I am going to have to move prematurely in the next couple months. A friend of mine has offered for me to stay with him for a short time until I can get on my feet rather than getting stuck where I am for at least another year. I am super excited about the opportunity however I have a decision to make. Vancouver or Phoenix?

So here are the basics. My friend lives in Vancouver but also has an apartment in Phoenix. He works each place for two weeks at a time. I could go to either place. There are a lot of things I need to factor into my decision. The answers I am searching for here are primarily based around TG community and acceptance as well as jobs in IT and more specifically Linux/Unix. I have a degree however where I am now there are 5+ people for every IT job and Linux/Unix jobs are almost non-existent. The one thing to keep in mind is that when my friend can find more stable well paying work in Vancouver he will no longer be travelling to Phoenix for work. Any help or opinions will be much appreciated.

Do some internet searching, check into LGBT support in both cities and what job situation in your field looks like in both areas. That's probably the smart thing to do, pick the city with good support and good job prospects. That being said personally I'd go for Phoenix, warm and sunny!

Portland OR is close to Vancouver WA, and is *very* LGBTQ friendly. Also, Seattle is well-known for IT and computer stuff n such. (Microsoft, several gaming companies, several aircraft related businesses, etc.)

Phoenix is HOT. And it has scorpions and tarantulas. And it's HOT. I'm not sure about employment there, but the scorpions and tarantulas are kept busy (if you amble into their territory--anything off the sidewalks or roads). It's HOT. People in Scottsdale are friendly to LGBTQ, not sure about the rest of AZ, but Tombstone is there, too (population: 45,690 scorpions, tarantulas tend to be squatters so their numbers are unknown.)

Weather in Vancouver is pretty mild year-round. Have I mentioned Phoenix is HOT?

Wow, tough choice. Not sure I'd want to be in your shoes.

Vancouver is basically a suburb of Portland. So I think that would be a much more trans-friendly option.

Thank you all for your quick replies. You have all already helped so much but I think that Beth Andrea's reply was the deciding factor. One word, arachnophobia.

Quote from: Irisgrey on July 01, 2015, 12:28:56 PM
Thank you all for your quick replies. You have all already helped so much but I think that Beth Andrea's reply was the deciding factor. One word, arachnophobia.

In the interest of full disclosure, we have the "giant house spider." In all my years in the Northwest (40+), I've only seen one, but jeez whizz it was scary!

QuoteCommon Name (Official / AAS)

Giant House Spider
Other Common Names

Funnel Weaver, Drain Spider, Greater European House Spider
Author

Author of species name: Carl Ludwig Koch. First year published: 1843, as Tegenaria atrica.
Pronunciation:

OH-ma-GAAAAAaaaawd! KILLITKILLITKILLITKILLIT

...

Size

Body length (excluding legs) of adult female ranges from 11-18 mm; adult males range from 10-18 mm. Some of the largest specimens can have up to a 4 inch leg span!

Important Range Notes

This species is native to Europe but was introduced to southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia in the early 20th century, and has since spread to mainland British Columbia as well as Washington and Oregon (Vetter 2003). There are records of this species being found in Alberta, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, Quebec, and Saskatchewan, but they were small, isolated populations (or single specimens that were accidentally transferred there). So please keep that in mind when viewing the range listing. The majority of this species' established North American distribution is contained within British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon only.

*runs around squealing and flapping hands like a girl*

40+ years and have only seen one? I'd say that sounds like good odds to me! I lived in a garage in Florida for a time . . . scarred for life.

I just spent two weeks in Vancouver back in April and had a blast.

The people where very friendly getting around traffic and Portlands bridges wasn't nearly as bad as back home (DC nova).

One thing I did noticed was there was a huge homeless population, not sure if that's a sign of the job market or people burning out of Cali. Also seemed a little more conservative than I thought (lots of trucks and camo lol)

Besides that seemed cool. There is no state  income tax but there is a steep sales tax. Good thing about Vancouver though you can cross the bridgesi into OR  to avoid the sales tax if needed.

I looked up a teams group while I was there. Ended up to attending but they seemed active.

I'm still itching to go back

Can't speak to Phoenix, but I'm also thinking Hot! lol

Quote from: Beth Andrea on July 01, 2015, 11:55:24 AM
Portland OR is close to Vancouver WA, and is *very* LGBTQ friendly. Also, Seattle is well-known for IT and computer stuff n such. (Microsoft, several gaming companies, several aircraft related businesses, etc.)

Phoenix is HOT. And it has scorpions and tarantulas. And it's HOT. I'm not sure about employment there, but the scorpions and tarantulas are kept busy (if you amble into their territory--anything off the sidewalks or roads). It's HOT. People in Scottsdale are friendly to LGBTQ, not sure about the rest of AZ, but Tombstone is there, too (population: 45,690 scorpions, tarantulas tend to be squatters so their numbers are unknown.)

Weather in Vancouver is pretty mild year-round. Have I mentioned Phoenix is HOT?

Wow, tough choice. Not sure I'd want to be in your shoes.

OK OK OK, it is hot but we are in the monsoon season when it's hot and wet. Sure you don't go outside much between May and October but the winters are beautiful and it almost never snows. There is a large electronic industry in the valley but they aren't looking for my brand of programming (assembler). Firms are relocating to Phoenix because the taxes are lower than in California. There is a surgeon doing SRS and there are near half a dozen doctors in therapy. I do need to find a doctor for routine medical care that will accept my insurance but I haven't started looking yet.

Quote from: Racheliv on July 01, 2015, 02:58:42 PM
I just spent two weeks in Vancouver back in April and had a blast.


One thing I did noticed was there was a huge homeless population, not sure if that's a sign of the job market or people burning out of Cali. Also seemed a little more conservative than I thought (lots of trucks and camo lol)

Homeless numbers are up ever since WA legalized weed. Mostly kids gravitating there for that perk.

I give a thumbs up to Phoenix as well. yea..summers are hot. But as was just mentioned winters are mellow and nice.