live) are just as hard-working and decent as anybody else, despite the rumors that "all CA is, like, materialistic, OMG.) The Californians on this forum have been tremendously helpful in answering my questions about their state; I'd prefer to live in San Luis Obispo, Glendale, or San Diego.
10. Texas: my top pick. The only two turnoffs for me are: (1) their rural areas are a bit "rednecky", much like Kentucky's rural areas, and (2) that "Dallitude" that folks on C-D talk about. The Texans I've met have generally been quite friendly. It is the California of the South in many respects; dozens of world cultures represented, major world centers of education and employment, and many different landscapes and climates. But having no state income taxes and a lower COL than California doesn't hurt matters any. My top picks are Houston, Austin, and Fort Worth.
Seeing how I live in Ohio, well lets say that it would not even be on the list and I'm working on getting out of here. I've traveled all over the world in sixteen countries at last count and lived in Hawaii for three years as well as Oklahoma. So, I would have to say thay Montana is no#1 on my list. Hawaii, Oklahoma's east side, Kentucky, Washington state, The Dakota's and Tennessee. As you can see, none of them matched what was on the list, sorry. But, I prefer mountains and wilderness over the crowded cities, traffic and crime. I love to be close to nature than most people.
And she's from Long Island, of all places. A wise drag queen once said, "Long Island, New Jersey, same s*** different direction." And as a NJ resident, I found that one offensive!
I picked Michigan because of its climate. I can't stand cold.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
give me the wilderness
