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I am considering moving to one of the following cities. I am hoping that some knowledgeable people can give me 1-2 sentences describing the culture of each city. I would just like to verify that my perception is similar to other people’s, and thus that I won’t move to the wrong place for myself. My intentions are positive and no culture is considered bad here, just different! And yes, I know it’s unfair and difficult to summarize millions of people. Thanks
Cities that I would like a cultural summary of:
Dallas
Sacramento
Anaheim
Portland
Austin
Of the cities you mention, I am only really familiar with Portland, where I lived for a while in the 80s, where my daughter went to college and where I still visit a lot. It strikes me as an ever-more youthful culture and has become increasingly diverse. It's a great city for live music. People there have always seemed laid back. It's a city of neighborhoods.
Dallas: Large and diverse city with a strong economy. Can be quite sprawling and suburban, but very affordable compared to many other major cities, especially considering it's referred to as the "LA of the South" sometimes.
Sacramento: Underrated city with great architecture and history. If it weren't for sharing a state with the Bay Area, LA and San Diego, it would likely be much more popular.
Anaheim: Suburb of LA with a lot of traffic and its main draws are theme parks. It has some history as its own, but it's mainly just a suburb with not much to offer besides the theme parks.
Portland: Not enough experience to fully comment. Sorry.
Austin: Overrated and overgrown college town. The food and beer scenes are good because of the hipsters, but I don't get the draw of moving to the weird overgrown hipster town when you have Dallas in the state which is an actual full-sized city with more to offer simply because it's way bigger.
Only one I can comment on is Austin since I've actually lived there. Out of all the cities I've lived in, Austin is my favorite. Great weather if you can handle the hot sun, friendly genuine people, very car dependent city. Housing costs are high. Tons of tech jobs. High millennial population and lots of families. Lots of Mexican influence. Food is AMAZING. Fun vibe, great culture, and live music scene.
Dallas: Large and diverse city with a strong economy. Can be quite sprawling and suburban, but very affordable compared to many other major cities, especially considering it's referred to as the "LA of the South" sometimes.
Most people who are moving out of California are not necessarily seeking diversity in their new city/state. As a result, states like Idaho, Montana and Oregon are top destinations for ex-Californians because those states are very homogenous overall. If diversity is of high importance to an individual, then he or she should stay put in Los Angeles/California.
Most people who are moving out of California are not necessarily seeking diversity in their new city/state. As a result, states like Idaho, Montana and Oregon are top destinations for ex-Californians because those states are very homogenous overall. If diversity is of high importance to an individual, then he or she should stay put in Los Angeles/California.
While former Californians (such as myself) do not necessarily prioritize finding a diverse environment elsewhere, they are perfectly okay with settling in relatively diverse areas that offer a lower cost of living and population density. Nevada, Arizona and Texas are far from homogeneous and top destinations; Washington and Colorado are also popular and moderately diverse. Many of those leaving California don't fall into the "non-Hispanic white" category anyway and contribute to an increase in diversity in their new homes.
I am also a former Austin resident and can attest that it has evolved well beyond an overgrown college town. It has a lot to offer in terms of the outdoors, music/arts and technology, and in general is a friendly and laid-back environment. The key negative is that the road infrastructure of the area is lagging behind the population growth so traffic is worse than most comparably sized US cities.
While former Californians (such as myself) do not necessarily prioritize finding a diverse environment elsewhere, they are perfectly okay with settling in relatively diverse areas that offer a lower cost of living and population density. Nevada, Arizona and Texas are far from homogeneous and top destinations; Washington and Colorado are also popular and moderately diverse. Many of those leaving California don't fall into the "non-Hispanic white" category anyway and contribute to an increase in diversity in their new homes.
I am also a former Austin resident and can attest that it has evolved well beyond an overgrown college town. It has a lot to offer in terms of the outdoors, music/arts and technology, and in general is a friendly and laid-back environment. The key negative is that the road infrastructure of the area is lagging behind the population growth so traffic is worse than most comparably sized US cities.
In 2019, the majority of Californians who are moving to cities such as Dallas, Houston and Las Vegas are non-white. In 2018, Nevada became a majority-minority state, and Texas has been a majority-minority state for years. Non-Hispanic white Californians move to cities such as Colorado Springs, CO, Eugene, OR, Boise, ID and Omaha, NE, especially those who are over the age of 30.
Dallas: very large sprawled city, lots of chain restaurants, people like to dress up when they go out, shopping is a big pastime, large airport, strong economy
Sacramento: very underrated city, beautiful weather, equally close to mountains and beaches, relatively affordable for California, strong economy
Anaheim: part of greater LA sphere, Disneyland, restaurants, hotels, ballpark, becoming diverse
Portland: hipster haven, rainy winters with dry summers, beautiful setting, isolated
Austin: liberal oasis of Texas, great outdoor environment, wonderful lakes and hiking trails, nice food truck scene, interesting town, good place for family or singles
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