First, a map:
Note: the darker the color, the more rights gay people have. The darkest blue is full equality.

1. Portland, Oregon
2. Seattle, Washington
3. Nashua/Manchester, New Hampshire
4. Ventura County, California
5. Sacramento, California
6. Hartford, Connecticut
7. Denver, Colorado
8. Madison, Wisconsin

You’ll notice a very strong West Coast influence.  There’s good reason for that – the climate and the laws are pretty friendly to us.  That doesn’t mean I hate the East Coast, but for now there are less oppurtunities for a good life over there.  More could be added in the future, depending on how the laws of other states decide to treat us(I’m talking to YOU, New York and New Jersey), or if the President decides to get his ass in gear on his national Civil Unions plan(Fuck you for having to be forced to accept us as human, Texas).  But for now, this is how the list stacks up.

Yay.  Now if only we had any money

Portland, OR
Metro Population: 2.1 Million

Pros:
Strong Domestic Partnerships law, with the potential of full marriage equality within 2 years
Another very eclectic place with a unique culture – which is something I love
The cleanest major city in America
The #1 major city for outdoor activities in the Continental US
Tech jobs
Northwest climate
Low cost of living compared to all other major West Coast cities.
No sales tax

Cons:
Somewhat isolated from all that we’ve ever known

This is it – the place I’ve been obsessed with for over 10 years. This place is a nature photographer’s wet dream(see photos below from out February 2009 visit to Oregon), not to mention the outdoor enthusiast. Where Phoenix has served to make me suffer, Portland is the place that makes me feel at home more than any other. Where most people enjoy the idea of sunshine and warmth, Julio and I hate the heat and actually like to relax and enjoy rainy days at home – one thing we did a lot more in Sacramento than we do now. Portland feels like an electromagnet pulling on the metal filings of my soul, and my desire to live there is inescapable. Now, I know our limits – we’d have to live in the suburbs or accross the river in Vancouver, WA(where there’s no state income tax), because the central city is far too expensive for us. However, being in the Portland metro area has been my dream for so long that I can’t remember ever wanting to live anywhere else more than PDX.

The forests.

The Cascades.

The Columbia River Gorge.

The Oregon coast.

This is the place I want to live. All the others are nice places where I wouldn’t mind settling down, but this is still my unquestioned favorite for damn good reason. There’s no other place like it, and I hope the secret stays safe for long enough that it won’t cost us an arm and a leg to move there.

Denver, CO
Metro Population: 2.5 Million

Pros:
Recently signed Domestic Partnership law
The Rocky Mountains
Colorado has the highest per-capita income in the West

Cons:
Not close to any coast

Ever since Colorado passed a domestic partnership law about 2 months ago, Denver’s been back on my radar.  Seriously, there’s really not much that I can find to dislike about the place.  The climate is, uhh… not Phoenix, and that’s pretty fucking appealing right about now.  Also, there’s the Rocky Mountains.  Can’t go wrong with that.

Madison, WI
Metro population: 543,000

Pros:
Newly signed domestic partnership law
Low cost of living
Scenery(yea, I really said that)
College town, so there’s lots to do

Cons:
Climate
Smallish City

I didn’t ever consider Wisconsin until they enacted a Domestic Partnership law recently. But I always remember reading about Madison, and how kooky liberal it is. That’s a good thing. If I could live with the cold winters(and after 3 summers in Phoenix I think I could), I could really see this as a place to call home. One of the craziest and coolest things about Madison is its geography – “unique” probably isn’t a strong enough word.  Downtown Madison is on a narrow strip of land in between two lakes:

Southern New Hampshire
Metro Population: 7.5 Million (Boston)

Pros:
New Hampshire is a very beautiful state
Marriage Equality
No sales tax and no state income tax

Cons:
The weather gets pretty extreme in northern New England
Very far from everything Julio and I have ever known

New Hampshire is arguably THE most gay-friendly state in the nation, with full equality and the highest percentage of gay residents out of any state. It’s also the one state on the least coast that’s scenic enough to compete with the best coast. There’s a (small but scenic) coastline, the highest mountains on the east coast, a huge, well known lake with a well-maintained shoreline, something called “America’s Stonehenge” and no shortage of activities in nearby Boston. All the benefits of Boston without the taxes and high cost of living? Sign me up.  Did I mention the scenery?

This isn't Oregon? Could've fooled me.

Hartford, CT
Metro Population: 1.9 Million [Includes Springfield, MA which is 25 miles from downtown Hartford]

Pros:
Insurance Jobs
Marriage Equality
Countless fun things within easy driving range[NYC, skiing, Atlantic Ocean, etc.]

Cons:
Cost of living in New England
It’s not the West Coast

This is actually a great option, and one that I would pounce on, even though I’d have reservations. I wouldn’t like being on the East Coast as much, but the perks are definitely there.

I apologize to the none of you reading this about the delay since the last post – I was really concerned that I would lose my job because of my little bout with Strep last week.  Everything seems OK at work, so on we go…

Ventura County, CA
Population 800,000

Pros:
Climate
Least smoggy/crowded place within easy range of LA
Tech Jobs
Surfing, surfing, and… oh yea, surfing

Cons:
High Cost of Living
Lakers Fans

This is another dream of mine.  The chances of this happening aren’t that great, but I still think it’s worth mentioning.  This actually pushes San Diego off the list – why?  Because it’s better than SD, that’s why. Oh, and was I clear enough about the surfing?

I totally took that pic… 2 and a half years ago.  =(

Seattle, Washington

Metro Area Population: 3.3 Million

Pros:
Cool, Moderate climate (exactly what I want)
Unparalelled scenery
2nd only to San Francisco in gay population by percentage, and gay acceptance.
Proximity to Pacific Ocean, Mt. Rainier, Lake Chelan, the Olympic Rainforest, and all kinds of other great natural attractions.
Tech jobs – I want one, and Seattle’s the best place to get one.

Cons:
Fucking expensive.
My favorite fast food places are virtually non-existent(It’s a stretch, but I had to write something other than the cost of living).

Basically, I find Seattle to be nearly perfect in every way.  I still think Portland is a little tiny bit perfecter(not a real word), but I wouldn’t mind Seattle at all.  What isn’t to like?

Sacramento, CA
Metro Population: 2.1 Million

Pros:
Awesome weather most of the time
Somewhat Gay-friendly[duh, it's Cali]
Cheapest place to live in CA(that isn’t Fresno)
Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park, San Francisco, Pacific Ocean all within range of a day trip easily

Cons:
The Central Valley sucks
One of the more conservative areas of CA

I miss Sacramento.  More and more all the time.  It doesn’t help that I have the suburb I used to live(Roseville) in as one of the 5 places whose weather appears on my internet home page at work everyday.  The first 2 cities I see on the list are Chandler(105 degrees) and Roseville(80 degrees), which is just a depressing comparison.  And the proximity of all that stuff I listed above was just fucking awesome.  Let me put it this way:  If I were offered a job in Sactown for the same amount of money I make here, I’d be packing the next second.  Don’t get me wrong:  the long-term plan still favors other places, but Sacto definitely has a fond place in my memory.  And, I wouldn’t mind making it home long-term.  When we came back from our trip to Portland a few months back, driving through Sacramento half-awake led to me almost taking I-80 home to Roseville. But then I realized we don’t live there anymore, and I was angry the rest of that night.

I definitely wouldn’t be opposed to more of this:
Sigh…