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If you mean 'west coast' in a LA way I am going to say Las Vegas. There are a lot of transplants from metro Los Angeles LA/OC/IE that have moved there in the last decade. The drive back through the desert to LA is only 4 hours with light traffic.
Las Vegas almost seems like an oasis of Los Angeles in Nevada. Phoenix would be next. None of the rest really felt like LA to me although I have spent very little time in Boise and Albuquerque.
My vote is for Phoenix. The city is basically indistinguishable from Riverside or San Bernardino. Half its residents wish they were living in California, and the other half used to live in California but can't afford it anymore. It's slow-paced, laid back, new, there's lots of suburban sprawl, and lots of malls.
I'd go with Vegas second, but due to the city's history and libertarian attitude, it's feels distinctly Mountain-West to me. I've always thought of Vegas as being Salt Lake City's evil twin, while Phoenix is LA's annoying little brother who failed out of college.
My third choice would be Tucson, which reminds me very much of Fresno.
Las Vegas, Phoenix lesser, none of the others, not even close. "West Coast" requires access to the Pacific in 3-4 hrs or less by car. And the closer you are 2hr, 1hr drive the more "West Coast" the vibe.
Las Vegas has always had a California vibe to it. Californians built many of those first hotel/casinos. Californians were the first tourists in mass, and still are. Many of the transplants in Vegas are Californians. The Las Vegas showbiz element has always been connected with Hollywood and bumps it up in "West Coast-ness" despite the 4hr drive to LA.
You're basically asking which of these metros is most like LA, not which has a "West Coast Vibe". Most of the West Coast is nothing like LA however. Las Vegas and Phoenix feel similar to part of the LA metro in some ways(though to me they don't feel close at all the central parts of LA itself), but it's little to nothing like the Bay Area and absolutely nothing like anything to the north in the Northwest.
You're basically asking which of these metros is most like LA, not which has a "West Coast Vibe". Most of the West Coast is nothing like LA however. Las Vegas and Phoenix feel similar to part of the LA metro in some ways(though to me they don't feel close at all the central parts of LA itself), but it's little to nothing like the Bay Area and absolutely nothing like anything to the north in the Northwest.
I agree, despite all the other similarities with western cities, "West Coast" requires that doable day trip to the actual coast and back to your inland city or town by car.
Inland Empire is alot like Phoenix but it's only 30mins-1hr from Southern Cal beaches. The marine layer affects the Inland Empire, noticeably.
Further north, Sacramento (1 1/4 to 2 hrs to coast) is closer to coastal beaches than Portland and Seattle. Sacramento gets Bay Area low clouds and cool ocean weather in the middle of the summer regularly in the evening, night and morning.
Seattle and Portland have doable day trip access to their coasts and the Puget Sound.
All those other cities clearly have western vibes and are "western", just not "West Coast".
I agree, despite all the other similarities with western cities, "West Coast" requires that doable day trip to the actual coast and back to your inland city or town by car.
Inland Empire is alot like Phoenix but it's only 30mins-1hr from Southern Cal beaches. The marine layer affects the Inland Empire, noticeably.
Further north, Sacramento (1 1/4 to 2 hrs to coast) is closer to coastal beaches than Portland and Seattle. Sacramento gets Bay Area low clouds and cool ocean weather in the middle of the summer regularly in the evening, night and morning.
Seattle and Portland have doable day trip access to their coasts and the Puget Sound.
All those other cities clearly have western vibes and are "western", just not "West Coast".
Yes, but the OP wants to know about the "vibe" of these definitely non-coastal cities.
DEN because of the freedom to smoke pot and lots of craft beer and relaxed people.
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