Where should I Live (Move)?

[okayplayer]

So here's the deal: I am currently living in the Bay Area (Oakland), and my roommate just moved out early; I had been planning on buying a home around the first part of next year, but it looks like I may need to accelerate that plan. I have been thinking about where I should live, and have three places I'm deciding between: Bay Area, Los Angeles or Las Vegas. A little background on me: I play poker (MHNL) for a living (almost exclusively online - this is mainly due to sheer profitability, but if I lived in LA or LV, I would certainly play more live). I don't really have anything tying me down here (no gf [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] ), and a number of my friends have moved out of the Bay Area after school (though I still do have plenty of friends here) and I would say a good handful have moved back to LA, and another good friend is likley moving there after graduation at the end of the year. And my family lives in another state altogether, so that isn't a factor either. So, I was just wondering if you guys wanted to weigh in on where you would move and why. Right now, I would have to say that I am leaning more towards Vegas, as I could buy a nice house for ~$300k, whereas a house in the Bay Area or LA would run atleast 2.5x that and it wouldn't be as nice of a house. If I moved to LA, I would like to live near the beach. If I lived in Vegas, I would definitely put in a pool and hot tub, and buy a boat/jet ski. Also, if I did move to Vegas, it would probably be for ~2yrs, and then I would like to buy a place near the beach in LA. But I still do like the Bay Area... any advice?

[tom]

if you are looking for a "nice" house anywhere near the beach in la, you are looking at minimum > 4x $ 300K.

can't beat so cal though.

[okayplayer]

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if you are looking for a "nice" house anywhere near the beach in la, you are looking at minimum > 4x $ 300K.

can't beat so cal though.

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Yeah, that is one of the issues at hand. I would end up getting a condo/townhouse. Or I guess I might compromise my goal of living near the beach...

If you compromise the beach, whats the point of not being in vegas?

[okayplayer]

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If you compromise the beach, whats the point of not being in vegas?

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Yeah, that's pretty much my thoughts as well. I would also have Lake Mead nearby in Vegas.

[timprov]

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If you compromise the beach, whats the point of not being in vegas?

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What's the point of being in Vegas?

Since you don't seem to have any real reasons to move somewhere specific, why limit yourself to those options?

Of course, I'm biased; nothing could make me live in the Bay Area again, and nothing could ever have convinced me to move to LA or LV.

[okayplayer]

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If you compromise the beach, whats the point of not being in vegas?

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What's the point of being in Vegas?

Since you don't seem to have any real reasons to move somewhere specific, why limit yourself to those options?

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Well, these are the places I am interested in living. I want to live somewhere where there is a good poker game nearby, and where it doesn't get cold. And I want to stay in the west. Do you have any other suggestions? I had briefly flirted with the idea of moving to a tax free Carribean country, but after research, found it is very hard to get away from paying taxes to the Man.

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Of course, I'm biased; nothing could make me live in the Bay Area again, and nothing could ever have convinced me to move to LA or LV.

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So mind me asking where you live now? And why didn't you like the Bay Area? I actually do like it here, except I would prefer warmer weather and my friend brought up a good point, that it's not a very "single friendly" place. And the live game selection is not good (for the limits I play) here.

[timprov]

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So mind me asking where you live now? And why didn't you like the Bay Area?

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Like about half of 2+2, I live in Minneapolis. We have seasons, and personal privacy. Not the place if you don't want cold, though.

[okayplayer]

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So mind me asking where you live now? And why didn't you like the Bay Area?

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Like about half of 2+2, I live in Minneapolis. We have seasons, and personal privacy. Not the place if you don't want cold, though.

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That's funny, because that's where I grew up, and I couldn't wait to get outta there. Not that MN is a bad place, but it just was not for me. I fly back about 2 to 3 times a yr to visit the fam though.

[timprov]

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That's funny, because that's where I grew up, and I couldn't wait to get outta there.

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I had that attitude too, until I spent five years in the Bay Area.