Getting sick of this PNW rain... (to rent, living, cost of living)
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I've lived in Oregon my entire life, and I'm definitely looking to branch out. Oregon's not the worst, but I do have a few complaints beyond the monotony of spending the last 24 years here...
1. I hate the rain.
2. Housing is pretty expensive, even just to rent.
3. I'm not jazzed about marijuana legalization. No judgement if you are, but I'm not.
4. The bigger cities are all in the Willamette Valley (consequently, tons of rain,) and everywhere else is basically Idaho.
There are definitely some things I like about Oregon. I love the availability of unique foods and dietary options, I love the hiking, I love nature and lush, green landscapes, I love the coffee, and generally-speaking, I'm pretty liberal (environmentalist, LGBTQ ally, feminist, etc.) I'm just really looking for a change of scenery with less rain, less pot, and less of my paycheck going directly to rent.
I know, I know. I'm looking for a Shangri-La that doesn't exist in the real world. But I thought maybe there's somewhere out there that could check at least a few items off on my list.
How do you feel about snow? Burlington, Vermont is the New England version of Portland. However, it's cold and probably has less even less diversity (which could trickle over to the food scene.) Pittsburgh is also supposed to be a cool city, but again, cold.
In the South, you can look at Asheville and Nashville. Both are close to hiking and have lots of young people with liberal views, a growing culinary scene and lush greenery. But it does rain and, well, you're in the South.
Salt Lake City might be another option, but not sure how liberal it would feel to someone from the PNW.
funtraveler1, I'm not really sure. The South is too hot and humid, I haven't heard many good things about the Midwest (though that could easily be misinformation,) and I've never been to the Northeast, but I know the cost of living can get pretty spendy up there. My travels have been quite limited thus far, so I'm pretty open-minded. I just want a moderate climate (little-to-no rain, good amount of sun, maybe some snow,) and a moderate overall culture (slightly more conservative than Portlandia, but definitely not Bible-belt status.)
Snow doesn't bother me at all. I much prefer it over rain. My only hesitation with Utah is the lack of coffee. I'm a true PNW girl in my belief that easy access to caffeine is a basic human need ;P
This is the second day in probably four months when I've needed to put on my baseball hat on the walk to work due to rain. And a "storm" is an absolute novelty. We have it pretty good.
mhays25, it's also mid-October and we've had consistently late summers for the last few years, so I'm not gonna count my chickens before they hatch when it comes to light-to-moderate rainfall this year.
I've lived in Oregon my entire life, and I'm definitely looking to branch out. Oregon's not the worst, but I do have a few complaints beyond the monotony of spending the last 24 years here...
1. I hate the rain.
2. Housing is pretty expensive, even just to rent.
3. I'm not jazzed about marijuana legalization. No judgement if you are, but I'm not.
4. The bigger cities are all in the Willamette Valley (consequently, tons of rain,) and everywhere else is basically Idaho.
There are definitely some things I like about Oregon. I love the availability of unique foods and dietary options, I love the hiking, I love nature and lush, green landscapes, I love the coffee, and generally-speaking, I'm pretty liberal (environmentalist, LGBTQ ally, feminist, etc.) I'm just really looking for a change of scenery with less rain, less pot, and less of my paycheck going directly to rent.
I know, I know. I'm looking for a Shangri-La that doesn't exist in the real world. But I thought maybe there's somewhere out there that could check at least a few items off on my list.
Thanks!
What's wrong with Idaho? I've never been but I hear Boise is a pretty cool town. Also have you considered eastern WA, it's a lot more populated than eastern OR. Maybe you should consider Denver.
grega94, I've never been to Idaho, so I suppose I shouldn't judge. It's just not a place of particular interest to me. I have some relatives who are from there, and from what they say, there doesn't seem to be a lot going on in Idaho, especially outside of Boise. I've never considered eastern Washington though. Thanks for the suggestion!
funtraveler1, I'm not really sure. The South is too hot and humid, I haven't heard many good things about the Midwest (though that could easily be misinformation,) and I've never been to the Northeast, but I know the cost of living can get pretty spendy up there. My travels have been quite limited thus far, so I'm pretty open-minded. I just want a moderate climate (little-to-no rain, good amount of sun, maybe some snow,) and a moderate overall culture (slightly more conservative than Portlandia, but definitely not Bible-belt status.)
Idaho or Northern Nevada seems to suite your criteria.
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