I-5 corridor vs. I-95 corridor (cost of living, best, metro)
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This is a no-brainer. There is just so much more variety, culturally, between Miami and Boston, than there is between San Diego and Seattle.
People say all the time how much Seattle reminds them of San Francisco. I find Washington state to be very similar to California, just gloomier and cooler.
Even though it doesn't hit as many major cities, I think US-101 is the best highway to get the full splendor of the West Coast.
...As US 1 is the best highway to experience the full splendor of the East Coast (Ft. Kent, ME to Key West, FL). And it goes right thru the heart of the major cities, too!
I-5 is a much simpler drive outside of the major cities. I-95 is congested seemingly almost everywhere. But yes, I-95 serves more major cities. So if we define this based on cities, I-95 wins. Duh, the east coast is more populated than the west coast along this route. If we define this based on easy transport, I-5 wins. For scenery, I-5 by a mile or miles...
I-5 is a much simpler drive outside of the major cities. I-95 is congested seemingly almost everywhere. But yes, I-95 serves more major cities. So if we define this based on cities, I-95 wins. Duh, the east coast is more populated than the west coast along this route. If we define this based on easy transport, I-5 wins. For scenery, I-5 by a mile or miles...
Agreed on both counts.
It's funny though because I think the best scenery on 5 beats anything that 95 has to offer by a country mile. But I would say that the worst of I-5 is worse than anything on 95. I-5 is still easily the most scenic overall. It's an easy drive too. As someone who has regularly used I-95 between Boston and Washington, there are very few interstates that are more frustarting to drive.
I-5 does have one stretch that is absolutely a yawn. Just north of the Grapevine all the way up to Stockton.
That is the ugliest stretch of roadway in the nation. It's open brown fields and dry, barren hillsides.
Most of the Central Valley cities (Fresno, Bakersfield, Modesto, etc...) are all on the 99 freeway so the 5 is just nothing. You do get radio stations from those cities, but see nothing. The 5 is mostly big trucks and impatient Bay Area/LA commuters.
You could not pay me to live off the I-95 corridor (within' a 20-mile radius from the Interstate), anywhere between DC and Boston. And this South Florida hustle and bustle is growing long in the tooth for me.
Virginia and The Carolinas are nice to visit and I could definitely see myself residing there. Maine is a great state through and through. Ranks among the lowest violent-crime rates in the country. Lots of nature. Great quality of life. Much cheaper than NJ or CT, so there's more bang for your buck. Note that north and east of Bangor, and up until' the border with New Brunswick, the Interstate 95 corridor is desolate as hell--at least when compared to the Boston-DC corridor.
I WOULD hand the medal over to Interstate 5, if only for the Pacific Northwest, but I have never been there so I have no frame of reference.
Actually, the Interstate 25 corridor is where it's at for me. All killer, no filler, everywhere between New Mexico and Montana (those states I HAVE been to).
Have been on both I5 and I95 many times. Of course I95, this is a no brainer question.
NYC alone is greater than everything combined on the I5
Needless to say I95 has DC, Philly, Boston, Baltimore
I would even go ahead and argue that I95 has way better scenery as well. Lakes, rivers, forests, as well as so many small cute towns in NJ, PA, MA
On the other hand, the drive from LA to NorCal through I5 is boring as hell even though it is the fastest route, would much rather prefer the longer PCH.
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