I would have been surprised by Minnesota being on the list of best places until I went and interviewed for a job in Minneapolis.

I was shocked at how much I liked it. Took a day and drove around looking at potential places to live and was shocked by how nice it was, how easy the commutes were and what it was like after you got outside the city itself. Lakes everywhere. Many with beaches. Had a beautiful lunch along the river in Stillwater.

Just seemed like a chill, great place to live with tons to do, tons of nature and outdoor space to enjoy and good food.

Also, the entire city burned to the ground when the police assaulted the George Floyd protesters, according to Republicans.

#6 | Posted by snoofy

Oh it's true. When driving on the interstates I had to weave around burned out shells of cars with charred skeletons inside and avoid the bandits emerging from the burned out neighborhoods,still smoking and collapsing.

But once you passed the checkpoints into the suburbs and dodged the roving bands of big hairy dudes wearing chaps and old school hockey goalie masks it was alright.

I would have thought hairy dudes in chaps would have sparked memories of Portland.

Re: upstate NY

Depends on where you go. Most of it is just Alabama in the north east. Economic deserts filled with service job slaves, meth heads and old cars on blocks filled lawns.

There are some bright spots. Lake George is and will always be the place I get a second home if I ever choose to go that route. Not the town itself (touristy), but near it. Between the lake being stunningly beautiful and the easy access to the Adirondacks, it's a fantastic place. The capital region is also quite nice in general.

Buffalo is turning it around some and the lake is a nice draw, but getting away from the lake into the interior gets Alabama-y.

Central NY/Finger Lakes is also a beautiful place with some quaint towns (ie Watkins Glen).

But no, NYC metro area would be unbearable to live in for me.