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Relocation Suggestions?

Atxracer

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Atxracer

Atxracer 798

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23 minutes ago, BurntEyes said:

He's right about the summer. 

I never thought I'd admit this but I miss Chicago in the summer.

I also never thought I'd consider buying a place there again.. won't fucking live there full time... But... Summer

Despite the salt water piece, I really do love Chicago. It also fits really well with my industry and travel.  I avoided it because of little man and winter but going to re-think that.  

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Not a cat

Not a cat 5804

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3 hours ago, 'stache said:

I've considered relocation, and the city that intrigues me the most is Minneapolis.

If you're into cold weather, high taxes and an insular culture, you'll love it.  I've even got a house to sell you in 3 years when my youngest graduates and I GTFO.  

As far as the OP, I love Fort Collins.  I would say Denver but damn if that's not getting Austin level for traffic.

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SDG

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2 hours ago, clapclapclap said:

Well if you'll consider Tulsa then maybe Phoenix, Tucson, or Prescott, AZ?  Salt water is 3.5 hours away in Puerto Penasco, or 5 hours to San Diego.  In summer it's an hour or two drive to much cooler mountains (and Prescott has a bit cooler climate than the other 2.)   Even in winter the traffic in many areas will be better than Austin, DFW, or any Florida metro.

I’ve lived in Seattle, Phoenix, Austin & Charlotte and as soon as I could work remotely full time I moved to Scottsdale for many of the reasons in the OP.  Being from Seattle area I couldn’t fathom living so far from the ocean.  I just bought rt tickets to SD for <$100 and the airport is 15 minutes away.  Note there is state income tax but mine was offset by low property tax.  

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Atxracer

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42 minutes ago, BurntEyes said:

If you do seriously consider it, make sure you have the budget to live downtown.

Living in the burbs is burbs living, imo, and there are a lot of burbs that don't have Chicago winters and taxes.

I understand there are good private schools in the city, but I'm not knowledgeable enough to speak to them.

That is certainly a factor.  If I do Chicago, it won't be in the burbs.  I have learned my lesson there.  

 

42 minutes ago, SDG said:

I’ve lived in Seattle, Phoenix, Austin & Charlotte and as soon as I could work remotely full time I moved to Scottsdale for many of the reasons in the OP.  Being from Seattle area I couldn’t fathom living so far from the ocean.  I just bought rt tickets to SD for <$100 and the airport is 15 minutes away.  Note there is state income tax but mine was offset by low property tax.  

Honestly, really helpful.  That's not a place that was on my radar but is now.  

 

33 minutes ago, Helobious said:

Is OP really factoring in car racetracks into his decision?

Definitely.  As much as it may surprise you, it's actually pretty far up on the list of priorities.  But, for those that haven't been bitten by "the drug", I totally get not understanding this.  Not only is it a priority for me, I full intend to have little man in a kart as soon as possible.  

 

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Prepuce of Doom

Prepuce of Doom 21273

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4 hours ago, ChiTownDoc said:

Yep.  We would never leave the city.  The public schools in Lincoln Park are great because the parents are so involved in em these days.  
 

Property taxes are a disaster but buy within your means while factoring taxes in and you’re good to go.  Great people here too.  Shoot me a PM if you want more details etc.  

 

Edit...

Crime: unless you wander off into the bad parts of town - hard to do by accident - there’s no more crime then in any other major city   

Edit 2 (drinking on a plane, Sue me)...

The moving to the burbs when you get kids happens WAY less these days.  Please don’t even consider the opinions of those heathens...

As one of the suburban heathens, I must point out that Chicago has enough sprawl that there are some suburbs that are close enough that you can get downtown very quickly and easily, and have a lot of the advantages of both city and suburbs. I'm in a suburb that borders the city on the NW side and I have a comfortable, cheap, and quiet 25 minute train ride to and from downtown.  Our public transportation is awesome if you happen to be close to the line. I've got both the commuter line and the city trains easily accessible from where I am.

Look at the first and second ring of suburbs and you can find the sweet spot with few sacrifices. The outer suburbs are a completely different animal and are the areas that are more or less homogeneous with other suburbanite sprawl. 

I don't know if you have certain areas that you travel to more than others, but ORD is halfway to everywhere. Flying coast to coast is a beating in comparison. 

And in addition to Autobahn in Joliet, you're also a couple of hours from RoadAmerica, which as you know, is among the best places on the planet. 

I've lived in Miami, LA, and Chicago in my adult life, and I am not leaving Chicago. Miami is a blast for about four years. I lived there for eight. If you have any expectation that things will run smoothly, logically, efficiently, or sensibly - in any facet of life in general - Miami will wear you down and eventually turn you into a grumpy intolerant shithead. It's a magical place that is equal parts awesome and awful with nothing in between. Total banana republic. 

LA is LA. I get why so many people want to live there, but I wasn't at all upset to leave. 

Feel free to hit me up with a PM if you want any Chicago suburbs info. 

Edit - should have specified the N, NW, and W suburbs (though the W can get dicey) are where I recommend considering. 

Edited by Prepuce of Doom
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royiv

royiv 9723

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1 hour ago, SDG said:

I’ve lived in Seattle, Phoenix, Austin & Charlotte and as soon as I could work remotely full time I moved to Scottsdale for many of the reasons in the OP.  Being from Seattle area I couldn’t fathom living so far from the ocean.  I just bought rt tickets to SD for <$100 and the airport is 15 minutes away.  Note there is state income tax but mine was offset by low property tax.  

When I moved from Phoenix to Houston my overall tax burden almost doubled. The combined income and property taxes are lower in AZ than the oppressive property taxes in TX.

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troph

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Definitely.  As much as it may surprise you, it's actually pretty far up on the list of priorities.  But, for those that haven't been bitten by "the drug", I totally get not understanding this.  Not only is it a priority for me, I full intend to have little man in a kart as soon as possible.     

 

 I’ve got the bug, came from owning that business a decade ago. I just need time. Open wheel racing is in my future. Feeling the car separate from the road, floating and flying trusting only the mechanics and engineering to do what it was intended to do. I can’t wait for the time to feel that rush.

 

I was thinking if money isn’t a huge issue - and it might not be with space not a major concern with only one kiddo - near laguna seca, plus sears point in Sonoma and there’s another near San Fran I don’t remember. The road racing culture in CA takes a back seat to no one. If racing is at the top, you really should pause and think about it. You wouldn’t regret being in the mix out there.

 

Weather is unbeatable. Checks all the boxes, only miss is income tax. It’s where I’d be if I was considering your check list, I just don’t know where your housing budget is. To me that’s the only wild card.

 

And you get the pacific, the sunsets the vibe. So much to see and enjoy. Yeah CA can be a beat down, but not with means, even if it drags you into the middle class, California is the US version of heaven.

 

Chicago could make the list too - but looking at what you’re wanting, salt water and racing? I can’t see any place that isn’t CA tbqh.

 

 

 

 

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Atxracer

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Seriously, you all have been really helpful and given me a lot to digest. And, I welcome more opinions. In the most non-surly way, thank you.  I am most interested in Chicago (I want downtown but private pools now that we have dealt with schools are important for us...forgot to mention this.. also, the wife has a lot in common with Willie's favorite herb so that comes into play too).  I could deal with a "close" suburb but have done that route before and a little skeptical. The Florida suggestions have been awesome along with the AZ and SC suggestions.    I have a lot to research and seriously thank you for the suggestions. Keep'em coming if you have something different or agree with a previous one.   

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SDG

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24 minutes ago, royiv said:

When I moved from Phoenix to Houston my overall tax burden almost doubled. The combined income and property taxes are lower in AZ than the oppressive property taxes in TX.

That’s exactly it. AZ seemed to have one of the lowest overall state tax burdens for my situation.  I love it here.  No place is perfect but this is my panacea.  

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SDG

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28 minutes ago, royiv said:

When I moved from Phoenix to Houston my overall tax burden almost doubled. The combined income and property taxes are lower in AZ than the oppressive property taxes in TX.

That’s exactly it. AZ seemed to have one of the lowest overall state tax burdens for my situation.  I love it here.  No place is perfect but this is my panacea.  

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ChiTownDoc

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58 minutes ago, Prepuce of Doom said:

As one of the suburban heathens, I must point out that Chicago has enough sprawl that there are some suburbs that are close enough that you can get downtown very quickly and easily, and have a lot of the advantages of both city and suburbs. I'm in a suburb that borders the city on the NW side and I have a comfortable, cheap, and quiet 25 minute train ride to and from downtown.  Our public transportation is awesome if you happen to be close to the line. I've got both the commuter line and the city trains easily accessible from where I am.

Look at the first and second ring of suburbs and you can find the sweet spot with few sacrifices. The outer suburbs are a completely different animal and are the areas that are more or less homogeneous with other suburbanite sprawl. 

I don't know if you have certain areas that you travel to more than others, but ORD is halfway to everywhere. Flying coast to coast is a beating in comparison. 

And in addition to Autobahn in Joliet, you're also a couple of hours from RoadAmerica, which as you know, is among the best places on the planet. 

I've lived in Miami, LA, and Chicago in my adult life, and I am not leaving Chicago. Miami is a blast for about four years. I lived there for eight. If you have any expectation that things will run smoothly, logically, efficiently, or sensibly - in any facet of life in general - Miami will wear you down and eventually turn you into a grumpy intolerant shithead. It's a magical place that is equal parts awesome and awful with nothing in between. Total banana republic. 

LA is LA. I get why so many people want to live there, but I wasn't at all upset to leave. 

Feel free to hit me up with a PM if you want any Chicago suburbs info. 

Edit - should have specified the N, NW, and W suburbs (though the W can get dicey) are where I recommend considering. 

I can’t stop laughing at the Miami bit.  We bought a place on SoBe and I travel there a couple  weekends a month in winter.  Everyone thinks I’m nuts not to spend more time there.  
 

It’s the best place in the states - in small doses -but it will fuck your world if you stay for long periods.  Don’t ask - it just does.  

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troph

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I can’t stop laughing at the Miami bit.  We bought a place on SoBe and I travel there a couple  weekends a month in winter.  Everyone thinks I’m nuts not to spend more time there.  
 
It’s the best place in the states - in small doses -but it will fuck your world if you stay for long periods.  Don’t ask - it just does.  

I was there for the first time ever a month ago. I would love to spend more time there. It’s not what I thought it would be. But I wouldn’t get anything done work wise. I could waste days and days and days there without batting an eye.
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ChiTownDoc

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37 minutes ago, Atxracer said:

Seriously, you all have been really helpful and given me a lot to digest. And, I welcome more opinions. In the most non-surly way, thank you.  I am most interested in Chicago (I want downtown but private pools now that we have dealt with schools are important for us...forgot to mention this.. also, the wife has a lot in common with Willie's favorite herb so that comes into play too).  I could deal with a "close" suburb but have done that route before and a little skeptical. The Florida suggestions have been awesome along with the AZ and SC suggestions.    I have a lot to research and seriously thank you for the suggestions. Keep'em coming if you have something different or agree with a previous one.   

Wife and I love Savannah and Charleston.  But they’re really small and everyone knows your shit if you live there.  I bet that smallness is what sent your friend back to Chi.  Either way, good luck.  

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Brew

Brew 3049

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Florida from Tampa down to Ft Myers checks the boxes. You have major racetracks (Sebring, Palm Beach, one in Tampa), no income tax and low sales tax, etc. That area isn’t overrun with people in the summer, but it’s snowbird season all winter. Summers are hot but you get used to it. We have a place near Lee County and  spend the summers there and there is no place I would prefer to live outside of maybe CO. Our kids didn’t want to move or we would be there full time.

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Pato del Muerto

Pato del Muerto 53379

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My parents lived outside of ft Myers for a few years, Bonita springs I think. They loved it. I think RSW is the close airport but not sure how many direct flights it gets. I always connected in Atlanta or Miami. 
I wasn’t a huge fan but I’m not a beach guy and we only fished once while I was there. 

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Atxracer

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1 hour ago, troph said:
2 hours ago, Atxracer said:

 

 

 I’ve got the bug, came from owning that business a decade ago. I just need time. Open wheel racing is in my future. Feeling the car separate from the road, floating and flying trusting only the mechanics and engineering to do what it was intended to do. I can’t wait for the time to feel that rush.

That’s the good stuff and totally understand what you are saying. But, for what it’s worth, it’s your hands, butt and feet that maintain that “control” much more than the car. At that 110% point, you surpassed its capabilities and it’s on you.  
 

I love certain parts of Cali too. Especially Laguna Seca. But, and no offense, after theIr invasion of Austin, I don’t see convincing my wife to move there. Add to that, not sure I could afford something acceptable but haven’t even looked. I’m kind of assuming the starting point is 5m which doesn’t work. I’ll add it to the list to and see where it fits though because, you’re right, it does check all the boxes. 

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Brew

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58 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

My parents lived outside of ft Myers for a few years, Bonita springs I think. They loved it. I think RSW is the close airport but not sure how many direct flights it gets. I always connected in Atlanta or Miami. 
I wasn’t a huge fan but I’m not a beach guy and we only fished once while I was there. 

I fly out of RSW quite a bit. You have to connect through ATL of CLT for a lot of flights. I also drive up to Tampa and fly when I can which opens up more direct options.

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Pato del Muerto

Pato del Muerto 53379

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10 minutes ago, Atxracer said:

That’s the good stuff and totally understand what you are saying. But, for what it’s worth, it’s your hands, butt and feet that maintain that “control” much more than the car. At that 110% point, you surpassed its capabilities and it’s on you.  
 

I love certain parts of Cali too. Especially Laguna Seca. But, and no offense, after theIr invasion of Austin, I don’t see convincing my wife to move there. Add to that, not sure I could afford something acceptable but haven’t even looked. I’m kind of assuming the starting point is 5m which doesn’t work. I’ll add it to the list to and see where it fits though because, you’re right, it does check all the boxes. 

I doubt many people would want to live where I do full time even though I enjoy it quite a bit, but as a summer home it would be great. 500k would buy you a hell of a place here and property taxes on it would be around $2500.  70-80 all summer, low humidity.  Still have your place in Georgia or SC, just come up when the heat and humidity are oppressive. Instead of track racing, bomb around in a polaris atv for a while. 
 

much much cheaper than Jackson. 

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troph

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That’s the good stuff and totally understand what you are saying. But, for what it’s worth, it’s your hands, butt and feet that maintain that “control” much more than the car. At that 110% point, you surpassed its capabilities and it’s on you.  

 

I love certain parts of Cali too. Especially Laguna Seca. But, and no offense, after theIr invasion of Austin, I don’t see convincing my wife to move there. Add to that, not sure I could afford something acceptable but haven’t even looked. I’m kind of assuming the starting point is 5m which doesn’t work. I’ll add it to the list to and see where it fits though because, you’re right, it does check all the boxes. 

I don’t know that we are saying anything different. You have a lot more experience than I do but you can’t go into a turn without using what you have to control the car. I didn’t mean anything different. But when you take it to the limit of the car you have to trust it’s design and the physics of it all will hold up even when your fear instinct tells you wtf slow down. Crossing over the threshold from fear to trusting you plus the car will make it through. That’s what I was talking about.

 

I doubt the numbers start at $5m for something workable for 3 people unless you have to be in the hot spots like Carmel, San Fran central and the like. Expensive yes. Starting at $5m no. The question would be do you sacrifice location and size to be out in the outskirts but around and near some of the best spots in the country for what you want. But you’re right it might not work. Probably won’t. But personally I’d poke around just to see.

 

 

 

 

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troph

troph 25101

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Laguna Seca's new noise limit may be a dealbreaker/downer, or at least a sign that the killjoy NIMBYs are taking control of the area despite having voluntarily come to the nuisance. 

I’m not sure what he races, some are louder than others. But yeah the Monterrey county NIMBYs are world renowned, just like that track. I’d probably pick the communities north of San Fran or even north of wine country for more affordability though still expensive. That puts you near Sonoma County Raceway/Sears Point. They have a solid SCCA scene there and the vintage club SVRA is one of the best in the country. We were up that way this past thanksgiving and really enjoyed the country north of wine country out near the coast. It’s colder at times and certainly more rural but it still had significant appeal to me. The locals said the summer is amazing.

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bolverk

bolverk 30265

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15 hours ago, Shoxthemonkey said:

Portsmouth, NH. Road tracks in Connecticut, sports and airport in Boston.

Came here to post coastal New Hampshire. It checks every box OP is looking for.

Edited by bolverk
Including NH Motor Sspeedway
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troph

troph 25101

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Came here to post coastal New Hampshire. It checks every box OP is looking for.


That is an interesting idea. Lime Rock is only 200 miles away. And there are other tracks closer. I probably would not winter there though, and with kids that’s hard to accomplish.
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bolverk

bolverk 30265

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7 minutes ago, troph said:

 


That is an interesting idea. Lime Rock is only 200 miles away. And there are other tracks closer. I probably would not winter there though, and with kids that’s hard to accomplish.

 

Yeah, if warmer climes in winter is what OP is looking for, then NH won't be for him although summer would be a breeze in comparison to Austin.

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Atxracer

Atxracer 798

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1 hour ago, troph said:

I’m not sure what he races, some are louder than others. But yeah the Monterrey county NIMBYs are world renowned, just like that track. I’d probably pick the communities north of San Fran or even north of wine country for more affordability though still expensive. That puts you near Sonoma County Raceway/Sears Point. They have a solid SCCA scene there and the vintage club SVRA is one of the best in the country. We were up that way this past thanksgiving and really enjoyed the country north of wine country out near the coast. It’s colder at times and certainly more rural but it still had significant appeal to me. The locals said the summer is amazing.

I quit since little man and just DE and instruct now for fun. I will start back in a couple years and likely in GT4 Clubsport.  Just googled Laguna’s dB level and it’s at 90. Holy cow!  My DE car is louder than that.  Total side track but how could they do that to such an iconic track. 

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Atxracer

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7 minutes ago, Shoxthemonkey said:

Winter is the only drawback for me. If you are good with Chicago, you won't have a problem with Portsmouth. 

I’ve never lived somewhere cold but starting to dislike the heat more than cold so think I would be ok with it.  Could be a grass is greener thing.  Definitely going to research it. 

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Brew

Brew 3049

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1 hour ago, BurntEyes said:

I don't care for Ft Meyers area. Too much/many strip malls and it felt like one huge suburb to me personally. I used to have to go there for business so my experience is fairly limited.

That is a fair assessment along with it being overrun by the olds, but I would say the City is built around a water based lifestyle. We shop, eat, etc in Ft Myers, but weekends and afternoons are spent on the water or at the beach or at one of the many nature preserves/trails. There is no historical component to the city, so you've got to be there for the water. Within 2-3 hours, we can be in Tampa, Orlando, Miami, the Keys, etc. if we want to go do something different on a given day. I'm also not sure I would classify Tampa or any of the other larger FL cities much differently. I've been to and through all of them and outside of Miami I'm not sure how different any are. Jax has been a complete shithole for a while, but even it has some positives.

My preference would be several different locations from Tampa through Ft Myers. Ft Myers isn't a tourist trap like some of the others, but it gets really busy during snowbird season with people that have second homes. I also have a preference for the gulf side over the Atlantic side although I'm starting to get an itch to make a run to the Bahamas so that may change.

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Nuge

Nuge 2028

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I live in Vancouver, WA and dig it.

Basically a suburb of Portland, Oregon but with 250,000 people complete with a downtown, restaurants, breweries, weed shops and a quick hop over to Oregon for the airport, world class restaurants and concerts.

WA has no income tax.  OR has no sales tax.  Live in WA, shop in OR.

The schools are pretty good.  My son is enrolled in the Mandarin Immersion program at a local (public) elementary school.

Portland has a track - https://www.portlandraceway.com/

There are mountains, rivers, great summers, and mild temperatures.  The winters are gray and rainy but its not as bad as people think.  Just gives you more time to drink whiskey.

The Portland airport https://www.flypdx.com/ has been named the best in the country for the last 7 years in a row by Travel & Leisure magazine.  https://pdx.com/Newsroom/PDX-Named-Best-Domestic-Airport-2019-by-Travel-and-Leisure

Housing is still somewhat affordable - though it is getting more pricey.  Thanks California!

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