For those who left PGH looking for greener pastures... (Pittsburgh: universities, pros and cons)

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by Katiana

I'd go with Minneapolis myself, but some people have a real problem with the cold winters there.

I like that Minneapolis is clean without feeling sterile. The winter cold didn't bother me, and the in-city nature and scenery was nice, but the one thing that really bothered me is that with a few notable exceptions, the city is very spread out for the most part--you'll have a few interesting businesses on a corner, then 5-7 blocks of houses, then a few more interesting businesses, and so on and so forth. I prefer cities where the points of interest are concentrated in clusters. Philly and PGH have a lot more demarcated neighborhoods with unique feels. Minneapolis seems more like a half-dozen broad swaths.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by gortonator

cold is fine. Flatness is not (for a skier anyway!)

Minneapolis is not flat. It's got hills. There's skiing in Wisconsin that is as good as Seven Springs, plus airfare to Denver is fairly inexpensive.

[gortonator]

Originally Posted by Katiana

Minneapolis is not flat. It's got hills. There's skiing in Wisconsin that is as good as Seven Springs, plus airfare to Denver is fairly inexpensive.

Air access for skiing certainly good, altho Pgh not far behind. 7 Springs is a fun day trip, but not the sort of place we hang out for a season for weekend skiing. Snowshoe in WV has much better options (have season passes) and very weekend-able, and there's in general a wider spectrum of ski options around here than MN. Driving to Upstate NY and Vermont also very feasible, where things get as fun as they can on this side of the country.

And c'mon, it's pretty flat

//www.city-data.com/states/Minn...opography.html

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by gortonator

Air access for skiing certainly good, altho Pgh not far behind. 7 Springs is a fun day trip, but not the sort of place we hang out for a season for weekend skiing. Snowshoe in WV has much better options (have season passes) and very weekend-able, and there's in general a wider spectrum of ski options around here than MN. Driving to Upstate NY and Vermont also very feasible, where things get as fun as they can on this side of the country.

And c'mon, it's pretty flat

//www.city-data.com/states/Minn...opography.html

St. Paul is quite hilly though, which surprised me.

[expdxer]

Originally Posted by raubre

I'm jumping ship this fall myself. I was born and raised in Pittsburgh all my life and never really enjoyed living here. I've been to Portland, Oregon three times already and I love it there. It fits my lifestyle and intrerets better. Our winters are rough here too (I'll take the rain and clouds over snow, ice and frigid temperatures anyday.)

I lived in Portland from 1999-2006, originally from NYC area, and now live in the D.C. area. When I first saw Pittsburgh I thought it resembled Portland, with the rivers and bridges. When I lived in Portland there were about two ice storms that literally shut down the city for days, but that is relatively rare. The airport was closed for several days because they don't have the equipment to clear it out, at least they didn't back then. Also, Portland is not an easy place to find work, one thing to keep in mind, but it is a great place to live. I am finally able to move west again and I plan on moving to Seattle early next year, since I have personal ties there and I like the city as much as Portland. I have also lived in San Francisco, and Seattle to me is a hybrid of Portland and SF, with the hills and Puget Sound. While I am still considering moving to Pittsburgh due to the lower COL and I have a background in urban planning and there is so much going on there related to that, I don't think I will be able resist the beauty of the Pacific NW, not to mention the more practical matter of much better public transit (non-driver here).

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by gortonator

Air access for skiing certainly good, altho Pgh not far behind. 7 Springs is a fun day trip, but not the sort of place we hang out for a season for weekend skiing. Snowshoe in WV has much better options (have season passes) and very weekend-able, and there's in general a wider spectrum of ski options around here than MN. Driving to Upstate NY and Vermont also very feasible, where things get as fun as they can on this side of the country.

And c'mon, it's pretty flat

//www.city-data.com/states/Minn...opography.html

Not like central Illinois is flat.
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=champ...ed=0CAoQ_AUoAg
I lived in Champaign County for 7 years.
Mind you, Champaign County is not the flattest county in Illinois; that honor belongs to Douglas Co to the south. The glacier really did a number on Illinois.
In Illinois` Flattest County, Things Are Really On The Level - Chicago Tribune

From your link:
There are rolling hills and deep river valleys in the southeast; the northeast, known as Arrowhead Country, is more rugged and includes the Vermilion Range and the Mesabi Range, with its rich iron deposits. Eagle Mountain, in the extreme northeast, rises to a height of 2,301 ft (702 m), the highest point in the state; the surface of nearby Lake Superior, 600 ft (183 m) above sea level, is the state's lowest elevation.

Where do you think Minneapolis is?

[gortonator]

Originally Posted by Katiana

Not like central Illinois is flat.
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=champ...ed=0CAoQ_AUoAg

very true, but say, by comparison to CO, WA, OR, UT and maybe even PA, Minnesota is pretty flat and remote for an avid skier. Where is it you live BTW?

And PIT-Denver flights are pretty darn cheap with air miles. My kinda price in fact ....

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by gortonator

very true, but say, by comparison to CO, WA, OR, UT and maybe even PA, Minnesota is pretty flat and remote for an avid skier. Where is it you live BTW?

And PIT-Denver flights are pretty darn cheap with air miles. My kinda price in fact ....

Louisville, Colorado. (Sorry Yac, but he asked!)

I probably wouldn't live in MN if I lived to ski, no.

[gortonator]

Originally Posted by expdxer

I lived in Portland from 1999-2006, originally from NYC area, and now live in the D.C. area. When I first saw Pittsburgh I thought it resembled Portland, with the rivers and bridges. When I lived in Portland there were about two ice storms that literally shut down the city for days, but that is relatively rare. The airport was closed for several days because they don't have the equipment to clear it out, at least they didn't back then. Also, Portland is not an easy place to find work, one thing to keep in mind, but it is a great place to live. I am finally able to move west again and I plan on moving to Seattle early next year, since I have personal ties there and I like the city as much as Portland. I have also lived in San Francisco, and Seattle to me is a hybrid of Portland and SF, with the hills and Puget Sound. While I am still considering moving to Pittsburgh due to the lower COL and I have a background in urban planning and there is so much going on there related to that, I don't think I will be able resist the beauty of the Pacific NW, not to mention the more practical matter of much better public transit (non-driver here).

I think you're pretty much spot on with your Seattle and Portland assessments. OR certainly had until recently and maybe still has a weak economy and 10%+ unemployment. It's not as economically vibrant as WA. And Portland has superb transit, for sure. Seattle is improving, but isn't great to be honest. I use buses in Pgh all the time and they're as good as Seattle. Obviously depends where precisely you live in either city.

[gortonator]

Originally Posted by Katiana

Louisville, Colorado. (Sorry Yac, but he asked!)

I probably wouldn't live in MN if I lived to ski, no.

been to Boulder many times, so know your area vaguely. Very beautiful. I could even be jealous if you were nice to me