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Part of what makes Sacramento the best choice is how close it is to the SF Bay Area and its big metro amenities. San Francisco is only a 90 minute drive, with Oakland and Berkeley even less. That's basically the same as driving from the Connecticut suburbs to Manhattan.
I have lived in Los Angeles for all of my 29 years and would like a change. I hope to live somewhere with cheaper real estate, less traffic, and more down to Earth people. No where is perfect, and I appreciate LA for it’s scenery, vistas, weather, and abundant resources, but I feel like I can find a better long term fit for me. I am a single male and my business can be moved, no problem. I am politically moderate.
These are the only cities that I am considering in no particular order:
-Sacramento
-Dallas
-Portland
-Phoenix
Even if you don’t like any of these for yourself, or want to suggest somewhere else, I am SET on it being one of these 4 cities. So, whichever you feel like is the best fit or has the brightest future. Thank you for your input!
Quote:
Originally Posted by needthecityexperts
MRJones17– Which other cities do you feel are a better fit? I’m open to suggestions
I’ll add that I eliminated the Bay Area because of cost, Austin because of traffic/rising housing costs/small town feel, Houston because of Hurricanes and general criticisms of safety and aesthetics, awesome places like the East Coast and Denver because of the cold/snow, Florida because of humidity, bugs, materialism, Carolinas because they seem to stack up poorly to Phoenix/Dallas/Sacramento/Portland. Atlanta was the only other outlier/longshot that I saw working. I do consider outdoors to be important. I actually find Dallas to be more aesthetic than Phoenix because it is a lot less brown and dry looking. Portland and then the Sacramento foothills and nearby areas are seemingly very far ahead in that category,
If utilizing those criteria the Carolinas exceed everything on your shortlist, so quite the opposite of stacking up poorly.
Given your criteria Sacramento makes the most sense in my opinion given it's less congested/traffic filled than the other three, less expensive than Portland or Dallas and politically more moderate than Phoenix. I would venture to say Sacramento wins the more friendly category as well.
I agree with this.
I used to live in LA(mostly Los Feliz, Hancock Park, Hollywood, Santa Monica). Went to Glendale College and UCLA.
I live in Sacramento and Love it. I liken Sacramento as a combined Portland and Austin.
Texas and even Dallas are not void of outdoor activities and there's a lot of greenery, trails and water recreation options. Way more than people give it credit for.
I actually find Dallas to be more aesthetic than Phoenix because it is a lot less brown and dry looking. Portland and then the Sacramento foothills and nearby areas are seemingly very far ahead in that category.
If you consider "brown" and "dry-looking" to be cons, which most Americans do, then I suggest you remove Phoenix for your list of options. Phoenix is one of the driest, brownest cities in the entire nation, although the Sonoran Desert features more natural vegetation and receives more abundant precipitation than the Mohave Desert of inland Southern California and southern Nevada (e.g., Las Vegas, Barstow, Baker, etc.).
Additionally, Phoenix has extremely hot summers during which daily high temperatures consistently exceed 100 degrees from around May 10 to October 10. When the summer monsoon begins around July 1, it will be 102 degrees with 40% humidity. Thus, participating in outdoor activities during this time of year can be downright dangerous, never mind non-enjoyable.
And while winters in Phoenix are mild by national standards, the metropolitan area still gets cold from December 1 to March 1, especially during the overnight hours. In my perspective, winter does not provide much respite from the scorching hot summers like it does in Florida, which is consistently warm throughout the winter months.
If abundant greenery and varied topography are important considerations in your search for a new city, then I recommend you investigate Atlanta. Atlanta has a number direct, nonstop flights to Los Angeles and is a highly forested city with plenty of freshwater (e.g., creeks, rivers, lakes, etc.), gently rolling hills and a mild four-season climate. I am convinced that the area in and around the Atlanta metropolitan area would be a natural preserve, if the city and its environs did not exist.
Also, the Atlanta metropolitan area has one the largest, most diversified economies in the United States. Therefore, the chances of you being more gainfully employed in Atlanta are much higher than in Portland (relatively small economy with a saturated talent pool), Sacramento (government-based economy) and especially Phoenix (service-oriented economy).
Last edited by Bert_from_back_East; 01-20-2019 at 09:54 AM..
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