So I met a family from Seattle on a ski lift in Colorado, where I live. They came here for a ski vacation. Being Coloradans and snotty about our sunshine (more than 300 days a year, btw) we teased said Seattle visitors about how shockingly SUNNY it must seem here to their 12 year old son, how his poor eyes aren’t used to the SUNSHINE.
They nodded genially… then told about their son’s reaction when their plane touched down in Denver. The boy was horrified, shocked. All he saw were dry brown fields surrounding the airport, brown foothills, dead deciduous trees, brown lawns indistinguishable from the ubiquitous red brick in the city. “Mom,” he asked, aghast. “What happened here??”
Turns out, all that RAIN in Seattle means… greenery! Even in the winter! And all that Colorado SUN means… ugly brown everything… for months. Coloradans may have more light and brightness… all the better to see the dreary winter browns all around us. That boy was right: real winters without rain make things just plain ugly.
You’ll never convince me winters here (or in any other 4-season climate) are better than in rainy Seattle.
NYC hands down, because it’s got great views, easy to get to any kind of mountains or beach that you want; amazing culture; amazing opportunities; everyone’s innovating. They’re smart people. Strategists.
You can find quiet places and busy places, you have to know where to go.
The best museums in the world that you walk into. Art everywhere. Fashion. Style! Panache. Fun! Lots of free stuff to do. And it’s on the ocean.
Great food.
It’s a great place to grow older, because of the public transportation, the elevators, everythng can be delivered. Everything. Even McDonalds delivers.
Mostly: it’s never ever ever boring.
Never.
The people are interesting. As someone said, take a taxi ride and look out the window: it’s a nonstop reality TV show. Everybody’s doing something.
And that’s the one thing that I find about the other three places.
They’re nice! But they’re also a little boring. Sorry . . .
If I must choose between rain and snow, I’d prefer snow by a landslide.
Actually, Hawaii doesn’t really get humid(Oahu and Maui). Hot yes, but much drier in the summers than the case in NYC/Boston or moreso, Philly area (yeesh…talk about sauna like conditions at night(96 degrees F at 98% humidity at 10 pm))
I agree with that, LA does have amazing weather. In fact, it’s a crappy rainy day out here in Seattle, I think I need another trip to LA to fix my eyebrows…
Actually, when I commented about where else can one find a view of both mountains and water, I meant of the four places listed.
I’ve never much liked the look of the little brown mountains in Southern California, though they might look lush after all that rain. Give me a view to the west of the Olympics, to the east of the Cascades, and of the looming 14,000 footer, Mt Rainier to the south, along with the lakes and Puget Sound. I love the mountains in Colorado, just not enough water.
“Give me a view to the west of the Olympics, to the east of the Cascades, and of the looming 14,000 footer, Mt Rainier to the south, along with the lakes and Puget Sound. I love the mountains in Colorado, just not enough water.”
This! CO is gorgeous and I would move there in a heartbeat, but ocean/large bodies of water is something my Pacific Islander soul absolutely needs. It can’t be landlocked.
And there is something about having a snowball fight in Paradise (a place at the base of mount Rainier) in July.
I’m surprised weather is the first thing people consider when deciding where to live. I have lived in the NE, NW, CA coast and SE coast and the only weather I found untenable was above 90 or well below zero. It’s not like you would be sleeping in a tent.
Forget the money- so much more matters. And with that kind of money it isn’t an issue. Many with money do not feel the need to spend it on an ostentatious, superficial lifestyle. No need to buy supersized housing just because it is expensive- a simpler lifestyle can be more enjoyable.
We moved to Tampa. Winters are great but summers are too hot for me (Indian H has no complaints) and humid days with rain also have sunshine). Son in Seattle has opposite weather- good summers, gloomy winters. Miami weather will be similar to Tampa’s. Son visits us and we visit him when the weather is better in the place to visit.
Culture really matters more than money or weather. LA and Miami do not have intellectual reputations. Definitely not on our family radar. Seattle is a really cool place for young people. Southern CA, have visited la-la land often to see relatives does not strike me as a place to be. Perhaps one reason a relative from Orange County prefers to be in the SF Bay area.
Really a “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” situation. btw- our part of Florida is a mix of political views, enough liberals. But I dislike the state’s lack of putting money into public education relative to other places.
I would vote for Seattle because of the attitude there. If it weren’t for the gloom we may have gone there. Florida is great for us old folks, Seattle has so much more for the young and active. NYC seems too formal and LA too superficial to me.
We were in New York last summer to tour colleges, the stifling, humid heat and stench was unbearable. Heat just radiated up off the asphalt. I see why people go to the Hamptons in the summer. My D17 on the other hand, was in love.
D couldn’t handle the stench of NYC. I found the bustle there and sirens exhausting. I have never spent more than a few days at a time in Seattle but find rain and grey skies make me SAD, much as I love the NW vibe (having graduated from U of OR). I haven’t ever been to Miami but I think I’d find the summer heat too much. I guess of all those places we have spent the most time in LA. I find it to spread out and not very restful for settling in either, tho one of my best friends lives there.
HIMom, I live north of Miami. Since I still work, I miss the oppressive heat of the two worst summer months. I must confess to coming home from work, and taking a dip in my pool in my undies. It’s totally private.
As everyone on the eastern seaboard is getting ready for a snowstorm, we’re in Seattle enjoying the rain. No tornados, no hurricanes. I can look out the window at work and see sun, clouds, rain all on the same day.
A younger colleague of my husband’s and his wife just bought a $700K+ “tear down” that they’ll be into for around $2M when finished. From AZ, they go south for long weekends or off to Hawaii or Mexico for longer holidays.
We can have incredible days in December and February that will make you forget there was any rain. Most of April to the end of September have more better days than not. But hey. Stay away.
"“Give me a view to the west of the Olympics, to the east of the Cascades, and of the looming 14,000 footer, Mt Rainier to the south…”
Bus, I just realized we forgot Mt. Baker to the north. But dagnabbit, our volcanoes are going to go off any minute, so stay away from Seattle, folks, stay away!
