Coverage has improved dramatically in the last year on the east side. We've gone from lots of dead spots and very poor 3g to very few dead spots and enough data to stream spotify. I have not dropped a call in a long time...that used to happen at least once a week before the upgrades started. I'm still looking forward to 800mhz and being able to have fast data in most places.
This is a pretty good place to raise a family. I grew up in LA, went to college and worked in Boston, and then a few years in Auburn AL, and Ann Arbor MI before moving here. It does get cold but I've lived in one place that was consistently colder. Summers are great here...long days and not too hot or too cool. People are friendly and helpful. And there is close to zero traffic. I tell my LA friends that I what I consider bad traffic is having to use my brakes on the highway before the off ramp. Our rush hour is their 10pm traffic. Our 10pm traffic is their 3am traffic.