# Which of these major U.S. cities would you live in if you had to? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 26, 2011, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-major-u-s-cities-would-you-live-in-if-you-had-to/583278 "2011-05-26T13:15:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-major-u-s-cities-would-you-live-in-if-you-had-to/583278/1 "2011-05-26T13:15:02Z")
Obviously many people wouldn’t want to live in any of them, and many Dopers already do live in one of these cities. But assume some convoluted scenario where you had to live in one of the cities on this list. Also assume that you could continue working in your field and could afford the cost of living there (even if these are unrealistic assumptions). What would be your choice? \*Note that these aren’t necessarily the largest cities, but due to the limit on number of poll options I tried to go for variety ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-major-u-s-cities-would-you-live-in-if-you-had-to/583278/2 "2011-05-26T13:17:54Z")
I can has choices kthxbai? ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-major-u-s-cities-would-you-live-in-if-you-had-to/583278/3 "2011-05-26T13:18:43Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > I can has choices kthxbai? Needed a minute to write them. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-major-u-s-cities-would-you-live-in-if-you-had-to/583278/4 "2011-05-26T13:21:48Z")
This isn’t as convoluted as many polls because it’s easy to imagine a scenario with several job offers, all in the above cities (although of course not all of them at once.) I picked Philadelphia because it has the best city park ever, Wissahickon Park. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-major-u-s-cities-would-you-live-in-if-you-had-to/583278/5 "2011-05-26T13:31:27Z")
First choice is San Francisco though we would need to have a car. And I would need to have the handcycle re-geared. First choice for carfree would be San Diego. My wife has always wanted to live in Seattle. ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-major-u-s-cities-would-you-live-in-if-you-had-to/583278/6 "2011-05-26T13:43:27Z")
Seattle for the climate. I hate the damn sun. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-major-u-s-cities-would-you-live-in-if-you-had-to/583278/7 "2011-05-26T13:51:12Z")
I picked Atlanta because 1. it’s the closest and 2. **jali** lives there. But you’re killin’ me, **Rigamarole**. I would shrivel up and die if I had to live in the city. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-major-u-s-cities-would-you-live-in-if-you-had-to/583278/8 "2011-05-26T13:57:08Z")
I picked San Diego for the perfect weather. I’d also consider Denver and San Antonio. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-major-u-s-cities-would-you-live-in-if-you-had-to/583278/9 "2011-05-26T13:58:56Z")
I’m trapped in Charlotte and want to go back to San Francisco. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-major-u-s-cities-would-you-live-in-if-you-had-to/583278/10 "2011-05-26T13:59:14Z")
I picked Washington, DC, because I live in DC. If I could have chosen more than one city, I would have chosen several on the list. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-major-u-s-cities-would-you-live-in-if-you-had-to/583278/11 "2011-05-26T14:08:27Z")
I love Denver, it’s my favorite big city by far but I really hate winter. Since I can keep my job which is the only thing keeping me in Colorado, and winter, I’d move back to California. I don’t like the bay area so San Francisco is out. Between LA and San Diego, San Diego has better weather but it’s farther from my friends and family. I think I know more people in LA but I’m not certain. In the end I chose LA but it was a close decision. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-major-u-s-cities-would-you-live-in-if-you-had-to/583278/12 "2011-05-26T14:08:28Z")
> [@NinetyWt](#): > > But you’re killin’ me, **Rigamarole**. I would shrivel up and die if I had to live in the city. ☹ Yeah, that’s why I made it a point that you had to choose one. 😛 I know we’ve also got a lot of non-American Dopers who love their countries but you’re welcome to play too if you have some familiarity with any of these cities. ---
**Author:** ![Pitchmeister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pitchmeister/32/3459_2.png) [@Pitchmeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitchmeister)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-major-u-s-cities-would-you-live-in-if-you-had-to/583278/13 "2011-05-26T14:15:59Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > First choice is San Francisco though we would need to have a car. And I would need to have the handcycle re-geared. > > First choice for carfree would be San Diego. > > My wife has always wanted to live in Seattle. Carfree in San Diego? Where exactly were you’re planning to live? Unless you’re in the Gaslamp, you can’t get to a supermarket without a car, let alone anything else. If you’re looking for carfree options, I would have thought San Francisco is almost as good as you can get (apart from NYC, of course, the correct choice in the poll). ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-major-u-s-cities-would-you-live-in-if-you-had-to/583278/14 "2011-05-26T14:33:07Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I picked Washington, DC, because I live in DC. What he said. I thought this was going to be a list of Bumfuck, USA towns or highly unpleasant places like Compton, CA or [Battle Mountain, NV](http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A31628-2001Nov28). ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-major-u-s-cities-would-you-live-in-if-you-had-to/583278/15 "2011-05-26T14:37:26Z")
I’d live in San Antonio if I had to. Texas politics most closely aligns with mine given the choice of cities, and I consider that an important factor in quality of life. That said, the only city that I would live in of my own free will is Pittsburgh, apparently not a major city. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-major-u-s-cities-would-you-live-in-if-you-had-to/583278/16 "2011-05-26T14:40:52Z")
I’d stay right here in LA. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-major-u-s-cities-would-you-live-in-if-you-had-to/583278/17 "2011-05-26T14:41:37Z")
NYC. Didn’t even read the rest of the list. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-major-u-s-cities-would-you-live-in-if-you-had-to/583278/18 "2011-05-26T14:49:18Z")
Wow I have to choose 1 only? I would live in many of them but given the list and my desire for a much warmer climate I’ll choose Las Vegas. I see I’m the only one so far 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-major-u-s-cities-would-you-live-in-if-you-had-to/583278/19 "2011-05-26T14:50:23Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > What he said. > > I thought this was going to be a list of Bumfuck, USA towns or highly unpleasant places like Compton, CA or [Battle Mountain, NV](http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A31628-2001Nov28). BTW, **DCndC** , what neighborhood do you live in? I’ve always meant to ask. I’d also live in Chicago in a hearbeat if I could winter in San Diego. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-major-u-s-cities-would-you-live-in-if-you-had-to/583278/20 "2011-05-26T14:52:55Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > BTW, **DCndC** , what neighborhood do you live in? I’ve always meant to ask. I have a place in Petworth but I mostly live at my place in Takoma Park. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-major-u-s-cities-would-you-live-in-if-you-had-to/583278.md?page=2)