SDR. I have seen you provide consistenly sound and honest advice on this board.
I first lived in Manhattan, but mostly in Connecticut. I just did not like growing up in the NE. Good memories from prep school, but overall not for me. I liked Florida much better. But then I came to Cali for the military (to SD actually) and boom I was done for. No way I was going back East after comming here. Even Florida paled in comparison. See my top 25 reasons I love SD post for my colorful whys. I have been here ever since.
I love Cali, but love it more the more south I go. I like LA more than the Bay Area and SD more than LA. But I like the Bay Area more than any other place in the U.S. that is not in Cali.