Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Bigger and less crowded highways. Although driving through a lot of western states must take a long time….
It does, and that is a real downside.
In Reno, the only major cities I could get to for a weekend were Sacramento and the Bay Area. And for half the year, it's risky to even venture to those places, because it can turn to blizzard conditions on a dime when you're up in the mountains. Nevada's small towns are interesting, the outdoor opportunities are great, and the sheer emptiness of the desert is a unique experience I think everyone should have. But if you like city diversions (as my family did growing up, and most people here seem to), you need access to an international airport, or you like attending conventions of some kind that may not be held in your city, or going to concerts --- the eastern half of the country is far and away much better.
In Reno, the only major cities I could get to for a weekend were Sacramento and the Bay Area. And for half the year, it's risky to even venture to those places, because it can turn to blizzard conditions on a dime when you're up in the mountains. Nevada's small towns are interesting, the outdoor opportunities are great, and the sheer emptiness of the desert is a unique experience I think everyone should have. But if you like city diversions (as my family did growing up, and most people here seem to), you need access to an international airport, or you like attending conventions of some kind that may not be held in your city, or going to concerts --- the eastern half of the country is far and away much better.
Yeah I always find it funny how people who grew up in small town Ohio (example) want small town Montana to reflect the same lifestyle and it's like... good luck getting to a city in Montana. Even it's "cities" are pitifully small. Out here you truly need to look at your own town/city in isolation and ask yourself if it provides everything you want it to. And yes, everything, clubs if that's your style, bars, concert venues, whatever you like... It's why out here the big cities matter, they have it all they have to. Denver one of the most isolated cities in the US (8 hours to another major city by car) has to offer everything on it's own to be able to be a competitive and a good place to be. This is unlike Philadelphia where if they don't have it, you can be on a train and in an hour or so be in NYC. If Denver doesn't have it, you are screwed. There are no other options. At least in small town Ohio, you can drive to Pittsburgh or Cleveland and get a lot of what you want on the rare occasion from a bigger city, probably.
For the record there's a lot of things Denver doesn't have in comparison to Eastern cities. The recreational opportunities that is the entire state of Colorado is supposed to mitigate this to some degree. You have to ask yourself if the wilderness of Colorado is worth missing out on the culture and vibrancy of the entire Northeast Corridor (easily accessible for day or weekend trips no matter which city you choose basically). Factor in that the Northeast Corridor also has their own fair share of natural recreation opportunities (Upstate NY, Appalachians, oceans and stuff, etc.) within roughly the same driving distance from the major cities as Denver to their 14ers and other mountains, yet Denver doesn't have the city amenities, makes Denver a very tough sell in my book. This can logic can apply to all the other Western cities. I'd make an exemption for the Southern California region with the LA area, Inland Empire, and San Diego being close together as well as 4 hours to Vegas (the West's Miami equivalent) being the only real region in the West where you can city hop reliably. Southern California is too far from San Francisco Bay Area to include them in this, and the Bay Area only has Sacramento which pales in comparison to Southern California.
The county I live in is bigger than Connecticut, almost the size of New Jersey, and most of that is vacant desert (as it should be). From Phoenix it takes 3-4 hours minimum just to get to the state boundary, let alone going somewhere outside of it. Takes me 7 hours to get to Albuquerque, over 12 hours to get to San Francisco, 11 hours to get to Salt Lake City, 12 hours to Reno, over 12 hours to Denver. Really I only consider Las Vegas and Southern California (4 and 6 hours respectively) to be areas that are reasonable for a weekend trip. Certainly not day trips.
For the record there's a lot of things Denver doesn't have in comparison to Eastern cities. The recreational opportunities that is the entire state of Colorado is supposed to mitigate this to some degree. You have to ask yourself if the wilderness of Colorado is worth missing out on the culture and vibrancy of the entire Northeast Corridor (easily accessible for day or weekend trips no matter which city you choose basically). Factor in that the Northeast Corridor also has their own fair share of natural recreation opportunities (Upstate NY, Appalachians, oceans and stuff, etc.) within roughly the same driving distance from the major cities as Denver to their 14ers and other mountains, yet Denver doesn't have the city amenities, makes Denver a very tough sell in my book. This can logic can apply to all the other Western cities. I'd make an exemption for the Southern California region with the LA area, Inland Empire, and San Diego being close together as well as 4 hours to Vegas (the West's Miami equivalent) being the only real region in the West where you can city hop reliably. Southern California is too far from San Francisco Bay Area to include them in this, and the Bay Area only has Sacramento which pales in comparison to Southern California.
This is overrated. We got airplanes. When I lived in Boston many years, I drove to NYC twice (220 mi), took the train once and otherwise flew. My trips to DC (440 mi) were all by plane. Once you're flying, the time sink is really in getting to and from the airport and waiting in the terminal. A weekend driving roundtrip from Boston to DC is really not a pleasant experience. And honestly small cities in the middle like Hartford CT aren't really that exciting.
In Seattle, you can comfortably drive to Vancouver BC (140 mi) for a weekend trip and an international experience. But I much prefer flying to Maui.
*Disclaimer: This is my opinion. Not everyone on the West Coast is like this and not everyone who doesn't live on the West Coast isn't like this. This is just generally what I find to be the case.
With that said, I am only talking about people that live on the West Coast as opposed to the Western States (some of my statements hold true for this as well though), specifically coastal areas of Washington, Oregon and California.
1) Health- People here tend to be very health conscious.
2) Food- People here tend to be very into fresh, high quality food, farmers markets are all over the place.
3) Nature/outdoor activities- People here are very into outdoor activities and nature and they appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds them.
4) Religion- People tend to not be religious.
5) Politics- People tend to be quite liberal here, especially about social issues.
6) PC- People tend to be very politically correct. (which I personally can't stand)
7) Environment- People tend to be environmentally conscious.
8) Intelligent- People tend to be intelligent and well educated and they tend to value both.
9) Creative- People tend to be creative and value creativity highly.
10) Pace- People tend to take the time to smell the roses here and tend to be less rushed.
The People of the West Coast are perfection - a cut above the rest. They are basically synonymous with the Elven-folk of Middle-Earth.
This is overrated. We got airplanes. When I lived in Boston many years, I drove to NYC twice (220 mi), took the train once and otherwise flew. My trips to DC (440 mi) were all by plane. Once you're flying, the time sink is really in getting to and from the airport and waiting in the terminal. A weekend driving roundtrip from Boston to DC is really not a pleasant experience. And honestly small cities in the middle like Hartford CT aren't really that exciting.
In Seattle, you can comfortably drive to Vancouver BC (140 mi) for a weekend trip and an international experience. But I much prefer flying to Maui.
I agree with this sentiment. On paper it sounds nice that one lives in close proximity to other large cities (NYC to Boston, Indy close to etc.)
But in reality, how often does that impact you on a yearly basis. How often are you travelling to these cities 2-3 hours away in a year?
Would I like Denver to have larger cities nearby? Sure. Is it make it or break it? No.
Honestly, I prefer that it has natural beauty surrounding it.
Truthfully told, Denver isn't that great a city. But it has "enough" culture and amenities for your common person. It's highlight is that it is situated by the mountains and that is good enough for me.
This is overrated. We got airplanes. When I lived in Boston many years, I drove to NYC twice (220 mi), took the train once and otherwise flew. My trips to DC (440 mi) were all by plane. Once you're flying, the time sink is really in getting to and from the airport and waiting in the terminal. A weekend driving roundtrip from Boston to DC is really not a pleasant experience. And honestly small cities in the middle like Hartford CT aren't really that exciting.
In Seattle, you can comfortably drive to Vancouver BC (140 mi) for a weekend trip and an international experience. But I much prefer flying to Maui.
Planes are pretty expensive. Especially the longer the flight is in distance and time in air. All one things has to consider when living in a sparsely populated area (as a whole).
As a Seattle resident I don't go to Portland, Vancouver, or Victoria that often. But I LOVE that I can, even for a day trip. And sometimes I do, whether for business, family (I have some in all three), or just being a tourist. With trains and ferries, all three have good options for downtown-to-downtown travel with the ability to walk around on the way.
It's like a condo balcony...it's nice to know it's there, even if I don't use it much.
Air travel is a pain in the ass. Not the same at all.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
