Bend, OR vs Provo, UT vs Orange County, CA

[joetron]

So you're vacationing in Utah with your recruiter?

Yeah, I've lived here long enough to get it. The tribe that wants to live in a house exactly like their neighbors, whose "keeping up with the Joneses" mentality is the worlds strongest, loves having a chain restaurant on every corner, and has never traveled out of the state other than to Disney. That tribe thinks that Ogden is a ghetto and Utah county is some kind of mecca.

This is Utah, it's "keeping up with the Smiths".

[Bromontana]

Bend Oregon has much better weed than Utah. they also has Volcanoes.

[54-46]

If you like Californians, then go to Bend and buy a small place with no stairs.

We're all going to retire there anyway and you'll end up with a nice profit if you have to sell.

[boarddad]

It took me a full year to learn this, but SoCal is not one big place, but a collection of 1000 smaller places. You think the people are D-bags where you are? Move 10-15 miles in a different direction and you'll find something more to your liking.

That said...

SoCal was where I ended up, not where I chose. Like it, don't love it, never have and probably never will. The jobs are here though - can't really change that.

The LDS thing has kept me out of UT which sucks because I really love It there.

Agree with others about Bend. I doubt the job market is anywhere near as good as the hype, and that's not that good to begin with.

Have you considered Denver? That could be a good fit for your background.

[KQ]

Have you considered Alaska?