Could You Live on the West Coast?

By: Ashley Linkletter
Estimated Completion Time
5 min
Could You Live on the West Coast?
Image: mgs / Moment / Getty Images

About This Quiz

The West Coast boasts sunny beaches, rainforests and awe-inspiring mountain ranges as well as a solid reputation for easygoing vibes and a focus on healthy living. When inhabitants of California and the Pacific Northwest tell you, "no worries!" — which they definitely will — they actually mean it (after all, it's difficult to worry all the time when you can attend free outdoor yoga sessions by the beach at a moment's notice). Being outdoors as often as possible is a must if you want to thrive on the West Coast — exercising in a natural setting is definitely preferable to setting foot in a gym or in your living room. If you consider yourself a foodie, you'll be right at home in any small town or large city on the Pacific coast; your options for dining out range from authentic Asian cuisine to hyper-local, farm-to-table pop-up restaurants.

Keep in mind, you'll have to forego distinct seasonal changes (the temperature doesn't fluctuate as much as it does on the East Coast), and you may have to start your own successful tech company to afford rent. Not to mention, if you're headed to the Pacific Northwest, you'll have to get used to all rain — at least nine months of the year are wet and gray.

You'll have to answer some questions before we can tell you for sure, but if this sounds heavenly, we'd like to welcome you to your new life as a resident of the West Coast.

1 Coffee Shop
Tom Werner / DigitalVision / Getty Images
Coffee culture is huge on the West Coast. Where do you like to get your caffeine fix?
The coffee shop/record store around the corner
Starbucks
I make my own coffee in a French press.
Dunkin' Donuts

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2 Sunshine
Alistair Berg / DigitalVision / Getty Images
Out of the following weather options, which one would you be most comfortable with nine months out of the year?
Sunshine
Drizzle
Rain
Snow

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3 Movie Night
Gpointstudio / Cultura / Getty Images
It's a rainy afternoon and you've settled in to watch a movie. Which of the following will you be watching?
"Singles"
"Sleepless in Seattle"
"Always Be My Maybe"
"New York, New York"

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4 Style
Brandon Colbert Photography / Moment / Getty Images
How would you describe your sense of style?
Athleisure all the way
High maintenance
Outdoorsy
I'm a jeans and t-shirt kind of person.

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5 Hiking
Jordan Siemens / DigitalVision / Getty Images
It's time to get some exercise! Are you heading to the gym or to the great outdoors?
I like to use the treadmill in my living room.
I'm heading outside for some trail running!
The gym
I like to exercise outside (unless it's hailing).

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6 Hailing Cab
Klaus Vedfelt / Digital Vision / Getty Images
Your car breaks down and you need to find an alternate mode of transportation to get to work. How are you getting to work?
Float plane
Ferry
The bus
Taxi

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7 Sashimi
d3sign / Moment / Getty Images
The West Coast is well-known for its global cuisine. What kind of food excites you the most?
Sashimi
Chicken strips and fries
Anything hyper-local
Smash burgers!

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8 Vegan Food
Enrique Díaz / 7cero / Moment / Getty Images
How do you feel about vegetarian and vegan food?
I love it!
I can't stand it.
I think it's great.
I'm always open to trying new things.

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9 Concert
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The West Coast music scene has always been ahead of the crowd. Which genre of music do you listen to the most?
Grunge
Hip-hop
Indie alternative
Top 100

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10 tech company
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Congratulations! You've just launched your very own tech startup company. What does your company do?
We made an app that connects shoppers with local farmers markets.
We created a dating app.
We created software that predicts activity on the stock market.
We created a website to match creative freelancers with marketing agencies.

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11 Redwoods
Will Goldenberg / Moment / Getty Images
You have the opportunity to go camping at a National Park of your choice. Where are you going?
Yosemite National Park
Mount Rainier National Park
Redwood National and State Parks
Everglades National Park

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12 swimming
Luis Alvarez / DigitalVision / Getty Images
When it's hot outside, where do you go for a swim?
The river
The lake
The beach (preferably by the ocean)
The local pool

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13 California
California / Moment / Getty Images
You've decided to visit the West Coast before making the decision to live there. What was your impression the first day you went exploring?
The air is amazing!
I'm in love!
Wow, these hills are steep!
It must be strange not having seasons.

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14 Rent
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One drawback associated with living in bigger cities on the West Coast is the cost of rent. How much would you be willing to pay for living accomodations per month?
$3500
$2500
$1800
$900

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15 Kitten Heel
Ana Maria Serrano / Moment / Getty Images
If you had to choose one pair of shoes to wear every single day, which ones would they be?
My kitten heels
My Birkenstocks
My New Balance running shoes
My Blundtstones

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16 Mochi Ice Cream
Melissa Tse / Moment / Getty Images
It's time for dessert — West Coast-style! What will you be having?
Carob chip cookies
Ube jelly-roll cake
Mochi ice cream
A red velvet cupcake

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17 Farmers Market
Thomas Barwick / DigitalVision / Getty Images
The West Coast offers lots of options for buying groceries. Where do you like to go grocery shopping?
The farmers market
I get an "imperfect produce" CSA box delivered each week.
At a small deli near my work
At Walmart

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18 Roommates
Klaus Vedfelt / DigitalVision / Getty Images
It can be tough to find an apartment in some parts of the West Coast. What are your thoughts on living with roommates?
I would rather live on my own.
As long as everyone is respectful of each other's space, I'm all for it!
I would live with roommates if I had no other choice.
I have no problems with it.

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19 Beach Holiday
David Trood / DigitalVision / Getting Images
There's nothing better than a white Christmas — unless you live on the West Coast. What are your thoughts on a snow-free holiday season?
I've always wanted to have a rainy Christmas!
I could get used to it.
I hate the idea.
Deck the palm trees with boughs of holly!

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20 New Job
mediaphotos / E+ / Getty Images
Now that you're on the West Coast, you'll need to find new employment. Which job will you be applying to?
Barista
Hedge fund manager
UX designer
Manager of the local food co-op

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21 Womens Soccer
skynesher / E+ / Getty Images
People who live on the West Coast are soccer-obsessed! Which women's soccer team are you rooting for?
Portland Thorns FC
Reign FC
Utah Royals FC
Sky Blue FC

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22 museum
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If you could visit any of the following museums, which one would you like to see the most?
Museum of Pop Culture
Cable Car Museum
Museum of Natural and Cultural History
Whitney Museum of American Art

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23 Live Music
Flashpop / DigitalVision / Getty Images
In your opinion, where is the best place to see live music?
At a historic theatre
At a medium-sized public venue
At a stadium
At a music festical

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24 tv show
filadendron / E+ / Getty Images
The West Coast is a popular shooting location for TV shows and movies — which TV show are you a big fan of?
"iZombie"
"Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce"
"The Man in the High Castle"
"Law and Order: SVU"

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25 Best Friend
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How would your closest friends describe your personality?
Super laidback
Alright, alright, alright
Pretty relaxed
Aggressive and tense

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26 woman running
Tony Anderson / DigitalVision / Getty Images
What is your exercise routine before you head to work in the morning?
I go to a spin class.
I got to an outdoor yoga in a nearby park.
I don't have a morning workout routine.
I prefer to get in some exercise at the end of the day.

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27 College
Witthaya Prasongsin / Moment / Getty Images
Some of the best colleges in the United States are located on the West Coast. Where did you, or would you, go to school?
University of Washington
Iowa State University
Stanford University
Evergreen State College

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28 woman surfing
Colin Anderson Productions pty ltd / DigitalVision / Getty Images
You're spending a relaxing day at the beach. What kinds of activities are you interested in?
I'm all about the surfing!
I'll be in the water paddle boarding.
There's nothing I like more than some beach-side yoga.
You can find me on my beach towel with a good book and a cold glass of lemonade.

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29 No Work Break
Siri Stafford / DigitalVision / Getty Images
Are you able to leave your work at the office or do you feel tied to your work phone at all times?
I work as a freelancer, but I try to keep regular office hours.
I leave my work at the office.
I leave my work at the office on the weekends.
My work follows me everywhere.

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30 TV Spoiler
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The West Coast is at least an hour behind the rest of the country. How do you feel about TV spoilers?
I'm used to them.
I don't like them!
I actively avoid social media until the PST airing of the show.
I wouldn't be able to deal with the spoilers!

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