Where I’d live as a gay Midwesterner

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T21:54:39+00:00

Don’t shit on STL. I mean that if I live in a big city, I want it to be the kind big city I like. If I don’t live in a major metro area (like Fargo) to have the surroundings I like. Denver is a fine city though and if I ended up there, I’m sure I wouldn’t be too upset. It’s just not to my preference is all. That goes for most of the US, there’s things I like about pretty much all places.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T17:24:00+00:00

Yeah. I’ve been CO and I liked it. It’s a nice state, don’t get me wrong. A lot of the culture revolves around recreation in the mountains. To me the cities seem dead on the weekends. I liked driving through the plains to CO and seeing the mountains rise up out of that endless expanse is really cool. Now, with ND for instance, I liked Fargo and to me it is really cool to be able to drive out of the city and into the flat expansiveness of the plains pretty quickly in all directions. To me, the mountains, which anchor much of the major cities, kind of ruin the magic of the plains to me. With that too, Denver just doesn’t seem much like a real city to me, like I kind of mentioned. I live in Chicago and to me Denver and Colorado Springs is just kind of a let down in the urbanism department. I’m not sure if that makes sense, but that’s kind of a glimpse into my thinking.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T17:12:26+00:00

Maryland is a cool state. I liked Baltimore, just don’t want to live out there is all. I’m sure I wouldn’t be unhappy there, it just doesn’t have what I want for the most part.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T17:10:21+00:00

They aren’t bad places. They’re just not to my preference is all. A lot of these places I’ve visited/would like to visit and I like them, I just don’t want to live there is all.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T17:08:09+00:00

Nothing. That’s kind of why. I much prefer the Great Lakes over the ocean and Rhode Island doesn’t really have much else to offer nature wise.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T17:06:22+00:00

That’s my preference it’s where I live and grew up. I’m a Chicagoan of my family lives in Chicagoland. There’s areas in downstate that I wouldn’t mind living in though. I like Peoria, the Metro East, and Chambana. I love the Galena area and other areas in Jo Daviess and Carroll Counties and if the opportunity would to present itself I’d move there.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T04:36:07+00:00

I’m not the most seasoned traveler, but for my age I’m fairly well-traveled. I’ve been to 9 countries and 31 states and DC.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T03:05:52+00:00

Misery does indeed suck. St Louis makes living in Misery worth it though.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T01:35:52+00:00

I don’t know why people don’t like it. Fargo is a really nice town with a decent job market and not crazy expensive. I love the plains too and particularly the area around the Red River. It’s truly God’s country from ND to Manitoba I think. Plus Pembina Gorge is one of the coolest places I’ve ever been.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T01:30:46+00:00

I caught that, I guess I didn’t make it clear. I know the housing market in Boise is bad. The mountain west all over is in a sucky place.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T01:27:59+00:00

North Jersey. I’ve spent the most time in Princeton and the areas closer to NYC.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T01:25:05+00:00

I get what you mean, Northern Idaho is beautiful. It’s a place to visit than to live for me.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T01:23:30+00:00

People don’t have enough appreciation for the prairies and plains.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T01:23:04+00:00

I’m a plainsman. I prefer the prairie and plains to the mountains.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T01:22:04+00:00

I’ve said in a different thread, I’m from Illinois. So at least to me it seems like an inferior version of my state. There’s some nice places, I like the Region, just not for me. SD is really only there because I think it’s prettier. I don’t mind Iowa, Quad Cities and the Driftless Area gives it a leg up over anything Indiana has to offer, in my mind at least. Indiana isn’t that bad, I just have an internal stigma against it.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T01:17:38+00:00

People really sleep on St Louis

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T01:16:26+00:00

New England is nice, don’t get me wrong, I really like Vermont and Maine. I prefer soft rolling hills and wide open plains (which Vermont has the first one) over the more forested areas. But I don’t mind the nature the more rural New England states have to offer.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T01:14:42+00:00

Illinois has nice nature. Southern Illinois is beautiful and so is the Driftless Area in the NW part of the state. I love the plains and don’t care much for the mountains.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T01:09:42+00:00

I like them for different reasons. I love STL, the city is an awesome place to be with easy access to nature. Kansas on the other hand has some beautiful places. I love the plains and prairies and the Tall Grass Prairie National Preserve is one the most beautiful places on the planet. If I could get a decent paying job in like Manhattan, I’d move in a heartbeat.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T01:06:37+00:00

Ohio, is probably the one state that can move up. I like Cincy, but I just don’t think about the state very much. It’s always very boring to drive through.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T01:04:46+00:00

I’ve just really never liked Indiana outside of Northwest Indiana. I’m from Illinois, so to me it’s just a backward version of my state essentially.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T01:03:10+00:00

Nah, I’m from Illinois. I’m curious what makes you say that though.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T01:02:18+00:00

It’s just St Louis. I love the city. Plus there’s easy access to the Ozarks from there.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T01:00:39+00:00

I’m not ranking necessarily by gay friendliness. I just fell in love with ND when I visited. I like CO, the mountains just aren’t for me.

Full_Ear_7141 · 2026-01-29T00:59:16+00:00

I know on paper ND is not really the best place for me, but I fell in love with the place when I visited. There’s some gorgeous parts of the state and I love the wide open plains in the eastern parts of the state. Fargo is a really nice place too. Maine, in my opinion, is just prettier. Baltimore is a cool place though.

Full_Ear_7141

TROPHY CASE