[JayGould]

I am thinking of perhaps building a house, find a wife and start a family in a few years. Thinking of either:

1. Los Angeles
2. San Diego
3. Las Vegas
4. Phoenix

I want to stay in either California, Nevada or Arizona because of the climate.

Money is no problem, I can afford to live the best life in either of these cities. Los Angeles is obviously the most international city and with the most to offer, but the negatives as I see it are: 1. High taxes 2. Mentality (not a good place to have your kids grow up and probably not a good place to find a housewife).

My thinking with Las Vegas and Phoenix are that they seem to be transient cities, lacking a sense of community. Maybe I'm wrong about that though. Inputs?

[Jetset]

I have many of the same decisions in front of me and have been evaluating them for a while.

It's great that money is no problem, but no reason to throw it away, either. You seem to be well-aware of the tax differential.

In my view, Las Vegas has a narrow, working-class economy. Phoenix is a larger city with a stronger middle-class and a little more to offer culturally, and you can find a "Los Angeles Lite" lifestyle in the Scottsdale area if that's what you want. Yes, it can be somewhat transient, but I do think that you can find community if you choose the more established cities - like Scottsdale.

If you're favoring California for any reason, I'd say San Diego is an order of magnitude higher on the list than Los Angeles, but you might also consider Santa Barbara or even Temecula.

[J. Spice]

>find a wife

Well, there go LA and Vegas as options.

San Diego is beautiful, has a perfect climate, friendly people, and higher quality women than LA. Girls move to LA to become famous. Girls move to San Diego because they like the beach. There's also a heavy military presence to counterbalance all the filthy hippies. I was stationed in SD for a few months and try to make it back to visit friends as often as I can.

I've never been to Phoenix so I can't really speculate, but I have a few friends that live there and they've been begging me to move out.

[scrambled]

How is the ratio in San Diego though with all the military dudes there and NAS fighter pilot heros? I thought LA has more hotties due to the acting industry.

[J. Spice]

(02-21-2017 09:37 AM)scrambled Wrote:  

How is the ratio in San Diego though with all the military dudes there and NAS fighter pilot heros? I thought LA has more hotties due to the acting industry.

The ratio is pretty even. If you avoid the primary military hangouts you'll be fine. LA probably does have more hotties, but LA girls are a different breed. They have their bitch shields up for everyone who isn't their key to stardom.

[QuitoBandito]

Given your criteria (wife, family life), I would say strike LA and Vegas from the list. San Diego has awesome people and Phoenix has super low cost of living and great nature stuff. Prob better schools and whatnot in San Diego.

[This Is Trouble]

5. None of the above.

West coast is the home of Hollywood and all the drama, shallow-ness, and bitchiness that comes with it. All terrible housewife traits.

Phoenix is your best bet but if you want to *find* someone there, I'd probably reconsider. There are exceptions everywhere, but hedge your odds.

[yankeetravels]

I've never been to the western US but from what I hear, I think you should consider Denver if you don't mind the cold. In my opinion, Denver is on the rise and quickly becoming the new hotness in the United States. I think because Colorado struck first on legalized marijuana, that new state income is seriously going to benefit those stationed there and raise the cost of living in a few years. If money's not an issue, Denver could be worth investing in for real estate. Not to mention it's honestly a very neutral state politically and one of the hubs for third party voters in addition to a split of the main parties.

[QuitoBandito]

I second that Denver and Colorado are pretty awesome places that will have great people and a great environment to live in. It does get quite cold in the winter though, idk how important that part is to you.

[StackGsMan]

I've been to all 4 cities and you have to realize that you picked cities that are as different as possible considering they are located in the same region.

Give some more details about what you want out of a city and it will be easier for people here to give you good advice.

My thoughts (without knowing more specifically what you care about):

Los Angeles: Obviously the biggest and most diverse on your list. Beaches, mountains, city life. You can do just about anything here that is available in the US. I've lived in LA and all I can say is it is very diverse. You don't have to live or associate with any given type of person as there are many different neighborhoods. The city is relatively cheap compared to other major cities in the world. Obviously the weather is spectacular. OC, SFV, SGV, DTLA, West LA, and tons of other areas that are completely different from one another.

San Diego: I've only been here a couple of times, but to me it is a smaller, more laid back, and more conservative version of LA minus the entertainment business. It is hard to believe, but the weather is even better than LA. Great beaches.

Las Vegas: I don't know much about this city outside of the party portions of it. I would imagine it is far from being cosmopolitan outside of the fact that you have tourists from all over the world that visit. No idea why a married man with kids would move here specifically unless you like to gamble and party.

Phoenix: I have a close friend that moved there recently. He has described it, or more specifically Scottsdale where he lives, as having very friendly people and lots of hotties. Apparently Old Town Scottsdale has a better nightlife environment than anything he has experienced in Texas, where he previously lived. The cost of living is also very cheap.

[Jetset]

(02-21-2017 02:42 PM)yankeetravels Wrote:  

I've never been to the western US but from what I hear, I think you should consider Denver if you don't mind the cold. In my opinion, Denver is on the rise and quickly becoming the new hotness in the United States. I think because Colorado struck first on legalized marijuana, that new state income is seriously going to benefit those stationed there and raise the cost of living in a few years. If money's not an issue, Denver could be worth investing in for real estate. Not to mention it's honestly a very neutral state politically and one of the hubs for third party voters in addition to a split of the main parties.

Denver's very cool, although I know some people feel isolated there, where Phoenix/Vegas/Los Angeles/San Diego are all easy driving to each other. (Maybe OP's lifestyle doesn't make that an issue, though.)

I'd note that real estate in Denver is already quite high. Between interest rates and a pending immigration crackdown, this might not be the time to bet on real estate in the southwest.

[Kid Twist]

Arizona seemed to always have the SoCal type girls that weren't from ... California. I guess the only thing that would be a worry more than anything would be the potential cock carousel they rode during college, given their proximity to SoCal, Vegas, and the college lifestyle ...

[kaotic]

(02-21-2017 08:48 AM)JayGould Wrote:  

2. San Diego

4. Phoenix

Scratching LA is obvious, Las Vegas because like was mentioned, transient popualation.

Chicks get ran through and spit out there, only to settle down with a "nice guy" (who of course doesn't know her history.

They hit the the wall or can't compete with hotter girls so they "settle" for a white collar job till mr right comes along.

Every girl I knew that moved hopped from dick to dick, did drugs, and either moved back or settled.

No way in hell would I look for a legit girl out there.

(02-21-2017 09:21 AM)Jetset Wrote:  

If you're favoring California for any reason, I'd say San Diego is an order of magnitude higher on the list than Los Angeles, but you might also consider Santa Barbara or even Temecula.

I'd agree with San Diego on this, it's a way mellower city, I've always had a good vibe there, it's cleaner and friendlier.

Santa Barbara is questionable, reason being is UCSB is in close proximity along with SBCC both are party schools, most of life revolves around those schools. Travesty can tell you about how many bitches he ran through up there.

Temecula is weird, between OC and SD, it doesn't have much to offer, but alot of people are down to that area for cheaper house and commute to SD. I guess it's okay, the girls are alright.

(02-21-2017 06:55 PM)StackGsMan Wrote:  

Phoenix: I have a close friend that moved there recently. He has described it, or more specifically Scottsdale where he lives, as having very friendly people and lots of hotties. Apparently Old Town Scottsdale has a better nightlife environment than anything he has experienced in Texas, where he previously lived. The cost of living is also very cheap.

Scottsdale is fun, it's an up and coming Silicon Valley in its own right, you won't find many fast food joints there, matter of fact there's regulations on them. Gyms/Yoga/Crossfit galore all over downtown, nice places to eat, some people call it "Snobbsdale" reason being there's alot of money there.

Old Town is fun, been there plenty of times, it's like Las Vegas, no gambling but fun and 1/3 the cost - the girls are hot.

You can thank ASU and UofA for that - Scottsdale is a grown up version of Tempe - which is in the heart of ASU.

I'll write more about the importance of this below.

(02-22-2017 11:50 AM)Kid Twist Wrote:  

Arizona seemed to always have the SoCal type girls that weren't from ... California. I guess the only thing that would be a worry more than anything would be the potential cock carousel they rode during college, given their proximity to SoCal, Vegas, and the college lifestyle ...

Ding ding ding !

Major red flag right there - they do indeed attract the SoCal Types, after all ASU is a party along with UofA.

Tons of girls get ran through at any party school. This would be a big factor - anytime a girl said she went to UCSB, SDSU, or ASU I always smile knowing that it's a slut tell.

Stay weary of things like that.



Phoenix in general over all is pretty cool and friendly - I just can't stand the fucking heat out there during the summer.

[Jetset]

(02-22-2017 12:20 PM)kaotic Wrote:  

Phoenix in general over all is pretty cool and friendly - I just can't stand the fucking heat out there during the summer.

Agreeing with all you wrote. I'm not sure what OP's situation is and whether or not he's location-independent, so commute could be a big factor for him. (Temecula seems interesting if you don't need to fly much and can work from home, but terrible otherwise.)

To the above point, you can always join the mass summer migration to San Diego with everybody else in Phoenix, or head into the mountains, or if you're staying in town just hit a chilled pool at dawn and dusk.

Plus, the girls wear, well, hardly anything at all during the summer. Point being, you've got options.

[Hoser]

Have lived in SoCal (Orange County Beach city), Temecula, and Phoenix. Cousins live in Denver.

L.A. is for brown people.If you're White, you'd better be a hipster who's Feeling the Bern, or LA will suffocate you and make you feel unwelcome. Lawless hedonists only.

OC is marginally better, with some enclaves of Conservative Whites to be found. There are very few Jews in OC, curiously; almost every SoCal Jew is in LA.

In both LA and OC, image is everything. In other words, the reputation for people being "shallow" is totally deserved (I didn't realize this until I moved to Phoenix and found myself shocked at how down-to-earth and even nice people seemed).

San Diego is something of a hidden gem in CA. It's the only city there, apart from San Francicko, that has a downtown that a person might want to live in. Neighborhoods are fairly well separated by demographic, so you can find somewhere that feels comfortable (i.e., people like you). Weather is perfect. SD is more built up like a city than is, say, LA, but it's not as dense and overpopulated as SF.

Temecula is a bedroom community, nothing more. The only thing to do there is raise a family and go to the (impressive) shopping mall. It's fairly White. Tons of jacked up pickup trucks. When I was there a little over a decade ago, locals called it the Bible Belt of California. Expect an hour to 90 minutes' drive to anything resembling city life or amenities. Again, one large mall, that's it. Well, and a small but nice "Wineland", where one can get tipsy with one's wife, or find a bleached blonde tipsy divorcee and her pack of identical-looking MILF girlfriends to hit on.

That's it for California. Please note that ALL CA choices come with oppressive Leftist Sacramento politics affecting your freedoms every day, high prices for everything from gas, groceries, to real estate (eek), and crappy state taxes. Also, try to time your move so you arrive AFTER the Big One hits.

Denver is a high-elevation California (or perhaps more accurately, a high-elevation Portland, OR, with slightly fewer street urchins, due to the cold winters). Politics lean very Leftist. People are outdoorsy, which is a plus, but many also can't separate the outdoors from their Gaia the Earth Mother worship.

Vegas is Sin City, and grimy AF. Even the much-lauded family-friendly suburbs, whose residents boast that they never go near The Strip, are merely suburbs, with all the blandness that attends suburban living. Unless you're raising a family and have tons of family and friends nearby, it will be unbearable to someone who craves even the slightest bit of adventure.

Phoenix is something of the "Mama Bear" in this list. It has just enough city to feel like a city, not just suburban sprawl (there's plenty of that, too). There are indeed many cultural outings to be had, and there's a ton of pro sports, if that's your thing. Cost of living is quite manageable, and there are many industries in which to seek work. You can find a neighborhood whose demographics suit you. There's a college party scene in Tempe, a yoga-yuppie party scene in Scottsdale, and golf galore. Winters are perfect, even better IMO than in Hawaii (I've lived there, too). AZ has fairly good laws if you're into Constitutional freedoms. The only drawback is, of course, the 4 to 6 months of relentless heat each year, when even at night it's too hot to get exercise outside.

Conclusion: you'll never find the perfect place to live. But you can avoid the most obviously flawed places.

[Jetset]

(02-22-2017 02:49 PM)Hoser Wrote:  

find a bleached blonde tipsy divorcee and her pack of identical-looking MILF girlfriends to hit on.

That's a feature, not a bug.

[giama]

(02-21-2017 08:48 AM)JayGould Wrote:  

I am thinking of perhaps building a house, find a wife and start a family in a few years. Thinking of either:

1. Los Angeles
2. San Diego
3. Las Vegas
4. Phoenix

I want to stay in either California, Nevada or Arizona because of the climate.

Money is no problem, I can afford to live the best life in either of these cities. Los Angeles is obviously the most international city and with the most to offer, but the negatives as I see it are: 1. High taxes 2. Mentality (not a good place to have your kids grow up and probably not a good place to find a housewife).

My thinking with Las Vegas and Phoenix are that they seem to be transient cities, lacking a sense of community. Maybe I'm wrong about that though. Inputs?

Good position to be in, are you only considering in the USA?

Just wondered if south america is out of the question for you?

[buja]

(02-22-2017 12:32 PM)Jetset Wrote:  

To the above point, you can always join the mass summer migration to San Diego with everybody else in Phoenix

Great, more Zonies crowding the beaches in the summer!

Actually, I'd rather have summer tourists who leave than all the low value people who move in.

The OP (and his future family) is someone who I'm sure will be a net benefit.

[buja]

Quote:

Just wondered if south america is out of the question for you?

There are parts of Chile with weather similar to San Diego...but without the aforementioned Sacramento stupidity...and the Feds for that matter.

Not to mention...a much higher quality selection of women.

However...there is the language barrier and cultural issues.

But if you want to have a solid family life, it will be a much better place to raise kids.

Some expats describe Chile as like living in the US in the 40s or 50s

[giama]

yeh, if i was in his position, id opt for South America, thats what im trying to do in the next 24 months.

i take it this guy is doing well which gives him even greater leverage, i hear $100,000 a year salary in Latin America, is like $400,000 a year salary in los Angeles.

Your money goes 3 to 6 times further depending on what it is, Food, restaurants, housekeeper, and culturally the woman are going to be doing the dishes and the washing up and treating you better.

I would not want to deal with American women, tens of thousands of guys leave the USA to find better wives. But the world is your oyster, go where makes you happy.

[Monty_Brogan]

If money is TRULY no problem, then it's CA hands down. But not LA or SD, IMO. I'd chose Irvine or Laguna Beach. People talk all they want about the illegal problem in CA, but Irvine is one of THE whitest and cleanest places I've ever been to in the USA.

Although, if you truly have the coin to be building a house in the cities you mentioned, I'd rather buy up some land in MT or WY and build a compound there and visit the rest throughout the year.

[Easy_C]

If you want a major city? My first advice would to be change your mind. Other option I'd suggest would be Denver.

Wife hunting in the US is hard wherever you search. I think that "location" will matter a lot less than being able to use your social game skills to find the kind of woman who doesn't get out much.

[puckerman]

I have really liked Albuquerque. I have visited it twice. It was easy to get around. It has the nicest airport I've visited. There is a lot of recycling.

Elevation is the biggest adjustment. It's over 6,000 feet.

It also hasn't been ruined by California people. I have talked to its residents, and they don't seem to know why. They are grateful that it hasn't been discovered yet.

I am surprised nobody here has mentioned it.

[Jetset]

(02-23-2017 08:21 PM)puckerman Wrote:  

I have really liked Albuquerque. I have visited it twice. It was easy to get around. It has the nicest airport I've visited. There is a lot of recycling....I am surprised nobody here has mentioned it.

ABQ is fine, but it's smallish like Las Vegas and more isolated. Generally, also, a reputation for higher crime/poverty/drugs compared to PHX.

Not a thing wrong with the weather and scenery, though. Like so many things, the suitability of it depends on what you want out of life.

If you're making long-term plans, it's worth considering that NM taxes social security income, which may make your income tax liabilities in retirement as high or higher in Albuquerque than in San Diego or Los Angeles.

[Orson]

Tucson. Perhaps not at first, given all that PHX has to offer.

But having family there, and seeing summer there - the climate in summer is much much better in Tucson because of the higher elevation - I couldn't live in PHX, long-term.

Plus, you're still close enough to PHX when ya get itchy. And in Tucson there's a military element like SD - but smaller.

Plus, the vibe of Tuscon is like an older version of Glendale (ASU), Scottsdale (Old Town), etc, all rolled into one you can leave or take because the area is smaller.