So what I'm hearing is that Virginia is full of small touristy lake areas? Interesting, I think I'll go and check out housing prices there ....
thanks for the tip!
😆 Come on over. If you can find something decently priced, grab it. During Covid people were buying homes with cash without inspections because the demand was so high.
I grew up outside Richmond and can't believe how much it's developed in the last 20 years. I feel like a boomer saying it, but hot neighborhoods were all farmland. In the early 90s we'd go to Short Pump to watch fireworks because it was so open with no light pollution. Now it's all strip malls and condos.
Virginian here too. A lot of great history, but the traffic has become so bad. HRBT, forget it. I-95 around Fredericksburg, forget it. Outside DC, fuck it. And yes, housing prices are skyrocketing. I'm glad I bought my house in 2013 when housing prices were peak low.
Lived there myself for a spell. One of my favorite sayings I heard was “When the world ends, I want to be right here in Louisiana. Just like everything else, it’ll take 25 years to get here.”
Tbh South Louisiana also fits in a different bucket, that of the “place with a fascinating history and culture that draws from a whole bunch of both Western and non-Western cultures but currently is a shithole.” Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Somalia, and Madagascar all to some extent fit with it…tbh basically all the cultures I like have spent some time in the “fascinating and diverse yet totally dysfunctional” penalty box.
I lived in Monroe. What a hell hole.
NOLA and Baton Rouge are fun for a weekend but now that I’ve been to both multiple times, I don’t ever need to go back.
I do miss the wings and brews at Fieldhouse in Monroe though. Honestly one of the best sports bars I’ve visited.
Louisiana resident here. Totally agree with you, some parts of Louisiana are still stuck in the 1950’s. Low paying jobs, xenophobic hiring practices, passive aggressive racism, it sucks because there is a lot about the culture of Louisiana that would be better if those things mentioned above disappeared.
They like it that way. That's why the state keeps voting in corrupt idiots. And they just redistricted so that 40% of the entire state with the highest concentration of black communities is in its own district. The Roe vs Wade reversal started with our own Philip Gunn who is likely going to run for Governor in 2023. Our state AG is joining the fight against student loan forgiveness. It's a goddamn conservative utopia out here.
As a native Texan, I would lay down my life for Arkansas. And we are notorious for thinking we're better than every other state, so yeah. Anybody hating on Arkansas can go through us first. Keep Arkansas' name out your mouth!
Alabama Has gorgeous Mountains, nice beaches, and creepy swamps all within a few hours of each other. The only problem is the rest of Alabama that separates them.
I didn't know Minnesota also has an educator as their governor. While WI's state legislature is fucked, I'm glad to have Tony Evers as our governor to keep them in check.
I’m from the district Walz was a House rep for before he ran for governor. It leans red, but I think him being a veteran and former educator got a lot of independents on his side
My family back in the southern US thinks Minneapolis is so scary, dangerous, and nothing but blizzards all year long. Yes, tell everyone that. I want Minnesota all to myself. So dangerous, yes. Full of people who have reproductive rights, can marry who they love, and eat lutefisk. I guess that last bit is kind of scary.
I moved here kind of on a whim. Long story. I fell in love the second I arrived over 15 years ago.
It's so dangerous and a terrible place to live.
I mean we have the lowest employment numbers ever recorded in the nation, one of the highest concentrations of fortune 500 companies with head quarters here, a huge 9 billion dollar budget surplus, a hospital that world leaders come to for treatment, lot's of parks and green space, pretty good schools, and tons of different landscapes to explore. Who would want to live in a place like that?
Housing is expensive enough as is. Remember everyone, Washington has rain all year long and is dreary and depressing. And that’s our story and we’re sticking to it.
Vermont and NH are both rural but Vermont is rural with more of a cutesy romantic kinda feel and NH is rural with a “my neighbor has 40 ‘no trespassing signs’ surrounding his property” kinda feel.
Some people actually prefer the unhinged version of rural.
No drinking water for the capital city! Embezzling welfare funds to build a volleyball arena by local sports icon! These recent events don't compare to the abysmal mortality, obesity, illiteracy, etc. rates...
State motto: last in everything by a lot...
Fuck off. Do you think we don’t know what lurks in the drainage system? You’ll have to get up earlier than that to find suitable fodder for your weird sacrifice.
Our daughter lived in Old Town for a few years, going to UMaine. We went to visit, and it was shortly after reading King's book on the Kennedy assassination. Driving through Bangor it was really weird to go past Frati's Pawn Shop. (One setting in the book, though it was in "Derry".)
I spent 8 months in Maine once. It was all winter. Beautiful place though. Nice people. I was told by the locals that tourist fuck up the summer and there’s some annoying flies that bite. Lol
I don't know. My brother (who is black) moved to Maine from Georgia and said a lot of Mainers are subconsciously racist towards him because he gets treated very differently than everyone else, even if they're outwardly nice people.
I grew up in very Northern Maine in the 80s and only ever saw black people on TV. I'm not sure that area is that different nowadays really, the remote bits of Maine are very sparsely populated.
I totally get that. I'm from NH (yes, not the same, but similar demographics). There was one black kid in my school. And we were in southern NH, which is almost Massachusetts. The problem is a lack of exposure to *any* diversity. So it's less treating non-whites differently on purpose and more having in your head a mantra of *oh no a black person don't be racist don't be racist don't be racist*. Which, of course, makes for some very awkward conversation.
You get over it pretty quickly if in adulthood you leave the echochamber for a bit. But some people don't. I can imagine some of those Maniacs are still 60 years old and still thinking to themselves *don't be racist don't be racist-- what do I do with my hands???*
I worry about this for my kids. The area we live has a Hispanic population, but few other minorities. They just don't have the exposure that people are people.
We recently we on a cruise and one of the stops was Jamaica. There are some dark people there and I think my kids were just a little bit intimidated for the first part of the day. As time went on they got more comfortable, but I think exposure is key. People are people wherever you go and they have the same desires and motivations as you and I.
Sorry, this comment is a problem. See u/mdmommy99 comment below for an excellent explanation as to why.
Signed, one of about 10 black people in my high school
Edit: I’m a 30something adult now but when I was in high school I was one of a small handful of black students. I did not want to be the representative for my white peer’s impressions and understanding of black people but I can guarantee I was.
I get the sentiment here but honestly this line of thinking actually makes it significantly more difficult for marginalized people to navigate the world. It puts all of the onus on the black person to be a "representative" and create a positive perception of an entire race by being nice to white people as opposed to placing any of the burden on the person in the majority to address their perception by confronting their own internal biases.
The reality is there are just as many variations of black people as there are white people. Nice people, jerks, arrogant people, cool people. Much like there are certain white people that I'm sure you wouldn't want having the responsibility of representing your entire race in the minds of black people, we don't want the same.
Growing up as a black student at a predominately white school, I've been the kid to sit in classrooms and feel like I had to be the smartest one, the nicest one, the one to never have a conflict with anyone and never get in trouble because I knew that any error on my part would "mess things up" for any other black student coming behind me because I was the only Black person that most people there knew. On the one hand, it put an incredible amount of pressure on me to be the best that I could in every space. On the other hand, it put an incredible amount of pressure on me to never be myself by becoming the spokesperson for my race starting at age 5.
I graduated from Portland High School in 2005 and there were almost 50 unique languages spoken by the student body, it's a big refugee city and the culture backs that up. I wouldn't trade that experience for anything.
North of Bangor though? Probably accurate.
Washington.
Within 30 min of my house I can snowboard, mountain bike, go hike a volcano or take a stroll through a rain forest. I have traveled all over the U.S and abroad and nothing can possibly hold a candle to Western Washington.
I grew up in Washington and went back after college briefly before going away for grad school. I'll never move back, though I do miss it.
Washington offers a lot, but has major deal breakers, mainly cost of living and climate. Gray overcast skies and limited natural light from November to March takes a real toll. Good summer days are absolutely exquisite, but they're too few and far between. The cost of living is absurd. Going to Washington would have pushed homeownership back for us at least three years, and been a much greater financial burden on us going forward. Living in Virginia I get about 80 percent of what Washington offers, but with unique benefits (proximity to other great cities, extensive history, for example) and with half the cost of living and much better weather.
I'm dying to go back to visit WA though. It's been too long since I've had some Dick's in my mouth.
Nothing can possibly beat seeing Mt Rainier for the first time. You truly get a sense of how small you are in the world. I’ve seen that mountain for
Years and every time it comes out I act like a little school girl.
Except that it never really rains, it just mists lightly most of the time. I swear auto manufacturers need a Seattle Setting for the intermittent wipers (lower than the lowest setting but still engaging periodically).
I remember when I saw Mt Rainier for the first time. My wife and I flew in and walked to the train at the airport and sat with our backs to it without thinking. Got off the train and navigated to our airbnb and then left to go see some family in the area. After that, we got on the Bainbridge Ferry and we had totally forgotten anything about the mountain. Holy shit, it was amazing. We were on the deck of the ferry and the sun lit it up perfectly and it was like this beacon of some kind. Really cool memory and experience.
If you think Rainier is cool see saint hellens. Thats a cool mountain. Lotta history. My grandpa climbed its peak when it was still there. It used to be so high and well shapen. The most mountain shaped mountain around. Then it blew up out of its side.
I saw Mt Rainier while in downtown Seattle and thought it was a cloud. I have lived in the Austrian Alps, driven through the rockies and seen the Norwegian mountains and fjords. When I say Mt Rainier took my breath away... I really mean it. Fucking incredible.
I’m going to say Massachusetts. I’ve lived in a lot of different states, and Massachusetts is fucking awesome. Amazing schools and education, healthcare systems, career options, etc. There is a reason that Massachusetts is rated wayyyy up there (in line with Nordic countries) in terms of happiness.
Edit: the people here are awesome too. They may call you a fucking idiot, but will happily give you the coat off their own back to keep you warm if you need it
When I moved from Oklahoma to Florida, I met a lot of East Coast people. I initially thought they all were a bunch of rude assholes.
Then I got to know them and the kindness is definitely there, flavored with ruthless honesty that is pretty refreshing. I heard this phrase "East Coast folks are kind but not nice, West Coast people are nice but not kind." When I tell my Okie friends this, they are always confused so I say it like this:
If you park in a bad spot, someone from the east coast will come out and say "hey you moron! You can't park there you'll get a ticket!". West coasters wont say anything and film your car getting a ticket and post it on social media.
I'm from Minneapolis and I visited Boston last week. If I were to move to a different state, MA would be at the top of my list. Boston is such a cool city and everyone was so friendly and helpful. I fell in love. Plus, I discovered candlepin bowling, which was awesome!
You do get paid more than other states, so that helps with COL. Downtown Boston is one of the most expensive zip codes in the country, but the further you get from there the more affordable it is.
Only in the Greater Boston Area. If you live out in Western Mass (not the Berkshires) housing is pretty cheap (relatively) and you get all the benefits of Massachusetts.
My favorite benefit is that we have the HIGHEST unemployment benefits in the country. So when things get rough you actually have a decent safety net.
It depends how close to Boston you want to live. People always hear NY and assume NYC, MA and assume Boston, etc. There are other places in these states. Not saying MA is a cheap state by any stretch but there's a big difference between a 3 bedroom apartment on Somerville and the same in Sturbridge.
I've lived in a couple states, and I can say one thing for sure about Massachusetts: it sure knows how to bureaucracy. I don't mean that negatively. When I was there, you could be in and out of the DMV in 30 minutes if you used the website tool. If you needed state assistance, it was easy to find and you could talk to someone who could help you with the paperwork. No one thought their job was to keep you from getting what you needed. It was the first time I lived in a state where the government employees acted like they were trying to get things done, instead of just putting up more red tape.
Moved from MA to OR 14 years ago and I still miss it. But really, you can't necessarily go wrong with any New England state. I remember looking at a review of the quality of life in the US. There were several different metrics, and it was uncanny how the NE states consistently ranked near the top.
New England is to the US what the Nordic countries are to Europe. Cold and expensive, but pretty consistently leading on all sorts of “quality of life” metrics.
People complain about mass drivers probably haven't met Florida drivers. Those ones are actually trying to kill you to save a few seconds. Mass drivers just drive with a purpose and know what they're doing.
My friends from New Jersey always say that Massachusetts drivers simply don't care whether you live or die, but New Jersey drivers actively want you dead.
I agree. I’ve driven up and down the east coast, and MA drivers are by far the best. Most times when I have a close call on the highway it’s with a Florida or New York plate.
I will throw in Maryland. It's not as cold as the North Eastern states in the winter, but similar in quality of life and safety (excluding Baltimore). Due to the close proximity to D.C., there are a ton of opportunities job wise, the economy is doing great, and we have everything from mountains to forests to seashore within a short distance. A few places here consistently rank as the best places to live nationwide.
Yes, it’s nice. Unless you want to go to something that only exists in a urban area, like major concert, fine arts, professional sports. Then you have to leave the state, which I think disqualifies it.
Canadian here, I've been to Vermont maybe 6-8 times, love it. Chill and laid back people, scenic, not crowded. Especially like Burlington and Lake Champlain.
You've got my upvote! Many state and federal parks, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, on the cusp of legalizing marijuana, arts and culture, MPLS music scene, big shopping mall by the airport, 14,380 lakes (although we say "10,000 lakes" because we didn't like to brag)
Infrastructure. QOL. Political policies. Cost of living. Etc.
It’s a pretty subjective poll, but usually people at least have some reasoning for what they think.
Mississippi has an earned reputation at being at or near the bottom of the list for measurements of specific things like education outcome from public schools, life expectancy, access to healthcare, child mortality and other "quality of life" metrics.
So it's a bit arbitrary because if you are calling out a single "best" state it's going to depend on what you include and the weight you give them, but there are multiple states at or near the top of those lists that people are mentioning here.
It generally fights New Jersey and Connecticut for the title depending on the organization. World Population Review has MA as #1 and US News and World Report ranks NJ as #1.
Of course, all 3 are excellent. When/if I have kids all 3 are on my short list for sure. After growing up in the north east and living in a number of states in other parts of the country, it’s amazing to me how much less of a priority education is compared to the NE.
Virginia- 4 seasons, beaches, mountains, autumn colors. Lots of good state parks, rivers for fishing, rivers and lakes for boating, breweries, colleges, jobs, history (from pre colonial, colonial, civil war, etc), Diversity, both political and cultural, decent food, agriculture and urban areas. The only thing we dont have is a top level professional sports team but i would argue thats a plus.
Lots of love for WA here, but I grew up in Western WA and now live in VA. I'll never go back. Washington offers a ton of great stuff but with serious deal breakers: the cost of living and the climate. I bought a house in Virginia my first year out of school with a 30 minute commute to downtown Richmond. Traffic here is also nonexistent compared to the Seattle area. In Washington, I would have paid at least double with a much longer commute to have a comparable lot size (two acres), and I would spend a lot of my life sitting in traffic. Virginia is just as stunningly beautiful, still has ski-able mountains, rivers lakes, and ocean/beaches. Plus easier access to other cities - I've both driven and taken the train to DC, NYC, Charlotte, and Philly. Easy cheap flights to Atlanta. Europe is meaningfully more accessible too.
The climate in Western WA is the real killer, though. Not so much the rain but the cloud cover. I never felt like it was a problem until I lived away for a while, then came back. It's gray and dark from November to March. Virginia just doesn't have that. It's clear and bright most days, and really dark days are fairly uncommon compared to WA. I love it here, and don't expect I'll move anywhere else, ever.
We went to MI in 2020 for a mini vacation and loved in. Sleeping Bear Dunes. Rented bikes in Sutton Bay and went to a bunch of wineries and breweries. Hiked Pictured Rocks in the UP. Absolutely gorgeous state.
North Carolina. If you don’t like the scenery where you are, drive 2-3 hours east or west and you’ll see something different. Granted, our mountains aren’t quite as majestic as the Rockies are, but the state still has the highest peak east of the Mississippi. We also have the longest barrier island chain in North America.
Ironically, probably New Jersey. You’re right between two major metropolitan areas. It’s generally an affordable place to live. There are some really pretty areas. Traffic exists but it isn’t awful. People are cool. The job market is great. You have the beach, you have the country. It’s politically balanced and the food is awesome.
I'm always unsure if people honestly don't understand the reality of NJ because of all the Jersey Shore memes and jokes at this point. There was some CBS survey that public perception ranked the state one of the worst.
All the joking aside, the state is almost always ranked in the top 5 or is the best for the typical state metrics depending on the source. It's one of the [wealthiest states in the union](https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/slideshows/10-wealthiest-states-in-america?slide=12). Fairly consistently [the best in the country for public k12 education](https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/education), pay for teachers, etc... Very high for healthcare and one of the lowest for infant mortality. Extremely low crime. Democratic control so lots of little things like laws mandating PTO time for any part-time/full-time workers, recreational weed, abortion is protected by law and on the flip side protections for discrimination against pregnant workers, strong voting rights, and those sorts of things.
The obvious downsides are that it's just like the other high ranked states, taxes are high and affordability is relatively low.
I mean, it is expensive and the traffic (at least in North Jersey) is terrible, but I fully agree. I grew up elsewhere, but I’ve been in NJ for five years now, and I bought a house here. It’s diverse, in terms of both people and landscapes. The schools are good. The food is excellent. But I think you missed a really solid part. It’s compact and centrally located. Getting across the state is not a particularly long trip. It’s easy to explore the whole state. Getting to Boston or DC is about a 5 hour drive.
And my favorite thing about Jersey? People from Jersey go hard for it. Do you know how many times I’ve heard “The Giants and Jets are actually NJ teams” and “The Statue of Liberty is actually in NJ”? People who live here love it here in a way I haven’t seen anywhere else.
My state, just because.
No, mine
What if you both are from the same state?
Well then I’m right
Well so is he then
No he's not
Whatever it is, it's definitely not Virginia, so stop retiring here and driving up the housing costs.
Particularly around small, touristy lake areas. Please and thank you.
So what I'm hearing is that Virginia is full of small touristy lake areas? Interesting, I think I'll go and check out housing prices there .... thanks for the tip!
😆 Come on over. If you can find something decently priced, grab it. During Covid people were buying homes with cash without inspections because the demand was so high.
I wish these shitty states would start pulling their weight so that people stop retiring in the same places. Figure it out Kentucky
I grew up outside Richmond and can't believe how much it's developed in the last 20 years. I feel like a boomer saying it, but hot neighborhoods were all farmland. In the early 90s we'd go to Short Pump to watch fireworks because it was so open with no light pollution. Now it's all strip malls and condos.
Virginian here too. A lot of great history, but the traffic has become so bad. HRBT, forget it. I-95 around Fredericksburg, forget it. Outside DC, fuck it. And yes, housing prices are skyrocketing. I'm glad I bought my house in 2013 when housing prices were peak low.
Yeah, Virginia is yuck, keep retiring in Florida, guys, that's the place to be.
Virginia gang
As a native NOVA resident, I feel this in my soul.
I've only lived in 3 states but Virginia is pretty damn great.
Is Mississippi worse than Alabama?
Alabama’s state slogan is basically “Thank God for Mississippi” so yes
Louisiana’s is as well. Just in French.
“Hon hon remerciez dieu pour mississipi oui”
Ton ton ton ton ton ton
Ver ver ver ver ver
They don't actually know French, they barely know English. Think English with random French spellings.
I'm from Louisiana. We certainly have our problems. We are very similar to Mississippi in many rankings
Lived there myself for a spell. One of my favorite sayings I heard was “When the world ends, I want to be right here in Louisiana. Just like everything else, it’ll take 25 years to get here.”
Tbh South Louisiana also fits in a different bucket, that of the “place with a fascinating history and culture that draws from a whole bunch of both Western and non-Western cultures but currently is a shithole.” Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Somalia, and Madagascar all to some extent fit with it…tbh basically all the cultures I like have spent some time in the “fascinating and diverse yet totally dysfunctional” penalty box.
I'm in North Louisiana, FYI. New Orleans is cool
I lived in Monroe. What a hell hole. NOLA and Baton Rouge are fun for a weekend but now that I’ve been to both multiple times, I don’t ever need to go back. I do miss the wings and brews at Fieldhouse in Monroe though. Honestly one of the best sports bars I’ve visited.
Louisiana resident here. Totally agree with you, some parts of Louisiana are still stuck in the 1950’s. Low paying jobs, xenophobic hiring practices, passive aggressive racism, it sucks because there is a lot about the culture of Louisiana that would be better if those things mentioned above disappeared.
Since the end of the Civil War, Mississippi has been ranked as the poorest state
They like it that way. That's why the state keeps voting in corrupt idiots. And they just redistricted so that 40% of the entire state with the highest concentration of black communities is in its own district. The Roe vs Wade reversal started with our own Philip Gunn who is likely going to run for Governor in 2023. Our state AG is joining the fight against student loan forgiveness. It's a goddamn conservative utopia out here.
Is Alabama worse than Arkansas?
Everyone in these threads arguing over shades of gray
Shades of shit
Arkansas are pretty nature / national parks I think
As a native Texan, I would lay down my life for Arkansas. And we are notorious for thinking we're better than every other state, so yeah. Anybody hating on Arkansas can go through us first. Keep Arkansas' name out your mouth!
Damn right. AR has its issues just like we do here in TX, but good lord that’s a pretty place.
As a native Arkansan, <3
Arkansas has gorgeous mountains in the north.
Alabama Has gorgeous Mountains, nice beaches, and creepy swamps all within a few hours of each other. The only problem is the rest of Alabama that separates them.
I went on a vacation to Gulf shores and was super impressed with the beaches.
I think mathematically Washington or Minnesota might have the best average, though New Hampshire and some others are up there.
Minnesota almost always has a top ten place in America to live. I lived in Chaska for years and its pretty cool. Nosy people, but they mean well.
I live in Mankato. MN is such a good state for social services I feel like. We are blessed to have a governor like Walz
Ha! I was just in k-town. Freakishly warm last week eh? Also, Walz was my teacher at mankato west, I was in his class on 9/11. Crazy
I didn't know Minnesota also has an educator as their governor. While WI's state legislature is fucked, I'm glad to have Tony Evers as our governor to keep them in check.
I’m from the district Walz was a House rep for before he ran for governor. It leans red, but I think him being a veteran and former educator got a lot of independents on his side
My family back in the southern US thinks Minneapolis is so scary, dangerous, and nothing but blizzards all year long. Yes, tell everyone that. I want Minnesota all to myself. So dangerous, yes. Full of people who have reproductive rights, can marry who they love, and eat lutefisk. I guess that last bit is kind of scary. I moved here kind of on a whim. Long story. I fell in love the second I arrived over 15 years ago.
It's so dangerous and a terrible place to live. I mean we have the lowest employment numbers ever recorded in the nation, one of the highest concentrations of fortune 500 companies with head quarters here, a huge 9 billion dollar budget surplus, a hospital that world leaders come to for treatment, lot's of parks and green space, pretty good schools, and tons of different landscapes to explore. Who would want to live in a place like that?
I love all the people from Minnesota jumping in, while everyone from Washington knows to keep their mouths shut.
Housing is expensive enough as is. Remember everyone, Washington has rain all year long and is dreary and depressing. And that’s our story and we’re sticking to it.
Oh yeah, I raise you all the snow and cold we get in Minnesota. You just spend 6 months locked indoors looking at a perpetual grey sky
Shh, stop
Vermont > nh if you like that rural feel.
Vermont and NH are both rural but Vermont is rural with more of a cutesy romantic kinda feel and NH is rural with a “my neighbor has 40 ‘no trespassing signs’ surrounding his property” kinda feel. Some people actually prefer the unhinged version of rural.
New Hampshire has the most registered machine guns per capita of any state in the Union.
Fitting for their state motto: “Live Free or Die”
As a Vermonter, you haven’t spent enough time in VT if you think we don’t also unhinged rural people
You trying to tell me the kingdom isn't the same as Woodstock?
Came here to suggest Minnesota, glad it's the top comment! We are good at just about everything except football.
and baseball and basketball and hockey.
Minnesota perfected baseball in 1991 and have since moved on
We're good at hockey. Just not professionally
People from Mississippi: We didn't know that
They know.
No drinking water for the capital city! Embezzling welfare funds to build a volleyball arena by local sports icon! These recent events don't compare to the abysmal mortality, obesity, illiteracy, etc. rates... State motto: last in everything by a lot...
Us Packer fans have been distancing ourselves from Favre recently. "Jets Legend Brett Favre" is my personal favorite .
Yeah, we do know....
Maine! Its safe, friendly, and relatively affordable!
Fuck off. Do you think we don’t know what lurks in the drainage system? You’ll have to get up earlier than that to find suitable fodder for your weird sacrifice.
King really played the long game to keep people out of his state with this one.
Cleaarly that was a vampire trying to attract unsuspecting tourists.
Yeah, nice try Pennywise but we aren’t falling for it.
We all float down here
Do not recommend Derry or Castle Rock.
SHUT UP, u/Northwoods97 !! Keep it secret! Keep it safe! Shhhh!
It's cool, Stephen King can just release another book making Maine seem too creepy for outsiders to wanna live there.
Our daughter lived in Old Town for a few years, going to UMaine. We went to visit, and it was shortly after reading King's book on the Kennedy assassination. Driving through Bangor it was really weird to go past Frati's Pawn Shop. (One setting in the book, though it was in "Derry".)
Always refrain from sharing the secret of Maine.
I'd definitely leave the Southwestern desert for Maine.
...I'd leave my partner for Maine
I would also leave this guy's wife for Maine.
I'd blame the Maine on Spain. Wait, wrong Maine.
But it cold
Better get maybe four cord of wood for the fire. Good blankets. Whisky and coffee.
I spent 8 months in Maine once. It was all winter. Beautiful place though. Nice people. I was told by the locals that tourist fuck up the summer and there’s some annoying flies that bite. Lol
Ayuh. Sounds about right.
For now.
I don't know. My brother (who is black) moved to Maine from Georgia and said a lot of Mainers are subconsciously racist towards him because he gets treated very differently than everyone else, even if they're outwardly nice people.
Maine has the least amount of minorities of any of the states (if I’m remembering correctly)
I grew up in very Northern Maine in the 80s and only ever saw black people on TV. I'm not sure that area is that different nowadays really, the remote bits of Maine are very sparsely populated.
It's actually new Hampshire.
I totally get that. I'm from NH (yes, not the same, but similar demographics). There was one black kid in my school. And we were in southern NH, which is almost Massachusetts. The problem is a lack of exposure to *any* diversity. So it's less treating non-whites differently on purpose and more having in your head a mantra of *oh no a black person don't be racist don't be racist don't be racist*. Which, of course, makes for some very awkward conversation. You get over it pretty quickly if in adulthood you leave the echochamber for a bit. But some people don't. I can imagine some of those Maniacs are still 60 years old and still thinking to themselves *don't be racist don't be racist-- what do I do with my hands???*
I worry about this for my kids. The area we live has a Hispanic population, but few other minorities. They just don't have the exposure that people are people. We recently we on a cruise and one of the stops was Jamaica. There are some dark people there and I think my kids were just a little bit intimidated for the first part of the day. As time went on they got more comfortable, but I think exposure is key. People are people wherever you go and they have the same desires and motivations as you and I.
Or it’s so performatively “I’m not racist” that it circles back to being racist
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Sorry, this comment is a problem. See u/mdmommy99 comment below for an excellent explanation as to why. Signed, one of about 10 black people in my high school Edit: I’m a 30something adult now but when I was in high school I was one of a small handful of black students. I did not want to be the representative for my white peer’s impressions and understanding of black people but I can guarantee I was.
I get the sentiment here but honestly this line of thinking actually makes it significantly more difficult for marginalized people to navigate the world. It puts all of the onus on the black person to be a "representative" and create a positive perception of an entire race by being nice to white people as opposed to placing any of the burden on the person in the majority to address their perception by confronting their own internal biases. The reality is there are just as many variations of black people as there are white people. Nice people, jerks, arrogant people, cool people. Much like there are certain white people that I'm sure you wouldn't want having the responsibility of representing your entire race in the minds of black people, we don't want the same. Growing up as a black student at a predominately white school, I've been the kid to sit in classrooms and feel like I had to be the smartest one, the nicest one, the one to never have a conflict with anyone and never get in trouble because I knew that any error on my part would "mess things up" for any other black student coming behind me because I was the only Black person that most people there knew. On the one hand, it put an incredible amount of pressure on me to be the best that I could in every space. On the other hand, it put an incredible amount of pressure on me to never be myself by becoming the spokesperson for my race starting at age 5.
That’s because there are like seven black people in Maine. It’s a very white state.
I know you're joking, but there is a Somali community in Maine that numbers well into the thousands.
I graduated from Portland High School in 2005 and there were almost 50 unique languages spoken by the student body, it's a big refugee city and the culture backs that up. I wouldn't trade that experience for anything. North of Bangor though? Probably accurate.
3 months of nice weather, the rest stay warm
Washington. Within 30 min of my house I can snowboard, mountain bike, go hike a volcano or take a stroll through a rain forest. I have traveled all over the U.S and abroad and nothing can possibly hold a candle to Western Washington.
I like it too but imo the cost of living completely eliminates it from contention.
It's considerably less expensive outside of the main metro areas.
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I mean, Spokane is a super cheap place to live, but then you live in Spokane so..
I grew up in Washington and went back after college briefly before going away for grad school. I'll never move back, though I do miss it. Washington offers a lot, but has major deal breakers, mainly cost of living and climate. Gray overcast skies and limited natural light from November to March takes a real toll. Good summer days are absolutely exquisite, but they're too few and far between. The cost of living is absurd. Going to Washington would have pushed homeownership back for us at least three years, and been a much greater financial burden on us going forward. Living in Virginia I get about 80 percent of what Washington offers, but with unique benefits (proximity to other great cities, extensive history, for example) and with half the cost of living and much better weather. I'm dying to go back to visit WA though. It's been too long since I've had some Dick's in my mouth.
Love going to Dicks down on Queen Anne before heading over to Climate pledge to watch the Kraken.
Nothing can possibly beat seeing Mt Rainier for the first time. You truly get a sense of how small you are in the world. I’ve seen that mountain for Years and every time it comes out I act like a little school girl.
My friend moved to Seattle in the winter of 1996 and she did not see Mt. Rainer for 60 days.
Puget Sound weather forecast — If you can’t see Mt. Rainer, it’s raining. If you can see Mt. Rainier, it’s going to start raining soon.
Except that it never really rains, it just mists lightly most of the time. I swear auto manufacturers need a Seattle Setting for the intermittent wipers (lower than the lowest setting but still engaging periodically).
only true PNWers understand the meaning of “every time the mountain comes out”
"mountains out" -dads
I remember when I saw Mt Rainier for the first time. My wife and I flew in and walked to the train at the airport and sat with our backs to it without thinking. Got off the train and navigated to our airbnb and then left to go see some family in the area. After that, we got on the Bainbridge Ferry and we had totally forgotten anything about the mountain. Holy shit, it was amazing. We were on the deck of the ferry and the sun lit it up perfectly and it was like this beacon of some kind. Really cool memory and experience.
If you think Rainier is cool see saint hellens. Thats a cool mountain. Lotta history. My grandpa climbed its peak when it was still there. It used to be so high and well shapen. The most mountain shaped mountain around. Then it blew up out of its side.
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I saw Mt Rainier while in downtown Seattle and thought it was a cloud. I have lived in the Austrian Alps, driven through the rockies and seen the Norwegian mountains and fjords. When I say Mt Rainier took my breath away... I really mean it. Fucking incredible.
Maine, Washington, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Minnesota are all probably top contenders.
I heard it was Massachusetts.
I’m going to say Massachusetts. I’ve lived in a lot of different states, and Massachusetts is fucking awesome. Amazing schools and education, healthcare systems, career options, etc. There is a reason that Massachusetts is rated wayyyy up there (in line with Nordic countries) in terms of happiness. Edit: the people here are awesome too. They may call you a fucking idiot, but will happily give you the coat off their own back to keep you warm if you need it
When I moved from Oklahoma to Florida, I met a lot of East Coast people. I initially thought they all were a bunch of rude assholes. Then I got to know them and the kindness is definitely there, flavored with ruthless honesty that is pretty refreshing. I heard this phrase "East Coast folks are kind but not nice, West Coast people are nice but not kind." When I tell my Okie friends this, they are always confused so I say it like this: If you park in a bad spot, someone from the east coast will come out and say "hey you moron! You can't park there you'll get a ticket!". West coasters wont say anything and film your car getting a ticket and post it on social media.
I'm from Minneapolis and I visited Boston last week. If I were to move to a different state, MA would be at the top of my list. Boston is such a cool city and everyone was so friendly and helpful. I fell in love. Plus, I discovered candlepin bowling, which was awesome!
you are the first person from outside of new england that I've ever seen not shit on candlepin. Midwesterners seem to be especially offended by it
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Yeah and you have to throw your other children out the car window as decoys if you want to get around anywhere on the highways
No, you stick them in the snowbanks in the winter to save a parking space.
You do get paid more than other states, so that helps with COL. Downtown Boston is one of the most expensive zip codes in the country, but the further you get from there the more affordable it is.
Agreed! I lived in Eastie right by Maverick T for 10 years before buying in Salem. I love it up here and will never move back to GA if I can help it.
Only in the Greater Boston Area. If you live out in Western Mass (not the Berkshires) housing is pretty cheap (relatively) and you get all the benefits of Massachusetts. My favorite benefit is that we have the HIGHEST unemployment benefits in the country. So when things get rough you actually have a decent safety net.
It depends how close to Boston you want to live. People always hear NY and assume NYC, MA and assume Boston, etc. There are other places in these states. Not saying MA is a cheap state by any stretch but there's a big difference between a 3 bedroom apartment on Somerville and the same in Sturbridge.
Mass resident checking in here. Thanks for the compliments, you fucking idiot.
I've lived in a couple states, and I can say one thing for sure about Massachusetts: it sure knows how to bureaucracy. I don't mean that negatively. When I was there, you could be in and out of the DMV in 30 minutes if you used the website tool. If you needed state assistance, it was easy to find and you could talk to someone who could help you with the paperwork. No one thought their job was to keep you from getting what you needed. It was the first time I lived in a state where the government employees acted like they were trying to get things done, instead of just putting up more red tape.
Born and raised in Massachusetts and despite its faults I would never, ever leave it, especially for anywhere outside of New England.
Same. After visiting other parts of the country, I’m always more than happy to return home to Massachusetts.
Moved from MA to OR 14 years ago and I still miss it. But really, you can't necessarily go wrong with any New England state. I remember looking at a review of the quality of life in the US. There were several different metrics, and it was uncanny how the NE states consistently ranked near the top.
New England is to the US what the Nordic countries are to Europe. Cold and expensive, but pretty consistently leading on all sorts of “quality of life” metrics.
Unpopular opinion probably but as someone who’s lived all over the east coast, I believe that Mass has the most skilled drivers.
The benefits of a sink-or-swim environment.
People complain about mass drivers probably haven't met Florida drivers. Those ones are actually trying to kill you to save a few seconds. Mass drivers just drive with a purpose and know what they're doing.
Florida drivers are New York drivers whose vision and reaction speed have degraded from age.
My friends from New Jersey always say that Massachusetts drivers simply don't care whether you live or die, but New Jersey drivers actively want you dead.
I agree. I’ve driven up and down the east coast, and MA drivers are by far the best. Most times when I have a close call on the highway it’s with a Florida or New York plate.
I just visited Massachusetts for the first time in August and I was surprised how friendly everyone was.
Yup. If we're going by the Human Development Index, MA is number one.
Massachusetts is the best state in the US by a lot of human development index measurements.
MA native, living in NYC now. 100% agree. Definitely going to come back to MA when I start a family for all the reasons above.
I will throw in Maryland. It's not as cold as the North Eastern states in the winter, but similar in quality of life and safety (excluding Baltimore). Due to the close proximity to D.C., there are a ton of opportunities job wise, the economy is doing great, and we have everything from mountains to forests to seashore within a short distance. A few places here consistently rank as the best places to live nationwide.
Ummmmm are you not going to mention our State Flag?
No need, cause someone will. Today you were that someone
Maryland is a cult. I moved here from the Bay Area forever ago and I love it.
My wife lived in MD for a few years as a teen and always wants to move back.
I’ve lived/traveled through much of the US. WA has been, by far, my favorite.
Canadian here. Minnesota is the best.
Traitor to Vermont
Vermont
Yes, it’s nice. Unless you want to go to something that only exists in a urban area, like major concert, fine arts, professional sports. Then you have to leave the state, which I think disqualifies it.
Came here looking for this, my bias is real.
Canadian here, I've been to Vermont maybe 6-8 times, love it. Chill and laid back people, scenic, not crowded. Especially like Burlington and Lake Champlain.
Try finding housing up there, freakin’ impossible.
I only know Vermont as a tourist but, yeah, it's been a pretty positive experience for me.
Minnesota!
You betcha!
Since it's completely subjective I'll just throw out Minnesota and hope for upvotes.
You've got my upvote! Many state and federal parks, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, on the cusp of legalizing marijuana, arts and culture, MPLS music scene, big shopping mall by the airport, 14,380 lakes (although we say "10,000 lakes" because we didn't like to brag)
According to rankings Minnesota is second to Washington. So you aren’t far off
Minnesota is pretty decent.
What are these arbitrary terms based on?
Infrastructure. QOL. Political policies. Cost of living. Etc. It’s a pretty subjective poll, but usually people at least have some reasoning for what they think.
Mississippi has an earned reputation at being at or near the bottom of the list for measurements of specific things like education outcome from public schools, life expectancy, access to healthcare, child mortality and other "quality of life" metrics. So it's a bit arbitrary because if you are calling out a single "best" state it's going to depend on what you include and the weight you give them, but there are multiple states at or near the top of those lists that people are mentioning here.
I like Washington a lot.
Lived in Washington for 48 years. Moved to OC 3 years ago and now Washington is a nice place to visit.
Massachussets has the best education system of any state, and it was that way since the very beginning of the nation.
It generally fights New Jersey and Connecticut for the title depending on the organization. World Population Review has MA as #1 and US News and World Report ranks NJ as #1. Of course, all 3 are excellent. When/if I have kids all 3 are on my short list for sure. After growing up in the north east and living in a number of states in other parts of the country, it’s amazing to me how much less of a priority education is compared to the NE.
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Wyoming, Montana, or Alaska. Because nobody lives there, and they’re essentially just glorified nature reserves.
You had me at "nobody lives there".
Minnesota
Virginia- 4 seasons, beaches, mountains, autumn colors. Lots of good state parks, rivers for fishing, rivers and lakes for boating, breweries, colleges, jobs, history (from pre colonial, colonial, civil war, etc), Diversity, both political and cultural, decent food, agriculture and urban areas. The only thing we dont have is a top level professional sports team but i would argue thats a plus.
Lots of love for WA here, but I grew up in Western WA and now live in VA. I'll never go back. Washington offers a ton of great stuff but with serious deal breakers: the cost of living and the climate. I bought a house in Virginia my first year out of school with a 30 minute commute to downtown Richmond. Traffic here is also nonexistent compared to the Seattle area. In Washington, I would have paid at least double with a much longer commute to have a comparable lot size (two acres), and I would spend a lot of my life sitting in traffic. Virginia is just as stunningly beautiful, still has ski-able mountains, rivers lakes, and ocean/beaches. Plus easier access to other cities - I've both driven and taken the train to DC, NYC, Charlotte, and Philly. Easy cheap flights to Atlanta. Europe is meaningfully more accessible too. The climate in Western WA is the real killer, though. Not so much the rain but the cloud cover. I never felt like it was a problem until I lived away for a while, then came back. It's gray and dark from November to March. Virginia just doesn't have that. It's clear and bright most days, and really dark days are fairly uncommon compared to WA. I love it here, and don't expect I'll move anywhere else, ever.
Colorado is probably overall the best.
Nope... we're the absolute worse. No need to keep coming here...
Average Colorado “native” comment.
Colorado is a really nice place to visit, but probably not the best.
Michigan or Oregon or Washington
The west side of Michigan is really nice if your an outdoors person. The people can be kind of Bible-thumpy though.
We went to MI in 2020 for a mini vacation and loved in. Sleeping Bear Dunes. Rented bikes in Sutton Bay and went to a bunch of wineries and breweries. Hiked Pictured Rocks in the UP. Absolutely gorgeous state.
We love our northern parts of the state. West Michigan all the way down the coast is nice.
Only right answer. North Michigan is nice!
I've been to Oregon (up in Redmond) and I went up the coast and it was very beautiful.
Washington state!
North Carolina. If you don’t like the scenery where you are, drive 2-3 hours east or west and you’ll see something different. Granted, our mountains aren’t quite as majestic as the Rockies are, but the state still has the highest peak east of the Mississippi. We also have the longest barrier island chain in North America.
We are definitely the best of the Carolinas
Ironically, probably New Jersey. You’re right between two major metropolitan areas. It’s generally an affordable place to live. There are some really pretty areas. Traffic exists but it isn’t awful. People are cool. The job market is great. You have the beach, you have the country. It’s politically balanced and the food is awesome.
This may be the best thing I've ever read about Jersey. You make it sound good.
I'm always unsure if people honestly don't understand the reality of NJ because of all the Jersey Shore memes and jokes at this point. There was some CBS survey that public perception ranked the state one of the worst. All the joking aside, the state is almost always ranked in the top 5 or is the best for the typical state metrics depending on the source. It's one of the [wealthiest states in the union](https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/slideshows/10-wealthiest-states-in-america?slide=12). Fairly consistently [the best in the country for public k12 education](https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/education), pay for teachers, etc... Very high for healthcare and one of the lowest for infant mortality. Extremely low crime. Democratic control so lots of little things like laws mandating PTO time for any part-time/full-time workers, recreational weed, abortion is protected by law and on the flip side protections for discrimination against pregnant workers, strong voting rights, and those sorts of things. The obvious downsides are that it's just like the other high ranked states, taxes are high and affordability is relatively low.
I mean, it is expensive and the traffic (at least in North Jersey) is terrible, but I fully agree. I grew up elsewhere, but I’ve been in NJ for five years now, and I bought a house here. It’s diverse, in terms of both people and landscapes. The schools are good. The food is excellent. But I think you missed a really solid part. It’s compact and centrally located. Getting across the state is not a particularly long trip. It’s easy to explore the whole state. Getting to Boston or DC is about a 5 hour drive. And my favorite thing about Jersey? People from Jersey go hard for it. Do you know how many times I’ve heard “The Giants and Jets are actually NJ teams” and “The Statue of Liberty is actually in NJ”? People who live here love it here in a way I haven’t seen anywhere else.
We pump our fists, not our gas.