the aptly named rust belt is a piece of shit. i'll be graduating from college within the next two years, and either entering the work force or going to law school. either way, i'd like to head west because i have this romantic vision of Conestoga wagons, cities actually growing in population, and jobs being available to willing young lads. things the midwest completely lacks.

the cities i've looked at briefly are phoenix, denver, boulder, colorado springs, anchorage, the bay area, omaha, and billings, montana. i'd like to live in at least a moderately sized city (say at least 100,000 people) that has a good economic outlook. i also think i might personally prefer somewhere with a cooler climate, and although is a good sized city, is not too far from "the middle of nowhere." montana or colorado might be appealing in that respect, but i've never been there so what do i know.

are there any totseans living somewhere in the western united states that would be recommended?

San Francisco is nice...not sure about how much it is to live there and what the job market is like, but the climate is perfect, IMO. But if you just want to go somewhere closer to home, Chicago is closeby and doesn't suffer from piece-of-shit-itis. Lake Michigan is so big that it's like a beach-town through spring and summer. Winters can get really cold though...

Boulder, it has the smartest people in the United States per capita and is all around a great city and its only 30 min away from Denver. It's also only 40 minutes away from epic mountains etc. Lots of outdoor activities nearby.

the aptly named rust belt is a piece of shit. i'll be graduating from college within the next two years, and either entering the work force or going to law school. either way, i'd like to head west because i have this romantic vision of Conestoga wagons, cities actually growing in population, and jobs being available to willing young lads. things the midwest completely lacks.

the cities i've looked at briefly are phoenix, denver, boulder, colorado springs, anchorage, the bay area, omaha, and billings, montana. i'd like to live in at least a moderately sized city (say at least 100,000 people) that has a good economic outlook. i also think i might personally prefer somewhere with a cooler climate, and although is a good sized city, is not too far from "the middle of nowhere." montana or colorado might be appealing in that respect, but i've never been there so what do i know.

are there any totseans living somewhere in the western united states that would be recommended?

Here's some facts about the Bay.

The area has the highest median household income in the nation at over $65,000.
However the cost of living is also one of the highest in the nation.
The Bay Area offers a significant variety of microclimates.
The women here are fine.
There is a great local rave scene.
There is a great local punk, metal, and underground hip hop scene.


It is very odd in the difference in life just over the water. On one side it's really nice and rich. Very safe. On the other side it's Oakland and Richmond which can get pretty crazy. Oakland had the highest rate of violent crime of any large city in California last year: – 190.5 incidents for every 10,000 people, according to a Times analysis of recently released FBI data. That’s nearly 2 1/2 times the rate in Los Angeles

Marijuana is decriminalized and sold in medical dispensaries.
It is very diverse, there is tons of Whites, Mexicans, Asians, and Blacks.

I might add some more stuff later if I can think of it. Hopefully this will help in your decision in some way. Either choosing it or ruling it out.

Wait until you finish school; your industry of choice might pull you towards a particular locale.

Here's some facts about the Bay.

The area has the highest median household income in the nation at over $65,000.
However the cost of living is also one of the highest in the nation.
The Bay Area offers a significant variety of microclimates.
The women here are fine.
There is a great local rave scene.
There is a great local punk, metal, and underground hip hop scene.


It is very odd in the difference in life just over the water. On one side it's really nice and rich. Very safe. On the other side it's Oakland and Richmond which can get pretty crazy. Oakland had the highest rate of violent crime of any large city in California last year: – 190.5 incidents for every 10,000 people, according to a Times analysis of recently released FBI data. That’s nearly 2 1/2 times the rate in Los Angeles

Marijuana is decriminalized and sold in medical dispensaries.
It is very diverse, there is tons of Whites, Mexicans, Asians, and Blacks.

I might add some more stuff later if I can think of it. Hopefully this will help in your decision in some way. Either choosing it or ruling it out.

Yeah, I've actually visited San Francisco, over a year ago, and really liked it. I know how everything is expensive over there, especially homes. It was rather refreshing to be in a city that has virtually no vacant or deteriorating buildings because the land is just worth too much and in too much demand. I didn't go to Oakland, but yeah, I've heard about it. Maybe I could get my start in law/law enforcement over there and see if I can work my way into San Francisco, heh.

Yeah, I've actually visited San Francisco, over a year ago, and really liked it. I know how everything is expensive over there, especially homes. It was rather refreshing to be in a city that has virtually no vacant or deteriorating buildings because the land is just worth too much and in too much demand. I didn't go to Oakland, but yeah, I've heard about it. Maybe I could get my start in law/law enforcement over there and see if I can work my way into San Francisco, heh.

San Francisco has a real friendly feel to it. Not to mention the awesome weather. It's the only large city that I've been too which just gives off good vibes for the most part. Aside from of course the San Francisco ghettos but it's common sense to avoid those.

If you want to be a cop in Oakland you will make great money. They get hazard pay.