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Denver is probably what you're looking for. Seattle and Phoenix don't have 4 seasons, and Minneapolis is more extreme than Denver. Not sure but I think Denver has a wider range of outdoor activity than Minneapolis.
I myself also lean towards Denver as it looks like the best fit for my preferences. And still, the other 3 are real good, interesting cities. The thing is, I like a little bit of everything from all 4, but if I had to rank the individual factors and sum them up, I think Denver would come in 1st...
I have been to Denver twice on separate occasions - and really loved it. Also went to Minneapolis to visit a friend. Thought it was great, but it did have a bit more of a provincial vibe to it (not that its bad thing). The Minnesota outdoors were nice, but a bit bland at times. Pretty much all steppe outside the city which is turning to a tundra the farther North you go.
Lastly, I also visited AZ deserts and canyons and thought those were far more impressive than either MN or CO. Its something about those vast spaces, long empty highways.. Very cool stuff.
This is about the extent of the knowledge that I have about these places.
Oh yeah, just remembered one more thing that was strikingly better in CO and AZ - the food. Seemed like everywhere we ate the food was phenomenal, comparing to the produce in NYC which is heavily saturated with growth hormones at the nearby "farms".
Currently looking at these 4 cities and curious which would be picked by the majority of folks here. Some of the main factors that I am taking into consideration are:
1. Employment, or how easy it is to get a good paying job (bachelors degree, finance/accounting, some analytical experience).
2. Cost of living - the lower the better obviously
3. Professional sports (hockey and football, but dont care about baseball)
4. Climate - the drier the better. I also like all 4 seasons and dont mind the cold cause I know how to dress up)
5. Outdoors. Would prefer some quality wilderness/national parks nearby
Where do I live now? NY metro area and I honestly believe that literally anywhere is better than this s##thole.
You're right--just about everyplace is better than the NY metro, hence the reason why NY metro residents are more likely to relocate than people from any other metro area in the entire country!
I voted for Phoenix because that's where I currently live, and I love living here. Although it gets mighty hot here in the summer, hot weather is much easier for me to tolerate than cold weather. However, if you don't mind the cold, then Denver is a very viable option. Seattle doesn't get as cold as Denver in the winter, but it is, by no means, "dry" in the same respect as Denver and Phoenix. Essentially, if you want a dry, four-season climate, Denver is your best bet.
Seattle is your most expensive option followed by Denver and then Phoenix; however, Seattle has the strongest, most diversified economy of your three choices. I don't work in finance/accounting, but I would venture to guess that Seattle would be a better market for someone in that field than either Denver or Phoenix, but I could be wrong.
FWIW, it's not that easy to secure a well-paying position in the Phoenix area because more people want to move here than there are jobs to support all of these newcomers, hence the reason why lots of professionals move to Phoenix and end up underemployed, especially recent college grads and early-career folks. Many claim they don't mind because they're just so happy to be finally living in Phoenix after escaping [insert dirty, polluted, freezing Midwestern or Northeastern city here]; however, lots of these folks end up leaving after a year or two for greener pastures or, perhaps, to return to where they originated. That said, Phoenix is definitely a much better place for mid-to-late career folks because in an over-saturated job market, years of experience is paramount to securing gainful employment. I'm not quite sure because I've neither lived nor search for a job there, but I hear Denver experiences a lot of the same issues because it's very much a destination city in the same respect as Phoenix without the economy to support all of the newcomers.
Each of your choices is represented by professional football teams, and only Seattle doesn't have a pro-hockey team, although you have the Canucks nearby.
All three of your Western choices are fantastic cities for outdoor enthusiasts--among the best in the entire country. I can't speak for Minneapolis on this front, but I highly doubt it compares to DEN/PHX/SEA.
I would avoid Minneapolis if I were you, as the Midwest really leaves a lot to be desired compared to the West, especially with regard to weather and scenery, although Minneapolis is certainly one of the brighter spots of the Midwest.
At the end of the day, each of your choices are different enough from each other to the point where a visit to each city would solidify weather that city would work for you or not.
As far specifics regarding finance, accounting, etc I am not as familiar.
2. Cost of living - the lower the better obviously:
Based on 2013 "Cost of Living Index" (Highest number being most expensive) via the "Council for Community and Economic Research" order would be as follows:
Seattle 117
Minneapolis 110
Denver 104
Phoenix 96
3. Professional sports (hockey and football, but dont care about baseball):
Given the cold winter climate hockey is pretty big in Minneapolis, in fact the Gophers will be playing for a national title tomorrow. The Wild are in the playoffs this year so here is hoping! Football is big here as well, but the Vikings seem to be struggling as of late. Ironically a new stadium is being built for them downtown, with hopes of landing the Superbowl in 2018. On an unrelated note we will be hosting the All-Star game this year (MLB), okay no more plugs.
4. Climate - the drier the better. I also like all 4 seasons and dont mind the cold cause I know how to dress up).
Again given your criteria I would say its a toss up. Phoenix is obviously the driest climate followed by Denver, Minneapolis, and Seattle (based on number of rainy days). If winter doesn't chase you in a hole to hibernate for the season then either Minneapolis, or Denver would be good choices both cities seem to embrace winter and have several winter sports, and festivals (Well at least MSP does I would assume Denver does as well?). Minneapolis has tons of places to X-country ski, as well as down-hill ski if you need an "Alpine" fix, although I think it is fair to say that we don't have the same type of Alpine skiing in the area that I'm sure Denver, and Seattle hang their hats on. Contraire to popular belief that I see quite frequent on these boards Minneapolis tends to have a very mild summer, not to say that we can't have humid days but according to "NOAA" our average temp for the combined summer months of June, July, and August is about 80-81 degrees. Our humid days typically come in late June or early July and are scattered for a few days. We are by no means Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, or Atlanta. By large If you have been to Western Connecticut, or Massachusetts in the Summer you have been to Minneapolis.
5. Outdoors. Would prefer some quality wilderness/national parks nearby:
Most will chose Denver/Seattle which is hard to argue against given the back drop of the Rocky, and Cascade Mountains, and given their well earned national reputations for being "outdoorsy". However Minneapolis offers a large selection outdoor recreation as well, more so than most US cities (not sure why it is so hard to believe that Midwest cities can be fit and active too, but I digress). We are actually one of the most fit, active and healthy metros in the country, we have been the number one metro in this regard according to the "American College of Sports Medicine" I believe for the last three years. We just don't have the dominant land features to sell with it like many Western States. Also not sure if there is a "back east" equivalent to Minneapolis regarding outdoor activities or not, maybe mixing up Asheville, NC and Washington, DC? In Minneapolis and St Paul you can; cycle, swim, sail, mountain bike, jog, hike, kayak/canoe, fish, water ski, skate, camp, etc... The "Mississippi Driftless" area essentially starts just east of St Paul and at times will make you think that you could be in the foothills of Eastern Kentucky, or Ohio. Its a pretty cool area, and I was actually quite surprised to see the elevation when I moved here. However if your are a purest (such as my wife who is from West Virginia) then it won't be a substitute. I Haven't spent much time in the other three cities so I can't answer subjectively on the issue. Not 100% sure on what you mean by quality wilderness, but much of the surrounding forest here will look similar to that of the NE or Mid-Atlantic in areas. If you head about an hour or two north of here it looks a lot more "woodsy" (evergreen trees are more frequent on the landscape).
Just saw that you seemed to have made your choice, anyway, I hope that you found my information useful. I know it was heavily Minneapolis based but it is the city of the four that I know most about.
Again, good luck.
Last edited by sandlapper; 04-12-2014 at 12:28 AM..
Phoenix is tops in the world and has the best weather out of all of the places mentioned. You can be outdoors year round. Biking, fishing, hunting, camping, horseback riding, ATVing, swimming, and Sports galore; including a college and pro team that are relevant in football. Plus Phoenix isn't isolated like Denver and Seattle. If you get bored you can always drive to LA, San Diego or Vegas on a whim. You can get so much house and access to the airport is simple.
I myself also lean towards Denver as it looks like the best fit for my preferences. And still, the other 3 are real good, interesting cities. The thing is, I like a little bit of everything from all 4, but if I had to rank the individual factors and sum them up, I think Denver would come in 1st...
I have been to Denver twice on separate occasions - and really loved it. Also went to Minneapolis to visit a friend. Thought it was great, but it did have a bit more of a provincial vibe to it (not that its bad thing). The Minnesota outdoors were nice, but a bit bland at times. Pretty much all steppe outside the city which is turning to a tundra the farther North you go.
Lastly, I also visited AZ deserts and canyons and thought those were far more impressive than either MN or CO. Its something about those vast spaces, long empty highways.. Very cool stuff.
This is about the extent of the knowledge that I have about these places.
Oh yeah, just remembered one more thing that was strikingly better in CO and AZ - the food. Seemed like everywhere we ate the food was phenomenal, comparing to the produce in NYC which is heavily saturated with growth hormones at the nearby "farms".
Not sure where you ended up, but based on your criteria, it sounds like CO would be the right choice. Regarding the scenery- if you like the wide open skies and canyon country, spend some time on the western side of the state. It's nothing like you've apparently seen so far. It can be a long haul from Denver for just a weekend, but the far western side is much more desert southwestern than most people are aware of. Dinosaur NM, Colorado NM, Unaweep Canyon, Mesa Verde NP, etc. - all look much more like AZ (or at least UT)-type scenery than the CO high mountain terrain that most people (Front Range day trippers) are familiar with. Moving to the Western Slope has really opened our eyes to how amazing this state is, geographically. There's a lot more variety to the landforms and biodiversity west of the Continental Divide....
Employment - Seattle, how? Amazon.com? Average income? Unemployment Rate? Other??
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