Best States

[Pete]

I mean, it's rough ridin' unbearable outside in Joco right now, and will not get better until mid September

[8manpick]

I could just stay in doors for 7 months.

well, you could do that anywhere.

Not where you get 5 - 6 months of gorgeous weather in exchange! 

May - October are heaven in MN and WI

The only time I went to Minnesota, it was snowing in May.

[Pete]

the key is to be on non-extreme weather coasts. vancouver, san fran, savannah, charleston, etc.

Portland fits this description.  People think it rains a lot here, but honestly, it's just overcast a few days a week with a light drizzle.  We don't have thunderstorms or huge rain showers very often, and it rains here way less than it does in Seattle (plus it's warmer).  San Fran is overcast all the time thanks to the ocean, and Vancouver is just a colder version of Seattle.

I really like the sound of Portland...sounds the most promising of all the West Coast places (SD and SF being cost prohibitive)

[sys]

Portland fits this description.

too far from the ocean = too continental.  might as well just live in kansas.

[Pete]

I could just stay in doors for 7 months.

well, you could do that anywhere.

Not where you get 5 - 6 months of gorgeous weather in exchange! 

May - October are heaven in MN and WI

The only time I went to Minnesota, it was snowing in May.

The ice didn't melt on the lake at my in-laws' cabin until early May this year.  Walleye opener is typically May 15 or so, an that's frequently sweatshirt weather...love it.

[kim carnes]

portland

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[Trim]

the key is to be on non-extreme weather coasts. vancouver, san fran, savannah, charleston, etc.

Portland fits this description.  People think it rains a lot here, but honestly, it's just overcast a few days a week with a light drizzle.  We don't have thunderstorms or huge rain showers very often, and it rains here way less than it does in Seattle (plus it's warmer).  San Fran is overcast all the time thanks to the ocean, and Vancouver is just a colder version of Seattle. 

Beems, you have 20 minutes before you can expect rain.  And coincidentally, tonight's looking like one of those rare showers situations.

[Pete]

My tour boat captain in Seattle told me there are only two cloudier cities than Seattle, some other town in Washington and some place in Alaska.

That seems dreary, doesn't it? Plus, I don't really like Salmon at all, and that seems to be one of the big pluses of living there.  However, I do like chowder a bunch and they had loads of that.

I won't rule it out, Trim.

[michigancat]

sys, Oakland is only a little warmer than SF, but much cheaper and sunnier

[Dr Rick Daris]

my wifes bro and wife live in a town just south of portland. the thing that they say they both miss the most about ks is that you get rain but you don't get any thunderstorms. like it just rains and is boring rain. i take this to mean that there isn't much that they miss about ks but they both really seem to mean it.

[ChiComCat]

sys, Oakland is only a little warmer than SF, but much cheaper and sunnier

Berkley seemed to have some of the college town plusses and stones throw to San Fran.  San Fran isn't warm enough for me.  Would do Napa in a heartbeat.

[sys]

sys, Oakland is only a little warmer than SF, but much cheaper and sunnier

my firm has an office in san jose, but if i lived in the east bay i'd have a two hour commute and i'd spend three times as much on housing as in fresno.  if they'd even transfer me.

i'd rather suffer here for a few more years, then retire and expat it.  i shouldn't even say suffer, really.  the weather is fantastic here 8 months out of the year.  it's just a bad time right now.

[j-von]

sys, Oakland is only a little warmer than SF, but much cheaper and sunnier

Berkley seemed to have some of the college town plusses and stones throw to San Fran.  San Fran isn't warm enough for me.  Would do Napa in a heartbeat.

Right now is a great time to buy there with the current prices.  I really liked the area, but California has royally screwed up the education system among other things.  You can still get great public schools in the bay area, but the prices are astronomical.

If I didn't have kids to worry about, Napa would be near the top of my list.

[Pete]

Sys, how do you like Fresno?  I worked on a short project there years ago and didn't care for it...though no one ever showed me around and I was left to just kinda stay in the commercial areas.

I drove up to Yosemite and that was cool, but I am not a huge outdoorsman, obviously.

[star seed 7]

Kansas climate, worst in the country?  SEC land might be worse?  I dunno 

[fun muffin]

Best state is Kansas.  Sorry Haters

[sys]

Sys, how do you like Fresno?  I worked on a short project there years ago and didn't care for it...though no one ever showed me around and I was left to just kinda stay in the commercial areas.

I drove up to Yosemite and that was cool, but I am not a huge outdoorsman, obviously.

it's ok.  i don't care about culture or stuff like that, though.  if i did, it'd be pretty bad.  the populace is very uneducated, and the town reflects that.  it's also an ugly city.  the climate is nice most of the year.  and i'm going to plant citrus trees, which makes me happy.

the sierras are ridiculously beautiful; too many people, like everywhere in california.

[michigancat]

sys, Oakland is only a little warmer than SF, but much cheaper and sunnier

Berkley seemed to have some of the college town plusses and stones throw to San Fran.  San Fran isn't warm enough for me.  Would do Napa in a heartbeat.

Right now is a great time to buy there with the current prices.  I really liked the area, but California has royally screwed up the education system among other things.  You can still get great public schools in the bay area, but the prices are astronomical.

If I didn't have kids to worry about, Napa would be near the top of my list.

It's a horrible time to buy in the Bay Area. I know someone who bought a house 4 years ago and just sold it for $100k more than they paid for it, without even putting it on the market. Another friend sold a house for $40k over their asking price because their realtor insisted on two open houses. And their original asking price was like $650k for a 2 bed, 1.5 bath. My landlord had his house on the market for two weeks, sold it to buyers paying cash, and the buyers let them live there rent-free for 6 months after the contract was signed. Anecdotal, but there are numbers that support that.

http://blog.sfgate.com/ontheblock/2013/05/29/homes-prices-keep-on-ratcheting-up-as-bay-area-outpaces-national-growth/
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_23465903/is-bay-area-housing-bubble-back

Basically everyone I know my age that doesn't have a parent bankrolling a loan isn't looking to buy any time soon because it's so ridiculously expensive. I think there's another bubble here. And most people I know that own admit to a parent giving them a loan on their first house.

Also, most public schools are really pretty shitty, even in places like Berkeley.

Of course, Napa could be different, it's not barely the Bay Area.

[j-von]

sys, Oakland is only a little warmer than SF, but much cheaper and sunnier

Berkley seemed to have some of the college town plusses and stones throw to San Fran.  San Fran isn't warm enough for me.  Would do Napa in a heartbeat.

Right now is a great time to buy there with the current prices.  I really liked the area, but California has royally screwed up the education system among other things.  You can still get great public schools in the bay area, but the prices are astronomical.

If I didn't have kids to worry about, Napa would be near the top of my list.

It's a horrible time to buy in the Bay Area. I know someone who bought a house 4 years ago and just sold it for $100k more than they paid for it, without even putting it on the market. Another friend sold a house for $40k over their asking price because their realtor insisted on two open houses. And their original asking price was like $650k for a 2 bed, 1.5 bath. My landlord had his house on the market for two weeks, sold it to buyers paying cash, and the buyers let them live there rent-free for 6 months after the contract was signed. Anecdotal, but there are numbers that support that.

http://blog.sfgate.com/ontheblock/2013/05/29/homes-prices-keep-on-ratcheting-up-as-bay-area-outpaces-national-growth/
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_23465903/is-bay-area-housing-bubble-back

Basically everyone I know my age that doesn't have a parent bankrolling a loan isn't looking to buy any time soon because it's so ridiculously expensive. I think there's another bubble here. And most people I know that own admit to a parent giving them a loan on their first house.

Also, most public schools are really pretty shitty, even in places like Berkeley.

Of course, Napa could be different, it's not barely the Bay Area.

San Fran is quite a bit different than Napa and Sonoma as far as prices go but I'm definitely not an expert in the area. 

I was looking about a year ago and it looks like prices have risen quickly.  You can check out the graph here:

http://www.zillow.com/local-info/CA-Napa-home-value/r_6112/#metric=mt%3D34%26dt%3D1%26tp%3D6%26rt%3D8%26r%3D6112%26el%3D0

[Trim]

Lots of twitter chatter this weekend indicating Columbia, SC is the greatest place in the world.

[kstatefreak42]

Colorado and Washington

[michigancat]

I read a while back that Minneapolis was the only metro area with a Top 15 per capita income that wasn't on a coast. Plus midwestern friendliness with reasonably progressive politics.

[kim carnes]

I read a while back that Minneapolis was the only metro area with a Top 15 per capita income that wasn't on a coast. Plus midwestern friendliness with reasonably progressive politics.

Yikes

[Dugout DickStone]

Was thinking of making Savannah next yes vacation for me and wife.  Sounds like we should def try it.

if you are wanting something active don't do it. it's super chillax. if you want to just stroll around and see hundreds of historical crazy old things and lounge in a park (where you can byob) and eat at really old shrimp and grits and seafood type places and whatnot it's the place for you. stay at the Andaz. don't stay anywhere else. well, maybe stay at the Bohemian Hotel if you don't stay at the Andaz. nowhere else though. also all the restaurants have plastic cup dispensers at the front door so you can bring your drink with you because that's legal (see byob at the city parks comment earlier).

The mansion on Forsyth I spent some time at was nice.  Bohemia was too holiday inny

[eastcat]

the key is to be on non-extreme weather coasts. vancouver, san fran, savannah, charleston, etc.

Portland fits this description.  People think it rains a lot here, but honestly, it's just overcast a few days a week with a light drizzle.  We don't have thunderstorms or huge rain showers very often, and it rains here way less than it does in Seattle (plus it's warmer).  San Fran is overcast all the time thanks to the ocean, and Vancouver is just a colder version of Seattle.

I disagree. Portland is overhyped way too hard. It's basically a larger version of Omaha with I heart Oregon bumper stickers and you can't pump your own gas. The hippie population is out of control and dumb conspiracy theorist dominate local politics. At least Seattle is truly a major city and not just a turd trying to act like one.

And the weather rough ridin' sucks. Especially september-may.

ETA Anchorage AK is actually not very cloudy most of the year, just cold cloudless days. Would be badass but it's pretty rough ridin' expensive.