there is no sun here, it is crime ridden and expensive, plus overpopulated.

it is bad, very bad, do not move to California.

:')

 "there is no sun here, it is crime ridden and expensive, plus overpopulated."

I think you're refering to NYC.

So. Cal...

It may be hell, but it's the best hell we've got. Lived in Seattle from 90-97. San Diego from 97-2000. Back to Seattle 2000-2003 and now I'm on Long Island. As soon as we finish grad school we're back to So. Cal. Santa Barbara would be the first choice, then San Diego.

I hear Bend, OR is nice. Warmer, drier, smaller, plenty of tri related activities.

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Justin in Austin, get it? :)

Cool races:
- Redman
- Desoto American Triple T

"there is no sun here, it is crime ridden and expensive, plus overpopulated. it is bad, very bad, do not move to California."

what you said.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Yeah, expensive, but salaries are higher. Crowded, maybe. A totally thriving and vibrant tri scene. Yeah.

In an ideal world where I had piles of money, I'd split time between here (SF), Sonoma County, north county San Diego and New Zealand (in our winter/their summer). Move back to the Midwest? No way. Anywhere else in the US? No way. (OK, maybe Austin.)

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

I am a transplanted New Yorker. I've lived in So. Cal for over 30 years (with a brief hiatus in the Bay Area for grad school). While you can't beat the weather and it's a wonderful place for tri-related activities, living here just gets tougher and tougher. Don't get me wrong. There is no way I would ever go back to the Big Apple. But if any of you are paying attention to the disaster of what's going on in Sacramento with the state budget, you have to be thinking about another place to live. I guess if you're a student it's not too bad. But if you want to buy a house, or you're trying to figure out how to get a decent eduction for your kids w/o selling a body part, or driving on the freeways, or trying to stay employed, on top of more taxes on EVERYTHING.... Sorry, I was losing control. Austin huh?

How about New Mexico? Warm winter with lots of sun. Biggest down side is that the schools suck unless you go the private route. Tri scene is small but dedicated and close knit. A lot of great races in the area with a whole lot of other outdoor stuff to do. You can train year 'round. You can race pretty much year 'round too.

Taxes are pretty low. Land can be cheap depending on where you want it. Traffic is not a big factor yet. Look at this link below for a Fantasy write up of Albuquerque.

http://www.transitiontimes.com/...;ett2local=newmexico

Rusty

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"Strategy? The strategy was in the preparation" - Lance Armstrong after winning 2000 TDF

just wait until Joe (Gray) Davis announces that he is going to triple our car tax, likely this week, hard to believe that the fifth largest enconomy in the world has Howdy Doody at the helm.








Gary

Washington State isn't a whole lot better. Boeing will be GONE in 10 to 15 years (relocated to a more biz friendly state). Our state government doesn't seem to understand you can't tax the shit out of businesses and expect them to stay around. The only thing keeping our economy afloat is migration into the state which has been keeping real estate inflating. This inturn gives people equity with which to get more loans on so they can buy monolithic SUV's and chrome toilets (Harley-Davidsons). If home values begin to soften, look out. Back in the Seventies, there were billboards up saying "Will the last person to leave Seattle please turn out the lights." It could be time to get those billboards out again.

Oh yeah, guess what? It's raining outside as I type this :(

Brett

Vive Canada!!! And especially Quebec!

No traffic, cheaper house, cheaper education and great outdoor...

Oh yeah, there's winter but x-country skiing is great.

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Richard

"You're only young once, but you can be immature forever" - Larry Andersen

Are you kidding? Montreal's traffic is not light by any means. The food is awsome in Montreal. The women are top-shelf and come complete with French accents--YUM!

I was watching a fight once when a hockey game broke out...

just wait until Joe (Gray) Davis announces that he is going to triple our car tax, likely this week, hard to believe that the fifth largest enconomy in the world has Howdy Doody at the helm

Weird. I thought Howdy Doody was in charge of the LARGEST economy in the world. Or is it Mr. Ed?

Oh, tripled car tax! Wahh!!!! Washington already had that one for many years. It was repealed/changed a few years ago and became similar to CA's. Only problem was that mass transit was cut, road repairs were cut, road improvements were cut. All the rich people saved $50 a year, but now you can't get from place in Seattle to another. Such a deal. I'll take SD's roads & traffic over Seattle's any day.

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Justin in Austin, get it? :)

Cool races:
- Redman
- Desoto American Triple T

Went to Montreal on vacation with my wife... awesome city, great food, tons to do, good people watching, inexpensive (strong US dollar) and firendly people

yes and the french accents are very cute

Traffic? Haven't you guys heard of *public transportation*? For about 1/4 the price of a parking spot downtown (I'm comparing monthly passes), Le Metro gets you to go everywhere you want at 45 miles per hour.

Taku, my accent isn't that cute ...

Dre'

"How about New Mexico?"

Coming from the Great Lakes area in the Great White North I couldn't get used to the monotony of the desert while living in the southern part of the state. Missed the big lakes, forests and change of season. If I lived there again it probably would be easier for me in the mountains of the northern part of the state.

<Oh, tripled car tax! Wahh!!!! Washington already had that one for many years. It was repealed/changed a few years ago and became similar to CA's. Only problem was that mass transit was cut, road repairs were cut, road improvements were cut. All the rich people saved $50 a year, but now you can't get from place in Seattle to another. Such a deal. I'll take SD's roads & traffic over Seattle's any day. >

Beleive me, Seattle's traffic problems existed long before the license tab inititive. While there are certainly a lot of grey ponytail ex-hippies in the Puget Sound area, you will not get them out of their Volvos and onto some mass transit system.

Brett

Yeah...what everyone else said. It sucks here. Stay away ;-)

Coming from a transplanted Chicagoan, if the 10 million people don't annoy you, the worst air in the country, the worst places to drive (L.A./Orange County), a tanked economy, a political system that ranks about the lowest on the scale you could get (note: coming from the "Land of Politics" in Chicago, we could probably put a kindergarten teacher on the ballot, get them elected, and have them do better than these boneheads), education which ranks in the bottom 5 of the country, crime that is approaching the highest in the country, english will soon be a 2nd language, and worst of all..

The races are so expensive we can't even afford to race...

With that said, it's 65 (cold for THEM here)...so maybe I'll try and suffer through this miserable life on my bike for a few hours

;-D

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Craig Preston - President / Preston Presentations
Saving the world with more professional, powerful, and persuasive presentations - one audience at a time.

love the one your with. dallas is the place to be. it is the heart of the texas music scene with some ungodly talent. the beer mucho fantastic and the tex-mex tastes of heaven. the women are beyond perfect. love them texas women.

that is just me though. if someone doesn't like where they live then they should move.

canada. gives me the chills.

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customerjon @gmail.com is where information happens.

Customerjon... I read your post, but I'm sure you meant to type "Austin", and instead typed "Dallas" by mistake.

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___________________________________



http://irondad06.blogspot.com/

http://irondad.blogspot.com/

there is a piece in the heart of every dallasite that wants to be in austin. austin is texas. austin is a vision. i was born in dallas though and this is where i have put my roots. just a half militer below austin.

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customerjon @gmail.com is where information happens.

Timberwolf, I agree with you on Mtl traffic (like dr. Dre said, there's alway's the metro) but when I think of paradise, I think more of Quebec city. Montreal is also great but still not Quebec even if some people find qc city to small.

It's funny, I've alway's thought about going to Seatle or Portland for a while...great outdoor close by. But reading the comments in this thread I'm not so sure it's a good idea after all.

Anyway, the grass is always greener somewhere else but only when you move you see it's not that green!

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Richard

"You're only young once, but you can be immature forever" - Larry Andersen

<Timberwolf, I agree with you on Mtl traffic (like dr. Dre said, there's alway's the metro) but when I think of paradise, I think more of Quebec city. Montreal is also great but still not Quebec even if some people find qc city to small. >

I never made it out of Montreal when I visited. Frankly, I was happy right in downtown. I never saw so many fine women per kilometer, ate so much quality food and enjoyed the nightlife quite like I did in Montreal. It was right before the vote to separate or not and I found the people were incredibly friendly towards this All-American redneck.

<It's funny, I've alway's thought about going to Seatle or Portland for a while...great outdoor close by. But reading the comments in this thread I'm not so sure it's a good idea after all.>

Don't let my whining discourage you. In reality, the Pacific NW is a beautiful area. What makes it beautiful is the rain, it keeps everything green (it's really a coating of moss on everything). When the Sun does come out for the two or three weeks in August/September, it is very dramatic. I've lived here for 20+ years and am tired of the rain and very short Summers. To an outsider, there is a lot to enjoy about the Northwest.

Some people have to contend with heat related emergencies during a race. I have to worry about hypothermia. A race for me typically involves comming out of a 60 degree F lake, jumping on my bike and hitting 20+ mph in 55 to 60 degree air. I would be much faster on the bike if I wasn't shivering so hard I can't keep a straight line. I would love to draft, not for the speed advantage but to warm up. I can't wait for the run, that is when I finally thaw out.

Brett

Can't believe nobody has extolled the tri-virtues of Arizona ... not Phoenix, maybe Tucson, but definitely the more rural areas of the state.

I live in Altadena, which is just above Pasadena. Yesterday was a good day: 6am swim at a local outdoor pool (one of 4 within 10 minutes of my house--this cost a whopping $1.00). Lunchtime meeting in Santa Monica--2+ hour commute at 7am, 45 minutes at 10:30 am. Back inland by 3 & running at Monrovia Canyon park--saw a bear (and not just a glimpse, followed him for 10+ minutes as he was on the fireroad & in no hurry to get out of my way). Ran 2 hours, 2500 ft elevation gain up into the San Gabriels, didn't see a single person the entire time. Cool & foggy running thru the forest. Got locked in (the park closes at 5 & the bear delayed my loop) but officer friendly was there in 10 minutes to open the gate. Back home in 15 minutes, out the door again to a business dinner....3 star restaurant 14 minutes from my door.

It gets smoggy here for about 3 months in the summer (no afternoon biking), and as hot as the sun in August/September, but coming from the Midwest it is paradise. That being said, anyone who chooses to live on LA's westside, or in the traffic hell-hole that is OC, will experience the worst that SoCal has to offer (but also the best w/the beach---but for us thats a 40 min drive).

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____________
"There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs." John Rogers

<Can't believe nobody has extolled the tri-virtues of Arizona ... not Phoenix, maybe Tucson, but definitely the more rural areas of the state. >

I'm all ears my friend!

Our former head lifeguard is from Flagstaff, he talked it up pretty good.

Flag is 7,000 feet, so outdoors in the winter is pretty raw, but the town has quite a few decent triathletes. Summers have cool mornings and warm afternoons. I live at 3,500 and run in a t-shirt most winter days. Summers are hot, but dry. A few good age-groupers live in Sierra Vista in the south and Kingman in the north. But of course, those towns don't have an opera house. Tucson is a winter training site for pros.

Hmmm. I may have to do some recon later this year...

Opera-shmopera. You're talking to a guy who has seen "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" over a dozen times. My roommate and I can quote the entire movie.

After spending 3 years in North Dakota I do not ever want to leave Cali. I do have to agree that LA sucks but there is so much more to this state than the major cities. Real estate and car taxes are outrageously expensive. I guess those bastards up in Sacramento take advantage of all this place has to offer and figure they can make us pay for it and that we will (which we do) since we don't want to leave.

Soooo, those of you considering moving over here, don't, its horrible, ugly, bad, too expensive etc Stay away!! See if you can take the governor with you!

Well I agree with you that the southern part on New Mexico is a desert that seems to just go on and on, but it is still beautiful there. If you can't get past the desert lifstyle you could go up to the Northern part of the state say by Taos (generally expensive but not as bad as elsewhere) or Chama, or Las Vegas. Vegas has a lake nearby that ususally runs a real great Tri in July. The north can get cold in the winter but not anything like Michigan, Ohio, etc. Plus there wuill be days that are very warm and sunny in the middle of winter Either way you can train outdoors pretty much year 'round in all parts of the state (except days like today when the wind is blowing 50+mph...today is a good LSD swim day!)

Happy training

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"Strategy? The strategy was in the preparation" - Lance Armstrong after winning 2000 TDF

Whatever you do, don't move to LA. It really sucks having to train outside year round because the weather is too nice to go inside and ride a trainer. Oh, did you think I meant Los Angeles? I meant Lower Alabama, or as the maps insist on calling it, Northwest Florida.

Got up this morning and stepped outside the double-wide, and went in the creek for a swim (this was free, by the way). Got chased by an alligator for a half-mile. Five-minute commute by pickup truck to the pulp mill. Off work at 3:30, and on my bike by 4:00. Had to swerve to miss four dead armadillos, or as they call it here, possum on the half shell. Wife home from job at Wal-Mart by 6:00, and off to the local four-star eatery. Fried mullet, cheese grits, hush puppies, and greens, washed down with a half-gallon of sweet tea. It don't get any better'n this.

Hey Mullet Eater, I'm heading that way next week, will be staying in betwixt P City and Destin. I'm bringing the bike. If you are close to that area, any recommendations on a place to ride?

now thats livin

Mr. Mike,

Here are some sources on ride info from closest to farthest from where you will be:

Emerald Coast Cyclists at http://members.cox.net/...man/index.htm--Rides in Destin, PC, and FWB area

Dragon Sports (FWB) at www.dragonsports.net--Rides in FWB, Crestview, Baker area

TrulySpokin' (Milton) at www.Spokinsrb@aol.com--Rides in Milton/Blackwater State Forest area

West Florida Wheelmen at www.wfw-pensacola.com--Rides in Escambia Cty. Florida and Baldwin Cty. Ala.

My favorite is Blackwater State Forest, but that is a pretty long haul from where you will be, so just try these in order and you should find something. Good luck and enjoy your stay. Just don't tell too many people about us down here.

Walton County 30-A gives you a pretty decent route between Inlet Beach and Topsail Hill SP. Go early in the day to avoid heat and traffic. Also, take one of the bridges back over Choctawhatchee Bay, and there's a nice generous shoulder on FL 20 if you loop between Freeport and the Bluewater Bay area. If you're looking for hills, you either do bridge repeats or head 15-20 miles inland.

If you're here for Memorial Day, there's the 4 1/2 mile Gate to Gate Run at Eglin AFB, which is one of the larger local road races. Registration is at Santa Rosa Mall in Ft. Walton Beach the Saturday before the race.

I really do like living on the Emerald Coast. Great weather except for the month of August, low cost of living compared to SoCal, and a good distribution of racers and races.

Depends where on the west side.. if you live in super traffic zone West LA, ferget about it. Close to the beach, paradise. Great riding up and down PCH, great climbing in the Santa Monica mountains AND no smog year round. It's gets too hot and nasty in the summers in the San Gabriel Valley (or anywhere more than 15 miles inland).. I should know, I grew up there. Now I live blocks from the beach, don't even need an AC. Basically any community from Malibu all the way south to Redondo Beach will have a great tri and cycling scene.

I'm partial to the South Bay, Hermosa Beach. Today was up at 6am, meet with the local roadies at Manhattan Beach Pier for a seriously fast 30 miler around the Marina, big pack 30-40 riders, sprinting to 35+ mph. After work swim at gym. Tomorrow morning, run along woodchip trail 3 blocks from my place... weekend long ride up PCH /w tri club, long climbs up into the Santa Monica mountains. Sunday morning ocean swim with tri club then long run either along beach or on nearby trails.

mike

Sounds like a typical training day here in South Georgia. However, you really don't have to swerve much to miss the armadillos (or the possums, bullfrogs, rattlesnakes, squirrels, turtles, foxes, wild hogs, and any of the other native wildlife that seems to have a rather difficult time making it across the road). Most of the roadkill is out in the middle of the road, away from the shoulders where we ride. Occassionally, however, the buzzards drag a carcass to the shoulder, and you can have a tricky time avoiding said carcass if a log truck on its way to the aforementioned pulp mill is headed in your direction (we have lots of lumber and paper mills in our area, and lots of double wides, but even more single wides). FWIW, the fastest flat sprint I've ever achieved resulted when I tried to beat a fully loaded log truck across a bridge on a training ride. I won, felt like Super Mario when I crossed the bridge. Hey, it's cheap down here, you can basically train year 'round outdoors as well, and if you have a wetsuit you can swim in the creek well into the winter months. And the 'gators are hibernating by then, so it's a relatively safe swim.

If you decide to move here, spring for a nice single wide. You can dress them up just as "purty" as a double wide, and the money you save on the single wide can go towards a new P3. Or a new pickup. Or both if you have a good job at the mill.

RP

I agree 100% with what you say about the lifestyle--I lived in MB for 3 years when I first came out. However job responsibilities caused me to move inland--I refused to fight traffic for 3 hours per day (90 min each way min). Unless you work out of your home, or in the South Bay area, traffic really sucks. The RE prices are ridiculous as well--then again, we will be moving back (to PV) within the next 4-7 years for the schools & area.

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____________
"There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs." John Rogers

Kalifornia is INSANE...I mean come on, that state is not at all a place where "Land of the Free" has any bearing on life. That state is over burdened with Democrat morons who over regulate, over tax, over populate, over legislate and over pay the people that matter the least (Hollywood). For gods sake that is the state where they will make you pay 50% more for gas than any other state...based on a ficticious fantasy about "Ecology".

Stay out of that state...put an Oreo in a ziplock bag in your shirt pocket...and go for a ride (try not to think about the poor and victimized OJ Simpson whom a Kalifornia Jury was not bright enough to convict).



I could go on and on about how IMO Kalifornia is doing its damndest to become a liberal dictatorship run by Barbra Strisand (or how ever you spell her name) but South Park is on TV....

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

I'm not sure why people are dissing Seattle. I came out here from the midwest five years ago and I just love it! And as for weather, I can train outside year round. Sure I have to do it in the rain for a few (nine) months out of the year, but it's never too cold to do it. Plus we've got the mountains so close, and all the water. It's like a paradise. A very, very damp paradise..

as opposed to the heavily republican state and federal governments where big business lines the pocket-books of politicians... the bottom lines of large corporation dictating public policy..

don't eat oreo's the hydroginated oils are bad for you.. try not to think about the rich getting their tax cuts to stimulate our economy.. or the all those supposed WMDs that have yet to surface

mike

I'll throw my two cents in. I grew up in D.C. and have been living in CA for 5 years now. I lived in SF for 3 years (I think I'm one of those folks that Cathy refers to rather negatively) and moved to San Diego two years ago. I'm definitely more of a NorCal type of guy. I just like it much better, though the cost of living in the Bay Area is hard to swallow. I hate LA. Ugh, don't get me started. I worked in Orange County for a year (staying beachfront in Newport Beach) and there's some really nice areas, but the endless suburb feel gets to me. I can understand why people like San Diego, but again, it's not for me. For triathlon, San Diego is an absolute playground. Bike lanes everywhere, flats, mountains, sun, tons of water, tons of athletes, did I mention there's a beach...

But alas, I've resigned myself to the fact that I will miss many of CA's benefits as I'm moving back to D.C. at the end of August. Unfortunately, the cost of living is basically the same, but I really need to be around some trees, restaurants, and a little bit of culture. OK, bring on the all the snide "DC murder rate" remarks.

No snide DC murder rate comments, but man, they still smoke INDOORS in DC! In restaurants and hotels and everyplace. YUCK! That's one great thing about California. ;-)

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

"Anyway, the grass is always greener somewhere else but only when you move you see it's not that green!"

I agree, and I must say that I don't remember seeing greener grass than in Portland!