[tptacek]

I've never really talked to anyone not from the east coast whose first impression of NYC wasn't horror. If you haven't been, it really is unlike anything you could imagine; even the nicest parts of the city seriously feel like a neglected warehouse of city parts haphazardly strewn about.

But NYC makes up for that by being the most vibrant city in possibly the world. It can be very hard to take, but you're always aware of why you're putting up with it.

[cageface]

The problem with S.F. is that it's too much of a compromise. It's not big enough compete with New York or small enough to be as livable as Portland.

[tptacek]

I've spent semi-serious time in Portland and have to say that it really seems to live up to the hype. I really like Portland.

[cageface]

I've only spent a week or so there but I was similarly impressed. Limiting the sprawl and repurposing their old buildings saved them from turning into another strip mall & freeway American dystopia.

I'm a little concerned about the migration of tech hipsters to Portland though. Californian expats have this nasty habit of turning their refuges into exactly what they fled.

[msisk6]

It rains all the time here in Oregon. It's overrated.

This isn't the city you're looking for. Move along ... move along.

[rikthevik]

How do you rate Seattle and Vancouver?

[cageface]

I think he was being facetious.

[msisk6]

Perhaps. <grin>

Actually, the entire NW sucks. Rains all the time. Heck, it's even raining on me right now in the desert of Central Oregon where it's never suppose to rain.

But seriously, after living in the Bay Area for 10+ years -- I ain't movin' back after living in the Pacific NW.

[seltzered]

Just have to ask: did you spend it in portland, or in a nearby suburb? I spent a week there just to see if I liked the city, couldn't get over the lack of diversity (felt like a lone brownie in strawberry-shortcake city), high income taxes, and seeming lack of a tech scene (unless you're in the burbs). It's a beautifully laid out area though.

[bfields]

> high income taxes

Must have been an exciting week. (Anyway, you'd need to compare the whole tax burden, since there's no sales tax.)

[michaelhalligan]

Portland has most of the benefits of San Francisco with all of the drawbacks of Seattle. As gray as SF is, I don't understand how anybody lives in Seattle or Portland without committing suicide from the lack of sun.

[geuis]

Could you unpack the numerous double negatives in your first sentence? I think you're agreeing with me, but I'm not sure?

[Luyt]

My attempt: "Everyone I talked to from the west coast had a horrific first impression of NYC."

Oh, and that goes for the people from the middle, too.

[geuis]

Ah, but I am an "East Coaster". I was born in NY and grew up in NY and the South (Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Florida). I loved the land in upstate NY but can't stand the City. The people in NY generally suck all-over though.

[Psyonic]

I'm from the west and I liked NYC at first sight, although I think it'd probably be a bit much for me long term. Boston, though, was fantastic. Now I'm in the bay (still in temp housing, deciding where to live), so we'll see how it goes.

On the subject of horrific first impressions, though, Bangkok definitely fit the bill for me. Perhaps not as big as NYC, but dirtier, crazier, far less organized, everything in Thai (a problem for me, not for them), dogs everywhere, not just bums but homeless starving mothers with a little baby kneeling in the gutter, bugs... jesus, that was an experience.

[gaoshan]

Perhaps I've just been lucky but every time I've been in NYC I've had a great time and the people have been fine. Maybe I don't have high expectations for stranger interaction but I've simply not had trouble and frankly, find the people to be pretty decent most of the time.

*yes I realize that this is a completely personal experience and I'm not trying to extrapolate that into "People in New York are X because this one time this one guy was X to me"... just throwing out a little counter ballast to the "New Yorkers are Rude" chestnut.

[orblivion]

Is it bad as it used to be? I visited a couple years ago for a weekend and I only noticed the vibrant part.

[alanthonyc]

I'm from California. My first visit to NYC was three years ago, and I loved it.