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1. Florida (Miami/FTL/Tampa)
2. California
3. Puerto Rico
4. Colorado
5. New York (soley for NYC)
runner-up: Hawaii
Why is it necessary to say solely for NYC?
There is a whole world outside of New York City. Most states would kill to have something like the 6 million acre Adirondack Park or the beautiful and historic Hudson Valley or Niagara Falls.
Anyway, my top three states are:
1. New York
2. Virginia
3. Pennsylvania
The next two states 4 and 5, I am not sure. There are so many states I like, Florida, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, then there are the Upper Midwest states and a number of Western states, it is hard to narrow them down.
Here are my top five with the reasons I rank them as such:
Michigan: *Gorgeous* state, Midwest (+), somewhat progressive, surrounded by beautiful lakes, UP, Ann Arbor and University of Michigan. Too bad the state went red in the last election.
Illinois: Chicago. Chicago -- alone-- makes this a top state. Illinois doesn't really have much else going for it.
Wisconsin: Michigan v2, just dorkier, simpler, funnier.
California: Simply because it has to be here.
Alaska: Most momentous, beautiful state in the nation. Full stop.
Honorable mention:
Pennsylvania: The U.S.' Shire
Oregon and Washington: Put them together because they are the same state, Both gorgeous, varied and progressive.
Bonus... worst states.
Ohio: Duh, armpit of the U.S.
Alabama: Right?
Mississippi: Right.
Florida: I thought Bug Bunny sawed this place off to float alone in the Caribbean.
Surprised to see so much mention of Massachusetts- a lot of folks in the northern New England states would disagree. Best state of course can be looked at from a number of prisms. From a statistical standpoint referencing indexes tied to quality of life ratings, Mass is excellent. But I prefer a "real feel" measure. What it's like day-to-day getting from Point A to Point B over the vast majority of the state, government corruption, intrusion, etc... . All I can say is, no thanks!
Surprised to see so much mention of Massachusetts- a lot of folks in the northern New England states would disagree. Best state of course can be looked at from a number of prisms. From a statistical standpoint referencing indexes tied to quality of life ratings, Mass is excellent. But I prefer a "real feel" measure. What it's like day-to-day getting from Point A to Point B over the vast majority of the state, government corruption, intrusion, etc... . All I can say is, no thanks!
Massachusetts is perfect!!! What are you talkin about!!!! *Insert Boston accent and one swear per three words spoken*
No, it's not perfect. The budget balance is out of sorts, and the cost of living is out of control. Price p/sq ft. is up over $1000 in Boston neighborhoods, which is on par with Manhattan.
Having lived in a number of states, though, I can't get over the place. Boston is a small town with broad shoulders, and offers an incredible quality of life (despite the COL). It's constantly updating and reinventing itselfs, and really seems to be outpacing any major city in the North. The local economy continues to jolt forward as it leads the East in tech and biopharma, and paired with the hospitals, higher ed, engineering firms, etc. the private sector is spectacularly stable.
More importantly, access to those Norther New England states, the coast, Cape Cod and the Islands, NYC.. It all adds up to make the state feel incredibly unique. When we came back for a visit, we did Boston to Marblehead to Newburyport to Portsmouth, NH in a single day.. It's just loaded with things to do and see.
Surprised to see so much mention of Massachusetts- a lot of folks in the northern New England states would disagree. Best state of course can be looked at from a number of prisms. From a statistical standpoint referencing indexes tied to quality of life ratings, Mass is excellent. But I prefer a "real feel" measure. What it's like day-to-day getting from Point A to Point B over the vast majority of the state, government corruption, intrusion, etc... . All I can say is, no thanks!
With me being in MA, I have to disagree a bit. Extremely high housing costs to the point most people are priced out of home ownership, taxed into oblivion, very little diversity of thought/politics, and rough winters. This greatly drags down MA's quality of life. It has its merits in terms of health care, colleges, and American history. But there are many other states and regions, IMO, that have a better QOL than MA.
You can live anywhere in the US ... choose your top 5.
Go.
My list, in order:
1) Maine
2) Michigan
3) New Hampshire
4) Tennessee
5) Upstate New York
1.Texas
2.Arizona
3. New Mexico
4.TN
5. Oklahoma or Arkansas
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