after doing some more serious thinking this past week while away for the holidays, i have decided that i will be moving to either new york or seattle in a month or two, probably closer to two once i get proper planning in place. however, i realized that both cities are about on the same level in terms of desirability, seattle having risen since i have been here. each has its own positives and negatives, so i decided that perhaps going through them here will help the decision.
seattle +
- proximity to recreational activities, outdoorsy
- weather; cool/mild summers and cool/cold winters, very stormy winters
- mountains (close to a lot of snow), water/pacific coast
- importance of coffee 
- seasonal temperature persistence (winters remain cool/cold most of the season)
- money goes farther
- can get a nicer place for less (get money’s worth)
new york +
- diversity, culture, arts
- ease of getting around without a vehicle; ease of foot transportation
- access to everything; easy to find things to do
- the city
- usually better chances for snow/blizzards (depending on year though)
- already have friends living up there
seattle -
- dry summers (i like rain )
- not as easy to get around without a vehicle
- not as much diversity and culture
- typically does not snow often
- don’t have friends there yet (family about 2 hours west in sequim)
new york -
- hot summers often (100+ deg… yuk; that’s why i want to leave the south!)
- not as easy to partake in outdoor/recreational sports
- large temperature swings (not persistently cold during the winter)
- cost of living outrageous
- difficult to escape the masses of people all the time
- money does not go very far
- definitely not getting money’s worth from rent!
if you’d like to add to my listing… feel free to comment!