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I am still looking to leave Phoenix for somewhere that doesn't cook you in the summer, in the western usa. I would like to stay in a dry climate if possible , but even here during monsoons it seems to get pretty humid. I have looked into southern Oregon (not Portland proper), Southern Idaho (around Boise), and the Reno NV area . When people think Phoenix, they probably dont think tech , but there are an over whelming amount of IT jobs here hence why I haven't left yet, but really want to . I just dont wanna move somewhere like Denver or San Fran or Portland. Northern AZ doesn't have much of anything for tech or I'd try there. Not interested in NM.
Utah is what you're looking for, specifically the Lehi area, also known as "Silicon Slopes". The tech scene is booming there right now. That being said, the intermountain west is not really a place for tech workers, the west coast is where you really should be for that, limiting yourself to the intermountain west puts you at a disadvantage unless you can work remotely.
Utah is what you're looking for, specifically the Lehi area, also known as "Silicon Slopes". The tech scene is booming there right now. That being said, the intermountain west is not really a place for tech workers, the west coast is where you really should be for that, limiting yourself to the intermountain west puts you at a disadvantage unless you can work remotely.
You'd definitely love Utah then, great state for hiking, has an emerging/growing tech scene, dry climate, beautiful women, and the best part of all it has a low COL
Just for completeness' sake: you could look into Atlanta as well. Not far from the Appalachians (very popular for hiking albeit not as grand as western mountains), pretty decent tech scene, lowish COL, and because it's at a relatively high elevation, the summers are supposed to be more bearable than in other parts of the South.
Out of curiosity, why someplace like Salt Lake over Denver? SLC isn't a value anymore, it offers significantly less in terms of big city vibe than Denver, it's hot in the summer (SLC has had nearly 30 days of triple-digit heat this summer, Denver's had 5), and the inversions in the winter are awful.
A lot depends on what kind of IT job & employer you want or will accept.
Provo will have lots of IT jobs at Tech companies. Could live south of there. St. George / Cedar City UT could have some possibilities if you look hard.
Idaho Falls will have some, a pretty good share with government research (nuclear power and other science) or contractors for them. Boise has plenty of options. Could live in Eagle or north of there. Pocatello will have some now and probably more later.
Colorado Springs is somewhat different than Denver and has lots of military tech jobs. Fort Collins will have some startups, some with links into Denver or Boulder markets. I dunno what is available in Grand Junction but there probably would be some options.
The Telosa new city project might create a new possibility in 8 plus years or sooner if you work for them on the system builds. Supposedly will be in Utah, Nevada or Arizona. I am guessing east or northeast of Reno, south of Provo or west of Phoenix. Will change one of those areas significantly. Reno is already becoming a bigger satellite market for California companies.
State and local governments, regional federal offices, hospitals, school systems / universities, mining / energy companies, utility companies, real estate companies, trucking companies, engineering companies, resorts & hotels, some large ranches / wealthy citizens, banks / financial service companies, airports, Air Force bases and others need various forms of IT, if you'd consider those environments.
Given the climate issues and air quality indices, I would seriously reconsider any high-altitude cities west of the Rockies. You might consider the booming Dulles Tech corridor in DC which is an hour east of the Blue Ridge Mountains and immersed in outdoor activity options close by plus in-between in the foothills and Shenandoah Valley.
Just for completeness' sake: you could look into Atlanta as well. Not far from the Appalachians (very popular for hiking albeit not as grand as western mountains), pretty decent tech scene, lowish COL, and because it's at a relatively high elevation, the summers are supposed to be more bearable than in other parts of the South.
Pop used to live in Upstate South Carolina, before he moved to the Phoenix metroplex.
One of the reasons for him moving west was IT job opportunities, which didn't really exist (according to him) in Upstate SC.
Like NW Crow mentioned, IT is a huge field and can mean so many different things.
Pop, thanks for the update, I knew you wanted to get out of the Phoenix heat after that 1st summer. I figured it was probably tied to your job that you decided to stay longer. If I'm not mistaken, I think this was your second summer in the Valley of the Sun?
I know you like warm places, but not necessarily "Arizona warm" and are not a fan of the cold and snow.
I always thought, if one (non-retiree) had the means to live in the Pacific Northwest from May through September and in Arizona from October through April for work, many would do it in a heartbeat!
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