[Mick]

[quote author=Mick link=topic=14252.msg150800#msg150800 date=1451846327]
5)  They spent half a year's pay to come to Southern California...and I'll tell you, every time I've ever visited any Midwestern city other than Chicago, I've thought to myself "Thank goodness I don't live here."  I'm sure Des Moines and all the other Iowa towns and cities are perfectly fine, but I'd rather live in Alviso than any one of them.  So when they visit our fair state, especially those here for the first time, they are a bit taken aback at how darned terrific it is.

Iowa:
I live in Des Moines and have for almost 10 years. With no previous midwest exposure or ties, I can say that I love it out here (except for Winter). The people are 10x more approachable than Californians and definitely nicer. While recognizing rural roots, there is enough here to entertain and satisfy the demands of an urbanite like myself. Do not knock it unless you have truly tried it.
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You're right, I can't speak for the Des Moines experience.  But I'm going to knock the Midwest experience.  I've lived in Detroit for over a year (I live there now), and I probably spent an accumulated eight months in Illinois, and I've spent time in Kansas City, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Cincinnati and a dozen towns in between them.  So I have a little bit of experience in the Midwest.  So to your points:

The WINTER here is fxxxing looooong.  Last winter it was snow in november, snow in April and snow in all points in between.  May to September was beautiful, the October fall was stunning.  But there are three months that are a living hell here.

I don't find the people in the Midwest friendlier.  I like them just fine, I do.  But I find them much more insular, much more closed-minded and less friendly than Californians, particularly northern Californians.  So I'll respectfully disagree.

[Mick]

[quote author=Mick link=topic=14252.msg150800#msg150800 date=1451846327]
5)  They spent half a year's pay to come to Southern California...and I'll tell you, every time I've ever visited any Midwestern city other than Chicago, I've thought to myself "Thank goodness I don't live here."  I'm sure Des Moines and all the other Iowa towns and cities are perfectly fine, but I'd rather live in Alviso than any one of them.  So when they visit our fair state, especially those here for the first time, they are a bit taken aback at how darned terrific it is.

Iowa:
I live in Des Moines and have for almost 10 years. With no previous midwest exposure or ties, I can say that I love it out here (except for Winter). The people are 10x more approachable than Californians and definitely nicer. While recognizing rural roots, there is enough here to entertain and satisfy the demands of an urbanite like myself. Do not knock it unless you have truly tried it.
[/quote]


You're right, I can't speak for the Des Moines experience.  But I'm going to knock the Midwest experience.  I've lived in Detroit for over a year (I live there now), and I probably spent an accumulated eight months in Illinois, and I've spent time in Kansas City, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Cincinnati and a dozen towns in between them.  So I have a little bit of experience in the Midwest.  So to your points:

The WINTER here is fxxxing looooong.  Last winter it was snow in november, snow in April and snow in all points in between.  May to September was beautiful, the October fall was stunning.  But there are three months that are a living hell here.

I don't find the people in the Midwest friendlier.  I like them just fine, I do.  But I find them much more insular, much more closed-minded and less friendly than Californians, particularly northern Californians.  So I'll respectfully disagree.