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I have lived in good areas of Southern California my whole life. However, between the high cost of housing and the hours that I spend on the freeways, I feel like I'll never get ahead. I have nothing keeping me here, and nothing drawing me somewhere specific, other than a distaste for snow/ice.
I eliminated Dallas because of classism that I felt there, amongst other So Cal similarities. I eliminated Austin because of traffic (city growing pains) and allergies. I eliminated other east coast/southern alternatives because of the drastic cultural differences. I eliminated the PNW because of the cold weather.
I eliminated SF because of cost. Vegas I eliminated because I like it as a vacation atmosphere only.
That leaves Phoenix and Sacramento. Where should I spend the rest of my life? It would be helpful to not discuss cost of living and weather, as those are sort of givens in the debate. I must live somewhere that feels like its got big city resources. Thank you for your time and thoughts.
Last edited by quizthecityfolks; 11-03-2018 at 07:23 PM..
II eliminated other east coast/southern alternatives because of the drastic cultural differences.
Just curious as the what the drastic cultural differences are that you perceive at least 50% of the country doesn't possess versus where you live now? Not in order to instigate, rather perhaps enlighten given that's a rather broad brush stroke..
That leaves Phoenix and Sacramento. Where should I spend the rest of my life? It would be helpful to not discuss cost of living and weather, as those are sort of givens in the debate. I must live somewhere that feels like its got big city resources. Thank you for your time and thoughts.
They both have "big city" resources. I live and love Sacramento. I love where Sac is now in its evolution and where it will be 10-20 years from now.
Neither place is going to feel exactly like LA/SoCal. There are aspects of Sac that will feel like LA/SoCal more than Phoenix but then there are aspects of Phoenix that will feel more like SoCal than Sacramento.
Sac is part of the Bay Area-Sacramento Mega Region which adds an element that can be a big part of your life up here or if you choose its easy to keep the Bay at bay if you know what I mean.
The City of Sacramento is one of the most racially diverse and integrated cities in the nation and it looks and feels that way yet the Greater Sacramento area is the "whitest" large metro in California....yet still not as "white" as the national average.
Phoenix has grown and is still growing nearly twice as fast as Sacramento which I think is a good thing for Sacramento because Sacramento still has steady moderate growth.
Sacramento City is urban. The surrounding area is suburban. Some might call it a "dense sprawl", I wouldn't call it that compared to SoCal. Check.
A diverse economy, academic institutions, medical resources, some things to do. Check.
Sacramento has first class museums, lots of concerts, clubs, live music venues, bars and restaurants, top level theatre and Sac is a big sports town with an NBA team, AAA-Baseball, professional Soccer, College sports. Check. Check. Check.
Scenery and things to do. - I just can't get enough of Sacramento's midtown-downtown these days. Pop-up shops, food trucks, live music on the street, farmers markets, murals everywhere, big trees, beautiful Victorians, funky apartments, and modern high-end lofts going up up and up.
The Best way to discover Sacramento is on a bike, and Sacramento makes it very easy for you to ride/use a bike as there are over 1,000 bikes available to the general public for a very affordable rental fee. Sacramento has a lot of parks. Rivers and Lakes within the city and larger area. Big mountains with snow, first class ski resorts, and the Ocean are easy day trips. Check. Check. Check.
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