Confederacy of a Dunce - My ideal US location

Monday, August 15, 2005

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I'm not usually one to jump on web quizzes, blog memes and the like, but today I came across one that sounded genuinuely interesting and I couldn't resist. It came my way from des petits moments and goes a little something like this.

The site Find Your Spot offers a "relocation quiz" as a hook for their relocation services: We'll instantly provide you with a tailored list of the best cities and small towns that fit YOU. Compare the perfect hometowns and undiscovered havens that match your interests. Dig deeper with colorful reports, job listings, and more. So how could I not? WARNING You cannot get your results without registering on their site, so you may wish to use a less-valuable email address in case they load your inbox with junk.

Unlike "Ayzair" whose "best" list was heavy on the Carolinas, Tennessucky and Virginia, my recommended locations are all over the place (rhyme? reason?). Of course this only includes US cities so it may not be very accurate.... In order of "desirability", here they are.

1. Worcester MA
2. Hartford CT
3. Milwaukee WI
4. Providence RI
5. New Haven CT
6. Boston MA
7. Portland OR
8. Chicago IL
9. San Francisco CA
10.San Jose CA
11.Washington DC
12.Baltimore MD
13.Honolulu HI
14.Sacramento CA
15.Little Rock AR
16.Baton Rouge LA
17.New Orleans LA
18.Santa Fe NM
19.Medford OR
20.Las Vegas NV
21.Oakland CA
22.Sheboygan WI
23.Danbury CT
24.San Diego CA

Although I didn't specify any particular regional preference, the South (especially the southeast) barely featured on my list (OK, Little Rock made a token appearance for some odd reason). Looking for rhyme or reason, obviously my choice for city life and its associated activities (live music, public transport and the like) skewed the list towards population centers (but this was not strictly the case: as Sheboygan doesn't come to [my] mind as a happening urban center). There are quite a few university towns on the list, but not entirely (Sheboygan? Maybe not the best well-known university around, maybe they should fix their web site). The top three seem to be united in minor-league ice hockey, but the only really reliable indicator seems to be "Red vs. Blue": considering the 2004 Presidential election returns, in terms of whether a state voted Republican or Democrat. Of the top 24 locations, only five were in "red states", and the highest rated of these was Little Rock at #15 (Before anyone asks, there were not any Bill Clinton-specific questions on the list).

The biggest mystery is why Sheboygan made the list (there were no questions about bratwurst, and I didn't indicate a desire to retire and/or play golf). I guess I won't be moving to any of these places anytime soon.

travel

Monday, August 15, 2005 10:36:09 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)