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My boyfriend and I (late 20s) are currently living in Thousand Oaks, CA, but are thinking of moving in September. His job allows us to live anywhere west of the Rockies. The only problem is, we're not sure where to relocate to.
What we're looking for in a city:
- mild winters, more sun than clouds
- lots of outdoor activities (we like to hike, run, bike, etc.) One of the things we love about SoCal is the geography: beaches, mountains, and trails all nearby
- ability to walk places/decent public transportation
- cultural activities: museums, libraries, art, etc
- ski areas nearby a plus
- cheaper rent...we want to scale down to a 1bdrm for <$1500
- nice people who aren't snobby or too superficial (we like nice things, but sometimes it gets a little crazy here)
I like where we are now, but most social things (aside from beaches and trails) are an hour away in LA, and we don't want to live in LA because we like our lungs.
One of our choices is Portland, but there are a few problems with that: 1. I'm concerned I won't be able to find a job, and 2. the lack of sunshine. We're also considering Northern California, but have no clue where to begin searching there. Any input anyone could provide would be a big help!
I'm in the editorial field (nonfiction/technical), but possibly looking to change fields, or get into fiction editing (I know, I should be in NY or Chicago, but that's not possible right now).
San Fran or Berkeley does appeal to us, but we figured it might be out of our price range.
San Francisco will have the most job opportunities in your field, however, living there is really pricey...
The Phoenix metro could be a good option. It's one of the largest non-CA cities in the West. There are lots of mountains and beautiful hiking areas throughout the city, and it's only a short drive to skiing. Winters are mild (usually in the 50s), but summers will likely be hotter than and drier than you're used to. Some areas (parts of Scottsdale, for example) will have lots of historical treats, and Tempe has Mill Ave, which is full of bars and really lively. They're working on public transportation.
Salt Lake City and Boise also have really strong job markets right now, but whether you like these cities or not will come down to personal preference.
- nice people who aren't snobby or too superficial
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Originally Posted by bigdave01
San Francisco.
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Originally Posted by dropheadcoupe
I'd go with San Fransisco.
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Originally Posted by radraja
San Francisco
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony from Europe
San Francisco
Quote:
Originally Posted by westcoastwanderers
- nice people who aren't snobby or too superficial
...not that the rest of California is much better in that department...
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