A question for the people on my friends list (especially those of you living on the west coast): If you could choose from the following cities to live and work in, which one would you pick, and why
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I actually put Kirkland at the bottom of the list precisely because I figured it'd be too rainy there for my liking...I've lived in Upstate NY all my life, and I'm thinking I might like to live someplace sunnier for a change ;)
Hmm, I've never lived anywhere with a really high population density, so I don't know if I'd be bothered by that. When I was in Seoul a couple of years ago I definitely noticed the humongous numbers of people walking around the city streets at all hours of the day, but I wasn't too bothered by it at the time, so I think I could adjust if I had to
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I don't think LA sucks at all. I lived there for the previous year and only moved out to "The Valley" (the suburb just north of LA) b/c I found a great deal on an apartment there
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It took me awhile of living in Berkeley to figure out that the high population density bothered me. So I guess that's something you're just going to have to figure out by living somewhere with a high density
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Okay, I've lived in/near all of the above, so when you have some specific questions, let me know. For short answer:
Santa Monica has gorgeous beachy sections that scream "California!" and a good sized bohemian population. It's also the location of many TV networks, including MTV. On the downside, there are some neighborhoods that are not-so-nice, and the New Yorker in you will be disturbed by the homeless people on some of the streets. On the third side (b/c this is good or bad depending on your preference), I adore the weather. S.M. is pretty much considered "West L.A."
Mountain View is a large, built-up suburb in Silicon Valley. Most people you meet will be part of the computer programmer culture, and there's a lot of stuff to do b/c it's larger than a standard suburb and isn't actually a suburb of anything. [It's too far from S.F. to be part of it, and shares culture with S.J. but is still distinct.] Mtn View also has a very, very neat restaurant row and plenty of fun shopping. The weather is rather Mediterranean
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I totally agree with your comments! I was raised in L.A., did college stints in NYC and San Francisco, and currently live in Seattle (about 20 minutes from Kirkland). While I prefer NYC above everywhere else, I don't know you personally, tebing, so I don't know if you're more of a city person or a trees-n-nature kind of person. (Me, I'm an urban person and feel like Seattle is a good mix of the two).
That being said, Kirkland is pretty suburban. It's quieter thatn Seattle, and has easier access to fun outdoorsy things: hiking, boating, etc. But if you're looking to get away from Sucky Weather (tm), then perhaps the Pacific Northwest may not be the best choice. :) It sounds like Santa Monica might fit the bill.
I really like Santa Monica -- it's got some of that L.A. culture (which can be a positive or a negative), and traffic can really suck when you need to get to other parts of L.A. (hope you really like to be in your car)... but the weather is fantastic and can make it all worthwhile.
Kirkland/Seattle
anonymous
August 16 2006, 18:37:37 UTC
Hi, Cliff...
Please give serious thought to the Kirkland area. It's been a long time since I have lived in Seattle, but I remember it as not only beautiful, but very stimulating...so many different types of people and cultures,(large Asian population). There are several universities and if you like any sort of outdoor stuff, it is the place to be. I was able to snow ski and canoe within the same week! And the art! This area seems to be very supportive of all the arts. (I lived in a group house with painters, actors and an architectural preservationist).
I have been thinking about moving back to the Northwest...
1. Kirkland 2. Mountain View 3. NY 4. Santa Monica. (is this in LA? That's why I put it there)
I like the northwest, it's beautiful and reminds me of ithaca.. but even more gorgeous because of the ocean and big mountains. mountain view is nice, kinda bay area-ish. that's where google is, did you get the job or something? I missed this post.
NYC, I lived there a while, it's really hectic, and too intense for me. but very diverse so you may be able to find a social group faster. i don't have a good impression of LA (was there younger but don't really know much about it) but culture-wise, it doesn't sound like something i'd like trying to fit into.
seattle is beautiful. it's one of my fav cities. and if i could drag my bf along, i would love to stay there.
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Santa Monica has gorgeous beachy sections that scream "California!" and a good sized bohemian population. It's also the location of many TV networks, including MTV. On the downside, there are some neighborhoods that are not-so-nice, and the New Yorker in you will be disturbed by the homeless people on some of the streets. On the third side (b/c this is good or bad depending on your preference), I adore the weather. S.M. is pretty much considered "West L.A."
Mountain View is a large, built-up suburb in Silicon Valley. Most people you meet will be part of the computer programmer culture, and there's a lot of stuff to do b/c it's larger than a standard suburb and isn't actually a suburb of anything. [It's too far from S.F. to be part of it, and shares culture with S.J. but is still distinct.] Mtn View also has a very, very neat restaurant row and plenty of fun shopping. The weather is rather Mediterranean ( ... )
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That being said, Kirkland is pretty suburban. It's quieter thatn Seattle, and has easier access to fun outdoorsy things: hiking, boating, etc. But if you're looking to get away from Sucky Weather (tm), then perhaps the Pacific Northwest may not be the best choice. :) It sounds like Santa Monica might fit the bill.
I really like Santa Monica -- it's got some of that L.A. culture (which can be a positive or a negative), and traffic can really suck when you need to get to other parts of L.A. (hope you really like to be in your car)... but the weather is fantastic and can make it all worthwhile.
Plus... the food... YUM.
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Please give serious thought to the Kirkland area. It's been a long time since I have lived in Seattle, but I remember it as not only beautiful, but very stimulating...so many different types of people and cultures,(large Asian population). There are several universities and if you like any sort of outdoor stuff, it is the place to be. I was able to snow ski and canoe within the same week! And the art! This area seems to be very supportive of all the arts. (I lived in a group house with painters, actors and an architectural preservationist).
I have been thinking about moving back to the Northwest...
Love, Auntie Lee
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2. Mountain View
3. NY
4. Santa Monica. (is this in LA? That's why I put it there)
I like the northwest, it's beautiful and reminds me of ithaca.. but even more gorgeous because of the ocean and big mountains.
mountain view is nice, kinda bay area-ish. that's where google is, did you get the job or something? I missed this post.
NYC, I lived there a while, it's really hectic, and too intense for me. but very diverse so you may be able to find a social group faster. i don't have a good impression of LA (was there younger but don't really know much about it) but culture-wise, it doesn't sound like something i'd like trying to fit into.
seattle is beautiful. it's one of my fav cities. and if i could drag my bf along, i would love to stay there.
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