Northwest verses Northeast. What's better?

Question

I'm living in the southwest right now and I am looking for a change. I'm trying to choose between the Northwest or the Northeast. What are your opinions if you are from either or have been to both areas? Pros and cons...

Answer 1

Between the two, I would pick the Northwest.  The western side of the country is much more progressive than the east.  The west is significantly more laid back.  

For day to day living - the weather in the northwest is more tolerable than the northeast.  The winters in the northeast (New England) are brutal.   At my house the rhody's haven't bloomed yet, the tulips are just blooming now, the daffodils just died back.  The lilacs as just now starting to bud.  All of this would have happened in Puget Sound area in March.  In New England the temps are 20ish degrees from late December until March.  The winter is just brutal.

In Puget Sound, get used to "misty" weather.  There are many many days all winter that are misty.  Seattle has a reputation for rain, but I would call it more misty cold - temps in the 40s.

Cost of living is roughly the same.  Boston has the third highest cost of living in the US, behind San Francisco and New York.  You can live cheaper ~50ish miles outside of Boston @ roughly Seattle prices.

Generally speaking, I'd say people are more health conscience in the north west.  

The Northeast has vastly superior educational opportunities.  

Another way to look at it - when you go on vacation from New England you either go to Europe or the Carribean.  From the Northwest you go to Hawaii.

Bottom line - the winter in New England is the killer.  I hate the winter here.