Here's my "Short List" beyond the obvious ones (NY, Chicago, Boston): Pittsburgh - Steady growth of banking and insurance has created a nice raft of demand for

Here's my "Short List" beyond the obvious ones (NY, Chicago, Boston): Pittsburgh - Steady growth of banking and insurance has created a nice raft of demand for developers. (+) Great museums/culture, (+) food and (+) social scenes. (-) Stiff winters (although not as bad as some other places). (-) Requires a car, really. (+) Super-cheap rent. D.C. - This is where I live now. Overall, I'm happy with it and don't plan on leaving anytime soon. Government, Non-Profit Associations, Defense and Politics provide an enormous raft of demand. Even mediocre developers can switch jobs at a whim and most smart employers know that and act accordingly. (+) Tons of free culture and activities. (+) Great infrastructure (car not necessary if you live by a metro). (-) Not much of a "startup scene", per se, but (+) insane opportunities for consulting. (You're not going to start a billion-dollar startup in DC, but you have a much better chance of starting a multi-million-dollar business than probably anywhere else in the country.) (-) Summers are nasty and humid. (Probably only Florida, Louisiana are worse). (+) Spring, Autumn are awesome and winters are (usually) mild. (-) Rent is expensive (but not like NY/SF/LA.)