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There's no metro area where I've spent more than a few days combined other than the ones I've lived in --- I've been to the Bay Area on a few different weekends, maybe 10-12 days combined. So any of the options other than "a long weekend visit" aren't really practical for me.
Location: Miami (prev. NY, Atlanta, SF, OC and San Diego)
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I think it takes at least 2-3 years as a resident to start getting a locals flavor of a new (big) city and build up solid, lasting friendships.
I would need to visit a city at least 6-10 times, preferably with an extended visit, before getting a general working knowledge or understanding and/or considering a move there. One cannot form a valid opinion nor scratch the surface based on 1 or 2 party weekends.
I developed a decent feel, at the time and my stage of life, for SoCal following a summer session (2 months) at UCLA before moving out west...I developed a feel for Miami following my first 12 visits, which included a month long stay, before moving here. YMMV.
....and I would rely upon input from CD...lol.
Last edited by elchevere; 05-20-2020 at 12:07 PM..
I visited Denver for a very short trip and ended up moving here. I knew enough about it to feel comfortable moving here from that trip and from what I've learned on here.
It would be nice to be able to afford to visit multiple times but that's really unnecessary for me.
Opinions change. First impressions will influence opinions as will comments or criticism from friends. But living somewhere makes things look different. By six months you might have a pretty solid impression of a place. That doesn't make you feel like a "local".
Depends on the city to be honest. Some cities offer a lot more than what a long weekend will tell you. I think in general though it's somewhere between a long weekend and 2 weeks. I voted for 2 weeks since there wasn't another option.
Anyone can form a valid opinion after a short visit. It's just that your second visit may result in a different valid opinion than the first. A longer visit may offer even a different valid opinion.
Your initial impression may also color your opinion in a positive or negative way for reasons that may not be always relevant - it may have rained all day, or it may have been too hot that day, or you just didn't feel good and were in a bad mood that day. Or you were with another fantastic person (besides yourself) that made the visit special in some way.
Bottom line is that it takes time to really know a place. It also takes research: visiting, reading, and speaking to people who live in and know the place. Nearly every place has things that you can only "discover" if you have been there a long time, or know the right people. I can't imagine that one weekend is ever enough. Whether a visit was good or bad, there should always be another to find out "what I've missed."
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