Best State?
 

Well, I didn't get picked up for an overseas assignment :( so back to the good ol' US of A :)
Now I just have to narrow down where I want to head to. I'd like to avoid the mid-west at all costs, but can't decided between East or West coast. I love the WC but haven't really given the EC a chance.
What I'm going to need is easy findings for apartment/houses that will allow pets, both dog and cat. Easy-going atmosphere for pet owners, as in wide selection of pet stores/botiques, plenty of places I can take Rizzo along to...Plus I'd like to have the option of a dog walker/puppy day care just in case I work too far away from home to get home during the day for playing/walking.
I also need colleges around the city where I live.
So far, Phoenix, AZ and Charleston, SC are on my list of places I think I'd like to live for the next 3 years. But I've pretty much gotten stuck trying to find a good state to live.
What do you guys think? Any advice?

I am a bit bias but Texas is a great state,particularly FtWorth,small town feel but still a good sized city. Lots of furbaby places here and the city is becoming more friendly to pets in public places. I believe that there is a doggie park as well. The beach is about 5hrs away,dogs are welcome. The state is big enough that you can see almost any kind of landscape. If you camp there are numerous state parks with alot of history to see. Again I am a bit bias.

I've been considering Texas, but don't want to get stuck on one of the bases that is in the middle of no-where (there are a few of those in TX, lol) I guess I'll put that into my considerations pile since I don't consider it Mid-West.

I wanna move to Charleston!!!! I am in MD now and *really* want to, just need a roommate, haha. But seriously I really have fallen in love with SC and will be there soon enough. It's really pet friendly from what I've seen. Greenville, SC looks nice too though I've never been there yet. Tons of parks and trails and a nice dog park.

CALIFORNIA!!!

I wouldn't recommend LA though, at least not my hood. I love the OC. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! So many good places to choose from.

I've been to Greenville, SC! It was nice, I was there in the summertime, warm but not too warm. But no bases there, just one in Charleston that I'd be really lucky to actually get :)
Cali, love it, but can I afford it? Hmmm...time to put on my thinking cap.

You mentioned Phx...I've lived here 6 years. A couple things to consider...you can only bring your dogs outside part of the year (bc of temp, and they can burn their paws). The summers can get up to 115 degrees, ugh. But from Oct-April/May is GORGEOUS. Dry, nice temps, sunny. Phx is a weird city, to me, though. No true metro downtown, very sprawled out. I don't feel a real 'energy' or 'identity' of the city.

I've lived in Colorado and LOVED loved loved it! It's the most stunning/breathtaking place I've ever been. Denver has a super feel to it. Lots of cool and different neighborhoods. Lots of history. People are very dog oriented and into outdoors. It's just a city of neat energy. Lots to do. Going up into the mountains offers endless exploring and incredible nature.

I'm a big fan of CA too. My fave is San Fran. San Diego is about 70 degrees all year round; very neat city too.

hum, for some reason I forgot about the heat of AZ, I lived in Tucson for a few years and fell in love with AZ. I'm huge into outdoors and the heat doesn't bother me at all, but Rizzo is really sensitive...Gosh, so much to think about. I'm seriously considering the San Fran area, maybe I'll re-think phx though...dang it, lol. Loss 1 gain 1..

I think you should put Vandenberg AFB on your dream sheet. ;) It's the most beautiful base you have ever seen. It takes up 35 miles of the most beautiful ocean front in CA. Huge commissary, BX area has shopping and eating, beautiful 18 hold golf course, beautiful parks, huge modern physical fitness center, pool, huge officer and enlisted club, super nice officers and enlisted dorms, HUGE new gas station, Veterinarian,MWR which now rents small RV's, (people LOVE camping here) and the most beautiful base housing of all the bases, and much, much, much more!! There are super nice homes, apartments or condos you could rent or buy just 4 miles from base, right here in Vandenberg Village, which also has churches, elementary and high schools, banks, gas, grocery store, pizza and mexican food restaurants, sandwich/coffee shop, beauty shop, frame shop, barber shop, motel, dentist, Vet. spa, and much more. We have the most completed mission of all the CA. missions, we were also listed as having the most perfect weather in the US, and there are so many things to do and see that I just can't list them all.
You can even join our doggie play date that meets once a month. ;)
Here is a little more about my area.

Lompoc, City of Murals In the Valley of Flowers, On the Central Coast of Paradise

Welcome to the City of Lompoc!

Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau - Home

Lompoc, California (93436) Conditions & Forecast : Weather Underground

Sold on Vandenberg lol :) You sure know how to sell a base, it's been added.

Way to welcome people to our fair city Ann, I'm reporting you to the Chamber of Commerce! :D Have to agree with you, although you forgot to mention that you'll probably have problems with allergies even if you've never had allergies elsewhere. Going to go rub my eyes for a while.

In AZ?! This shocks me.... my dad lived in AZ until he was 19yrs old and never ever suffered with allergies until the moment he moved to Maryland. I thought AZ would be good for allergies, considering it's, well, dry, and not a lot of green things grow there, lol?!

It use to be, and I hear that Tuscan is better than Phoenix, but people brought trees and grass from the Midwest, and because our air is so dry, the pollen doesn't stick to anything it just floats in the air continually. In more humid areas, it will stick on plants and trees and roofs, etc so it's not as highly concentrated in the air at all time. I've lived all over the country and never had a problem with allergies until I moved here, but I do love the grass and trees.

I vote West Coast- I am hoping to move to Nevada someday very soon :)

Yeah, I developed allergies when I lived in Tucson, lol. My eyes go crazy if I'm anywhere near the desert during the spring/summer, but taking allergy meds clears that problem up.