* Sydney AU
* Brisbane AU
* Auckland NZ
* London EN

I’d pick either Seattle or Boulder as those two really seem to fit well with my vision for living in the USA :D

My sister lives in Boulder and it’s great if you don’t mind the cold weather and driving at least an hour each way to Denver’s airport (the part of visiting I don’t like).

I’d rather have the heat than the cold of Boulder or the rain of the Pacific Northwest.

- Best beer in the US (we are the Microbrew capital of the world).
- Best coffee in the US (becoming the Micro-Roasting capital of the world).
- Verizon FiOS internet service is available here (damn its fast!).
- Clear WiMax is available here.

As someone said before me, the PDX airport is one of the best….err, THE best in the country. Its a quick flight to the Bay, you can leave in the morning and be back home in Portland for dinner. Multiple VC’s have opened Portland offices this year alone and more are set to join. Seattle is a short 2.5 hour drive north or a 30 minute flight.

Yes we have a high state income tax but housing is affordable, you wont burn gas sitting in traffic or driving around a large metro area like L.A. and the restaurants are great but inexpensive.

The Oregon Coast, about an hour from Portland. Mt Hood, about an hour from Portland. The Columbia Gorge, about an hour from Portland. Eugene, home of the University of Oregon, about an hour from Portland. The Oregon Wine Country, home to the best Pinot Noir’s, less than an hour from Portland.

Portland’s got it all. Come check it out.

I absolutely love the tech community in Portland… much more laid back and inviting than SFO, and seems to be more supportive of local startups. Now, there aren’t near the number of VCs in PDX than the bay area, but likely more than you’d find in many of the other cities you’re looking at.

It’s hot as hell right now, and we’re setting heat records left and right, but I’m assured that this is atypical for the area, and will be getting better soon. I sure hope so. Overall, I’m very happy with my decision to move to Portland, and can definitely recommend it to others working in technology.

It’s a lower cost of living area than Boston, but within reach of that city and also within reach of the Route 128 area for hi-tech. Also, Nashua itself has hi-tech busniesses.

I lived there back in the late sixties and my sister lives there today.

Good luck with whatever choice you make!

boulder might have the 3rd tech meetup – i cant imagine they are bigger than sf or ny

thanks john – you should drop me a line about MW too!

Seattle – You like the cold, but how about the wet? One of my sisters lived in Seattle with two small boys and almost went nuts with all the rain. But if that doesn’t bother you, it’s a great city with great nearby places to visit if like the outdoors.

Portland- is a great town if you love the outdoors (I recall flyfishing with 5 inch long salamanders swimming around on a mountain top lake within an hour of downtown Portland – didn’t catch anything but that’s me).

Boulder – Seems to have a strong tech scene (2nd largest tech meetup). People I’m working with seem to love it there. Some are San Fran or NYC transplants. I’m planning to add team members there to take over management of my site as I take a backseat.

Austin – If don’t like hot, then probably not a good choice for you.

Philly- Close to NYC so an easy move.

Good luck.